St Anthony-Ramsey Saint Anthony, MN

Settled in the mid-1800s, Saint Anthony became a township in 1861, and the then-named Saint Anthony Village was considered to be the twin city of Minneapolis. Eventually, Minneapolis annexed the Saint Anthony area and claimed Saint Paul as its twin.

When the snow melts and the ice thaws, twin city residents, eager to take advantage of the nice weather, fill their calendars with summertime festivals, and the Saint Anthony Main area offers several of the city's most fun festivals. The Saint Anthony Parks Art Festival celebrates local artists with family friendly booths and displays situated along the banks of the river. Fans of polka dancing, Polish films and kielbasa sausages attend the annual Twin Cities Polish Festival in the Saint Anthony neighborhood.

Saint Anthony offers conveniently located clusters of restaurants, the majority of which are located overlooking the river near University Avenue South East or near the busy intersection of Johnson Street and Central Avenue. When you need a big breakfast, head to Fat Nat's Eggs or Hazel's Northeast. Don't be fooled by the strip mall setting of Fat Nat's. Instead, walk in and enjoy one of the spicy egg dishes such as eggs benedict with avocados or huevos rancheros with a side of green chili. At Hazel's Northeast, large and filling breakfast dishes bear names, such as Hippie Pancakes, Drunken French Toast and Mean Jeans Fried Egg Sandwich, that reflect the young, sometimes irreverent vibe of this part of town. If you crave gourmet fare, the tiny Restaurant Alma capitalizes on the notion of serving fresh local foods in a classical French or American bistro style. Only open for dinner, this high-end restaurant offers dishes, such as Bison Tartare followed by slow roast duck breast with confit cabbage, roasted mushrooms and finished with a cheese plate featuring a unique blend of Wisconsin and Minnesotan cheeses alongside of French and Spanish gems.

For DJs and dancing, Saint Anthony locals pop across the river and get their groove on in Downtown Minneapolis or the nearby Warehouse district. However, the Peacock Lounge offers live music and vintage cocktails in the heart of North East. Located in the arts district, this lounge features zinc and mahogany furniture and paneling, creating an unmatched old school but sophisticated vibe.

Residents who have nicknamed this neighborhood "a walkable community" proudly walk from their homes to the commercial areas of this district. Busses run directly into the area, taking residents to downtown Minneapolis, the Como neighborhood and nearby University of Minnesota. Bicycle lanes also fill the neighborhood, including a few miles of the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway System, a nationally-recognized picturesque bicycle path.

Residents can occasionally hail a cab in this area – cabbies frequently drive from downtown to this neighborhood and often search for fares who need a ride back to Minneapolis. However, in most cases, residents need to call cabs, or Uber serves this area as well. The residential streets have free on-street parking, and most businesses have parking lots as well for patrons.

The area hosts Central Park, a large park located near the high school and community center. Families also enjoy bringing their children and dogs to smaller neighborhood parks such as Emerald, Silver Point and Trillium parks.

Silver Lake offers paths and picnic benches near the lake, and a public golf course also sits along the banks of this lake. Every summer, residents enjoy bands at the Stone Arch Bridge Music Festival on Saint Anthony Main along the Mississippi River.

Living in Saint Anthony costs less, on average, than living in other parts of Minneapolis. While the average renter of a one-bedroom apartment in Minneapolis pays $963 in rent, the average Saint Anthony resident only pays between $700 and $850 for a one-bedroom apartment.

Bus tickets cost only $1.75, regardless of how far you are going or how many transfers you use, but prices increase to up to $3 for express buses and rush hour fares. Students, seniors and disabled people ride for only $0.75.

Gas costs only 90 percent of the national average, making driving relatively affordable, and commuters to Minneapolis can plan to spend between $10 and $15 per day for parking.

At the end of the day (or at noon), a pint of beer costs between $4 and $7 in the Saint Anthony neighborhood. The area's bars offer a range of local microbrews alongside of domestic lagers.

Residents shop in the North East commercial area near the intersection of Johnson and Hennepin. There, Parc Boutique offers high-end labels and jewelry made by local artisans, while the consignment shop Rewind Vintage offers fashionable clothing and jewelry at a discount.

Crafty Planet has fabrics, yarn and patterns for the textile arts lovers, while Micawber's Books, an independent bookstore, has shelves lined with dusty out-of-print tomes nestled between Oprah's book-of-the-month selections.

Shoppers who can't find what they need in the small shops of Saint Anthony or North East head to Rosedale Center, one of the oldest shopping malls in the country. Like most Minneapolis neighborhoods, Saint Anthony hosts a natural food co-op along with several high-end grocery stores. The Eastside Food Cooperative offers local veggies, organic snacks and bulk spices. High-end grocery stores such as Lunds & Byerlys are located in proximity to the neighborhood. In the summer, residents stroll to the Northeast Farmers Market, or they drive to the larger Mill City, Minneapolis or Saint Paul farmer's markets.