Many of St. Paul's movers and shakers have gazed out the walls of glass inside Cay and Lowell Hellervik's 25th-floor rooftop condo.
The philanthropic couple have held scores of arts, political and charitable fundraisers since 1994 in their home at Landmark Towers across from Rice Park.
The main attraction at every party, according to Cay, was the 360-degree view of the State Capitol, St. Paul Cathedral, Mississippi River and even the Minneapolis skyline in the distance.
"The Capitol and cathedral look like little dollhouses that you can reach out and pick up with your hand," she said. "At night, the city's lights are beautiful." At a St. Patrick's Day party, she provided green knitted gloves so guests could hold a cold drink on the outdoor terrace.
As chairman and co-founder of Personnel Decisions International, Lowell often entertained business associates. The parties were all memorable, said Cay, but she'll never forget a political fundraiser they hosted for Sen. John McCain in 2007, when more than 100 people showed up instead of the expected 50.
"I told them I only had china for 50," she said. "But the guests kept coming."
In the early 1980s, Gene "Geno" Rancone developed the Landmark Towers and designed the 4,000-plus-square-foot penthouse for himself and his family. They lived there until the Hellerviks bought it.
"When we moved in, it looked very Italian -- rosy pink with heavy drapery," said Cay, who removed the draperies from the windows to open up the view and gave the condo's interiors a more eclectic look.
