Macalester Neighborhood

Neighborhood Location

Macalester-Groveland & Merriam Park are two adjacent neighborhoods tucked into the western edge of St. Paul.

The Macalester Groveland neighborhood extends east from the Mississippi River to Ayd Mill Road and to the north from Randolph Avenue to historic Summit Avenue. The neighborhood has a population of nearly 20,000 people living in a mix of single-family homes, apartments and dorms. Neighbors patronize a vibrant array of corner shops, locally-owned stores, grocers, restaurants, and an historic movie theater. The neighborhood is home to Macalester College, St. Paul Seminary and a portion of the University of St. Thomas campus.

Merriam Park / Union Park is a neighborhood extending north from historic Summit Avenue to University Avenue. Union Park encompasses several neighborhoods that merged to form one district council.

Neighborhood Councils

St. Paul is divided up into 7 City Council Wards and 17 District Councils or neighborhood areas. These Councils are partially publicly funded and  function as community sounding boards.  The Councils each elect neighbors and local business representatives to their boards who listen, inquire, plan and act on a wide range of matters, including zoning and land use, traffic and parking, and capital spending. The Councils are also a vehicle for area residents, businesses and institutions to identify, plan, and address community goals.

• Macalester-Groveland Community Council
• Union Park District Council
• City Council Ward 3

Parks

• Mississippi National River and Recreation Area – a public park with walking and biking paths atop the 100-foot (30 m)-tall bluffs along the bank of the Mississippi River
• Mattocks Park – a one-block park with playground equipment, tennis courts, and gardens.
• Merriam Park – a multi-block park with playgrounds, tennis courts, ball fields, a recreation center, and an outdoor skate park
• Saint Paul Parks
• Ramsey County Parks
• Minnesota State Parks

Neighborhood Information, Facts and Events

• St. Paul Snow Emergencies A Snow Emergency is a declaration the city uses after snowfalls of usually 3” or after an accumulation of snowfalls of 3” or more.  Once the declaration has been made, a set of citywide parking rules goes into effect.  These rules allow Public Works crews to effectively and efficiently plow, allowing us to plow full-width while still allowing on-street parking.
• Grand Old Day is the largest one-day festival in the Midwest, drawing over 250,000 people each year. The event is held along Grand Avenue, Saint Paul’s premier shopping, dining, and entertainment district.  The parade is the 2nd largest in the area with over 180,000 in attendance. Grand Old Day features Family Fun Activities, Art, Sporting, and Entertainment. Several stages along the Avenue feature live music.
• Grand Avenue Business Association
• Macalester-Groveland Demographics
• Macalester College is located on the homeland of the Dakota people – Mni Sota Makoce [Mini SOta Ma-KOH-chay], which translates to Land Where the Waters Reflect the Clouds. Although they were forcibly exiled by aggressive and persistent settler colonialism, the Dakota people still flourish despite this painful history. We make this acknowledgment to honor the Dakota people, ancestors, and descendants, as well as the land itself. Macalester engages in ongoing work toward repair and partnership with the Dakota people and the land, as well as to support Indigenous members of our campus community. Learn more on our Department of Institutional Equity webpage.
• Further history of Macalester-Groveland neighborhood included ownership of land by a few settlers in 1854, who established farms and orchards. In 1858, when Minnesota became a state, the area became Reserve Township. Beginning in the 1880’s the Short Line Railroad connected St. Paul and Minneapolis. Macalester College moved to its present site in 1884 and Old Main was completed in 1887. Also in 1887 St. Paul began acquiring land adjacent to the Mississippi River. By 1909 the College gave Grand Avenue to the City and streetcar tracks were laid resulting in a residential building boom. By 1930 the neighborhood was largely established as it is today. There is an abundance of charm in the houses and commercial buildings that still exist from that time period. Many have been updated, improved and added onto.