St. Louis conjures up completely different realities for people, depending on who's experiencing it. For many, the city is continuing on a steady path of recovery. Neighborhoods all across the city are seeing major improvements. Billions of dollars of new investments are happening. Property values are up. Things are the best they've been in over forty years.
Yet, despite the progress, there are still those who see St. Louis as it was back in its down days. This morning, on KMOX, the owner of 2 Cents Plain, the historic downtown pastrami sandwich place, called downtown "Done-town". He's sold his building and is going into retirement.
Standing in the crowd at Sunday's "Parade-A-Palooza" sponsored by KMOX, two elderly gentlemen, both retired, while discussing St. Louis, called one particular neighborhood "the only good neighborhood left in the City". Where have they been???
It's strange really. One city. The same facts, visible improvements, and plentiful positive news stories available to everyone, and there are still those that see St. Louis as a place in decline. The negative sentiments always amaze me. Try to convince them otherwise, and some of these old-timers (either physically or in spirit) look at you like you have two heads.
So, what's your story?
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Southwest City is becoming the new gayberhood, and the rest of South City an ethnic mix. Thus, old-timers see a mix of non-whites, including many non-English speaking now living all over South City and many new white households as "living in sin." About the only white Catholic enclave left is St. Louis Hills, but even its abundant apartments have introduced the dreaded diversity these old-timers fear. But my guess would be that such an area is what these geezers were claiming as the only "good" area left in the City.
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