An initiative from Highland District Council
Each month, the Highland District Council will feature a Highland Park resident, business or organization. Community Spotlight honorees may have deep roots in Highland Park or might be new to the neighborhood. Our goal with this initiative is to build community and showcase the good work happening around us.
We look forward to highlighting the positive stories and the people who make our neighborhood a more vibrant, welcoming and safe place to live, work and play.
Watch our enewsletter and social media for monthly Community Spotlight announcements.
Community Spotlight honorees
August 2026: Sew Inviting
Sew Inviting is an independent fabric and sewing store located at 647 Snelling Avneue South in Saint Paul. It opened in May 2024.
They offer fabrics, classes, and notions and lots of encouragement for people to be creative and sew. For kids we offer after school sewing classes during the school year and Fabulous Fabric Fun Sewing camps during the summer. Adult classes are scheduled throughout the year and we host community sewing days at least once a quarter when we sew simple projects for community organizations. We welcome customers and students of all sewing abilities including those who need to pick up thread to sew on a button. We offer the community a local shop for fabrics and notions where they can ask questions and get support and be with a community of other creative people.
From Laura Martell Kelly, owner:
I have sewn since I was little kid and I learned by trial and error and directions from my mom. It was long before You Tube or Instagram tutorials. I have always been creative and I enjoy problem solving with fabric. Teaching sewing or helping people pick out fabrics for a project allows me to pass on my enthusiasm and knowledge and help build others’ confidence.
Favorite thing about Highland Park: I have lived in Highland park for 27 years and my favorite thing about the community is that I can walk to everything and I have great neighbors. I love being able to walk to my store.
July 2026: VanGo Auto
VanGo Auto is Highland Park’s go-to German and import auto repair shop. Customers appreciate VanGo’s personalized approach and fair pricing they may not find at dealerships, the expertise of foreign car master technicians, and a convenient location that offers loaner cars.
From Crystal and Jordan Frank-Shannon, owners:
What sets VanGo apart from typical car repair shops is its unique service model. While most shops compensate technicians based on the number of jobs completed, often leading to rushed work, VanGo adopts a different philosophy. We offer our technicians a competitive salary, relieving them of the pressure to work quickly while fostering a culture of teamwork and high-quality work. This approach is beneficial for staff’s wellbeing but also produces positive results for customers and their cars.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
The owners of VanGo Auto were motivated to establish an auto repair shop that offers a welcoming and non-intimidating environment for women and everyone in the community. In the mornings, customers are typically welcomed by female staff at the front desk, and often women explain car diagnostics over the phone. Additionally, VanGo aims to create a trustworthy and approachable expert shop for German and foreign vehicles located right in the neighborhood. The technicians at the shop are skilled car doctors who genuinely care about the owners of the vehicles they service and maintain. VanGo always says, “relationships first, car experts next”.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
Community is our favorite aspect of Highland Park! Such great humans! We can’t imagine being in any other neighborhood. The day flies by as we connect with our customers – getting to know not just their cars, but also learning more about them personally.
June 2026: Bricks and Minifigs – 2020B Ford Parkway
An interview with Blake Lemcke, owner.
Bricks & Minifigs is an authorized LEGO® retailer that specializes in used, retired and hard-to-find LEGO sets and minifigures. Our’Buy, Sell, Trade’ model is popular with both kids and adult collectors. We also host birthday parties, summer classes and special events in our party room. We are a small, locally-owned business thriving to bring the joy and creativity of LEGO to all.
Check out hours and location at bricksandminifigs.com/highlandpark-mn.
When did you first start your business/efforts in Highland Park?
I’ve worked in St Paul for nearly 20 years and in early 2024 decided it would be a great place to start a business! The store opened on January 11, 2025.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
I am a lifelong fan of LEGO and being a Dad myself, could not resist seeing the happiness it brings to so many different people – both young and old!
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
Highland Disc Golf course!
May 2026: Sibley Manor Apartments
An interview with Katherine (Kathy) Bell, Asset Manager at Sibley Manor for the past 18 years.
For 74 years and counting, we have offered clean, safe and affordable housing. We are not funded by the government, but have an ownership that has always strived to keep the rents as low as possible.
