St. Paul, Minnesota, is the greatest city on earth. Just ask Kathleen. She hasn't lived there for more than 35 years, but she's dyed in the wool, a lovelorn, hopeless case. It is her undying dream to one day live there again. . . even if it is with her next husband.
So today, after Kathleen had her eyes checked by her St. Paul eye doctor (you must know that there are no qualified specialists available between Shakopee and the Midway district of St. Paul, just across the freeway from where she grew up), we nosed around. This is dangerous activity, of course. We have been known to put down earnest money within 24 hours of just nosing around for the fun of it. Kathleen's Colorado sister, almost equally smitten by this burg, also dreams to one day move back to her beloved St. Paul.
To that end, we began a haphazard search for a suitable home for her, gathering brochures from the occasional realtor box as we bumbled down the road. We started in Highland Park, which is sort of bounded by Macalaster College, St. Kate's and the soon-to-be shuttered Ford plant. We found some delightful homes and even got waved into one at Finn and Juliet, where the young couple eagerly showed off their little domicile, priced at an affordable $259,000 for its immaculate 1279 square feet.
In 1962, an imposing high rise was constructed on the edge of Highland Park. A luxury 32-story apartment building, it was once home to Ann Landers, of all things. On an impulse, we parked, rang up the manager, and told him we wanted to make our search of Highland Park real estate opportunities complete with a walk-through of his building. Michael (top photo) happily complied. The Landers unit is soon available, we learned. A mere $38,000 annual base lease -- plus $10 a month for a dog. The building has a pool, sun deck, serious party room, exercise facility, heated underground parking, and a complimentary chauffer service. Minutes from The Cafe Latte (Kathleen's favorite), across Ford Parkway from Lunds, and the airport.
And so we enjoyed this magnificent view of the Mississippi River and, rising behind it, the sparkling Minneapolis skyline. Certainly not a St. Paul skyline, but it sure did look good while standing on the best side of the river.
