Post-war suburb within commuting distance of Minneapolis
In the years following the Second World War, suburban neighborhoods across the country boomed, boasting uniform front lawns and garage spaces for commuters. St. Louis Park, Minnesota, a small village home to less than 10,000 before the war, was no exception. By 1950, its population had more than doubled and it officially became a city by 1954. Rows of ranch-style and split-level houses sprung up to accommodate growing families, and new retailers and restaurants emerged along Interstate 394 to the north and Highway 7 farther south. Public parks, nature centers and golf courses promoted outdoor recreation around town and quiet streets made for easy walks to school. It was enough to inspire the Coen brothers in 2009, whose movie “A Serious Man” — which took place primarily in the 1960s — was filmed in St. Louis Park. As was the case after the war and is still the case today, the city’s main appeal is its proximity to Minneapolis, around 5 miles away. “It’s a first-tier suburb just outside the big city,” confirms Realtor Ryan Walseth of Keller Williams Realty Integrity Lakes. Adding, “It’s an easy place for people who are renting in Minneapolis to look into buying a starter home.”
Blackstone is one of 35 distinct neighborhoods located in St. Louis Park.
An Overview of Wolfe Park.
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Mid-century housing in 35 neighborhoods
St. Louis Park is comprised of 35 unique neighborhoods, and many have their own neighborhood organizations and event calendars. “There are a lot of Post-War, story-and-a-half homes built in the 1940s and ‘50s that fall into that starter home bracket,” says Walseth. Common architectural styles include ranch-style houses, Cape Cods and classic cottages, and lot sizes are relatively uniform in neighborhoods like Bronx Park. According to Walseth, other popular neighborhoods include Forest Park, Minikahda Vista and Fern Hill. There are also several condominiums, apartment complexes and 55-plus communities in up-and-coming areas like The West End. The median price for a single-family home in the city is around $370,000, which is higher than the Minneapolis median of $350,000 and less than the national median of $420,000. Homes here are snapped up relatively quickly, staying on the market for an average of three weeks. “Regardless of what the housing market was doing around the country,” summarizes Walseth, “St. Louis Park doesn’t see big swings and values either up or down. It’s very, very stable because it’s been built out.”
A Blue Cape Cod Style Home in the Minikahda Vista Neighborhood.
Someone on a walk in the Excelsior and Grand area of Wolfe Park.
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American Indian Education Program at the St. Louis Park Public School District
Children can enroll in the St. Louis Park Public School District, which earns an overall B grade from Niche, and serves nearly 4,500 students at six schools; there are four elementary options — one of which is a Spanish immersion school — one middle school and one high school. Approximately 50 languages are spoken at home by families within the district, and the American Indian Education Program, led by a committee of St. Louis Park parents, works to honor the cultural roots of American Indian students. The Central Community Center, which is under the district’s umbrella, has everything from early childcare to adult education and the city’s public library also has educational opportunities: computer tutors, story time with therapy dogs, creative writing classes and more. The Lenox Community Center has a senior program for residents 50 years of age and older.
St. Louis Park Middle School features a grand entrance.
St. Louis Park High School is ranked as the #3 Minnesota school.
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City-wide investment in the arts
Every year, the city devotes grant money to the arts — and individual artists, community organizations and church groups are encouraged to apply for financial assistantships. St. Louis Park is proud of its art installations: colorful murals decorate everything from storm drains to building walls, sidewalks are engraved with poetry and the “Dream Elevator” sculpture at the intersection of 36th Street and Wooddale Avenue pays homage to the real-life Peavey–Haglin Experimental Concrete Grain Elevator, which reset the standard for grain storage in 1900. There’s also the Westwood Hills Nature Center, which hosts an annual artist showcase, and residents can look forward to the St. Louis Park Art Fair in September when artisans set up booths near the Recreation Outdoor Center, or the ROC. Other annual cultural events include the nearby Golden Valley Arts & Music Festival and the Twin Cities Film Festival in January.
Blackstone residents can be found enjoying this fountain during a lunch break.
A statue stands tall at the traffic circle in The Town Green
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The Shops at West End and the Knollwood Mall for chain retail and restaurants
St. Louis Park doesn’t have a centralized downtown, and shopping and dining are spread out around the city, especially along major thoroughfares like Minnetonka Boulevard, Highway 7 and off of Interstate 394. Recent years have seen the development of The Shops at West End, a multi-purpose space home to movie theaters, sit-down chain restaurants, apartment complexes and even hotels. Isaac Kuehn, a Realtor with DRG, lives in Minneapolis but drives here to visit Costco. This shopping district also hosts a weekly farmers market called “West End Wednesdays” throughout the summer. There’s also The Shoppes at Knollwood Mall, where residents will find a mix of big-box stores and retailers. Locally owned eateries throughout the city represent the area’s cultural diversity: there’s classic American, Asian, Mexican and Middle Eastern cuisine. In September, locals can sample Thai dishes, watch fire dancers and listen to live music at the MinnesoThai Street Food Festival.
The West End next to cedarhurst is home to many shops, restaurants, and a movie theater.
THe Shoppes at Knollwood have many tennants.
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Skating rinks, aquatic parks and summer concerts
Minnesotans are known for taking advantage of the seasons, particularly winter, when park ponds freeze over, and skates come out. “I started skating when I was two-and-a-half,” says Walseth, adding that hockey is a big part of the culture here, along with other wintertime activities like cross-country skiing. “But you won’t have ice fishing because there are no recreational lakes within city limits.” There are over 50 public parks of varying sizes throughout St. Louis Park and 11 have ice rinks open during the wintertime. There’s also an indoor rink at the Rec Center on Monterey Drive, which has an expansive aquatic center where come June, families gather for the “Splash into Summer” pool party, part of the annual “Parktacular” festival. Oak Hill Park — one of the city’s largest — also has a splash pad that's open between June and August. There’s also the Veterans’ Memorial Amphitheater, which seats around 300 people and hosts outdoor concerts during the summertime.
The St. Louis Park Rec Center has a water park for residents to enjoy.
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Post-pandemic expansion and crime data
“When COVID hit,” says Walseth, “Uptown Minneapolis really got hurt with crime and the riots and remote work and stuff like that, and people were looking to move outside the city.” St. Louis Park expanded in response, and the community has seen the emergence of new developments like Excelsior & Grand Luxury Apartments and the West End commercial district, both supported by the Economic Development Authority, or the EDA. According to data published by the city’s police department, violent crime rates in St. Louis Park are below state averages, although property crime rates are significantly higher and are largely attributed to vandalism, shoplifting and breaking and entering.
Commutes to Minneapolis along Interstate 394
Given St. Louis Park’s proximity to Minneapolis via I-394, it’s common for residents to commute to the larger city for work, and major employers include companies like UnitedHealth Group and Target. Kuehn says public transit is limited in the area but that the city is working on expanding its options. For example, there’s ongoing construction on the METRO Green Line Light Rail, which will eventually connect St. Louis Park to surrounding communities like Hopkins, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie and Minneapolis. However, in the interim, public bus routes run up and down the area's major thoroughfares like Cedar Lake Road. The nearest airport is Minneapolis-Saint Paul International, which is a 16-mile — or 20-minute — drive from the center of the city, and medical care is accessible at Methodist Hospital, a 426-bed facility at the city’s southern border.
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