Delmar Boulevard, the traditional dividing line between north and south St. Louis, has been honorarily renamed "Barack Obama Boulevard" at Compton, just east of North Grand Boulevard.
It's a good thing to honor America's first black president with a street named after him. But I don't know about choosing Delmar as the one to do it.
It would have been a good thing to see the street be one that connects north and south St. Louis. Barack Obama is everyone's president and the Delmar divide is something we need to erase. On the other hand, perhaps selecting Delmar as the street for President Obama is part of the cleansing of that old division?
If so, then maybe the old Delmar Boulevard signs should be taken down for the whole run of Delmar through the city (instead of on just a few blocks), and replaced with new Barack Obama Boulevard signs? In this way it would be similar to the renaming of Easton Avenue after Dr. Martin Luther King.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tea Time
As the summer heat fades, STL enters her best time of year. Kids are back in school, the weather is ideal, and it's block party season; football games and homecoming celebrations on the weekends, haunted house attractions set up in vacant historic buildings, Halloween, and Thanksgiving; and, then, the festival season culiminates with beautiful lighting displays all around the region for Hannukah, Christmas and New Years'.
My favorite tradition is Halloween. Over the years, we've assembled a variety of Halloween props. When Halloween comes, I take the day off to convert our place into a fantasy Victorian graveyard and haunted house.
The usual domestic setting is changed for day to a scary scene, outfitted with antique-looking wrought iron fencing, a wandering skeleton, and a little girl ghost greeting you on the front porch; a cemetery among the hostas and fallen dogwood leaves, wispy ghosts arising from the graves, and haunting music; and purple, orange, and strobe lighting, and scary, deep bass, sound effects.
The kids love it and so do the parents. They pose for family photos up and down the block. Grownups tow wagons with coolers for the exchanging of beers. We average over 200 kids on Halloween night. It's awesome and a highlight of the year.
Last year, we even had a famous conservative radio talk show host come to our door. So for this year, I'm wondering, should I have a tea bag set aside as a special treat just for this trick-or-treater?
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
It's a fact: STL commutes are a breeze!
MODOT has released data showing the worst commutes in the St. Louis area.
The worst commutes are on I-64 in West County and crossing into St. Charles County. But even for our region's worst commutes, a tiny change in driving patterns could improve your whole day:
According to the MODOT press release:
"By knowing the worst time to travel, we are asking all I-64 drivers to consider adjusting their travel times to spread out the peak demand. By leaving 15 minutes earlier or waiting until closer to the end of the peak period, you could actually get to your destination faster," said Tom Blair, MoDOT assistant district engineer. "It's not feasible to widen the highway due to the extreme costs that it would entail, but we can all work together to spread out the demand on the road."
There are lots of regions where rush hour extends throughout the day and on weekends. Smooth traffic and free parking are the expectation in St. Louis.
Are our region's low traffic volumes and overall cheap parking prices good economic indicators? Or do they suggest we have surplus infrastructure for the automobile and an opportunity to strengthen our community in other areas?
The worst commutes are on I-64 in West County and crossing into St. Charles County. But even for our region's worst commutes, a tiny change in driving patterns could improve your whole day:
According to the MODOT press release:
"By knowing the worst time to travel, we are asking all I-64 drivers to consider adjusting their travel times to spread out the peak demand. By leaving 15 minutes earlier or waiting until closer to the end of the peak period, you could actually get to your destination faster," said Tom Blair, MoDOT assistant district engineer. "It's not feasible to widen the highway due to the extreme costs that it would entail, but we can all work together to spread out the demand on the road."
There are lots of regions where rush hour extends throughout the day and on weekends. Smooth traffic and free parking are the expectation in St. Louis.
Are our region's low traffic volumes and overall cheap parking prices good economic indicators? Or do they suggest we have surplus infrastructure for the automobile and an opportunity to strengthen our community in other areas?
Friday, August 19, 2011
Finding a new home for the estate of Kirkwood's Henry Shaw
Most St. Louisans know the story of Henry Shaw and the Missouri Botanical Garden. Shaw moved to St. Louis from England in the early-19th century, making a fortune selling hardware in the growing city of St. Louis and outfitting travelers headed west. Shaw then shared his wealth with his adopted home town, endowing St. Louis with Tower Grove Park and the world famous Missouri Botanical Garden.
On the other hand, most St. Louisans do not know the story of Daniel Sidney Brown. Brown was a cooper (barrel maker), supplying barrels used at the Cupples Warehouses in downtown St. Louis. Like Shaw, Brown's passion was horticulture.
Brown traveled the world collecting rare species of orchids. Much of his collection became the growing stock supplying the beautiful and rare orchids we all enjoy today at the Missouri Botanical Garden. But Brown was more than just a plant fancier. Because of his work, at least one rare species of orchid was saved from extinction.
