New Brighton, Minnesota
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New Brighton is a city located in Ramsey County, Minnesota. It is a suburb of the Twin Cities. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 22,206.
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Geography
Image:MNMap-doton-New Brighton.png According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.4 km² (7.1 mi²). 17.2 km² (6.6 mi²) of it is land and 1.2 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 6.35% water. New Brighton has generally gently rolling terrain, with it being mostly flat, with a few basins.
New Brighton has many parks. The largest city park is Richard J. Hansen Park. Hansen Park was built on top of a former marshland. Due to the high water table in the park, it has suffered from builing foundations moving and drainage problems. The main bike path through the park was once an old road. The areas of oak trees that are on the small rises above the main bike path and hockey rinks, are remnants of the origial oak forest that was there, sitting above the once wetland.
Long Lake Regional Park is larger than Hansen Park, but run by Ramsey County, not the city of New Brighton. It is the last place to truly see virgin vegetation of New Brighton. Burr oak trees, over 200 years old can be found within the park, as well as fields of the native prairie grass Big Bluestem. If you look closely in the park you can find where the old farms were as well as planted bushes in the woods that were once part of a farmhouse lawn.
Northern New Brighton is predominantly upper-middle and middle-middle class, especially surrounding the lakes and Brightwood golf course. South New Brighton is a mixture of neighborhoods. Wexford Heights, an upper middle class residential housing development, was built on the last open land in New Brighton in the mid 1990's. Wexford is also near lower income apartments, such as Polynesian Village, the second-largest public housing development in Ramsey County. Many of these apartments are collectively referred to as 'Polynesian.'
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 22,206 people, 9,013 households, and 5,903 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,291.2/km² (3,343.9/mi²). There were 9,121 housing units at an average density of 530.4/km² (1,373.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.59% White, 3.32% African American, 0.62% Native American, 4.38% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races, and 2.20% from two or more races. 1.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 9,013 households out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $52,856, and the median income for a family was $68,724. Males had a median income of $45,291 versus $32,021 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,574. 4.7% of the population and 3.3% of families were below the poverty line. 5.5% of those under the age of 18 and 3.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Life in New Brighton
Silver Lake Road, the busiest street in New Brighton, is lined with many houses, churches, and ponds. New Brighton boasts one car dealership (New Brighton Ford), three public schools (Bel Air Elementary School, Highview Middle School, and Irondale High School; additionally, until 2005, when it was converted into a community education center, there was a fourth public school located in New Brighton: Pike Lake Elementary School, now known as Pike Lake Education Center), several lakes (Long Lake and Silver Lake, among others), one seminary, and many churches and places of worship of varying denominations (Lutheran, Catholic, Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Jehovah's Witness, Apostolic, Baptist, United Church of Christ, Korean Methodist, Christian Science, Non-denominational, and others). The town is mostly residential and split into different sections of residence. Sections of apartments, as well as Wexford Heights, an upper-middle-class housing development, dominate the southern end of the town. The apartments are often referred to collectively as "Polynesian," the name of one apartment complex in the center of the area. "Downtown New Brighton" is distinguishable from other areas of the town because of the old-fashioned street lights set approximately twenty feet (6 m) apart down the entire road.
New Brighton is unusual because, unlike many other suburbs, New Brighton was an actual town founded in the 1890's. It was on a railroad from Minneapolis. Consequently, the city has retained a large amount of community among its residents. It also contains low income, middle class, and upper middle class housing, giving it the diversity of a true city and not just a homogeneous suburb. However, integration is still ongoing.
The local newspaper of New Brighton, the Bulletin, keeps New Brighton residents informed on various events in the city, and it is particularly thorough on two accounts: it details all of the crime in the northern suburbs and it reports on sporting events of New Brighton's Irondale High School. (Another local newspaper, the Sun Focus, details events occurring in the tri-city New Brighton-Mounds View-St. Anthony Village area.) Most of New Brighton's roads, especially Long Lake Road, enforce a 30 mile per hour speed limit.
Long Lake Road is especially dangerous in icy weather. The street bows downwards at the outside of curves, making it easy to slide off the road.
Each August, New Brighton has a city festival called the "Stockyard Days" which is based out of Long Lake Park. Carnival rides and food stands are set up and street dances are held. It also includes a parade, 5k and 10k runs, raffle drawings and bingo.
New Brighton is equidistant from the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul (the two largest cities in Minnesota). It is located in Ramsey County at the intersection of interstates 35W and 694.
Most teenagers attend Irondale High School. There are some exceptions, including those who attend nearby private schools in other towns. These schools include Totino Grace in Fridley, St. Odelia in Shoreview, Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, or Breck in Minneapolis.
Irondale High School has one of the most renowned marching bands in the state of Minnesota. After bringing home top honors during the past few years at many large state competitions, the Marching Knights are nationally recognized as being high-ranking, proficient marching band. They often make finals at regional Bands of America competitions. B.O.A. is the largest national contest for many marching bands across America.
