I first stepped foot in the City of St. Anthony Village in 1989. Over the years, many things are still the same and quite a few things have changed.
Certainly, my own life evolved so much throughout the years. Time brings change no matter what! Now that I’m a grandmother, I had to start capturing these memories the best I could. So here I am sharing what I have recalled during these past thirty years. Can’t believe I’m writing this! Where has the time gone?
I became a wife, mother and happily lived out those new roles in the Village. Life was busy, but it was also simple because most all of everything we needed was located in close proximity of this small town neighborhood.
The shopping scene in the Village when I arrived was already beyond its peak years. But I didn’t really know that! Even though that may have been the case, I found what was left to be quite convenient and it worked well for our needs at the time.
Let me begin with South St. Anthony’s St. Anthony Village Shops at Pentagon Drive, which happens to be the very first strip mall built in the state of Minnesota! Did you know that? And, that very same mall still stands today! It survived.
The storefronts changed hands throughout the years, as to be expected with the passing of time. Many businesses came and went for a variety of reasons. Some lasted longer than others.
The local branch of our Hennepin County Library was one of our favorite stops we repeated every week. The kids loved having their own library card. That little piece of plastic was very empowering! We sure had lots of fun bringing home books, magazines, music, and movies. And, when the kids were younger, there was entertainment, read-alouds and puppet shows.
We were also blessed to experience one very special Mom and Pop store before it closed. Once it did close its doors, it marked the end of an era for many residents. Jerry’s Toys & Hobbies was owned and operated by Jerry and Pat Kelly. They raised their family just a few blocks from their store. Jerry was a large, friendly man who often entertained the youngsters with his wooden train whistle. He also performed coin tricks for his young audience. Pat, who was quite petite, had a large smile and sparkling blue eyes. Her eagerness in offering help was sincere and she always made time for small talk. I best remember how she stood behind the post office counter and waited on each customer as they stood in line. It was old-fashioned and there were even postboxes for customers. Pat seemed to know all of the customers and she consistently had kind words to share. At Christmastime, the lines were especially long. It was the only post office in South St. Anthony. Of course, in the earlier days Apache Plaza had a post office as well.
Right next door was Hardware Hank which was great for all of our home and gardening projects. We often ran over and grabbed this or that when we were in the midst of a project. Talk about handy!
Both those spots are now filled by Fitness Crossroad. This gym is utilized by many residents and non-residents alike. Memberships include work-outs, classes for all ages and a great place that supports keeping your body healthy and fit! They also happen to be great donors and supporters of so many Village activities and events!
Sentryz Town and Country Foods was another convenient stop. (Oldtimers may remember when it was originally a Red Owl!) They had the best double coupon offers ever! The grocery store had many customers, but the building had been slowly crumbling. The last time we shopped, they had large buckets in the aisles to catch the drips that came from the ceiling. There were puddles that formed on parts of the floor that hadn’t any buckets to catch the drips. Sadly, it became a place where you had to dodge both the buckets and the puddles. It was not too surprising when the store was closed and the building torn down. Many hoped that the new building would house a new grocery store. Instead, it was said that with Cub on Silver Lake Road and one that was being built in the Quarry in Northeast Minneapolis, it would no longer be profitable. The convenience and walkability was missed by many locals who wanted to go over for this or that.
What stands in the spot of the old grocery store today? Hannay’s Marine. Okay. Well, this is Minnesota. Land of more than 10,000 Lakes. And, Silver Lake is nearby. So if you’re in the market for a boat, you don’t have to go too far.
Snyders was great for prescriptions, greeting cards and small gifts. One Christmas, we did the majority of our Christmas shopping in that little space that had some cute ornaments and gifty things. We maybe dropped by Rosedale Mall or Toys R Us in nearby Roseville, for a few more items. But, overall we kept it fairly simple.
Snyders was replaced by the Salvation Army Thrift Store and after that it became Hidden Treasures. This became a great local place to drop off our outgrown donations. We also found some other things there to fill our home.
A stand alone Walgreens was proposed to be situated across the street from St. Anthony Mobil (now known as BLVD Autoworks.). Two new houses were placed on the plot of land that was vacated by a restaurant!
Are you enjoying these fun tidbits of St. Anthony Village history? I hope so! There are so much more in my NEW BOOK coming out November 2020 (pre-order will be available very soon)!
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