Railroad Island (Saint Paul, Minnesota)

 neighborhood, draw only border

A neighborhood known as a stepping stone for immigrants, Railroad Island is a gateway to the East Side. Houses date to the 1880s and earlier. Historically, the majority of the housing in Railroad Island has been single-family and owner-occupied. Many neighborhood residents worked at the nearby breweries (Hamm's and Stroh's), Whirlpool, 3-M and other east-side and downtown businesses; all the major factories closed or moved.

In recent years, closings and employment cut-backs have taken jobs and, with them, economic and social stability from the neighborhood. Owner- occupied housing slowly converted to rental units which generally has resulted in a lower level of maintenance of the neighborhood's housing. The aging buildings have begun to deteriorate and, currently, most of the housing is in need of some rehabilitation. A plan for the area is to recommend effective strategies for rehabilitation of existing houses in the neighborhood.

Add'l sources:

www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/64651512.html
www.placeography.org/index.php/Railroad_Island,_Saint_P...