Restaurants
The city of New Brighton is home to a few restaurants, including:
- Broadway Pizza
- The Bru House (1431 Silver Lake Rd)
- Champps (2397 Palmer Dr)--American food in a sports bar atmosphere
- Domino's Pizza--Located in the Old Harp's Dry Cleaners, which was struck by lightning in the early 1990's
- McDonald's--This is a new building, the old one was torn down in 1999
- Giuseppe's Italian Ristorante (1435 Silver Lake Rd)
- Taiko Sushi Bar
- Cuppachiodos
- Dairy Queen
- China Tiger (2178 Silver Lake Rd)
- Perkins (696 W Co Rd D)
- Taco John's (Silver Lake Rd.)
- Wong's Kitchen (125 Silver Lake Rd)
Government
The City's website is: http://www.ci.new-brighton.mn.us
City Council
New Brighton has a Council/Manager form of city government. The City Council meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at New Brighton City Hall, 803 Old Hwy 8 NW. Meetings are open to the public and are televised live on New Brighton's cable channel 16. Meetings are held in the Council Chambers on the lower level off the rear parking lot. Agendas and Minutes are available online.
The following 5 citizens are the elected City Council.
- Mayor Steve Larson
- Councilmember Ann Hoffman
- Councilmember Gina Bauman
- Councilmember Mary Burg
- Councilmember Sharon Doffing
Ordinances
The city frowns upon having or storing wrecked, junked, or abandoned vehicles on your property.
There is no overnight parking on streets in New Brighton. Cars may be parked for one ½ hour between the hours of 2:00 am - 5:00 am and only 6 hours between 5:00 am - 2:00 am. No vehicle may be parked on the street after a snowfall of at least 3 inches until the snow has been removed or plowed to the curb. Call the Police Department to make arrangements for extended street parking at (651) 638-2070.
Any noise-making equipment may only be operated between 7am and 10pm weekdays, and 9am to 9pm on weekends and legal holidays. Snow removal equipment is exempt.
You cannot launch any type of fireworks off.
Recreational fires are encouraged. The city recommends that:
- The fire is less than three cubic feet (85 L) in any dimension.
- The fire is 20 feet (6 m) from any structure.
- You are burning only clean wood (no garbage).
- The fire is supervised by an adult at all times, and a hose or extinguisher is handy.
- Fires are banned when winds exceed 10 mph (16 km)
The Fire House does not have the equipment to get your home fire extinguisher recharged.
Water
Groundwater is pumped from 12 deep wells, ranging from 300 to 1000 feet deep. The groundwater is located in three aquifers: Prairie du Chien, Jordan and Mt. Simon/Hinckley.
The groundwater naturally contains a small amount of fluoride. The Water Department then adds more fluoride and chlorine to bring the total amount to the Department of Health standards. See Water fluoridation.
New Brighton’s water is classified as very hard with 17 to 20 grains per gallon (290 to 340 g/m³). Water hardness is due principally to calcium and magnesium and water is generally harder in areas where calcium and magnesium rich limestone rocks are present. New Brighton pumps some of its water from aquifers in dolomite/limestone rock formation.
New Brighton has some of the cleanest water in the entire Twin Cities, as the U.S. Army dumped toxic petro-chemicals into the groundwater system from the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Arden Hills for decades. The Army is currently paying millions of dollars to clean up this mess, thus New Brighton gets very clean water. The problem started when the army needed to dispose of toxic chemicals that are left over from manufacturing bullets, grenades, and torpedos. The soft sandy soil of the Arsenal was a perfect place to dump these chemicals, as they magically disappeared into the ground when dumped on the sandy soil. In the 1980's, however, it was found that these chemicals did not magically disappear, but in fact contaminated the ground water supply for the entire nothern suburbs of the Twin Cities. New Brighton water is very clean and pure today because of this disaster.
Recycling
New Brighton residents recycle every other Monday or Tuesday. Homes north of I-694 recycle on Mondays. Homes south of I-694 recycle on Tuesdays.
Interesting facts
- Mounds View High School is located in Arden Hills, not Mounds View.
- The robbery in the movie Sugar & Spice was filmed at the old Lund's building.
- Long Lake Regional Park once containted a railroad line, stockyards, and ice houses. Today, only foundations remain of these buildings.
- United Theological Seminary is located in New Brighton.
- Unlike most suburbs in the Twin Cities, New Brighton contains residents from lower, working, middle, and upper-middle classes
- The big pond on the south side of 3rd street in south-central New Brighton is not native. Aireal pictures from the 1940's show this area to be a pasture for horses. The pond sits in a whole that was dug for house basements. It was quickly learned that the water table was too high and the platted houses had to be abandoned. Eventually, the dug-up ground filled with water and became a marsh and pond.
- Hansen Park's paved walkways were originally country roads.
- Hansen Park was originally one large marsh, to this day it is difficult to use it from the high water table.
- The northern part of New Brighton used to be called Irondale. This is evidenced by the name of New Brighton's only high school, Irondale High School. This northern region used to be a company town around the turn of the 20th century of an iron mining corporation. Irondale High School stands on the site of the original company town's elementary school.
- The Tri-City Legion on Old Highway 8 is the place to gain power in city politics, not the City Hall.
- New Brighton was once all horse ranches as the ground was too rocky and full of hard clay to grow crops well.
- Silver Lake Road was a dirt road in 1932.
- 694, which cuts New Brighton in half, is the original Ramsey County Road F.io:New Brighton, Minnesota