Downtown Saint Paul

Downtown

Downtown Saint Paul is the 17th District Council (CapitolRiver Council)[15]and is home to Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild hockey team, Galtier Plaza, McNally Smith College of Music, Minnesota Swarm, and Wells Fargo Place. When the Wild are playing or there is some other event, downtown can become busier. There are exceptions. The downtown hosts very pleasant parks, most notably one of the oldest parks in the country in the jewel-like Rice Park. The streetscape has also been improved in some areas of downtown, including along Wabasha and St. Peter Streets, where a small collection of restaurants has developed. That said, the more nightlife-oriented bars have developed just outside downtown on West Seventh Street. The extensive skyway system connecting most of the office buildings has also contributed in removing foot traffic from the streets.[24]