Mears Park Place is a great place to live IF you work downtown in the skyway system. It's too expensive if you don't need to be downtown daily. Also, it's difficult for your visitors - there's no place to park without pumping the meters every two hours. Also, you'll need to escort them to their cars at night.

I enjoyed my year-long stay, but I had my reasons. 1. I went to my friends, I did not let them come to me, and 2. I received a special, move-in deal on the rent. If I were to stay another year, it would cost nearly $1000. In St Paul, that is Way Too Much To Pay (you could easily have a house payment for that amount). There are wonderful places in much better neighborhoods than this.

Now the staff - they have been absolutely wonderful. HOWEVER, THIS DOWNTOWN IS NOT SAFE - right after I moved in, all of our bicycles were cut loose and stolen from the underground, keycard-only, garage. Apparently, other buildings in the same block had the same thing happen. The police really did nothing (I had evidence with fingerprints and they were not interested). After I lived here awhile I realized why: downtown St Paul is Not Safe. The massive bike thefts were probably the least of the police's worry. The rest of St Paul is Wonderful: a truly Livable city, with loads of parks and green spaces, history, the Mississippi river and some wonderful lakes - lots of recreational opportunities (I came from Chicago). There is no reason to live here and not feel safe, like you can walk and live after dark. However, you cannot do these things downtown.

Trust me. I've lived in Minnesota since 1985: Pay Less Money and Live in a Much Better Neighborhood.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 08/14/2008
I've worked/lived in Downtown St Paul for over 2 years now. I rarely ever feel unsafe even walking around after dark on the weekends. I'm a fairly well to do looking individual who walks everywhere I need to go and have come to the conclusion that the mass hysteria of one not being safe is not only media aided but self-administered. I must say that of all the downtown areas I've been to, St Paul has one of the safest. I'm sorry you were so scared.
From: Anonymous	Date: 10/25/2008
I agree with the original poster -- I didn't live in Mears but had a friend who did, and I hated walking to her place at night, and sometimes during the day (had to pass lots of bus stops on my way... one known for it's drug dealings, etc). Walking around at night was terrifying and I wouldn't do it (even WITH pepper spray) unless absolutely necessary. I got harassed EVERY time I left my building after dark. I love the city, just not downtown at night.

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