Summit Hill - Saint Paul, MN

The history of the Summit Hill neighborhood is as old as St. Paul itself. People began settling in this neighborhood around 1850, during which time several mansions were built on the top of Summit Hill. In the 1880s, the area began attracting wealthy residents, and several of the mansions from this era, including the James J. Hill House, the Frank B. Kellogg House and the F. Scott Fitzgerald House, still stand and offer tours to the public.

Each year, residents of the Summit Hill neighborhood and surrounding areas gather together for Grand Old Days. The largest one-day festival in the entire state of Minnesota, this major event for adults and children features parades, food vendors, music and craft beers.

Grand Avenue, the commercial hub of the Summit Hill neighborhood, features several restaurants that lend this area its gourmet vibe. The iconic Cafe Latte offers locals and tourists high-quality fare in a cafeteria-inspired environment. At this Grand Avenue restaurant, guests fill their trays with self-designed sandwiches, soups or salads. For desert, ditch the healthy options and snag a huge slab of decadent German chocolate or sample their varieties of homemade cakes.

Bread and Chocolate, a fun coffee shop and eatery, sits on the corner of Grand Avenue and Victoria Street. The large windows make it an ideal spot for people watching, and the hot chocolate covered in homemade whipped cream is especially good.

Traditionally, Grand Avenue is much busier during the day than the evening, but several bustling pubs offer night-time entertainment for the area's young people and students from Macalester, the University of St. Thomas and William Mitchell College of Law. Popular with students, the Wild Onion features traditional bar food with large servings, drink specials, DJs and dancing until two in the morning on weekends. The bar also has a pour-your-own-vodka Bloody Mary Bar for Sunday morning guests looking for a good brunch spot.

Another Grand Avenue institution, Billy's on Grand, has a large sunny patio. Its sports bar theme and filling fare make it an afternoon destination for older locals as well. Its menu features standard pub fare and favorites such as chicken pot pie. People of all ages enjoy Billy's annual pig roast.

The densely packed nature of the Summit Hill neighborhood makes it easy to walk from residential areas to commercial districts full of restaurants, bars and shops. The residential streets feature wide boulevards, perfect for pushing jogging strollers and dog walking. The tree lined streets are great for cyclists as well. The neighborhood features wide bicycle lanes running along Summit Avenue.

Although cabs are not usually available on the street, they can be called to the area, and numerous cab companies service this corner of the Twin Cities. Bus lines are also very accessible for residents without cars.

There are no parks within the Summit Hill neighborhood itself, but there are several parks within walking distance to the north and northwest of the area. Ramsey Hill to the north of Summit Hill has many small neighborhood parks with special areas for children and dogs. Located right next to the YWCA on Selby, quiet and peaceful Cochrane Park is perfect for young children. Lookout park, next to the cathedral, features stunning views of the entire city.

Slightly more expensive than other parts of St Paul, the Summit Hill neighborhood still has a lower cost of living than downtown Minneapolis. Bus tickets cost between $1.75 and $3 based on the time of day and the type of bus – rush hour fares and express buses with fewer stops cost the most.

At about 95 percent of the national average, gas is also relatively cheap in the area. After a hard day of work or play, buying a pint at the local pub tends to be affordable as well – residents typically pay $4 for a pint of domestic draft or $5 for a craft microbrew. Happy hour prices at the college bars offer the best deals.

Attracting locals as well as shopping lovers from around the metro area, Grand Avenue offers everything from thrift boutiques to high-end gift shops. The Wedding Shoppe stocks off-the-rack and couture wedding gowns while the consignment shop My Sister's Closet sells everything from contemporary gems to vintage treasures.

Eager to please families, Grand Avenue also hosts shops such as Creative Kidstuff, which is full of delightful and educational toys, and the Red Balloon. Offering a huge inventory of books, the selection at the Red Balloon rivals the best children's section in almost any major chain bookstore. This independently-owned bookstore frequently hosts story times and events with local and international authors.

Although there are no seasonal markets in the area, residents can easily drive to downtown Saint Paul or Minneapolis to shop the stalls at the farmer's markets in these city centers. Gourmands in the area do their grocery shopping at Kowalski's, a family-owned and operated grocery store full of everyday essentials and unique delicacies. Residents desiring Midwest-produced artisan snacks frequent the Golden Fig while those desiring imported, hard-to-find spices visit Penzeys, Grand Avenue's resident spice shop. Large grocery shops such as Cub and Rainbow are easily accessible by car.