Dayton's Bluff - Saint Paul, MN Area Guide

Named for Lyman Dayton, an early pioneer real estate operator who built his own home on the Bluff in the 1850s, Dayton's Bluff has been a suburban area since the 1840s. The Wakefield House, located on Wakefield Avenue, is particularly famous and dates back to the 1860s. The current owners have restored the home to its past glory and are known to host 1800s-style parties, including tea parties.

However, the history of the area is much older than even its historic homes and is traced back to over a thousand years ago when Native Americans developed the burial sites in what is now Indian Mounds Park.

Although not home to any museums, the Metropolitan State University campus is home to several cultural venues, including the Gordon Parks Gallery and the Whitney Fine Arts Center. Both of these host exhibitions and programs throughout the year. St. Paul's Science Museum and Children's Museum are also only minutes away down 7th Street.

Dayton's Bluff is a foodie's paradise, with a variety of restaurants and food trucks.

Many locals love the meat-centric menu, passionate staff, and unique libations found at The Strip Club. Be sure to sample the joint's ever-changing "meat-on-a-stick" selection, consisting of such non-traditional kebabs as pork and ginger meatballs or rabbit sausage.

Those looking for a different kind of exotic should check out the Salvadorean restaurant Mañana Restaurant y Pupuseria. This spot is famous for its pupusas, a traditional Salvadorean dish made of a thick handmade corn tortillas usually filled with cheese, ground pork and refried beans, Mañana does a brisk take-out business.

For late night entertainment, it is hard to beat Dayton's Bluff's historic Mounds Theatre. Originally built in 1922 as a venue for silent movies and live entertainment, Mounds Theatre is now the place locals flock to for plays, burlesque shows and performances by local artists.

Located less than a 10-minute drive from downtown, and with easy access to I-94, Interstate 35E and Highway 52, Dayton's Bluff's location makes commuting fairly easy. The district also encompasses nine bus lines and, with a fair number of designated biking lanes on major thoroughfares, is reasonably manageable for bikers. Still, cars are much more common for transportation in this neighborhood. Parking lots for restaurants are sometimes undersized, but residential parking is rarely a problem as most older homes have at least a driveway, if not a dedicated garage.

With multiple parks and walking paths, Dayton's Bluff is great for recreational walking and biking. Many restaurants, shops and farmers markets are within easy walking distance from most parts of the district. Bike sharing is available through Nice Ride Minnesota, so you don't even need to own a bike to take advantage of the many bike trails.

The district of Dayton's Bluff contains multiple city and neighborhood parks, as well as walking trails and outdoor gathering spaces. Indian Mounds Regional Park, home to ancient burial mounds and caves from the area's earliest inhabitants, sits high above the Mississippi River and provides beautiful views of downtown. The Bruce Vento nature sanctuary, a 27 acre nature preserve with many trails, stretches along the Mississippi River and features connecting trails to Swede Hollow and Indian Mounds Parks.

Dayton's Bluff remains the ideal neighborhood for people seeking close proximity to the city but without a high price tag. With homes ranging from small bungalows to large historic mansions, real estate prices are generally lower when compared to properties around the city. This may be due to the fact many of the homes here have yet to be restored and are waiting for some attention. The median monthly rent for an apartment costs around $895 per month.

Although not known as a shopping destination, Dayton's Bluff offers several grocery stores, quirky thrift shops, and antique stores with unique finds. Grocery needs are largely satisfied by visiting neighborhood markets or by traveling outside of the district to the larger supermarkets.

Those looking to purchase local goods have access to the Market on the Bluff, located at the First Lutheran Church on Maria Avenue. The market is open on Thursday evenings from May through June, and vendors include local farmers, artists and others selling handmade items.

Gypsy Moon, located in the heart of Dayton's Bluff, is a little neighborhood shop offering a frequently changing array of home and garden decor, as well as unique gifts.

If you are in the mood to shop for clothing, Go Vintage is a family-owned vintage clothing store, selling both men's and women's vintage clothing and accessories from the late 1800s to the 1980s.