The Unusual Homes and Lots on Ames Avenue

Hamline-Midway, Thomas-Dale (Frogtown), North End, Payne-Phalen, East Side

September 4, 2024 — 23.6 Miles

Dickerman Park sign and green area. — The western section of Dickerman Park stretches in front of the Griggs-Midway Building.

Dickerman Park is an anomaly, even among St. Paul’s considerable number of distinctive and wonderful parks. Located in the Midway, it took nearly 115 years to go from proposal to completion. The narrow band of land was given to the city of St. Paul by the Dickerman family in 1909. Rather than being developed into a park, however, building owners slowly gobbled up pieces of the land in front of their buildings—often with the blessing of city officials—for parking lots, a school playground or just because it was there.

Old sign for Dickerman Park in 2013. — A portion of Dickerman Park in 2013, when it was a park in name only.

Ground was finally broken for this charmingly atypical linear park in the summer of 2017. About four city blocks long, the 1.1 acre park runs along the north side of University Avenue between Fairview Avenue and Aldine Street. It brings some very necessary grass, shade, seating and recreational space to this hectic stretch of University Avenue in the Midway.

Aerial map of Dickerman park. — An aerial view of Dickerman Park. Base map Google Maps

Gambions, curved sidewalk and benches; new features of Dickerman Park. — Gabions, left, an arched sidewalk, benches and lighting were built to invite visitors to Dickerman Park.

An old stand of oaks and the facade of the Midway YMCA. — A stand of White and Burr Oak trees that have stood on the Dickerman Park land for decades offer shade. The glass facade of the Midway YMCA building is on the left.

Picnic tables, benches and lawn in front of Dickerman Park in front of the historic Brown, Blodgett and Sperry building that’s home to Junior Achievement. — Picnic tables, benches and lawn greet visitors to the piece of Dickerman Park in front of the historic Brown, Blodgett and Sperry building that’s home to Junior Achievement.

Aerial photo of Brown Blodgett building circa 1924 — An aerial view of the Brown Blodgett building circa 1924. Courtesy Minnesota Historical Society

Built in 1916 for Brown, Blodgett, and Sperry, a printing and stationary company, 1745 University Avenue West was most recently remodeled to become headquarters of Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest.

Frogtown (Thomas-Dale)

Two lines of severe thunderstorms barreled through the Twin Cities during the evening of August 26 and early morning of August 27, 2024. Many trees around St. Paul, including this large maple in the 700 block of Mackubin Street were felled by winds of about 60 mph.

Maple tree knocked over on a fence on Mackubin near Minnehaha Street. — So many trees were damaged during severe storms on August 26th and 27 that city forestry crews had yet to get to a maple tree that fell on a fence on Mackubin near Minnehaha Street.

The 900 and 1000 blocks of Arcade

Arcade Street is one of the most prominent streets of Payne-Phalen and the East Side. For decades this byway carried thousands of workers to and from large employers, including Seeger Refrigerator (later Whirlpool) and 3M.

1948 picture of Arcade St. looking south from Case. Busy with cars. — In 1948, business was good along Arcade Street as this view looking south from Case Avenue shows. Courtesy Minnesota Historical Society

Arcade Street offered a plethora of small businesses—grocery stores, bakeries, service stations, banks, drugstores—that served most of the needs of nearby residents. Arcade Street’s growth and health was directly linked to that of Seeger, 3M and other large companies located nearby. When they downsized and closed in the 1960s, ‘70s, and ’80s, many small businesses withered and died.

Over the years, some new businesses have opened, but the vitality that marked Arcade Street in the first five-plus decades of the 1900s has not returned. Vacant buildings and trash in the 900 and 1000 blocks particularly disappointed me.

The charred Checkerboard Pizza/Checkerbar building, 992 Arcade, remained boarded up after an August 9, 2023 fire.

New windows have been put in on 2nd floor of the Jenks Ave side of the building. — A sign of hope, however, as it appeared that repairs on the second floor of the building had begun. Three new windows replaced boards on the Jenks Avenue side.

