Conway - Saint Paul, MN

Conway, part of the Eastview-Battle Creek-Highwood neighborhood, was inhabited long before European settlers moved to the area. For centuries, the Dakota and Anishinabeg peoples used the land along Battle Creek as an important trail and trade route. As Europeans began settling in the area, railroads were erected along that ancient trail, and by the end of the 1880s, people began building homes in the neighborhood.

Additional growth happened in the 1960s and 1990s as the freeway system developed. As a result, the area houses large Victorian mansions situated on wooded river bluffs alongside newer apartment complexes with modern amenities.

Conway residents live within 5 miles of a range of museums in downtown St. Paul, including the Children's Museum, the Science Museum and an art museum, as well as several theaters.

The Conway restaurant scene features eateries sprinkled between burger bars and pizza joints. If you want a clean, filling Chinese lunch or dinner buffet, head to Ho Ho Gourmet, which has been serving Conway for over 20 years. Ho Ho's offers crowd pleasers such as General Tso's Chicken alongside of Peking spare ribs, steamed sea bass, and papaya tofu.

Red's Savoy Pizza celebrates the diverse heritage of St. Paul and the Conway area with delicious pizzas topped with sauerkraut, chicken Alfredo or pineapple. Southwest egg rolls and Midwest cheese curds exist on the establishment's equally diverse appetizer menu. If you're hankering for an award-winning Juicy Lucy, check out the 5-8 Club, a burger bar with local brews on tap.

In downtown St. Paul, dance to an Irish band at Cork's Irish Pub, or enjoy a pint under the moonlight at the Liffey's rooftop patio. Patrick McGovern's Pub in West Seventh or O'Malley's Pub in Woodbury also feature affordable pints of beer and fun atmospheres.

Conway drivers have easy access to I-94, which takes them into St. Paul, less than 5 miles away, or downtown Minneapolis, 14 miles away. If you prefer public transit, Metro Transit Route 294 Express takes 12 minutes to run from Conway to downtown St. Paul, and from there, you can hop onto buses connecting to anywhere in the metro area.

Safe for recreational walking, Conway cannot claim to be a walkable community, as it lacks commerce next to residential areas. However, bike lanes in the roads combined with dedicated paths, a reasonable proximity to the city center and buses that carry bikes make having a bicycle as your second (or even first) car totally possible – as long as you can brave the sub-zero winter temps.

Plan ahead if you need a cab. You won't be able to hail one in the street, but you can page Uber to the area with an Uber app or call one of the many cab companies that serve the area.

Conway Park, in the heart of the neighborhood, features baseball, football and soccer fields along with tennis courts and playgrounds. However, when the winter winds sweep in, residents don't stop moving, as the park also has an indoor rec center. There, you can join an adult basketball league or enroll the kids in after-school programs through the Sanneh Foundation.

For free hiking, check out the Maplewood Nature Center. During the summer, you can look for lily pads in the lake, or enjoy the sounds of blue jays, geese or ducks frolicking on the water. In the winter, you can rent snowshoes for exploration. Battle Creek Regional Park offers an excellent adventure for dogs and their walkers with well-maintained paths that wind past ponds, through woods and over hills.

Although Conway doesn't host any major festivals, residents live within easy distance of countless local festivals. During the summer, hear bands at Grand Old Days, try lefse at the Taste of Minnesota, or explore local craft brewers at the St. Paul Summer Beer Fest. During the winter, watch the annual crowning of the new King Boreas at the St. Paul Winter Carnival, or join the city-wide scavenger hunt during the weeks leading up to the event.

Living in Conway offers greater value than living in many other areas of St. Paul. While the average one-bedroom apartment in St. Paul rents for $839, you can find a similar accommodation in Conway for $715. Drivers enjoy gas prices that are 6 percent lower than the national average.

A bus ride to anywhere in the city costs $3 or less, and a bottle of happy hour domestic beer costs the same. If you prefer to drink microbrews, expect to spend between $5 and $7, although you may be able to find those for as low as $3 on special.

Shopping in Conway consists of a few quirky shops in strip malls, but amazing boutiques, massive malls and trendy outdoor shopping areas exist along the I-94 corridor within driving distance. However, if you want to stay close to home, check out the bargain threads at Thrift Plus, a hipster haven.

If you want top-end brands hand selected by local buyers, check out La Vie Boutique. Located in Woodbury's Tamarack Village Mall, this locally owned boutique has jewelry as well as clothing.

Elodie Boutique carries trendy denim along with shirts, skirts and lingerie. Although it's located in Woodbury Lakes, an outdoor shopping mall, the shop feels like something found in a trendier area of town.

When you live in Conway, you have easy access to large chain grocery stores, such as Cub Foods. In the summer, check out the farmer's market in downtown St. Paul.