Neighborhoods of Northfield - Curvilinear Liberty Park
If you take Lockwood Dr in the North Ridge Neighborhood north and follow it until it ends, you will have found your way to Thye Parkway and your northern neighbor, Liberty Park. Travelling west, you pass Thye Ct on the northside and many homes on your left until you come to the intersection with Quie Lane. Turning right will take you to Patriot Rd, and turning left will take you into the winding southside of Quie Lane. You will pass the cul-de-sac Freedom Ct, travel around a loopy curve, pass many more homes and the entrance to another cul-de-sac, Rolvaag Ct, before coming to the T-intersection at Lockwood Dr.
If you continue west on Thye Parkway, you will pass Liberty Park, the neighborhood greenspace, the entrance to Cannon Valley Dr E, and more homes until you come to the last winding street of Liberty Park, Independence Dr.
The Liberty Park Neighborhood is the northernmost neighborhood of North Ridge, developed during the late 1990s to the early 2000s. There is a mix of properties around the neighborhood greenspace, Liberty Park. These include single-family homes, condominiums, and multi-level townhomes. The street names in this neighborhood follow a patriotic theme as well as honoring past Minnesota Governors.
The curving streets meet sidewalks that blend into paved multi-use trails taking residents from their homes to nearby parks and into the neighborhoods next door, making this area highly walkable and an easy commute to both colleges and downtown Northfield.
Independence Drive is a community consisting of condominiums and side-by-side townhomes. It is located at the west end of the Liberty Park Neighborhood, just a five-minute drive from St Olaf College and about ten minutes across the river to Carleton College. Independence
Dr townhouse homes are adjacent to the single-family homes lining Cannon Valley Dr E. This street meanders between Independence Dr and Liberty Park passing the greenspace of neighboring Prairie Hills Park, reminiscent of the curves of the Cannon River and Minnesota valleys.
The other side of Liberty Park off Thye Parkway is Quie Lane (kwee). The winding southside of Quie Lane is lined with single-family homes and detached townhomes. The townhomes are governed by a Home Owner Association. This street is named for Governor Albert Quie who served as a Minnesota Senator and twenty years in the U.S. House before winning one term as governor (1979 to 1983) Read more about him here.
Freedom Ct is a cul-de-sac off Quie Lane with large, custom-built single-family homes constructed between 2005 and 2006. Closer to Lockwood Dr is Rolvaag Ct (ROHL-vahg). These single-family homes were constructed around 1996 and are a mix of one-story ranch style and larger, multi-level homes. The naming of Rolvaag Ct honors the family of Ole Edvart Rolvaag. Ole (1876-1931) was a celebrated Norwegian-American author and professor at St Olaf College. His son Karl (1913-1990) who served eight years as lieutenant governor and four years as governor of Minnesota. Read more about him here.
On the north side of Thye Parkway lies Patriot Rd featuring one-level detached townhomes and twinhomes with HOA maintenance. This street was developed between 2006 and 2019. The last side street off Thye Parkway is Thye Ct. The homes on both the parkway and Thye Ct are twin homes and townhomes built between the late 1990s and mid-2000s. Thye Parkway and Thye Ct (sounds like thigh) were named for Edward J Thye (1896-1969), known as Minnesota’s “farmer-governor.” He also served in the U.S. Senate from 1946-1959. Read more about him here.
Liberty Park Neighborhood has much to offer those who choose to live there as well as visitors from Northfield and afar. The parks in this and nearby neighborhoods, North Park, G.A. Rysgaard Park, Liberty Park, and Prairie Hills Park, are all part of Northfield’s park system and connect to the walking and biking trails throughout town. Check it out here.