ONE DAY: ST. PAUL - SECTION FIVE

SECTION FIVE:

CATHEDRAL HILL -

BARONS, BISHOPS AND BOOZERS

RECOMMENDED TIME WINDOW: Wed/Thur - 5:00pm - 9:30pm Fri/Sat - 6:00pm - 10:30pm Disregard Time Window if doing A La Carte or going at own pace

WALKING DISTANCE: ~3 Miles

Before we embark toward Cathedral Hill, I'd be remiss to make us skip one of the main central squares of St. Paul. It's so close to our current location, it's worth a peek.

From the doors of the museum, walk to Kellogg Blvd. Turn right and head across at the nearby intersection on the right side of Washington St. Once we come to the Rice Park area, take a right on W 4th St. Go down one block to Market St. and then take the pathway into Rice Park. Walk up to the park's central feature, the fountain. Stop. My God, every building in this little well of municipal malarky is seminal!

To the south is the Saint Paul Public Library which opened in 1917. The east: The Saint Paul Hotel, built in 1910 by Lucius Pond Ordway (3M founder). The north: the Landmark Center. Completed in 1902, this building served as the United States Post Office, Courthouse and Custom House for the state of Minnesota.

The west: Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. This is home to the Minnesota Opera, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, where Broadway sets up shop in St. Paul on its show tours. Named after the Ordway family. Various family members, after Sally Ordway, heiress to 3M, donated $7.5 million toward a facility that was a "European-style concert hall offering 'everything from opera to the Russian circus'" (Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Wikipedia), sought to match their own donations. Now, having seen one of the best central squares of St. Paul, let's go back to the Science Museum to start the main historical Cathedral Hill tour. Head down the trail leading toward Herbies on the Park (a great Wild hockey team themed restaurant), down Washington St. again, across Kellogg, back to the museum.

OVERALL MAP

From the hustle and bustle to the calm balm of cobblestoned quaintness, let’s head into Cathedral Hill.

A to B

Looking from the streetfront of the Science Museum, turn left on Kellogg.

We’ll cross 7th St. W.

Keep heading up Kellogg, cross Smith Avenue N. Up, up, and up the hill.

Cross 35E, the small apartment blocks on the left, the History Center on the right. Cross College Ave., Mulberry St., Summit Ave.

Come to John Ireland Blvd. Stop.

Look right. We’ll get a great view of the Minnesota State Capitol building if you haven’t seen it yet. Politics.

Look left. Religion.

The Cathedral of Saint Paul is the grand and epic 4th spiritual descendant of the original Church of Saint Paul for which this city is named after, the moral backbone brought to the fur traders overindulging in the liquor provided them by “Pig’s Eye” Parrant. I love this angle of the structure. It towers over the city, an overwhelming achievement in keeping the raison d’être of St. Paul’s namesake alive.

Looking left and right at this spot is an interesting practice of seeing the separation of, or lack thereof, Church and State.

Let’s turn left and walk up John Ireland Blvd. Stop across from the cathedral.

CATHEDRAL OF SAINT PAUL

John Ireland, first Catholic archbishop of Saint Paul, and head of the cathedral project, “commissioned French Beaux-Arts architect Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, who was also the chief architect of the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis”. (Cathedral of Saint Paul Wikipedia) Construction began in 1906. The first mass was held on Palm Sunday, March 15, 1915. The building is considered to be “built in a ‘Classical Renaissance’ architectural style, and is in a Greek Cross design . . . The interior was designed to make visitors feel as if they are in a boat . . . a sunburst chandelier hangs overhead, and waves are carved into the walls and pews.”

Many notable events have occurred here, including a visit from Pope Pius XII in 1939, a visit from President Kennedy in 1962, the funeral for Philando Castile in 2016 . . .

. . . and in one of the strangest, anachronistic, out-of-left-field series of events I’ve ever encountered in the Cities, the Cathedral was a seven year host for Red Bull’s Crashed Ice competition, being the start of the 500-yard, 12-story ramp of ice skaters racing death defyingly down the hill to the bars and restaurants on West 7th. Apparently, Red Bull paid a “generous” donation to the cathedral for hosting. Hey, if you need that cheddar . . . and it’s consensual . . . who am I to judge? (Having been a spectator to the event myself, it was a blast!)

I suggest taking a self-guided tour through the interior of the cathedral. For $5, you can even get a tour booklet at the Welcome Desk. Or you can do the $10 Audio/Video Tour Patron App tour. Whatever you choose, at least take a walk through the joint. It’s something else. One of the coolest buildings in the metro. IMPORTANT NOTE: The Cathedral technically closes at 7pm, but they may start locking things up around 6:30pm.