Today, Brown's historic home, "Brownhurst" in Kirkwood, sits vacant and deteriorated on the campus of Vianney High School. The building has suffered a lot of deferred maintenance, but is overall in very good condition. Buildings in far worse shape have been preserved in St.Louis. Nonetheless, Vianney is pushing for its demolition to free the site for other uses.
There is a slim hope the building might be saved. Vianney has offered $30,000 to anyone willing to relocate it to a new site. Moving large historic buildings might seem an overwhelming task, but it is becoming more of a common practice. As you might imagine, there are lots of logistics involved to make it happen, requiring a coordinated community effort.
There is one big catch. Vianney is requiring that the building be moved by October 9, 2011 in order to take advantage of the $30,000 offer. Also the owners are selling it for $1 to a buyer who can move it and prove financing.
The question is, where would be a good site for the building, and who would cover the cost? Here's a long shot idea: Perhaps the building could be moved to a site on or near the Botanical Garden and preserved in the city of St. Louis?
With the connection between Brown and Shaw's Garden, and the historic significance of both, perhaps a new home for Brownhurst could be along Shaw Avenue near the Garden?
The move would add another interesting chapter to Brown and Shaw's story. With the help of Brown, the Garden saved a rare plant species for the world, and with the help of the Garden, the legacy of Brown's historic home might be saved.
In one other interesting twist, unlike many wealthy industrialists of his time, Brown did not choose to live out his final years in the peace and quiet of the lush suburbs of St. Louis County. Instead, Brown moved back to the City of St. Louis, moving into a home on Washington Avenue.
So maybe, about a hundred years later, his Kirkwood mansion might follow him back to the city?
(Note: Thanks to Matt Bivens for the historical details of this story. Matt is a Kirkwood resident and expert on St. Louis history and architecture.)
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Engaging Conversation
Senator John Danforth once said that "St. Louis is not a spectator sport". His point was that it's going to take people getting off the sidelines and into the game to make a difference.
One way to get in the game is to participate in public hearings on proposed development plans. Big projects in the public comment phase today include the proposed South County Connector and the proposed highway changes around the proposed Arch redevelopment.
The Arch hearings are a sort of two-fer. The National Park Service is holding hearings about the Arch master plan and MODOT is holding hearings for proposed highway changes adjacent to the Arch.
These are big projects involving tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in public expenditures. Federal and state law requires public comment and environmental review. So what's the purpose?
It's a little unclear. Is the purpose of public comment to solely focus on the proposed plan? Or is it to open a dialogue soliciting ideas for a range of alternative solutions through public input?
On the environmental review side, alternatives are analyzed. The baseline option is the "no project" alternative. What are the environmental impacts of doing nothing? Then options become more extensive along a scale of cost and degree of intervention. Each option is analyzed for its benefits and impacts and any negative environmental impacts must have mitigation. Federally funded projects are not permitted to have a negative net environmental impact.
Environmental review makes sense. It's counter-intuitive that a project involving substantial public spending would result in negative environmental impact. Which brings us back to the question of the role of public comment: should the public's role solely be one of reaction to specific proposals of others or should it be to foster creative partnerships in making collaborative decisions?
An approach where the public's role is to react to proposals of others would be considered a top-down approach. An approach where public comment is used to develop a vision and plan of action would be a strategy of real community engagement.
St. Louis needs engaged citizens, particularly younger and creative ones, if we are to succeed in building a sustainable future. The process of engaging the public on government funded projects is one way to bring people together, challenging us all to find the best strategies to improve St. Louis.
Such has not always been the case. Some feel St. Louis is an exclusive place, where it's difficult for new and young people to get involved. It's time for St. Louis to move forward together, with all voices being heard and encouraged to be part of the process.
One way to get in the game is to participate in public hearings on proposed development plans. Big projects in the public comment phase today include the proposed South County Connector and the proposed highway changes around the proposed Arch redevelopment.
The Arch hearings are a sort of two-fer. The National Park Service is holding hearings about the Arch master plan and MODOT is holding hearings for proposed highway changes adjacent to the Arch.
These are big projects involving tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in public expenditures. Federal and state law requires public comment and environmental review. So what's the purpose?
It's a little unclear. Is the purpose of public comment to solely focus on the proposed plan? Or is it to open a dialogue soliciting ideas for a range of alternative solutions through public input?
On the environmental review side, alternatives are analyzed. The baseline option is the "no project" alternative. What are the environmental impacts of doing nothing? Then options become more extensive along a scale of cost and degree of intervention. Each option is analyzed for its benefits and impacts and any negative environmental impacts must have mitigation. Federally funded projects are not permitted to have a negative net environmental impact.
