Local Culture

Tom Johnson
Tim Johnson 3 min read ,

Woke at the Playground

When asked, the grandparent I met at Thompson Park in West St. Paul said he was from the West 7th Area of St. Paul. There are, of course, play grounds in the West 7th area and nearby that are much closer. Why make the trip across the river? Perhaps his grandkids lived close to the Park. Perhaps like my wife and me, he was in search of new playground options for those days when he was blessed with the care of his grandkids. Or, perhaps he came to the Thompson Park playground because the newly created playground was “Woke.” 

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Korinne Dennis
Korinne Dennis 2 min read ,

A Friendly Reminder to Take Care of Yourself

I don’t know about you, but 2025 came in hot, and somehow, it’s already almost over. We’ve made it through the State Fair (and all the fried foods that come with it), and now our focus is shifting to fall décor, football season (Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays) and those familiar questions: Will I fly home for Thanksgiving this year? Will I buy Christmas gifts or just give out hugs again?

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A new co-living duplex in St. Paul, where each unit will have six bedrooms and six bathrooms. Credit: MinnPost photo by Bill Lindeke
MinnPost Article 8 min read , ,

New St. Paul co-living ‘duplex’ cracks the code of affordability and low-carbon housing

It’s easy to feel hopeless about the housing crisis, especially if you live in St. Paul, where any hint of new housing on the horizon seems to fade like a mirage. But I have seen it with my own eyes: Little Mod, a (mostly) market-rate project providing 12 homes affordable at 50% of the area median income (AMI), built by a new development team called GRO. It’s a lovely, modern “net-zero” infill project, with solar panels providing all of its energy. Halfway between West 7th Street and the Mississippi River, the new homes are close to transit and a dozen small businesses.

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