Once we’re finished with the cathedral, we’ll continue down John Ireland Blvd., which turns into Summit Avenue. Before we go, though:

Summit Avenue is one of the most famous streets in the Twin Cities. It’s known for “being the longest avenue of Victorian homes in the country, with many historic houses, churches, synagogues, schools and universities.” (Summit Avenue Wikipedia) The road starts here and goes all the way to the Mississippi River. “Historian Ernest R. Sandeen called it ‘the best preserved example of the Victorian monumental residential boulevard’.” Well, okay, then!

Mansions began appearing on top of the hill, here, in the early 1850’s. The neighborhood began really developing in the 1880s. One of the reasons for its preservation is due to the fact that the city couldn’t pressure to expand commercial development here due to the bluffs separating downtown and Summit.

Three notable structures that we won’t be seeing, unfortunately, include the Governor’s Residence (where Minnesota’s current governor resides during their time in office), Macalester College (another of John Ireland’s projects), and the apartment in which F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote his debut novel, This Side of Paradise, which catapulted him to fame. Logistics just made it hard to reach those locales.

The Cathedral Hill neighborhood is so important especially regarding the lore and zeitgeist of the 1920s. James J. Hill’s presence as the Cities’ resident Robber Baron, a group of people responsible for the rise of the Gilded Age, the reckless Jazz Age, and, inevitably, the Great Depression, arguably could be one of the most seminal figures who made the 1920s as we know it possible. But it was F. Scott Fitzgerald, a novelist who actually popularized the term Jazz Age, who defined and gave the decade form for the world to dwell upon, he might’ve been the central authority on who, what, why and how regarding everything the 1920s became. He was born and raised in this neighborhood. He wrote his first novel on Summit Avenue. All of what we think today about the Roaring 20’s came into creation RIGHT HERE. The fact that the neighborhood continues to look as it did during that decade and that the businesses fully embrace and run with the 1920s theme and all that the decade encompassed, is the beautiful finish on the gilded framework that is Cathedral Hill. What a unique and essential place! I love it here. I hope you will, too.

B to C

Let’s move up the street now.

Cross Selby Ave. Keep up Summit just a ways. Once the parking lot for the cathedral ends, the building across the street is the . . .

JAMES J. HILL HOUSE

This is the former mansion of railroad magnate James J. Hill. When it was completed in 1891, the Saint Paul Pioneer Press wrote: “Solid, substantial, roomy, and comfortable is the new home of James J. Hill and family. . . . There has been no attempt at display, no desire to flaunt an advertisement of wealth in the eyes of the world. Just a family home . . . impressive, fine, even grand in the simplicity of design, but after all a St. Paul home.”

I disagree. Insomuch as it’s not “just a family home”. I’d say James J. Hill definitely controlled his wildest imaginings to what the house could have become. I mean, the guy had more money than George Hearst, and have you seen Hearst Castle in California?! Comparatively, this house is a shanty town shack. But if you have an opportunity to take a tour, you’ll see for yourself that it still held all the accoutrements of wealth. Half the home was set aside for The Help.

What I find more fascinating than the home is the owner, James J. Hill, and his place in the rise of the Robber Barons of the late 19th century.

Known as “The Empire Builder”, he was the chief executive officer of railroad lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which had lines in the Upper Midwest, the northern Great Plains and the Pacific Northwest. Upon his death in 1916, his wealth amounted to about $63 million, about $1.3 to 1.7 billion today. (James J. Hill Wikipedia)

Just having one of the most prominent financial powerhouses in US history make such a presence in this area is extremely compelling. I feel that these were/are the true shapers of the USA’s financial and political standing in the world, transcending politics and territorial boundaries. Today, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are the contemporary “robber barons”. But James J. Hill was our guy. To me, he is part of the most complicated, formidable, terrifying yet fascinating group of individuals the world has known in the modern age.

Phew.

Time to move on.

C to D

Continue down Summit Ave.

Turn right on Nina St (if you want to skip this part, that’s fine. Feel free to keep going straight on Summit.). Let’s just get a feel for the interior of the neighborhood. It feels like it’s stuck in the 1920s. It’s one of the most special places to stroll in the Cities, in my opinion. We’ll just get a taste today.

We’ll pass a cobblestoned alleyway (Maiden Ln.) and turn left on Laurel Ave.

Go one block. Turn left on N Farrington St.

Come back to Summit Ave. On our left is the Germanic-American Institute, which puts on a mean Oktoberfest party in September!

