Summit Avenue
Summit Avenue
4.5
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Old, wealthy St. Paul neighborhood with Victorian mansions.
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Neighbourhood: Summit-University
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540 within 3 miles
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379 within 6 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
428 reviews
Excellent
315
Very good
101
Average
12
Poor
0
Terrible
0
KK78
Bay Shore, NY817 contributions
Jul 2023
This may be the prettiest block in America! Starting at the Cathedral of St Paul, passing the oldest remaining house, F. Scott Fitzgerald's House, all the way to the Governor's Residence. Worth the drive!
Written 7 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alexandra T
Murrieta, CA1,863 contributions
Sept 2020
We only took a short walk along Summit Ave, but we saw lots of impressive houses. It probably looks magical during the Christmas season. The James J Hill house, while very large, was dark and dirty looking.
Written 24 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
travelingCAgal
San Diego, CA1,109 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
This neighborhood is worth visiting! Oh my gosh, block after block of Victorian homes! It’s just gorgeous! We even parked on a side street and I got out to look at a few homes closer for a photo. This is the longest avenue of Victorian homes in the country, including historic houses, churches and schools. It is 4 1/2 miles long stretching west to the Mississippi River. Quite an enjoyable place to stroll or drive through.
Written 27 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rehoboth5
Helena, MT508 contributions
Sept 2022
On a nice afternoon in September, we strolled through this neighborhood for an hour. Wow!!! Wide sidewalk, wide parkway separating us from the street, gardens, huge trees, absolutely gorgeous homes in a wide range of traditional architectural styles, sprinkled with history. We parked (free) along the street (there was plenty of parking) and soaked up the relaxing atmosphere, So glad that this fine American neighborhood has been preserved. +.
Written 17 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dmittleman
Palm Beach Gardens, FL1,413 contributions
Aug 2021
This avenue is chock full of amazing houses/mansions. The houses are well preserved and maintained beautifully. You can go for a casual stroll or take an architectural guided walk. Either way, highly enjoyable.
Written 15 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TMayor14
Fargo, ND33 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
Beautiful, and I do mean beautiful homes lining this street for miles. Virtually no traffic when we drove through and could take our time. Road leads right to the giant cathedral overlooking downtown. Stunning display of homes.
Written 27 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MSPtrailwalker
Minneapolis, MN116 contributions
Sept 2014 • Couples
Best way to experience Summit Avenue? On foot.
Plan for a beautiful, sunny autumn day, park your car somewhere near St Paul's Cathedral and begin ambulating east.
Allow time to wander from side-to-side of the street to get full views of the many architectural styles to be seen on either side of the street. You'll also want time in that first 10-15 block long stretch to wander onto streets north and south of Summit, there are beautiful, historically-rooted homes throughout that area.
Wander over to Grand Avenue for lunch (or dinner), or keep going until you cross the Mississippi and finish your walk by seeing St. Mary's Chapel at the Saint Paul Seminary, then sit and take the views over the Mississippi as you wait for your cab to pick you up and return you to your car! (Recommendation: After your walk, have dinner at Moscow on the Hill or W.A Frost & Co. in the Cathedral Neighborhood)
Plan for a beautiful, sunny autumn day, park your car somewhere near St Paul's Cathedral and begin ambulating east.
Allow time to wander from side-to-side of the street to get full views of the many architectural styles to be seen on either side of the street. You'll also want time in that first 10-15 block long stretch to wander onto streets north and south of Summit, there are beautiful, historically-rooted homes throughout that area.
Wander over to Grand Avenue for lunch (or dinner), or keep going until you cross the Mississippi and finish your walk by seeing St. Mary's Chapel at the Saint Paul Seminary, then sit and take the views over the Mississippi as you wait for your cab to pick you up and return you to your car! (Recommendation: After your walk, have dinner at Moscow on the Hill or W.A Frost & Co. in the Cathedral Neighborhood)
Written 15 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
donovantwaddle
Saint Paul, MN99 contributions
Apr 2019 • Solo
Summit Avenue in Saint Paul, Minnesota is a stretch of urban street that is separated by a wide median for a while and standard two way traffic with a center line for a portion as well. It runs from the Mississippi River east to the Cathedral of Saint Paul on the far end.