Personally, I am blessed to work directly for a family whose focus isn’t just on making a profit, but to truly care for others. Our community has changed so much in the last 74 years; we have housed soldiers, pilots and flight attendants, Minnesota Twins, many local professionals and have welcomed families from all over the world. The last part is my personal favorite part; so many cultures and beautiful people have passed through our community. It truly is a small world after all!
Sibley was completed in 1952 and purchased by the current owners in 1956. I encourage everyone to visit our website at www.sibleymanor.com to watch the video produced by Peter Myers. You can learn all about us as your neighbor.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
From the beginning, and now continuing to the 4th generation, the ownership had a mission to provide stable housing for families. And the ownership has always taken it to the next level of providing it well, by offering more than just the bare minimum. It has been humbling to be charged with continuing this mission. There are so many people dependent on us to provide this service to the best of our ability. It is a great responsibility that we do not take lightly. Not everybody can afford a $1,300 1-bedroom apartment! Those that cannot deserve the same right to clean and safe housing, as well as a community to belong to. We work hard to provide that, as well as gladly expending resources searching for assistance when needs arise from time to time. We never want anyone to feel alone or ashamed in their struggles, because we all have them.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
The community as a whole, the District Council and the great places to grab lunch. (I think Cecil’s has been here longer than we have!) I personally have been involved with the District Council for the majority of the last 18 years. It is a great way to be involved in our neighborhood and allows us an opportunity to have the voice of our community down here, heard up there. It has been a pleasure meeting many residents and business owners over the years and to work together with a common goal of keeping Highland Park a wonderful neighborhood to live and work in. One thing I learned early on, is that Highland Park is a passionate community!
April 2026: Tiffany Sports Lounge
An interview with Blake Montpetit, owner of Tiffany Sports Lounge, which opened in 1971:
Tiffany Sports Lounge AKA “Tiff”s” has been in my family for 55 years. My dad Danny Montpetit started the business in 1971. I’m grateful to continue that legacy, and have learned the ins and outs of hospitality having worked every job in the building — from dishwasher to bartender to now owner. That lived experience shapes how we operate every day. As Highland Park has grown, we’ve grown with it — doubling our footprint, expanding our menu, and evolving our space — all while staying rooted in the values of hard work, hospitality, and community involvement that built Tiff’s in the first place.
We offer a welcoming, come-as-you-are atmosphere with classic comfort food, game-day energy, and genuine hospitality. Whether it’s Friday Fish Fry during Lent, cheering on St. Thomas, hosting Breakfast with Santa, or supporting local teams and nonprofits through our Tiff’s Gives program, our focus is always on bringing people together.
What sets us apart is our commitment to community. We actively partner with local schools, youth sports programs, and small businesses, giving back in meaningful ways and reinvesting in the neighborhood that has supported us for generations.
The most important thing for our neighbors to know is that we’re proud to be part of this neighborhood, and grateful for the support we’ve received for more than five decades. Our goal is simple: take care of our guests and give back to the community that’s taken care of us.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
Our inspiration comes from the responsibility of carrying forward a family legacy that began in 1971. We’re motivated by the idea that a neighborhood restaurant can be part of people’s life moments — from little league celebrations to post-game dinners to holiday traditions. Honoring that history while continuing to evolve is what drives us every day.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
Our favorite thing about Highland Park is how connected it feels, even as it continues to evolve. It’s a neighborhood where people truly know each other — families run into friends at games, local businesses support one another, and there’s a real sense of pride in this community.
March 2026: Vina Restaurant
Vina Restaurant offers authentic traditional Vietnamese food with recipes that has been passed down through generations using fresh ingredients, aromatic broth such as pho, eggrolls, and spring rolls.
Joann Nguyen, manager, states that their family has been in the restaurant business for many generations, and is inspired to continue the family’s tradition.
When Joann first came to the U.S, Joann grew up in the Twin Cities. Joann attended/graduated from Highland Park Senior High School in 1995. She has known and admired the Highland Park area along with the people that live here.
February 2026: Jie Ming Mandarin Immersion Academy
Jie Ming Mandarin Immersion Academy is a K-5 elementary school with over 400 students that is part of the Saint Paul Public School System. Jie Ming is a diverse, high-performing school that draws students from across the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs. According to US News and World Report Best Elementary School rankings, Jie Ming is #15 in Minnesota. Any children who is five years old on or before September 1, 2026, can apply online at https://apply.spps.org.
