It doesn’t matter what your religious affiliation is, this beautiful building that graces St. Paul, is well worth an hour, or so of your time. It sits on Cathedral Hill at the end of Selby Avenue and overlooks downtown St. Paul. This area is known as the Historic Hill District. Most of the houses in this neighborhood, which includes Summit Avenue, were built between 1890 and 1920.
The cathedral was designed by French architect, Emmanuel Louis Masqueray. He based the design of the cathedral on churches in Paris, one of them being Sacre-Coeur Basilica. Construction began in 1906, with a budget of one million dollars. The cathedral opened in 1915, and is the sixth largest church in the United States. The cathedral is open daily from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Of course it’s lovely inside and you are free to wander if there is no service in progress. Public tours are offered Tuesday – Friday at 1:00 pm. https://www.cathedralsaintpaul.org/
Selby Avenue
My suggestion is, you walk from the cathedral down Selby Avenue as far as Western Avenue. My picks for your final destination would be either, Nina’s Coffee Shop, at Selby and Western, or W.A. Frost and Company also at Selby and Western. I guess it just depends on what you are in the mood for and of course how much you want to spend.
But first, let’s talk about Selby Avenue. The street was named after Jeremiah Selby who owned a potato farm where the cathedral now sits. Selby Avenue has had its ups and downs. In the 1890’s, it thrived due to the street cars that ran up the hill from downtown St. Paul and along Selby Avenue. Then in the late 60’s and 70’s it started to decline when I-94 construction began and the nearby neighborhood of Rondo was devastated.
The Rondo neighborhood was a middle-class and working-class African American neighborhood. Consequently, the people and businesses of Rondo moved to Selby Avenue causing “white flight” along with the disappearance of capital and prosperity. Things turned around again in the 1980’s with some civic investment and a diverse community of residents and business owners. It’s now home to chic restaurants, shops and beautiful new and historic homes. It’s well worth your time and money.
W.A. Frost and Company & Nina’s Coffee Shop
W.A. Frost’s is located in an historic building at 374 Selby Avenue. The restaurant offers an upscale American menu and a gorgeous patio. Not that hungry, or not willing to blow the better part of $100, on lunch? Try Nina’s Coffee shop across the street at 165 Western Avenue. It has a great atmosphere, wonderful coffee, a selection of pastries and sandwiches.
In conclusion, I’ve just given you a small section of Selby Avenue. There is so much more to discover. The Minnesota History Center is close by, so is Summit and Grand Avenues. Endless hours of discovery and adventure await, so VentureOutMinnesotans!