The name “Frogtown” dates back to the 1860s and 1870s, when the area had numerous marshes and swamps. The neighborhood was first settled 1860–1880 as  Downtown outgrew its borders and the neighborhood has easy access to many blue collar jobs in the nearby railyards along the northern edge of the district. Residential development moved westward through the neighborhood as Polish, Scandinavian, German, and Irish immigrants moved in. They built modest wood frame and brick houses on small lots. Urban renewal sadly wiped much of the neighborhood and led to a good about of decline and abandonment. Fortunately the next wave of immigrants moved in during the 1970s as immigrants of European decent moved out keeping Frogtown relatively intact.  The largest concentrations of new immigrants were of  Vietnamese, Hmong and East African descent seeking to escape strife at home. This created the largest concentration of Vietnamese & Hmong immigrants in the United Stated. These immigrant communities continue to thrive but the neighborhood is becoming more and more attractive to young professional priced out of other more expensive neighborhoods causing increasing gentrification concerns.

There are many areas along Frogtown’s commercial corridors (University Avenue, Como Ave, Minnehaha, and the extensive urban renewal areas concentrated in the Capitol and Mt Airy subdistricts) in need to quality urban infill. But the great challenge in Frogtown is how to reurbanize the district but also help low-term residents and immigrant families remain in the neighborhood. Significant affordable rentals have been built recently to help address this concern, but more attention needs to be placed on provide affordable homeownership opportunities. 

Click here to view my Frogtown album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

• Decent urban density.
• Sidewalk infrastructure is generally good but less than half the intersections have ADA curb cuts.
• Very convenient access to Dwtn only 2 miles away. 15 minute bus or bike ride. Several dedicated bike lanes through the neighborhood with good connections to Dwtn.
• Outside of the Capitol District, the neighborhood hosts a very cohesive grid.
• Excellent diversity, this has to be one of the most diversity neighborhoods in the US. Pretty good economic diversity too but more on the middle class to lower middle class side.
• For sale options are generally on the affordable end, but still some good options for middle class and professional families. Some small 1-bed homes that sell btwn 80K-160K, 2-beds sell btwn 100K-300K, 3 & 4 beds btwn 100K-400K.
• Decent rental options (at least listed) and generally affordable. 1-beds lease for $900- low 1Ks, 2-beds in the low-mid 1Ks, and 3-beds in the mid 1Ks- low 1Ks. Good amount of dedicated affordable housing in the neighborhood.
• Decent cultural amenities including plenty of ethnic restaurants, several bars, the Hmong Cultural Center, Minnesota Transportation Museum, Capitol Building, a couple performing Arts Theaters, and convenient access to Dwtn’s cultural amenities.
• There is no full size supermarkets but plenty of Asian/ethnic grocery stores and informal outdoor markets and vendors filled with recent immigrants to the neighborhood. The most formal of these is the Hmongtown Market Place but many are located along University Avenue, There are also a couple drug stores, a Target just west of the neighborhood, plenty of salons, a couple dessert joints, several consignment stores, a couple churches, a local public library, and Region’s Hospital is located on the eastern edge of the district.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

• Safety concerns remain in Frogtown, although the neighborhood is much safer than it was between the 1970s-2000s. Homes values are beginning to stabilize as more and more young professions move into the neighborhood draw by its relatively cheaper housing prices.
• Decent number of walkable schools but the public schools are generally not rated well.
• Decent but not great park amenities. Several smaller parks, the medium sized Frogtown Park, and a local recreation center and the Frogtown Community Center.
• Most of the housing is historic but not very attractive worker housing. Some good urban mixed-use infill is being built along University Avenue but there is still a significant amount of unattractive autocentric uses and surface parking lots.
• Decent tree canopy but not as good as most Saint Paul neighborhoods.