Payne Phalen

The atmosphere in Serlin’s Café on this Friday morning seems about the same as ever—lots of good food, coffee and conversation among the cramped and painted booths. But the big ‘For Sale’ sign in the window signals something different.

“We’re tired. Try working every day for years,” says co-owner Gary Halvorsen in Serlin’s prep kitchen, as he pours 2% milk over the macaroni and cheese in a well-used pan. Still, he says it with a wry grin and moves around the kitchen with the energy of a man half his fifty-nine years. “And Al [Halvorsen, Gary’s brother and co-owner] is ready to retire.” MORE »

The loveseat and chair probably looked sharp in someone’s living room, once. But now, tipped over, missing cushions and with a used condom drooping off one armrest in the afternoon sun, not so good. MORE »

The East Side Arts Council and Public Art Saint Paul announced plans to repair the Phalen Park sculpture, Meditation, in response to hate crimes that occurred in the park on July 12, 2008. Public Art Saint Paul owns the sculpture by Chinese artist Lei Yixin that was created through the 2006 International Stone Carving Symposium, Minnesota Rocks! MORE »

St. Paul is home to the largest Karen refugee population in the U.S. There are approximately 3,000 Karen (pronounced Ka-REN) living in St. Paul, most of whom arrived in the 2003 resettlement wave. Many more families are expected to come to Minnesota over the course of this year in order to reunite with family members already living here. Most Karen live in the Arlington Avenue and Westminster areas or in Roseville. MORE »