Letter of the Day (Oct. 13): East Side I know is part of St. Paul worth living in

While reading the Oct. 8 article "Page it forward/Little Free Libraries allow neighbors to share books and a bit of themselves," I was stopped in my tracks by a description of the entire East Side of St. Paul as "rough and tumble." The East Side makes up a third of the city, and it is a wonderful tapestry of neighborhoods as diverse as the people who call this area home. When I bought my house near Lake Phalen seven years ago, I was immediately greeted by several neighbors, who have now become some of my best friends. I know nearly everyone in a three-block radius; my son has several friends who live just a few houses away; we have many get-togethers throughout the year, and we all feel like a kind of family. This is a wonderful place to live! "Rough and tumble?" I didn't know I lived in the Wild West! Stop painting the entire East Side with the same brush. To readers, I would say this: If you are in the market for a home, and you want to live in a neighborhood where people haven't forgotten the meaning of "Minnesota Nice," where natural beauty abounds, and where you can afford a beautiful, historic home, take a look at my neighborhood near Lake Phalen. You just might fall in love.ELIZABETH BUTTERFIELD, ST. PAUL