St. Anthony Park is tucked into the northwest corner of St. Paul bounded on the north by Larpenteur Avenue, on the west by Highway 280, on the south by I-94, and on the east by the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Fair Grounds.St. Anthony Park is home to the Music in the Park Sunday Concert Series, Luther Seminary, and a shopping neighborhood that includes Micawbers Bookstore, Muffuleta Restaurant and The Bibelot.
The community sponsors a 4th of July Celebration that starts with a community run through the neighborhood, features a neighborhood parade and a patriotic speech contest, and provides music, a volley ball tournament, neighborhood potluck picnics, chicken barbecue and ends with a evening concert and dance. The parade includes costumed kids on decorated bikes and trikes, neighborhood "brigades" of lawn mowers and lawn chairs, a volunteer marching band, and marching neighborhood organizations.
The following description is taken from materials distributed by the City of St. Paul. Additional information on the community (and more interesting reading) can be found in the book, St. Anthony Park, Portrait of a Community, written by David A Lanegran for St. Anthony Park's Centennial. Copies are available at Micawbers Bookstore, The Bibelot or at the Community Council office.Located in the northwestern corner of Saint Paul, St. Anthony Park consists of three distinct areas. North St. Anthony Park is a residential and commercial community bordering the University of Minnesota. South St. Anthony Park is a smaller residential neighborhood. These two areas are divided by a quarter-mile-wide band of railroad tracks and industry. The third area, south and east of the residential areas, is a mixture of commerce and industry often referred to as the West Midway District.
The community was named in 1872, recognizing its link with the Village of St. Anthony (Minneapolis). In 1873, Horace W. Cleveland, using the rolling landscape and irregular terrain, designed the streets to follow the natural contours of the land. Homes were built by people attracted by the parklike qualities of the area and a chance to get away from the two growing cities nearby. By 1887, the community was annexed to the City of St. Paul. The majority of the homes were built between 1900 and 1929; since then, mostly apartments have been constructed. In general, the north side of the tracks showed more residential development because of the early commercial and industrial development on the south side. Industrial growth doubled between 1920 and 1930.
The industrial presence is still felt, especially to the south of the tracks. Development of Highways 280 and I-94 removed some housing along the edges of the neighborhood and added to the sense of isolation. Starting in 1969, area residents, working through the Project Area Committee, made use of federal funds to plan and redevelop a community where residential neighborhoods and the industrial area could coexist. In 1975, in response to the community Development Block Grant program, the three entities formed a federation which was designated as District 12 and, since 1988, has been named the St. Anthony Park Community Council.
Site sponsored by the St. Anthony Park Association and Mike O'Connor
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