A Realistic Driving Tour of Downtown St. Paul, MN | 2026 Update
About this video
Take a realistic driving tour of Downtown St. Paul Minnesota in 2026, showcasing streets, neighborhoods, and the true local vibe. See what it’s really like to live, work, and explore in St. Paul with updated insights on growth, development, and city life.
Key takeaways
- A February 2026 driving tour of Saint Paul. Mississippi River Boulevard runs along the river with homes from about $500,000 to $2 million, many of them remodeled or rebuilt, and Hidden Falls Regional Park nearby.
- Highland Bridge, on the former Ford plant site, is a multi-year redevelopment with new single-family homes from about $800,000, townhomes, shops and river trails. Ford Parkway around Cleveland and Finn is one of the city's most walkable stretches.
- Macalester-Groveland, near Macalester College and the University of St. Thomas, has homes built mostly from about 1920 to 1970, priced from the mid-$300,000s to mid-$800,000s, plus Grand Avenue shops and the historic Grandview Theater.
- Summit Avenue keeps about 85% of its original historic homes, including the Governor's Residence and the James J. Hill House. Jason's team sold a Summit Hill home for $2.3 million, the highest public sale in the area in about five years. Victorian homes need careful inspection.
- Downtown and West Seventh: the Cathedral of Saint Paul, the Minnesota History Center, Grand Casino Arena (home of the Wild), Mancini's, Cossetta's, the Science Museum, Harriet Island, Union Depot, the farmers market and CHS Field (home of the Saints, the Twins' Triple-A team).
- Around Como Lake, homes run from the upper $200,000s to about $500,000, close to the free Como Zoo and Conservatory, one of the oldest zoos in the country.
- Overall, Saint Paul's median sits in the low to mid-$300,000s, more affordable than Minneapolis. Jason's advice: spend a weekend in each city before you choose.
Questions this video answers
What is being built on the old Ford plant site in Saint Paul?
Highland Bridge: a large mixed-use neighborhood with single-family homes (from about $800,000 in the video), townhomes, condos, shops and river trails, built out over several years.
Is the Como Zoo free?
Yes. Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in Saint Paul is free and supported by donations. It opened in the 1890s, making it one of the oldest zoos in the country.
What was Saint Paul's original name?
Pig's Eye, after fur trader Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant. The name changed after a Catholic priest named the settlement's chapel for Saint Paul.
Read more: Highland Park · Macalester-Groveland · Summit Hill · West Seventh · Como Park
Notes written by Huerkamp Home Group from this video. Figures are as stated in the video on April 15, 2026; check the current numbers in our market reports.