On the north side of the former Checkerboard building, a “ghost sign” for Schmidt Beer clings to the brick. — On the north side of the former Checkerboard building, a “ghost sign” for Schmidt Beer clings to the brick, despite years of neglect. Perhaps it dates back to the mid-1950s, when 992 Arcade was known as Guzzo’s (Liquors-Food-Dancing).

The former 52 Market and Trading, just south across Jenks from Checkerboard, was also heavily damaged by a suspicious fire on August 9, 2023 remains fenced off. — The former 52 Market and Trading, just south across Jenks from Checkerboard, was also heavily damaged by a suspicious fire on August 9, 2023.

Across from the Checkerboard, on the west side of Arcade, a couple of interesting buildings line the street.

3 buildings on Arcade, just north of Jenks. — Two of the three buildings at Arcade, just north of Jenks, carry memories of Arcade Street at its peak.

991 Arcade has a ghost sign” on the north side of the two story brick building reflects its time as Stan Jambor Meats and Groceries. Records indicate members of the Jambor family lived above the market from about 1930 into the late 1950s. — Listed as a “commercial building” built in 1915, 991 Arcade has been a grocery store, a meat market, a couple different pizza joints, a linoleum store and more. A “ghost sign” on the north side of the two story brick building reflects its time as Stan Jambor Meats and Groceries. Records indicate members of the Jambor family lived above the market from about 1930 into the late 1950s.

A sign for Stan Jambor’s meat market remains plainly visible on the north side of the building.

Building that was Polish-American Club for 80 years on Arcade. — For 80 years, the Polish-American Club held dances, concerts, wedding receptions and other get-togethers here. The usual suspects—declining membership due to changing demographics—left the club unable to afford its building.

Former Polish-American building from 2007. — Aside from the awning and the Polish coat of arms in the top window, the former Polish-American building has changed little from 2007, when this photo was taken. Courtesy Lyfmap

Chain and lock on door of 1003 Arcade. — It was unclear whether or not a church continued to operate within 1003 Arcade, but based upon the lock on the door, I doubt it.

Deeper into the East Side

Continuing east, I rode just one block of Cook Avenue. That block offered some notable sites.

1017 Cook - 2 story home; unusual design. — The pleasant design of 1017 Cook is unlike any I’ve seen in my travels around the city. It is a duplex constructed in 1923, according to Ramsey County tax information.

3 homes on the 1000 block of Cook Ave. East — A nice assortment of home styles and ages line the 1000 block of Cook Avenue East, above and below.

Marigolds on both sides of the walk to 1039 Cook. — The sidewalk to 1039 Cook was bursting with plump marigolds.

Moving a block north to Magnolia Avenue, an unusually positioned house brought me to a stop.

Small house at 1201 Magnolia Ave East is at the back of the lot. — The house at 1201 Magnolia Avenue East sits well toward the back of the lot, similar to the position of garages on all the other properties on the block. That created a long, narrow front yard.

Close up of 1201 Magnolia. — A closer look at the front of 1201 Magnolia.

On the same block, some bee-utiful yard art.

Table and chairs painted yellow and brown for bee theme.

Yellow and brown bee bench with clay pots decorated like bees.

The 1200 block of Magnolia Avenue is, I must say, rudely interrupted by an X created by the diagonal intersection of Phalen Boulevard and Johnson Parkway. Actually, this interruption of Magnolia existed long before Phalen Boulevard was proposed, likely as far back as the 1950s, when the street was truncated at the Northern Pacific Railway tracks. (Phalen Boulevard is routed along the former NP right-of-way.)

Aerial image of Johnson Pkwy and Phalen Cooridor crossing.

The traditional grid of St. Paul really does not exist in this area and hasn’t since perhaps the 1980s thanks to the removal of Phalen Shopping Center and reestablishment of Ames Lake, the construction of Phalen Boulevard and the realignment of Johnson Parkway.

Bike path and sidewalk of Johnson Pkway. — Johnson Parkway, reconstructed in 2020 and 2021, has wonderful walking and biking paths along it.

Rejoining Magnolia Avenue off Johnson Parkway, I continued east for one block. There I jumped onto the block long, hockey stick-shaped Mechanic Avenue.