Jie Ming Mandarin Immersion Academy was started in 2011 and then relocated to the Homecroft Building in Highland Park in 2018.
September 2025: Food Scraps Volunteers
Highland District Council helps to facilitate the maintenance of the food scraps drop off site at Snelling and Highland Parkway, in partnership with Ramsey County and numerous volunteers.
These volunteers help stock compostable bags available for site users year-round and notifies us when there’s issues with the site. In the winter, they add shoveling the site entrance to their duties to ensure it remains accessible for all.
Hear from some of our volunteers below.
Why do you volunteer as a food scraps volunteer?
“I volunteer because I use the site. I signed up this year after many years of being a steward for the Mac-Groveland site, which closed earlier this year.”
What is the most rewarding part of volunteering with Highland District Council?
“Being useful. Knowing that I’m helping people.”
Do you have any memorable moments you’d like to share about your time volunteering?
“The aroma is particularly memorable, and the parking lot overflows during hockey season. My favorite moments are buying pumpkins [nearby in the shared parking lot] during the annual sale.”
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
“I like the river and the nearby shops. Highland is a safe and peaceful place to live.”
You can help, too! Sign up to be a food scraps volunteer. Email us at info@highlanddistrictcouncil.org or call 651-695-4005.
August 2025: Agelgil Ethiopian Restaurant
Agelgil Ethiopian Restaurant offers authentic Ethiopian cuisine and a welcoming space where neighbors can gather, share meals, and experience a rich cultural tradition.
From Tsegereda Cherinat, owner:
Agelgil Ethiopian Restaurant is proud to be a part of the Highland Park community. What sets us apart is our commitment to hospitality — whether it’s through our dine-in service, catering for local events, or community partnerships. We believe food is a powerful way to connect people, and we’re honored to bring that connection to Highland Park. The most important thing for our neighbors to know is that our doors are always open to everyone — we’re here to serve, celebrate, and grow together.
When did you first start your business/efforts in Highland Park?
November 24, 2017
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
The inspiration for our work comes from a deep passion for sharing our culture and bringing people together through food. We saw a need in the community for more diverse and authentic experiences, and we wanted to create a welcoming space where people could connect, celebrate, and enjoy something meaningful. That’s what drives me every day.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
It’s a beautiful neighborhood where people look out for one another and value local businesses.
July 2025: Herself Health
Herself Health is a primary care clinic designed specifically for women 65 and up. Their comprehensive approach addresses physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being to ensure every aspect of your health is covered.
From Kendra Lohmer, Director of Community and Development
Finally, a space just for you! Herself Health is in-network with all major insurance plans, including Medicare, Medicare Supplement, and Medicare Advantage plans. A few things that make them different than your typical primary care doctor, is that they offer longer appointment times, are exclusively focused on women, employ an on-site insurance liaison and offer free classes on various health topics in the clinic community room.
When did you first start your business/efforts in Highland Park?
Highland Park was our first clinic location in the Twin Cities! We opened in December 2022, in our location right off Ford Parkway.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
Their mission is to provide a healthcare experience where women can feel heard and empowered in their healthcare, so women have the chance to be diagnosed sooner, have their questions answered and ultimately equipped with the tools they deserve to accomplish their goals.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
We have absolutely loved being a part of the wonderful Highland Park community! It truly has the charm of a small town, but the perks of a big city. The team loves walking the neighborhood during lunch, and enjoying the great food and coffee from our neighbors. They are honored to have our roots in Highland Park!
June 2025: Elite Repeat
Elite Repeat is a consignment shop that has been in the Highland Park neighborhood at 1366 Randolph for 50 years! They offer quality clothing and accessories for primarily women.
From Monica Smith, Owner:
Elite Repeat St. Paul has been in the same location on Randolph Ave since 1975.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
I have always adored Elite Repeat, since I was a teenager. The previous owner was planning to close Elite Repeat and I couldn’t imagine this corner in St. Paul without it. I left a 27 year career in Corporate HR to do something completely new. I also personally believe strongly in second hand shopping, as better for our planet, more affordable, and honestly a better way to express personal style by being able to find a variety all in one place. In addition to that, I find joy in being with this team, and interacting with our shoppers.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
Walkable, well cared for by residents, with so many options of small businesses.
