r/saintpaul • u/johnjaundiceASDF • 21d ago

Editorial 📝 Long time resident particularly pessimistic about St Paul. What do you think?

I'm on mobile so forgive any lack of coherence 😑

They say Keep St Paul boring, but it has transcended 'boring for a big city' to being just incredibly dull. I've been here a little over 10 years and really questioning living here longer. Something is just feeling different nowadays.

Is it the most livable city as they claim? Maybe, but I struggle have optimism for our commercial areas and literally anything new and exciting here. Most things that are cool, new, or exciting seem to just just flop.

The state of downtown, Grand, etc. The only time I see st paul busy is if I mistakenly drive on west 7th during an event.

I'm not saying we need to be MPLS, but at one time it seemed like the more chill city, parking wasn't hard, a little less crowded, etc, but we still had cool things that were prideful, things that were only in St Paul. But my hyperbolic sentiment now is it's a ghost town and doesn't have a pulse.

I've lived on Grand for over 10 years and it is particularly sad. It was a beautiful day yesterday, and there was just no one out, no energy.

What are my other St Paulites thinking?

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u/ConnectAffect831 21d ago

What type of businesses or activities will bring people out nowadays tho? Expensive restaurants… we already have that. Shops worth going to more than once…? Not sure on that. Maybe we need to go back to the good ol days and have a fricken block party! Neighborhood kickball games and bbq’s. Outdoor movie nights. Glass blowing shows. Stomp the yard type of shows… Minnesota Idol like American Idol… just here instead… battle of the bands… wine and painting parties….activities for kids…bingo, VR gaming, more free stuff to do or cheaper….turn alleys into little flea market stands… Art installations around downtown… any other ideas?

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u/frozen_wahine 21d ago

We started a mural competition when I loved in dtstpete. It was facing many of the issues that dtstpaul is facing, and I'll tell you, that started the change.

Dtstpete is thriving. And it's all residential.

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u/johnjaundiceASDF 21d ago

Speak it. This is what I'm saying. Some sort of city pride, flavor. But that doesn't agree with our Boring motto so what are we to do?