Melrose offers small-town living in the countryside
Melrose is a small city of about 3,600 surrounded by the countryside of Stearns County in Central Minneapolis. The community has a quaint downtown area with local businesses, a few parks and annual events that keep residents engaged. Two factories serve as the financial backbone of Melrose: A Land O’ Lakes cheese manufacturing facility and a Jennie-O turkey processing plant. It’s also common for residents to commute to bigger cities in the region with easy access to Interstate 94.
From century-old to brand-new houses
Houses date between the late 1800s and today. Older houses include a mix of bungalows and Victorians ranging from around $170,000 to $300,000. Ranch-style and split-level homes were commonly built between the mid to late 1900s. Depending on the size and age, they sell for around $150,000 to $450,000. New Traditional houses from the early 2000s through today range from $220,000 to $400,000. Most houses are located right next to each other, and many south of the river have a detached garage that can be accessed from a back alleyway.
Local businesses on downtown Main Street
Downtown’s Main Street features a quarter-mile strip of mostly small businesses. Connie Wendt, a Realtor with Century 21 First Realty, who lives a few miles from Melrose, says, “It’s a nice little downtown area that has everything you need from banking to churches to grocery stores and nice shops.” It’s home to Coborn’s, a regional grocery chain. Some smaller markets include Melrose Meat Shoppe and Martinez Meat & Grocery, which sells Mexican food and produce. Restaurants are a bit limited. JD’s Taphouse is a popular watering hole known for its pizza and beer. Less than a half mile south of downtown, True North Marketplace sells locally sourced products such as jams and honey, and serves breakfast, lunch and early dinner.
Three municipal parks, a long trail and a country club
Melrose maintains three municipal parks. The most frequented is Sauke River Park, where locals enjoy fishing and kayaking in the river and the adjoining Melrose Lake. Plenty of other recreational activities are available, including sand volleyball, disc golf and ziplining. Kids can have fun on the playground and play in local soccer and softball leagues. Jaycee Park also has a playground, along with an ice hockey rink with a warming house. The rink can also be used for roller skating during the warmer months. There’s another playground at Meadowlark Park, along with a picnic shelter and basketball court. The 65-mile Lake Wobegon Trail runs through Melrose, the surrounding countryside and other nearby communities. It’s paved and allows for bikes and even snowmobiles. Meadowlark Country Club offers a nine-hole golf course open to the public with discounted rates for members.
Melrose Riverfest and the Holiday Kick Off
The community gathers for several events throughout the year. The annual Melrose Riverfest is typically held at the end of June at Sauke River Park. The weekend-long festival includes a rubber duck race, a 5K run, a car show and baseball and kickball tournaments, among other events. Following Thanksgiving is the Holiday Kick Off, where locals come together for a lighted parade downtown, horse and carriage rides and fireworks.
Melrose High offers concurrent enrollment for college credit
Public school students attend Melrose Elementary School, which receives a B-minus grade from Niche. Melrose Middle School is also graded a B-minus and Melrose High School earns a B. Melrose High has less than 500 students and offers concurrent enrollment, which allows students to earn college credit at the high school.
Commuting to Alexandria, St. Cloud and Minneapolis via I-94
Interstate 94 runs directly through Melrose, which is convenient for those who work in other nearby cities. Wendt says, “It’s a 35-mile straight shot to Alexandria and St. Cloud, so it’s right in the middle of two larger cities.” It also takes about 90 minutes to drive 100 miles to Minneapolis. While there are no regularly scheduled bus routes in Melrose, locals can schedule to be picked up by a Tri-Cap bus, which some will take to Walmart in Sauk Center. Ride tokens are purchased at Melrose City Center or Coborn’s, but it’s free to take a bus to CentraCare Melrose Hospital.
Written By
Nicolas Stuart