April 2025: Dancers Studio
Dancers Studio has provided ballroom dance lessons in Saint Paul since 1986. From waltz and tango to swing and salsa, they strive to make partner dancing fun and easy to anyone with two left feet to experienced dancers.
From Kate Bratt, owner:
Dancers Studio moved to Highland Park in early 2024 and love our new space in Sibley Plaza.
What is the inspiration for doing the work you do?
We think that ballroom dancing is a great way for people to connect with other people (whether it’s their long-time spouse or other students), as well as get exercise in an engaging way, keep up their mental and physical prowess, and just have fun!
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
It’s a great, diverse community with lots of small businesses to visit within a gorgeous walk of each other.
March 2025: Highland Park Bricks & Minifigs
Bricks & Minifigs is a small, locally-owned business thriving to bring the joy and creativity of LEGO to all. The store opened on January 11, 2025 at 2020B Ford Parkway.
From Blake Lemcke, owner:
Bricks & Minifigs is an authorized LEGO® retailer that specializes in used, retired, and hard-to-find LEGO sets and minifigures. Our ‘buy, sell, trade’ model is popular with both kids and adult collectors. We also host birthday parties, summer classes, and special events in our party room.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
I am a lifelong fan of LEGO and being a Dad myself, could not resist seeing the happiness it brings to so many different people – both young and old!
February 2025: VanGo Auto
VanGo Auto is Highland Park’s go-to German and import auto repair shop. Customers appreciate VanGo’s personalized approach and fair pricing they may not find at dealerships, the expertise of foreign car master technicians, and a convenient location that offers loaner cars.
From Crystal and Jordan Frank-Shannon, owners:
What sets VanGo apart from typical car repair shops is its unique service model. While most shops compensate technicians based on the number of jobs completed, often leading to rushed work, VanGo adopts a different philosophy. We offer our technicians a competitive salary, relieving them of the pressure to work quickly while fostering a culture of teamwork and high-quality work. This approach is beneficial for staff’s wellbeing but also produces positive results for customers and their cars.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
The owners of VanGo Auto were motivated to establish an auto repair shop that offers a welcoming and non-intimidating environment for women and everyone in the community. In the mornings, customers are typically welcomed by female staff at the front desk, and often women explain car diagnostics over the phone. Additionally, VanGo aims to create a trustworthy and approachable expert shop for German and foreign vehicles located right in the neighborhood. The technicians at the shop are skilled car doctors who genuinely care about the owners of the vehicles they service and maintain. VanGo always says, “relationships first, car experts next”.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
Community is our favorite aspect of Highland Park! Such great humans! We can’t imagine being in any other neighborhood. The day flies by as we connect with our customers – getting to know not just their cars, but also learning more about them personally.
January 2025: Langford and Karls Chiropractic Clinic
Located in the heart of Highland Park, Langford and Karls Chiropractic Clinic has been proudly serving St. Paul and the surrounding community since 1996.
From Anne Langford, owner:
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
The community, loyalty and the sense of “home.”
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
For more than 30 years, we have been serving the Highland Park Community and very thankful for the opportunity to provide the care that we do to the people of this neighborhood.
November 2024: Saint City Running
Saint City Running is a full service ‘sit and fit’ running and walking shoe store. They offer a comprehensive fit process that includes 3D scanning of your feet; best of all it’s free! Neighbors should know although the name says ‘running’, they’re great at fitting walkers as well. Owner Jeff Metzdorff and his wife are longtime Highland residents, so they’re a true locally owned and operated business.
Read on for an interview from Jeff Metzdorff, owner of Saint City Running.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
Saint City Running opened in December 2020. We also own Mill City Running in Minneapolis, but with Highland being our home we always hoped to one day bring a business with the same service and community focus to Saint Paul.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
It just has a vibe. My perfect Saturday is where we host a run in the morning and our runners are hanging out in the neighborhood after, getting a coffee from Quixotic, or grabbing a post run meal at Highland Grill, Tiffs, or Centro. This neighborhood just buzzes with energy and we’re happy to add to it.
October 2024: Highland Popcorn
The Saint Paul Fire Department’s Station 19 is located at Edgcumbe Avenue and St. Paul Avenue.
