Minnesota Nice in Saint Paul

I recently found myself in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA on what I would like to call ‘the weekend of love’. I was accompanying my boyfriend to a family wedding, which was one of the dozens that took place over the weekend as all the local parks were filled with drunk-on-love newlyweds, beaming for their wedding photos that marked the start of their lives together.

The city was buzzing with the improvised rhythms of jazz music, much to the delight of lovers of the genre who danced into the twilight at the 20th Annual Twin-City Jazz Festival, while on a nearby boulevard, the LGBTQI community were celebrating their right to love with rainbow flags and parades in the Twin City Pride Parade.

Nestled between the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, Saint Paul (the elder brother to its ‘twin’ – Minneapolis) has what the locals call a distinct sense of ‘old world charm’, made up of neo-Romanesque architecture, a street with one of the longest rows of Victorian houses in the USA, and numerous buildings featuring art deco interiors and motifs.

As I wandered through downtown Saint Paul, a store front caught my eye. Filled with antiques and opulent paintings, Anthony Scornavacco’s Antique Store made me feel like Alice in Wonderland. I was blown away by immaculately preserved pieces of silver, chiselled Italian marble statues and handwoven rugs.

Scornavacco shares that he has been an avid collector of antiques since childhood, and, as I walked through his store, his passion and dedication to his impressive collection was clear. Most of his pieces were sourced from the affluent houses in and around Saint Paul. As we chatted about some of the more interesting ornaments, he shared some of the history of the Twin Cities.

“Downtown Saint Paul is the historic district and still preserved quite well; it hasn’t removed all the historic buildings the way Minneapolis has. Minneapolis is really up and coming and vibrant, while Saint Paul is very old world 19th century.”

He points me to the Landmark Centre, built in 1902. It was due to be torn down; however, community action for its preservation meant that the building still stands in front of Rice Park, home to statues of the city’s many notable literary figures.

One of the two most prominent Saint Paulites (Saint Paul residents), are F Scott Fitzgerald – the famed American author of ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘Tender is the Night’ – and Charles M Schulz – the creator of the beloved cartoon ‘Peanuts’.

Fitzgerald’s history is entwined with that of Saint Paul, as some of the city’s notable sites are his childhood home, school and his family residence on 599 Summit Avenue – where he finished his first novel ‘This Side of Paradise’.

A bronze plaque marks the site as a US national historical landmark. There is a Fitzgerald Theatre in downtown Saint Paul as well as a bronze statue of the literary icon in Rice Park.

If you remember reading the ‘Peanuts’ cartoons, you will know that snow was a prominent feature in a lot of the comic strips (and if you ever visit Minnesota in winter, you will quickly understand why). Facing temperatures of -13C in the dead of winter, Saint Paulites avoid the cold by utilising the second longest continuous skyway system in the world, which stretches over eight kilometres to make it easier for people to walk from building to building without having to be exposed to the elements.

There’s plenty to do in the quirky city, chief of which is some retail therapy.

Fifteen minutes outside downtown Saint Paul you will find The Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the nation. With a dizzying 520 stores to choose from, 50 restaurants to eat your fill and a theme park and aquarium, it’s impossible to not be fully entertained.

A city of music lovers, the annual Twin City Jazz Festival is a must for musos and lovers of jazz. If you have a vinyl record player that’s in serious need of some new tunes, why not pick up a handful at the Eclipse Record Store on 419 Wabasha Street. If hip-hop is more your style, get yourself a record by A Tribe Called Quest, Atmosphere or Twin City native Brother Ali. Atmosphere and Brother Ali are two of the main artists signed on the Minneapolis-based independent record label, Rhymesayers Entertainment.

The Commodore Bar and Restaurant was one of Fitzgerald’s favourites. He and his wife, Zelda, dined there so often that there are two cocktails names after them. Recently refurbished, the restaurant still maintains its old art deco feel to transport you back to the jazz age.

As an African abroad, one often longs for a taste of home. Minnesota has the largest population of Somalis in America, many of whom moved to the area about 20 years ago. They have brought their rich cuisine with them, and if you want to try some of it, head downtown to the colourful and eclectic Afro Deli and Grill to get a filling, healthy and affordable meal. I recommend that you try the Somali steak sandwich, which features mouth-watering thinly sliced beef, sautéed in spices, lined with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo and onions on fresh focaccia bread.

Hyatt Place is a hotel in Saint Paul’s old Custom House Post Office, which was once hailed as the most modern post office in the country and the third biggest (with over 2 000 employees). The inside of the hotel has been modernly refurbished but still features the tall, post office ceilings and old-school letter writing booths.

The hotel also offers a gym, swimming pool, and for my easily amused mind, automatic curtains in the bedrooms (which I am surprised I never broke, especially as I was constantly playing with them).

One of the biggest topics in American news – besides the recent elections –- has been police brutality and over-reach, particularly with regards to the African-American community. The recent ‘not guilty’ verdict of the police officer who shot Philando Castile, an African-American employee of the local school district, has shocked the city and the country.

Thirty-four-year-old Minneapolis resident Matthew Werner told me that Castile’s death has shaken the community: “While Minnesota is a very accepting state, it is still a very white state. People will say that they are very open, but when it comes down to it, people generally trust the government and the police more than people’s experiences”.

Despite this, the state motto ‘Minnesota Nice’ comes to mind, as residents of the midwestern state are known for their politeness and reserved nature, and they mostly try to avoid confrontation.

However, the Castile case – as well as the recent killing of Justine Damond (a white, Australian woman) by Somali-America cop, Mohamed Noor – are dividing the community, leading to outrage on both sides.

The Damond case seems to be the reverse of the norm: White officers shooting unarmed black civilians. Furthermore, Somali city council member, Abdi Warsame, called for calm in Minnesota as inflammatory anti-Somali rhetoric spread on the internet and television.

The outcome of the Damond case and similar instances could set the tone and future of police-civilian interactions, as well as racial politics in general.

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