Highland Park MN

There are 27129 inhabitants in the Highland neighborhood, which is part of St. Paul. Minnesota’s Highland is one of the best places to live. Ramsey County is home to Highland. People in Highland enjoy living in an urban environment with most people owning their own homes. A lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, as well as parks can be found in Highland. Highland is home to a large number of families and young professionals, and its residents typically hold moderate political views. In Highland public schools rank above the national average.

William Finn, a veteran of the Mexican-American War, settled in Highland Park permanently for the first time in 1848. The University of St. Thomas currently occupies the land on which he built a house along the Mississippi River. The Highland Park neighborhood was once part of the Fort Snelling reservation but was opened up for sale by the government in the mid-1850s, and this area was renamed Reserve Township. A growing population had induced the government to make this move, and approximately 5,000 acres (20 km2) were sold at about $1.25 per acre in 1854. As a result of having this land for sale, the area became available in Ramsey County for settlement, becoming the last area of Saint Paul to become densely populated after this land sale. It was not until 1887 when Reserve Township was purchased by the city of Saint Paul that Highland Park became a part of the city.

There is a mix of older houses that have been well-maintained, as well as commercial and retail buildings, as well as light industrial buildings in Highland Park today. In the spring of 2006, two Ford plants — the Twin Cities plant and the Norfolk, Virginia, F-series pickup plant — announced that they would close by 2008, together with the Twin Cities plant. There was an agreement later reached between Ford and United Auto Workers whereby the plant would remain open until 2009. 

In the mid-1900s, most of the Jewish population in the city moved from the Summit-University neighborhood to Highland Park, becoming one of the major Jewish neighborhoods in the city. Most of the city’s synagogues are situated in Highland Park.

As part of their annual Highland Fest, which takes place at Highland Village in cooperation with the Highland Park Business Association, Highland Fest is an annual festival that includes live music, carnival rides, an art fair, and fireworks.

Schools in Highland Park include Highland Park Elementary, Horace Mann Elementary School and Exposition for Excellence Elementary School (formerly Highland Park Junior High School), Highland Park Middle School (formerly Highland Park Senior High School) for Middle School Education, and Highland Park Senior High School for High School Education. In addition to Saint Catherine’s University, there are also a number of other private schools in the neighborhood.

Along the Mississippi River bank lies Crosby Farm and Hidden Falls, two of the earliest and largest parks in Saint Paul. The neighborhood is technically within the boundaries of Fort Snelling State Park, located across the Mississippi River from Pike Island.