In 1930, a single-bay, two-story brick building was erected at Highland Parkway (then Otto) and Snelling Ave. in Highland Park and leased from the Water Department for $1 per year. The present Station 19 was built in 1958 at 2530 Edgcumbe Rd. Ladder 8 was assigned there until it was put out of service in 1959. In 2017 Station 19 was remodeled adding a bay for a ladder truck and additional living space for four fire fighters. The renovated Station 19 reopened in October 2017.
The Saint Paul Fire Department invites homeowners in Saint Paul to take part in Project Safe Haven. With this free program, you will be able to obtain free smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and StoveTop Fire Stops. This program was created to help ensure residents have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in their home. Keep yourself and family safe with early detection of hazards.
September 2024: Highland Popcorn
Highland Popcorn is a friendly nonprofit popcorn business in Highland Park providing meaningful life and employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It opened Super Bowl Sunday 2024.
Read on for an interview with president and founder, Shamus O’Meara:
Our uniquely qualified workforce successfully produces, sells and delivers high quality popcorn products through in store retail sales and wholesale distribution to Lunds & Byerlys and others. Our mission is socially responsible, advancing the public benefit of integrated and meaningful employment through an innovative business model that enhances the lives of valued members of our community to the benefit and joy of all.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
To someone with a disability a job is truly life-changing, but just 2 of 10 are consistently employed. Our mission helps valued members of our community to be out of group homes, into the community, earning money, working together, engaging with others, and making friends.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
The wonderful community engagement with our new business that is helping us elevate the lives of our awesome workforce.
August 2024: Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant, Sports Bar & Lounge
Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant, Sports Bar & Lounge opened in July 2023 and is a family-oriented Ethiopian restaurant that values bringing people together from all backgrounds and communities.
Read on for an interview with owner Alem Tadesse:
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
I love to cook, and I believe dining is is best enjoyed with others. Building an environment where people can socialize and build relationships over a variety of high-quality food and drinks brings me joy.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
The people. A very friendly and respectful environment that I am proud to be a part of.
July 2024: Neighborhood Network for Seniors
Neighborhood Network for Seniors is your local block nurse program whose services help our older neighbors (age 62+) live independently and safely at home. On July 1, they officially expanded their service area to include Highland Park.
Read on for an interview with Alison Schaub, Executive Director:
Neighborhood Network for Seniors helps our older neighbors age 62+ stay in the homes they love. Services provided by staff and volunteers fill a large gap of need for seniors in our area. They offer reliable, personal service to these individuals, enabling them to participate more fully in the community.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
Our organization supports seniors who are low-income and cannot afford private pay services, but have too much income to qualify for some public services.
Our services include, but are not limited to: home safety assessments, friendly visitors, health care coordination, foot care, medication management, in-home balance exercise classes, respite care, transportation to medical appointments, chore/housework assistance, yard work/snow removal assistance. In addition, we provide community-based exercise classes in multiple locations, monthly blood pressure check clinics, an annual high dose flu shot clinic, and multiple education events focusing on health issues, estate planning, and navigating medicare/insurance issues.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
The sense of community and support individuals and families enjoy.
June 2024: St. Luke’s Farmers Market – 1807 Field Avenue
The farmers market at St. Luke’s, near Montreal Avenue and Edgcumbe Avenue, is celebrating it’s 10th year. The 2024 St. Luke’s Farmers’ Market opens Saturday, June 8 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and continues every Saturday through October 5.
Read on for an interview with Wendy Bjorklund, Market Co-Manager:
St. Luke’s Farmers Market was established in 2015 when we were asked to take over the market managed by the Highland Business Association. We are entering our 10th season. We feature produce, flowers/plants, bakery items, honey and pickled veggies, candy, coffee, and crafts from local vendors. In addition, we offer Piedmont beef from Wisconsin (our beef vendor is one of the original vendors we inherited in 2015). We offer fresh, primarily locally sourced items from a variety of vendors. We honor EBT and participate in the MN Market Bucks and Produce Market Bucks programs. We accept debit and credit cards. We offer easily accessible off-street parking. Even during the COVID crisis during 2020, we were able to stay open and provide these services to our neighbors.