Directly across the street is a notable home (house number 318). On their website, Cathedral Hill states: “The William and Nellie Lightner House is a distinguished Colonial Revival mansion on Summit Avenue, built in 1893 for William Henry Lightner, a prominent Saint Paul attorney and civic leader. The house reflects the refined taste and social ambitions of the professional class that settled along Summit Avenue during the Gilded Age.

“Designed by architect Allen H. Stem . . . the house features a symmetrical facade, Ionic columns supporting a portico, and carefully proportioned windows that are hallmarks of the Colonial Revival style. The interior boasts elegant woodwork, spacious entertaining rooms, and period details throughout.”

Turn right, keep heading down Summit Ave. for one block. At Virginia St., take a right. This street is even better than Nina in terms of getting a feel of the stuck in the 1920s vibe.

Go back up to Laurel Ave., hang a left. Go one block to Western Avenue N.

Cross Western, turn left, and go down a block and a half, crossing Ashland Ave. We’ll reach a parking lot on our right. Go into the parking lot and enter The Commodore Hotel.

We’ve made it to our pre-dinner cocktail hour!

THE COMMODORE BAR & RESTAURANT Wed/Thur - 6:15pm - 6:55pm Fri/Sat - 7:15pm - 7:55pm

Pause just outside of the main entrance. I find cell service to be pretty much non-existent inside.

We’re currently standing outside of the historic Commodore Hotel, which opened its doors in the 1920s. The bar is the main attraction, here. Sporting an Art Deco interior, “original terrazzo floors, curved banquettes, and gleaming brass details that transport guests back to the glamour of the Jazz Age.” (cathedralhill.com)

This place was one of the more prominent speakeasies during Prohibition, “. . . frequented by gangsters, bootleggers, and the city’s social elite who mingled in its hidden back rooms. F. Scott Fitzgerald was a regular patron during his time in St. Paul, and the bar’s atmosphere of sophisticated rebellion is said to have influenced his portrayal of the roaring twenties.” (cathedralhill.com)

I recommend heading up the stairs into the upstairs lounge. This series of rooms is like a time capsule straight out of a late '20s MGM musical. Go for a Manhattan, Sidecar, or an original cocktail. This place is excellent, elegant and superbly unique. A good way to get off our feet, soak in the history of the city, and prepare for the meal just ahead.

At 6:55pm or 7:55pm, depending on what day we’re here, let’s head out the way we came in.

D to E

Turn right out of the parking lot and go to Western Avenue N. Turn left and go two and a half blocks, crossing Ashland Ave., Laurel Ave., and end up at the corner building on the southeast intersection of Selby Ave. and Western Ave N. We should be able to spot the sunken garden patio attached to the south.

This is our dinner destination!

W. A. FROST & COMPANY Wed/Thur - 7:00pm - 9:00pm Fri/Sat - 8:00pm - 10:00pm

RESERVATIONS EXTREMELY RECOMMENDED WEBSITE

This amazing restaurant resides in a building built in 1889. W.A. Frost was the name of the pharmacy that operated here over 100 years ago.

We should have reservations here.

If it’s warm, the patio is the place to be. It is arguably the BEST restaurant patio in the entire Twin Cities metro, consistently ranked #1 in magazines, Eater, Thrillist, etc. It’s so enchanting. Vines traverse the brick building, lights hang across pathways and tables, attached to romantic trees hanging above planters and flowerbeds. Everywhere is green. And if it gets a little chilly, they have heaters available.

The interior is worth it, too, if it’s too chilly, or if that’s what you prefer. It has every feature we’ve been interacting with from the Gilded Age. Even if we’re eating outside, tour the interior at some point.

The restaurant is a bit pricey, being one of the best fine dining restaurants in the metro, so this is where most of this Loreway’s budget is going toward.

W.A. Frost offers contemporary American cuisine, specializing in steaks, seafood, charcuterie and salads. They sport a huge wine list and pour amazing cocktails (classics and originals)!!

Bon appetit!!! This is good living! Gilded Age living!!

Once dinner is finished, it should be either 9:00pm or 10:00pm. Again, depending on the day.

Let’s finish our walk through Cathedral Hill under a twilight sky. Oooh, it’s getting even more romantic!

E to F

Head south (left from the back patio of W.A. Frost) back down Western Avenue N.

One block later, turn right on Laurel Ave.

Walk almost two blocks, crossing Arundel St. and stopping four houses shy of the next street (N Mackubin St.). The address number is 481.

