I just returned back to the twin cities after 12 years away. I always thought that Minneapolis was the place to be. That’s where I was when I left. I’ve come back and now I live in St. Paul and there are some things that St Paul just does better. And one of them is repurposing some of its historic buildings.
There are two old fire stations, which have been repurposed into dining venues. The first is the A Side Public House, which was one of the oldest fire stations in St. Paul, operating from 1885 to 2010 in the West 7th neighbourhood. Now it’s a great café and brewpub.
The second is the Hope Breakfast Bar, located in the oldest historic fire station in St Paul. Not only is it an amazing café, but as a purpose restaurant, it is focused on giving back to the local community and donates three per cent of sales to its non-profit, Give Hope.
I just love this approach to urban development, the repurposing of disused buildings, giving us a glimpse into a past era!
If you want to know more about the Twin Cities, I give walking tours of St Paul and Minneapolis every day.
@oneminutetours What are some of your favourite retired/repurposed historic buildings in the #TwinCities? LMK in comments and I might just do another TikTok there. #stpaulminnesota #minneapolis #twincities #minnesota #mn ♬ original sound – One Minute Tours