Our market is a community, where people greet you by name. We are staffed entirely by volunteers; most are from St. Luke Lutheran Church, but several are neighbors. Everyone who participates in this market, including vendors and volunteers, work at creating a sense of community at the market.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
We want to serve our neighbors. When Cooper’s Super Value closed, ours was a food desert until Aldi opened. We were certified to accept EBT and related programs, so we can help provide needed fresh food to our lower income neighbors. When COVID hit, we could provide an outdoor space for neighbors to congregate (at a distance) and shop for what they needed. It’s the sense of community that keeps me going. I said in 2015 that I would help start the market, but I wasn’t going to run it. Here I am, almost 10 years later, still running it. It’s my happy place, because it serves our neighbors well and makes others happy.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
Oh, definitely the sense of being in community together. We shop and eat at the same places. I walk my neighborhood, and know most of the people (or dogs) at each house. I never feel alone here. We watch out for one another and celebrate the times we get to be together.
May 2024: Level Up – 2493 7th Street West
Level Up as a storefront is a place to stay up to date on the newest comics, board games, and trading card products. Not only do we keep up with the newest releases, we are also a place to trade and buy retro video games and consoles. Much more than this though, we are a community hub for all of the games and communities nerd culture has to offer. Nearly every day, our play spaces are full of folks enjoying their favorite things with others in the community that share those passions. We take pride in being a place to host these things, and we are so thankful for the communities that let us be the business that we are and will continue to be.
Level Up opened in 2022 in the Sibley Plaza shopping center, near Aldi.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
The communities that call our store a “second home” for their games and passions. Without them we wouldn’t nearly be as involved in the space as we are and we are more than thrilled to give back in ways that we can. Continuing support for our players allows them to mirror that support back to us by sharing their positive experiences here with others and feed back into the community we are so happy to be a part of.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
How tight knit everything and everyone feels! Our business is working with others in the Highland Park area collaboratively to benefit the customers and regular visitors around here. We have positive relationships with frequent shoppers that are local to the area, and we are always looking to add more friendly faces to our community of Highland Park!
April 2024: Highland Foot and Ankle Clinic
Highland Foot and Ankle Clinic is a woman-owned small business operating one of the few remaining private Podiatry practices in the Twin Cities. They provide all types of foot and ankle care for the whole family. Their specialty includes management of heel pain, ingrown toenails, plantar warts, bunions, diabetic foot care, ankle sprains and many other pathologies. They provide minor surgical procedures in office and we are a DME supplier, including such things are custom orthotics and braces. They take all health insurances, but recommend you check with your specific plan to see if you are in network.
When did you first start your business/efforts in Highland Park?
Dr. Sarah Phelps Whittaker, DPM/CEO of Highland Foot and Ankle Clinic, started working as a Podiatry Associate in 2010 and took over the business in 2013. Ten years later (in March 2023), she moved down the street into the new Highland Bridge Medical Office Building.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
Way back in high school, Dr. Phelps Whittaker was a Certified Nursing Assistant. It was then that she learned of her passion to provide attentive, compassionate care to people in need.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
According to Dr. Phelps Whittaker, the neighborhood is both diverse and close-knit with a charming boutique-feel. It has the feel of a small town in the bigger city. Highland Park is centrally-located with easy access to Minneapolis, Saint Paul and the MSP airport. There are also good restaurants and retail stores in the area.
March 2024: Emma Norton Services
Emma Norton Services is a nonprofit organization with a mission to provide people with transformational housing, healing, and possibility–realized through their own design–on their journey of recovery. Our new Restoring Waters development in Highland Bridge will provide supportive housing for 60+ women, individuals, and small families who have experienced homelessness and have a mental health, chemical health, and/or a chronic health condition. Restoring Waters also functions as the new organizational headquarters for Emma Norton Services and employees 30+ individuals on staff. We are thrilled to be moving into the Highland Park area with so many wonderful community amenities, businesses, public transportation, parks and green space, and more.
In addition to providing trauma-informed supportive housing for the people who live at Restoring Waters, Emma Norton Services is also planning to expand some of the resources on-site to serve the broader community later in the fall. The most significant of these is the Living Room Model, a form of mental health care developed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). In a space designed to look like a living room, people experiencing a mental health crisis can meet with peer support specialists. The peer supports will help adults 18+ stabilize, develop a safety plan, and connect them with resources to address the underlying issues that brought them to a crisis point. Studies comparing the results of Living Room Model and emergency room visits have shown this model of care costs less money, while also reducing the likelihood of future mental health related hospitalization.
