Roseville is in the middle of everything regionally and globally speaking. A first-ring suburb bordering both Minneapolis and St. Paul, Roseville is also the midway point between the North Pole and the Equator. Given its proximity to the two major urban centers of the state, Roseville has maintained itself as a mixed-land use community complete with quiet, established neighborhoods, ample open space, and vibrant retail and commercial development. It is considered the retail and commercial hub of the northeastern suburbs, yet still maintains quiet neighborhoods. Located along two major transportation routes, Highway 36 and Interstate 35W, Roseville is a ten minute drive to either city. Roseville's location means residents can easily take advantage of all the metropolitan area has to offer in the way of theaters, major league sporting events, health care facilities, recreation, places of worship, museums, education and many other attractions.
History
Roseville was once home to the Dakota and Ojibway Indians who lived there for hundreds of years. The first non-Indian settlements were founded six years before Minnesota was even officially a territory. The early remnants of the city began in 1850 with the formation of Rose Township, named after Isaac Rose, a surveyor and early settler. Rose Township included the areas now known as Roseville, Lauderdale, and Falcon Heights, as well as parts of present day St. Paul and Minneapolis. Farms and nurseries dominated the area until the 1930s when commercial development arrived, attracted by the wide-open space, convenient location, and the railroad. Roseville was incorporated as a city in 1948 with a population under 5,000. Thanks to dramatic growth in population and commercial development in the 1950s and 60s, the city has grown to almost 35,000 people today.
A model city
Roseville's parks and recreation department, police department and fire department have received national recognition for exceeding standards of operation. The City Council has received high praise from residents and citizen groups alike for keeping property taxes among the lowest in the region. The city council has worked to hold tax increases under the rate of inflation and for many years city taxes accounted for less than 15 percent of a resident's property tax. Roseville is home to more than 5,000 businesses and industries that employ more than 35,000 people. Rosedale, a 1.2 million-square-foot regional shopping mall, plus six other shopping centers combine to make Roseville one of the leading retail centers in the upper Midwest.
Parks and Recreation
When it comes to parks, residents of Roseville are centrally located as well. No citizen is further than a quarter mile from a park of which the city is home to 28, ranging in size from three to 220 acres. These parks include six outdoor skating rinks, 34 baseball fields, 17 tennis courts, 10 basketball courts, and over 60 miles of trails and paths. Parks, lakes, and golf courses make up one-fifth of the cities land area. Included in the park system is the Harriet Alexander Nature Center, which offers 52 acres of marsh, prairie, and deciduous/pine forest. Roseville is also home to the John Rose Minnesota OVAL, which features one of the largest refrigerated ice surfaces in the world. Five lakes are also located within the city offering residents opportunities for fishing, swimming, and boating.
Schools
Roseville is served by two school districts, Independent School District #621 and #623. Combined these two districts provide fourteen elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools. In addition to public schools, Roseville is home to six private schools and a four-year college. Add to that the eight colleges/universities within a six-mile radius and it is clear that Roseville residents have a wide array of educational institutions from which to choose.
-Home Buyer's Resource Guide