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD BIRTHPLACE

On September 24, 1896, F. Scott Fitzgerald (named after Francis Scott Key, a distant cousin and author of the 1814 lyrics for “The Star-Spangled Banner”) was born in a second floor apartment in this rowhouse.

Fitzgerald would move away and end up back in St. Paul numerous times. But it can be argued that his most formative and important years were spent here in Cathedral Hill.

His family moved to Buffalo, New York a year after his birth, and then moved back here when he was 11. He attended St. Paul Academy just down the street from the cathedral from 1908 to 1911. His first published work appeared in the school newspaper when he was 13.

Many principal literal and historical analysts suppose that the neighborhood may have been one of the major factors in how Fitzgerald came to think of the world. The poor and destitute hobnobbing with the wealthy elite in such a small area. He developed a writing style that entailed, at one instance, painting an ideal picture about, and at the next instance waxing cynicism against, the overindulgent booze swillers who had too much money in a time of permissiveness and self-gratification.

His first novel, This Side of Paradise, which catapulted him to stardom, was written about five and a half blocks to the southwest from this birthplace (599 Summit Ave.). Apparently, upon receiving the telegram telling him of the novel’s acceptance for publication by Scribner, he ran around the streets yelling to anybody he came across about his success. We might’ve been accosted by him if we were standing right here back in the fall of 1919.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s own life might be equivalent to or even more enthralling than his fiction! The guy was an absolute mess. A suicidal sexual deviant with too much money, arrested development and fame who was drawn to people prone to madness. I’m not sure it was all a case of “I can fix her.” More like “I see myself in her.” Birds of a feather, and all . . .

Regardless, he remains to this day one of the most poignant novelists in American history, with “The Great Gatsby” considered by many to be The Great American Novel. The guy who defined the roaring 20’s. That’s pretty cool, in my book!

Let’s keep ‘er movin’.

F to G

Turn left from the rowhouse and walk to the end of the block. Turn left on Mackubin St.

Walk one block. Turn left on Ashland Ave.

Walk a block on Ashland, then turn right on Arundel St.

Walk two blocks, crossing Holly Ave., turning left on Portland Ave.

Walk a block down Portland back to Summit Ave.

Cross Summit Ave. and turn right. Walk to the park, Summit Lookout Park. Turn left into the park and stop near the huge eagle statue and the bannister overlooking the south of St. Paul and the bluffs. We’re getting to the end of the Cathedral Hill portion of our day. Just two more items I’d like to touch upon before we move on to the final Section of the Loreway:

The building off to our right, standing sentinel on the top of the hill at the corner of Summit and the street shooting down the hill beneath us, Ramsey, is The University Club of St. Paul. This building was built in 1913 by the architects of Grand Central Station in NYC (!) and was a social club for college graduates from accredited colleges and universities. Being that this building was just down the street from him, it’s no wonder that one of the regular guests of the club was none other than F. Scott Fitzgerald. And, interestingly, this was the first of Saint Paul’s three major clubs to open its membership to women after World War II. It’s still a working club serving all ethnicities, beliefs, ages and backgrounds . . . as long as you’ve graduated from college.

And lastly, just look at the view ahead of us.

This location truly gives me a lasting impression of Cathedral Hill and all it encompasses. Geographically, historically and symbolically. It stands above the working city below. Some of the most elite and culturally important people in the world have resided here. It is a perfect exemplification of Haves vs. Have-Nots. The Barons vs. Everybody Else. Site of a tortured artist struggling with the state of rich vs. poor in both his own status and the country at large, all about to fall victim to a financial collapse brought about by one of his own neighbors and the others in the Apex Club to which his neighbor belonged.

The nearby eagle is probably part of the formulation for the wavelengths of my current thinking, but standing here, I think about the current status of our nation. How we’re conditioned by the current Robber Barons to fight amongst ourselves. The Baron owned media, almost getting there but not quite, asking “How can America mend its differences?”

It’s not Right vs. Left as the Haves would like us to believe.

It’s Us vs. The Barons. The Gilded Age collapsed, the Jazz Age collapsed. Neighborhoods like this one are perfect living capsules of the persistence of the way things tend to go in the Western World. It persists above despite eventual cyclical societal downfall and change below (usually brought on by the people above). However that collapse manifests in each particular instance, the end result tends to be chalked up to Rinse and Repeat.

Cathedral Hill holds a complicated history within its invisible walls nestled on the western bluffs of the Mississippi. History that we can revel in, revere and criticize. History we can hopefully learn from so that we don’t just Rinse and Repeat.

We can Rinse and Revise.

CLICK HERE TO START SECTION SIX: WEST 7TH WINDUP!