When did you first start your business/efforts in Highland Park?
Restoring Waters will be opening in April of 2024.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
Emma Norton Services was originally founded in 1917 to provide housing and opportunity to young girls seeking education in the Twin Cities. Over the years our mission has evolved, informed by what we see in our community, and what we hear from the people we serve. This is how we came to serve homeless people, primarily women, starting in the late 1980s as homelessness for women and families grew in our community. Our current building was built in the 1960’s and no longer meets the needs of the residents we serve. We knew we needed a new building that served more people and fostered stability and healing. We embraced the opportunity to develop–in partnership with Project for Pride in Living–a new residence in Highland Bridge.
For Restoring Waters specifically, we were inspired by a number of things. We were inspired by a growing body of research on the impact of physical spaces on recovering from trauma, and the concepts of trauma-informed design and architecture. We were inspired by innovative approaches to mental health care, like the Living Room Model. Most of all, we were inspired by the thousands of people who we’ve walked with on their recovery journeys, and their dreams for what a healing home looks like. To learn more and get involved, please visit www.emmanorton.org.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
If we had to pick just one thing, it would be the presence of so much accessible nature. Direct access to nature is incredibly valuable for people healing from trauma. People living and working at Restoring Waters will be able to walk to a number of different parks and green spaces within a few minutes, and have access to gorgeous walks along the Mississippi River. We also appreciate that care was taken in design to make a neighborhood that doesn’t just exist alongside nature, but works to restore man-made damage done in the past. When we named our building Restoring Waters, we did not yet know that a part of the Highland Bridge development project was restoring Hidden Falls Creek, but we think it’s a beautiful coincidence. We have also been incredibly impressed with how welcoming everyone has been–even before we officially move in!
February 2024: Cold Front
Cold Front is your friendly neighborhood ice cream, coffee and soda shop who prides ourselves in offering top quality products while keeping the low key neighborhood feel. They serve Chocolate Shoppe Super Premium ice cream (at least 12% butterfat content) made for over 65 years in Madison, Wisconsin. Cold Front’s coffee is locally roasted by Backstory Coffee Roasters in West St. Paul, and they make our own unique soda syrups with fresh ingredients. They also offer on site ice cream service with our “Cold Front Mobile” ice cream cart. You may have seen them at summer events hosted by Highland District Council.
When did you first start your business in Highland Park?
February 14, 2015
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
“Keeping the neighborhood happy,” says Kyle Farizel, Owner/Operator. “We want to be the familiar place you go to grab a delicious treat, whatever the cause.”
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
According to Farizel:
“As both a business owner and a resident of Highland Park, I have to say my favorite thing is my neighbors. The people are the core of what makes up a community and I’m grateful to be surrounded by a lot of friendly people. Through working behind the counter at the shop I’ve had the joy of meeting and building relationships with so many great people. From surface chats about the weather to deep conversations about the meaning of life and the universe, these interactions keep me going on a daily basis.”
January 2024: Potsticker
Potsticker is a small, Asian restaurant with a warm, cozy ambiance that opened in September of this year. We offer meticulously hand folded-potstickers in a variety of authentic flavors. We make our own dough and our own fillings. We even use special spices like star anise and Szechuan peppers to enhance our cooking oils. We serve potstickers the way they are served in China, and they way they were meant to be prepared. We are one of the few Asian restaurants in the area to provide an extensive craft cocktail menu, fine wine list and specialty Asian beers, sake, soju and more.
When did you first start your business in Highland Park?
September 20, 2023
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
I always believed potstickers were underrepresented in the United Stated. They had become a frozen appetizer, and that just wasn’t good enough. So, after living here for decades, I decided to do something about it.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
I love the community and the supportive people within it. Before Potsticker, I would have never imagined the strong support that I’ve received from our neighbors. Our residents long to support small business and I’m amazed at the love Potsticker has received in just two short months.
December 2023: Soul Lao
We offer food from our Lao background, bold flavors, and a food experience that brings conversation and good memories for all adventurous foodies looking to have the best kept secret at your service. Our team is small but we offer a lot when it comes to the passion we have for Lao food and food in general. Behind our pass through window you can catch us singing, joking, keeping the energy high and focused on giving our customer the full experience “Soul Lao” has to offer. With our rotating playlist jamming, soup season, and rotisserie dreams becoming reality we try to give it 100 percent each day.
