Cathedral Hill Blog

Make some extra cash and help the Vikings

2010-12-15T08:45:00.001-06:00

The University of Minnesota is preparing the TCF Bank Stadium for Monday Night Football. They are looking for paid volunteers to help shovel snow and perhaps other tasks. If you're interested, call the Minnesota Sports Turf Managers Association office at 952-473-3722.

Blizzard photo / sidewalk reminder

2010-12-13T09:57:00.001-06:00

So we spotted this car Saturday evening driving down Grand Avenue. We would have photographed something on Dayton or Marshall, but the roads were practically impassable!

By the way, a friendly reminder that the City of St. Paul requires property owners to have their sidewalks shoveled within 24 hours of a snowfall. For more detail, visit their website by clicking here.

Board positions available

2010-12-08T10:58:00.000-06:00

If you're interested in serving our community, the Summit-University Planning Council's board of directors has several vacancies available. They can be reached via their website, http://www.summit-u.com/, or by e-mailing executive director Irna Landrum at irna@summit-u.com.

The 3rd Annual Belgian Beer Festival

2010-10-12T17:08:00.000-05:00

The Muddy Pig -- almost famous for not having a happy hour, which always depresses the thrifty person that is me -- will be holding their third annual Belgian Beer Festival October 19th through the 24th. For those six days (one wonders why they don't do it for a full week), all of their draft beers will be switched to Belgian and Belgian-style beers. Apparently, they plan on featuring 85 different beers! They are also planning some other events, though no news on what those may be. And, in true Muddy Pig style, they advise their customers to plan some time off that week.

Neighborhood profile

2010-09-30T11:28:00.002-05:00

The Cathedral Hill neighborhood is the eastern part of St. Paul’s larger Summit Hill neighborhood. The boundaries are generally Marshall Avenue to the north, John Ireland Boulevard to the east, Summit Avenue to the south and Dale Street to the west.

A part of the Historic Hill District, Cathedral Hill can trace its history back to St. Paul’s infancy in the 1850s. As the downtown area became more crowded, the city’s wealthier residents began building their mansions on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. By 1859, six houses had been built on the hill. The only one still standing today is the David and Mary Stuart House at 312 Summit Avenue.

Development began in earnest in the 1880s: the St. Anthony stagecoach route connected St. Paul to Minneapolis, the city began providing water service in 1884 and the Selby cable car line was built in 1887. Population growth in the first few decades of the twentieth century led to the construction of numerous apartment blocks. Not much has changed architecturally in the past ninety years, adding to the charm of our neighborhood.

Cathedral Hill’s most prominent landmark is the Cathedral of Saint Paul, which was recently designated as the National Shrine of the Apostle Paul. It was designed by Emmanuel Louis Masqueray who was also the chief architect for the 1904 World’s Fair. Construction began in 1906 and took nine years. The cathedral is considered one of the most beautiful in the United States, and is built almost entirely of Minnesota marble, travertine and granite.

Selby Avenue is the heart of Cathedral Hill's business district. A number of salons, restaurants and cafés serve visitors and local residents. Some of the more popular spots are Bon Vie, A Piece of Cake Bakery, WA Frost and Company, and Nina's Coffee Café.

Future posts will detail the history of some of Cathedral Hill’s famous buildings, landmarks and residents.

Bon Vie Cafe is delicious!

2010-09-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

Or, to put it more correctly, their food is delicious! I can't really speak for the building itself.

I was reminded of this fact Tuesday morning. We were heading back from our honeymoon when my wife (!) suggested Bon Vie Cafe for breakfast. What an excellent idea! I had the scrambler and she had the hash mix -- both were very, very tasty. Next time your in the area, I would highly recommend a visit!

Summit Hill House Tour is today!

2010-09-12T10:21:00.000-05:00

The Summit Hill House Tour is being held today! The tour is self-directed and includes 14 beautiful, historic Summit Hill homes and 2 public landmarks. Tickets can still be purchased today from 9am to 3pm in front of William Mitchel College of Law at 875 Summit Avenue.

I'll be volunteering at 685 Linwood from 11:45 this morning until 3:00 this afternoon. Hope to see you there!

Happy Hour Report: Sweeney's Saloon

2010-09-07T17:53:00.000-05:00

Sweeney's Saloon, on the southeast corner of Dale and Ashland, has become one of our favorite watering holes! They have not one but TWO happy hours:

Monday - Sunday, 3p - 6p: $2.50 select pints of beer and 50 cent (not to be confused with the rapper) tacos. Yes, I said cents!
Monday - Sunday, 9p - close: $5 of pitchers of domestic beer, 60 cent wings, and $3 baskets of fries

I can't vouch for the service table-side, as we always belly-up to the bar. And we are ALWAYS there on Thursdays, where our man Ian takes great care of us. Seriously, Ian is one of the best bartenders we have ever had (we wish he worked there more than two days a week!). He takes great care of us and remembered our names the second time we came in. If you're inclined to sit outside -- and the season for that is drawing to a close -- Ian works on the patios on Wednesdays.

When you stop in, tell him you read about Sweeney's here... and remind him he's supposed to be saving us wine corks!

