Hugo: Growing City Hopes To Retain Small-Town Charm

There are two sides to the city of Hugo, a northeast suburb 20 minutes from downtown St. Paul. The east side remains mainly rural with farms, single-family houses on large acreages, trails, lakes and streams. The west side is brimming with new housing, upscale restaurants and shops that were generated by a housing boom that started in 2000. there's a range of housing styles and prices ranging from $140,000 for townhouses to $1 million-plus for single-family homes. the average home sale price so far this year is $271,083 and there were 195 homes on the market in October. In redeveloping the downtown the city hopes to retain an old-fashioned charm with trails, sidewalks and green space