St. Paul ranks second-best among nation's city parks

St. Paul has the second-best parks in the nation, according to a new ranking.

Driving the news: The state capital placed just behind Washington, D.C., in the Trust for Public Land's latest ParkScore index.

• Minneapolis, meanwhile, dropped from third to fifth place.

Driving the kudos: Both cities scored points for access to green space and city spending on the resources.

• The group estimates that 99% of St. Paulites and 98% of Minneapolis residents can walk to a park in 10 minutes or less.

What they're saying: St. Paul Parks and Recreation interim director Tom Russell celebrated the results, saying in a statement that the department will "continue to work hard to meet the needs of all who call Saint Paul home."

The silver lining: Don't feel too bad, Minneapolis.

• The group says the city's drop wasn't due to a decline in what we offer. Rather, places like Cincinnati and Arlington, Virginia, made new investments that prompted their climbs in the ranking.