Sidewalk Poetry: Trees and rain

2010-09-02T10:11:00.000-05:00

Here's another one on Poetry Portland:

Here are a few close-ups:

Ramsey Hill really sucks...

2010-08-28T12:12:00.000-05:00

...for sprinting, that is! If you are fitness-oriented and are looking for a good workout -- and by "good" I actually mean "puke and fall down" -- then try hill sprints up Ramsey Hill. I used to do alternating sprint/walk workouts: sprint for 30 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, sprint for 30 seconds, walk for 90 seconds and so on, for a total of six sprints. It's a great way to burn fat and boost your energy in a relatively short amount of time. Then I started hearing about hill sprints and thought, "What a great way to increase the effects of my sprint workouts!"

Now I'm still working on getting in better shape, so don't for one second be fooled into believing I can sprint up that entire hill even once, let alone five or six times. This morning was my second attempt at hill sprints, which I'd like to do every Saturday. Knowing better after last week's attempt, I started half-way up the hill (across the street from the entrance to Summit Hill Townhomes). I sprinted all the way up, turned around, and walked back down to the starting point. The second time, I sprint half-way up (remember, this was only half of the hill!), then struggled to run, then jog until I reached the stop sign at the top. I was ready to collapse right there! The only reason I didn't was that I didn't wish to be mistaken for dead and dumped into the river by the St. Paul street crew. I struggled to walk home and immediately drank two full bottles of water.

I can't way to do it again next week!

Bars Bakery to open on Selby and Dale

2010-08-23T08:42:00.001-05:00

Looks like another new business is coming to Selby! According to the Pioneer Press:

Sandi Younkin, the founder and former owner of Swede Hollow Cafe in St. Paul will team up with her daughter Kara Younkin to open a Bars bakery.

Remodeling of the former Chicago Subs on Selby near Dale in St. Paul has begun, and the women hope to open by the first week of September.

"I've been thinking about this for two years," says Younkin. "Everyone was doing cupcakes, but they're fussy. Bars are easy and can taste really good if you use quality ingredients."

Besides the signature bars, Younkin, a self-taught baker, plans to offer cookies, tarts, graham crackers, granolas and the caramel rolls she became famous for at Swede Hollow. There also will be a small counter where people can sit and have coffee.
Source: Jenkins, Kathie. 2010. Restaurant News: Chan's plan for a steakhouse in St. Paul's Lowertown morphs into Asian-American bistro. Pioneer Press. Retrieved August 23, 2010 from http://www.twincities.com.

It'll be nice to have another bakery within walking distance!

For the beer fans

2010-08-21T12:13:00.001-05:00

Doug Odell, one of the founders of Odell Brewing Company, will be at Sweeney's next Tuesday the 24th at 9pm. The sign (in the bathroom, no less!) says he'll be there to "enjoy a few pints of beer." If you're a beer fan, brewer, or Odell fan, you may want to stop by!

Sidewalk Poetry: Portland

2010-08-19T08:54:00.003-05:00

Here's another example of St. Paul's Sidewalk Poetry. This one was great because I found it on my morning walk, and it definitely was quiet. I'm not sure about the scent of concrete - does it even have a scent once it's dry? - but I do like the smell of cut grass. Of course, I saw this one in the early morning sun, as opposed to the "late morning sun" but, other than that, it was quite fitting!

Portland Avenue has quite a few of these stamped panels. Here's another one:

I had to look up the word "tulle" before it made sense (as much as poetry does to my more logically-inclined mind). In case you were wondering, it means "a kind of silk lace or netting, used for veils, etc," according to Wikipedia. Which works pretty well for me, since I'm getting married in a month! Think my fiance would be willing to wear a ballerina skirt instead?

New retail shop coming to Selby

2010-08-18T12:47:00.002-05:00

Snapped this from my car window (obviously) this morning on my way to the office:

In case you can't read that -- I know I can't -- the line below Primp says "cheap-chic boutique." I've never heard of the store before, though if you've seen the way I dress myself when I'm only half-awake, that wouldn't surprise you. At any rate, I Googled them and ran across the AliShops blog, which reports that the store promises "fashion forward women's apparel under $100," along with a student discount (you can read the full blogpost by clicking here). Primp also has a website at http://primpyourself.com/.

And don't worry, when they're open I'll take a better picture!

Props to Great Harvest Bread!

2010-08-17T09:38:00.001-05:00

This morning we stopped in at Great Harvest Bread over on Selby, between Kent and Mackubin Streets. The staff was friendly and welcoming and offered us samples. Kristee had the Harvest Pomodoro, while I tried the Apple Cinamon Walnut. Both were delicious! We took home several pieces of the Harvest Pomodoro, and also picked up a loaf of the High 5 Fiber Bread. Next time you're on Selby, they're well-worth the stop!

Sidewalk Poetry

2010-08-12T14:42:00.001-05:00

One of the many charming features of St. Paul is our city's sidewalk poetry program (officially known as Everyday Poems for City Sidewalk). According to the city's website, there are almost 300 stamped sidewalk panels, with selections from thirty poems. A number of them can be found in our neighborhood, including this one, which I saw this morning in the 500 block of Portland.

You can find a FAQ on the program, go visit each site, or learn how to submit your own poem for consideration at the Public Art Saint Paul website.