As one of this area’s last remaining independent bookstores, Subtext Books is a real downtown St. Paul gem. Unfortunately, it is also a hidden gem — at least for people who are using the skyways to get around downtown during these wintery weeks.

Recently, several of us from across the river were on the skyway level in the Lowry, looking for a way to get down to the street level to Subtext. We knew Subtext was right down below us, but there was no signage on the skyway level showing us how to find it. Finally, a skyway regular pointed us to an unmarked door leading to a drab stairway, and we finally found our way to Subtext.

The city of St. Paul claims that it is “open to business.” If so, it needs to do a better job collaborating with downtown building owners to improve skyway signage. One simple improvement would be a skyway level business directory posted on each downtown block with skyway connections.

Iric Nathanson, Minneapolis