When did your business open in Highland Park?
August 28, 2023
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
Our inspiration is our family. The journey has always been about the process never the destination, this is what held us to our “quality versus quantity” motto. We challenge ourselves and continue to add to our menu to give more opportunities to share memories & shape our skills as young chef learning from one another.
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
The connection this plaza has to our family, the people, our neighbors & the support we’ve received has been a huge wind under our wings. We love that we get to open our world to this community, it’s been a long road and we’re just getting started as a brick and mortar restaurant.
November 2023: Wandering Leaf Brewing Company
Wandering Leaf Brewing Company was designed to reflect the beautiful Minnesota environment, and created to showcase both well-loved brews and introduce visitors to new and exciting varieties, featuring up to 16 beers made on-site as well as a variety of plants and greenery, including a living plant wall. The brewery offers a rotating taplist of hand-crafted beers with a wide variety of beers to cater to every beer drinker and highlight the love of the outdoors all year round. For non-drinkers, there are several NA options such as hop water, craft soda, kombucha and sparkling tea.
When did your business open in Highland Park?
April 27, 2023
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
Creating a safe space that is inclusive and fun for everyone!
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
Sense of Community and a passionate community that supports and is proud of their local businesses!
October 2023: Friends of the Mississippi River
Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) is a St. Paul environmental nonprofit that works to engage people to protect, restore and enhance the Mississippi River and its watershed in the Twin Cities region.
Each year FMR works with community partners to create and install a water quality-themed mural near a storm drain at a park in St. Paul. These murals serve as reminders that our city landscape connects to the river through storm drains and that we can all work together to keep our water clean. This year, we installed our Water Mural at Highland Park’s Mississippi River Gorge Overlook.
To create the mural, FMR engaged the talents of St. Paul artist Precious Wallace. Wallace is an artist and creative who has been making art since her adolescence. She went on to create a remote design studio named King P studio where she has done design work for nonprofits, corporations, agencies and many entrepreneurs. You can see more about her and her studio at https://www.talkprecious.com/about-1.
As part of the mural creation process, FMR invited community input at the Spirit of Water Festival at Hidden Falls and workshops with youth. As Precious puts it, the community process “allowed us to really see what other people imagined for the dream mural, and how they wanted to actually educate the community on not putting things down the storm drains because they affect our Mississippi River.”
FMR identified a storm drain at the Mississippi River Gorge Scenic Overlook in the 600 block of Mississippi River Boulevard South as a great location for a mural. FMR was grateful that the Highland District Council approved that mural location and Precious’s proposed mural design. On August 7, 2023, Precious painted a bright, colorful mural, with support and assistance from her assistant, FMR staff, and youth from FMR’s Environmental Stewardship Institute. The mural’s message? “Just Water — No Waste.”
When did you first start your business/efforts in Highland Park?
This year, Friends of the Mississippi River is celebrating our thirtieth anniversary of engaging people to protect, restore and enhance the Mississippi River. Our storm drain stenciling program — which enlists volunteers to paint the message “Keep ‘Em Clean — Drains to the River” near St. Paul storm drains — is active in Highland Park, so it’s likely that Highland Park neighbors and business owners may have spotted FMR volunteers spreading the word about water quality or seen one of our messages near a storm drain.
What was the inspiration for doing the work you do?
The vision behind FMR’s work is of a river where water is clear, clean and safe to swim in, where fish and wildlife are healthy and abundant, and where scenic bluffs and cultural treasures are protected. We’re inspired to make the Mississippi more accessible to all and to nurture a community that embraces our role as the river’s stewards.
For artist Precious Wallace, water offers deep inspiration for her life and work. As she puts it, “Often times my spirit goes towards the water, because being a true Capricorn, that I am, I often need fluidity in my life or I need to release something back to the Earth, some type of way, and water does that for me…” Wallace says she hopes that her mural design will encourage people to be considerate and not put litter or other pollutants near or down the drains.
FMR is very pleased and excited that our latest water mural in Highland Park and our collaboration with your community can be a part of making our visions a reality!
What’s your favorite thing about Highland Park?
Highland Park has so many wonderful places to enjoy being close to the river — Crosby Farm, Hidden Falls Park, Uŋčí Makhá Park, and so many wonderful walking and biking trails to explore.