Canopy of trees over Mechanic Ave. — The thick canopy of trees along Mechanic Avenue.

Ames Avenue

Ames is a popular name on the East Side. There are a couple of streets, a lake, a small neighborhood and for decades, a school (now renamed L’Etoile du Nord French Immersion School) that bear the name. All are named after William L. Ames Junior, who platted the Hazel Park neighborhood in the late 1800s, according to “The Street Where You Live” by Donald Empson.

The portion of Ames Avenue I traveled—between Johnson Parkway and Hazelwood Street—was chock full of idiosyncrasies. Nearly all of the lots are conspicuously larger—many more than 40% so—than St. Paul’s average-sized residential lot. On top of that, no two are the same shape.

Aerial view of oddly sized and shaped lots on Ames Ave.

The styles of homes vary from your standard post-World War II bungalow to a late ‘80s split level.

2 homes in the 1400 block of Ames Ave. — 1432 Ames, right, is a 1952 bungalow, and the unique split level to the east was built in 1987.

1 & 3/4 story home at 1433 Ames. — Across the street at 1433 Ames, the one and three-quarter story home from 1907.

Home almost hidden by fence because of lot slope at 1455 Ames. — Due to the unusual slope of the lot, the bungalow at 1455 Ames is oddly oriented slightly below the fence line.

Barclay St. provides access to just one driveway. — Barclay Street (left), shooting north off Ames, is less than a block long and appears to exist only to provide driveway access to one Ames Avenue home. Barclay used to go through another two blocks north to Rose Street, according to at least one old map.

Castle-like home at 1478 Ames. — The most distinctive house on Ames is the castle-like structure at 1478, which sits on a lot that is nearly nine-tenths of an acre.

Grass and trees of the nearly half acre lot of 1494 Ames. — The nearly half-acre lot of 1494 Ames.

View of Ames Ave. looking west. Trees and road. — Looking west along Ames Avenue from where it dead-ends at Hazelwood Street.

Weeds and overgrown bushes obscure the metal crash barrier that keeps traffic from going through on Ames.

Johnson Parkway

After rambling east and back west on Ames, I returned to Johnson Parkway and the Johnson Parkway Regional Trail where I turned south.

Slightly north of the Parkway’s intersection with Stillwater Avenue is one of the oldest homes on the greater East Side. Built in 1876, a mere four years after this neighborhood was annexed into St. Paul, the blue clapboard dwelling at 886 Johnson is all but hidden by a thick growth of trees and bushes.

Trees and bushes nearly hide 886 Johnson Parkway. The well-kept exterior belies that the home dates back about a century and one-half. — Trees and bushes provide ample camouflage for 886 Johnson Parkway. The well-kept exterior belies that the home dates back about a century and one-half.

A family connection

Five blocks west and south I found the intersection of Ross Avenue and Frank Street, which has significant personal meaning. Ross was my father and Frank was his father (obviously, my grandfather.) To be clear, this is a coincidence; neither street was named for anyone in my family.

Street signs on light pole of intersection of Frank and Ross. — The intersection of Frank and Ross is a block south of east 7th and a block east of Earl. Got that?

The house of worship tucked into the residential neighborhood at this intersection is an example of a small thing that makes St. Paul homey.

2 story home covered in brown shakes at 1119 Ross. Built in 1883. — The two story shake-covered home at 1119 Ross Street at Frank was constructed in 1883.

Small tangerine orange church building at 815 Frank. — Kitty corner, at 815 Frank, a small neighborhood church built in 1916 as a Methodist house of worship. Now it’s a Spanish-speaking church of Christian denomination wearing a unique tangerine orange color.

The East Side is both the farthest neighborhood from my home and the one I’ve visited the least. Therefore it offers the greatest opportunity for surprises, such as the distinctiveness of Ames Avenue homes and properties. Expect the frequency of rides to the East Side to increase as I endeavor to bike each block in St. Paul.

Editor’s Note: A version of this story originally appeared in Saint Paul By Bike on April 22, 2025, and is reprinted with permission. Photos by Wolfie Browender.