Greater East Side

St. Paul, MN

This quiet ample neighborhood just east of Lake Phalen is centered on White Bear Avenue and borders the suburb of Maplewood. While some homes were built in the 1870s with the railroads’ arrival, most of the housing stock is Cape Cod-style homes and ramblers with large well-tended lawns, giving the community the feel of a first-ring suburb. The expansive Hillcrest Country Club golf course enhances the suburban ambience. White Bear Avenue is the community’s “main street,” and is lined with restaurants, retail, small shops, churches, medical offices and community centers. Payne-Phalen is often considered part of the Greater East Side, which also includes the smaller communities of Beaver Lake Heights, East Phalen, Frost Lake, Hayden Heights, Hazel Park, Hillcrest, Lincoln Park, Parkway/Greenbrier, Phalen Village and Prosperity Heights. The community’s abundant public amenities include recreation centers, adjacent Phalen Regional Park, Furness Parkway with bike trails, and Beaver Lake, where residents enjoy fishing and picnics. A thriving system of public and charter schools adds to the Greater East Side’s appeal as a quiet residential neighborhood for families.