Saint Paul Public Stairs Tour #3: the East Side this Sunday Afternoon

This Sunday, I'll be hosting the third (and final ?) tour of the epic cycle of "public stairs" walking tours that began so dramatically with a group of 200 people climbing and descending the stairs of Cathedral and Crocus Hills and the bluffs of formerly Pleasant Avenue.

This time we venture to the East Side, to walk the staircases of Swede Hollow, Railroad Island, and Arlington Heights. One of these staircases, in fact, is the precise public staircase that inspired my fascination with public stairs ten years ago when I happened upon it while canvassing for Al Franken's (remember him?) campaign for Senate.

Here's what I wrote at the time, upon the discovery of a unique set of public stairs in the jungles of East Saint Paul:

The neighborhood had a really contained feeling, so that walking down the street felt like lounging on an old and threadbare couch.
The little divots along some of the streets meant that there were entire houses that had no paved roads, only little paths running through little hollows that enclosed space like a forest cave. These places feel like the end of the world, but the sidewalks are flexible, and bend and waver to meet the needs of feet. Stairs pop up like wildflowers, and sidewalks carry on.

Join me at the corner of Case and Payne for a roughly four (4) mile walk through the streets, sidewalks, and public staircases of the East Side. Let's hope it doesn't snow this weekend.

[Facebook invite is here.]

What: Walking tour of public stairs (past and present) of the East Side
When: Sunday 3:15pm for a few hours
Where: Meet at the corner of Case and Payne. Likely route map, for the curious.
Why: Because they are there
Who: Anyone ambulatory

[An 1898 picture of the hollow follows. Note the stairs at bottom left.]

Public Stairs of Saint Paul Walking Tour #2 (The West Side) on 6/24

Well, the first Public Stairs tour was a smashing success. So popular was the tour, in fact, that we could barely fit everyone on the staircases. People came and walked up and down and ventured forth through the Cathedral Hill, Crocus Hill and West 7th neighborhoods around old Pleasant Street (now unpleasant).

This will be a similar adventure, only in my own neighborhood, the very bluff-laden West Side. So bluff-ish is the West Side, in fact, that streets are currently closed to traffic because the bluffs are so volatile and literally collapsing. How exciting!

We will be walking a bunch of the public stairs on the West Side to see how many steps we can get in, and I can promise you a few long-lost staircases plus one super-secret staircase adventure that has me very excited.

Hope to see you then!

[Facebook event is here.]

Who: Anyone willing to walk for three miles up and down
What: Group walk around the historic West Side to explore public staircases past and present
When: Sunday 6/24 at 2:30 pm
Where: Meet in the El Burrito Mercado parking lot area
Why: Because some of it is still there

[The old view from the green stairs.]

Public Stairs of Saint Paul Walking Tour #1 on Sunday 5/20

[East Side stairs.]

Join me for another tour. This is a new idea that's been buzzing around my head for a decade, ever since I happened across a "staircase" connecting two sidewalks over on the East Side. It was green and great, and the wooden "public" "sidewalk" staircase filled my heart with a curiosity for more public flights.

A few years later I found myself in Portland, Oregon, and picked up a copy of this book: The Portland Stairs Book. Public stairs are ubiquitous in hilly Portland, especially in the Northwest and Southwest parts of the city, and it inspired me to search for similar stairs in Saint Paul.

Years after that, I moved to the West Side and started seeing staircases, lost and found. Saint Paul is no Portland, and the majority of the old staircases that used to run up and down the bluffs have been lost to so-called progress, freeways, railroads, and the like. But there are still a handful of interesting staircases to climb and descend.

So join me!

This is the first staircase walking tour. I will be pointing out some historical highlights along the way, things like the impact and odd story of the 35 E freeway, lost buildings of the old bluff, the strange "sneaky trail", the history of Crocus Hill, murder, and more. We'll be going up or down four (4) sets of public staircases of the following lengths:

• 156 steps
• 79 steps
• 56 steps
• and 50 steps

The walk is over four (4) miles long and is the pace will be somewhere between steady and vigorous. This is not an ADA accessible tour. Please wear your walking shoes and come prepared to set out!

[Facebook invite is here.]

[One set of stairs below the Hill house.] 

What: Guided walking tour of four (4) public staircases in Saint Paul, as well of plenty of historic homes
When: Sunday 5/20 at 2:30pm (tour will last about two hours, maybe a bit more)
Where: Meet at the corner of Mulberry Street and Old Kellogg, by the Selby Streetcar Tunnel
Why: Because they're still there
Who: Anyone willing to walk a bit. Free of charge.

[Possible highlights / lowlights follow...]

[A set of public stairs along Summit Hill.]

 [Non-public limestone staircase.]

[Where the sidewalk ends?]

 [What is in these woods anyway?]

[A staircase view.]