Saint Paul Shopping and Districts

(Saint Paul, Minnesota - MN, USA)

If you are staying in St. Paul and planning a shopping expedition, then you may well find yourself heading next-door to the twin city of Minneapolis. However, there is plenty to buy right here in the state capital, with rows and rows of shops lining the main thoroughfares.

Shopping opportunities based around downtown St. Paul are in good supply along roads such as East 5th Street, East 6th Street and East 7th Street, connected by North Robert Street and Wabasha Street North. Stores here are accompanied by lots of cafes and eateries, should you need to put your bags down and grab a quick coffee.

Head to the west of downtown St. Paul and you will find that a huge concentration of shops resides along University Avenue West, including a number of thrift stores and pawn shops. Just off University Avenue and on Rice Street is a branch of the Sears department store, which opened in 1963 and has become known for its friendly staff, being home to clothing, household appliances and even auto goods.

Where to Shop

To the southwest of St. Paul city center, Grand Avenue is another popular spot for window shopping and dining, offering an appealing 'small town' character within this large American city. Small specialty stores, supermarkets, coffee shops, funky boutiques and jewelers are all here, along with the locals from both of the Twin Cities.

If traditional malls are more your thing, then head eastwards along Interstate I-94 towards Maplewood, stopping off at the Sun Ray Shopping Center. Lying on the very outskirts of St. Paul, on Old Hudson Road, the suburban Sun Ray complex opened in the 1970s and is anchored by TJ Maxx, as well as the Valu Thrift Store.

Just a few minutes to the north of downtown St. Paul is the McCarron Hills Shopping Center on Rice Street, which offers a collection of out-of-town stores fronted by a large parking lot. Here you will find shops like Club Crystal, Excel Pawn and Jewelry, Family Dollar, Stargate, Trendsters and Walgreens.

Collectors and antique hunters staying in the city may like to pay a visit to the Mall of St. Paul on Selby Avenue, where more than 50 different antique dealers sell their varied merchandise in an indoor market-style layout. Everything from vintage clothing and old coins, to pottery, textiles and handmade jewelry is offered for sale here, with the award-winning adjacent Blue Door Pub being another good reason to come.

There are many traditional malls spread around the suburb towns surrounding St. Paul. These include the Oakdale Village Shopping Center at Oakdale (15 minutes to the east, past Maplewood), the Valley Creek Mall at Woodbury (25 minutes to the southeast), and both the HarMar Mall and the Rosedale Shopping Center at Roseville (roughly 12 minutes to the northwest). And of course, as the USA's biggest indoor shopping center with 500+ shops, the Mall of America in neighboring Bloomington deserves a mention and a visit.