In the Cathedral Hill area are many of the large historic mansions built in the late 1800s and early 1900s by railroad barons and mill tycoons. Minneapolis and Saint Paul are separated partially by the Mississippi River, which is a major port river for shipping out grain products like flour, cereal, and other stuff. Summit Avenue boasts most of the mansions built by the tycoons and the wealthy elite of the time period. The James J. Hill house is a tourist favorite.
These mansions are surrounded by huge yards with mature shady trees, exquisite landscaping, and beautiful tree lined sidewalks. You'll see large brick mansions from the Cathedral all the way west to Lexington Ave and a few even beyond that further west. The governor's mansion is also on Summit near Lexington.
There is a median for a stretch that is maybe 50 feet wide or so with trees and a running trail. This is popular, especially among University of St. Thomas students for running, or walking dogs. (see photos)
Summit Avenue is a serene and beautiful stretch of city street in an urban area. It's beautiful especially in summer and fall when the leaves are turning from green to various shades of yellow, orange, and red. Historic and beautiful.
In the Cathedral Hill area are many of the large historic mansions built in the late 1800s and early 1900s by railroad barons and mill tycoons. Minneapolis and Saint Paul are separated partially by the Mississippi River, which is a major port river for shipping out grain products like flour, cereal, and other stuff. Summit Avenue boasts most of the mansions built by the tycoons and the wealthy elite of the time period. The James J. Hill house is a tourist favorite.
These mansions are surrounded by huge yards with mature shady trees, exquisite landscaping, and beautiful tree lined sidewalks. You'll see large brick mansions from the Cathedral all the way west to Lexington Ave and a few even beyond that further west. The governor's mansion is also on Summit near Lexington.
There is a median for a stretch that is maybe 50 feet wide or so with trees and a running trail. This is popular, especially among University of St. Thomas students for running, or walking dogs. (see photos)
Summit Avenue is a serene and beautiful stretch of city street in an urban area. It's beautiful especially in summer and fall when the leaves are turning from green to various shades of yellow, orange, and red. Historic and beautiful.
Written 13 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tom W
Katy, TX3,304 contributions
Jul 2019 • Family
After visiting the Cathedral of Saint Paul (gorgeous Cathedral), we drove down Summit Avenue. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all of the Victorian mansions. I like the Bavarian style homes.
The highlight on Summit Avenue is the James J. Hill house. We stopped by the house but did not take the tour.
There is a fair amount of traffic on Summit Avenue. I recommend simply pulling aside and letting the cars pass so you can enjoy the houses. It's a good idea to make a trip up and down the Summit Avenue. You can see Summit Avenue in 30 - 60 minutes. When you take a picture of the mansions, it's hard to grasp how big they are. I recommend taking a video while you drive
Saint Paul was my favorite city in Minnesota. It is a clean, nice, peaceful city.
The highlight on Summit Avenue is the James J. Hill house. We stopped by the house but did not take the tour.
There is a fair amount of traffic on Summit Avenue. I recommend simply pulling aside and letting the cars pass so you can enjoy the houses. It's a good idea to make a trip up and down the Summit Avenue. You can see Summit Avenue in 30 - 60 minutes. When you take a picture of the mansions, it's hard to grasp how big they are. I recommend taking a video while you drive
Saint Paul was my favorite city in Minnesota. It is a clean, nice, peaceful city.
Written 26 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Doreen C
170 contributions
Sept 2018 • Couples
Worth a drive along Summit or a walk. Check out a website that lists the addresses and the original owners of the homes. We saw F. Scott Fitzgerald's homes, as well as the home of Sinclair Lewis. There are other descriptions of original owner and architect, so it makes it a bit more interesting.
Written 5 September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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