Environmental review makes sense. It's counter-intuitive that a project involving substantial public spending would result in negative environmental impact. Which brings us back to the question of the role of public comment: should the public's role solely be one of reaction to specific proposals of others or should it be to foster creative partnerships in making collaborative decisions?
An approach where the public's role is to react to proposals of others would be considered a top-down approach. An approach where public comment is used to develop a vision and plan of action would be a strategy of real community engagement.
St. Louis needs engaged citizens, particularly younger and creative ones, if we are to succeed in building a sustainable future. The process of engaging the public on government funded projects is one way to bring people together, challenging us all to find the best strategies to improve St. Louis.
Such has not always been the case. Some feel St. Louis is an exclusive place, where it's difficult for new and young people to get involved. It's time for St. Louis to move forward together, with all voices being heard and encouraged to be part of the process.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Time to Raise the Roof at Lambert's East Terminal?
With Southwest's recent acquisition of AirTran, parking at the East Terminal's short term parking garage is frequently unavailable. According to airport parking garage and security workers, from Monday through Friday, the East Terminal short term parking garage is regularly maxed out.
While a packed parking garage is a good sign that travel volume is on the increase, does the shortage of supply warrant a possible exansion of the East Terminal garage? Does anyone know if the building was designed to add a few more decks of parking spaces?
A shortage of parking in STL. Who'd a thunk it?
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Amtrak's Slow Food Diet
Already Four Hours Late - Amtrak Makes Passengers Sit on Train Extra 20 Minutes before De-Boarding
A friend rode Amtrak from Dallas to St. Louis, arriving Saturday just before noon. The scheduled arrival time was about 7:30 am. No big deal, Amtrak trains are known to often run behind schedule. Not having their own tracks makes it hard for them to avoid delays. Amtrak updated the schedule, letting everyone know the train was due in St. Louis around 11:30.
Right around 11:35, the train approached the station. Then, about 100 yards before its destination, the train stopped. Those of us gathered to pick up passengers couldn't why. Was this the train we were waiting for? Why did the train stop? Were they going to let the passengers off? We waited. And waited. And the train just sat there.
Then my friend texted me. They were servicing the train. The place they had stopped was a little auxilliary building right next to the main station. The service was taking over 20 minutes. I'm thinking, "You've got to be kidding".
Why not let the St. Louis bound passengers off the train, then back the train up a couple hundred feet for servicing? I can understand delays that are beyond Amtrak's control, but this delay was avoidable. Why further inconvenience the public?
Monday, August 01, 2011
STL Inception
If you haven't seen the hit movie "Inception", it's worth a look. In the film, Leonardo DiCaprio leads viewers through a maze of multiple levels of the subconscious. By way of entering the dreams of others, DiCaprio and his team of co-stars travel into deeper and deeper levels of a person's subconscious.
If it sounds confusing, it is. It took me two or three times watching it to start to piece the story together. After the fourth time seeing the movie, something dawned on me. The story of Inception is a lot like the day to day experiences we have right here in St. Louis.
We walk and drive through neighborhoods going back as far as the 1700s, many of them bearing no resemblence to their origins. The most extreme example is on the riverfront.
Where today there is a sleek, majestic, urban park, there was once a vibrant riverfront commercial area, and, before that, the original settlement village of St. Louis. No sign of those early days remain, except for the Old Cathedral, and across a section of depressed highway lanes, the Old Court House. In between, the area has completely changed.
The St. Louis riverfront would be mostly unrecognizable to her earlier inhabitants. And, despite the fact the area is in at least its third or fourth iteration of form, the current landscape, dating back only to the 1960s - a timeframe within the dreamscapes of many of us living today - it is designated a national historic landmark.
Travel around town and there are many examples of multiple time horizons sharing the same space, or city block, as it were. On Cass Avenue in north city, the cousin of Samuel Clemens, James Clemens, built a mansion.
In its prime in the middle 19th century, the Clemens House was one of the city's finest homes. Today, it is wracked with weather damage and overall decay. The area around it is almost completely redeveloped, the historic Clemens House standing in lonely juxtapostion to the 1970s and 80s vintage rental apartment buildings that dominate the area around it today.
There are hundreds of similar examples around town. And with each situation comes different human experiences. Many with fond memories, others with stories of neglect, abandonment, and pain. In some places, the personal possessions from previous generations are still present on sites abandoned for decades. There is little sameness in these places and always opportunity for new discovery and the imagining of a new present or a variety of futures.
Have you seen "Inception"? Have you sensed the multiple levels of human experiences under your feet? Have you noticed how often those many levels are present around us? In St. Louis, do you feel how you are adding to the layers of the story?
If it sounds confusing, it is. It took me two or three times watching it to start to piece the story together. After the fourth time seeing the movie, something dawned on me. The story of Inception is a lot like the day to day experiences we have right here in St. Louis.
We walk and drive through neighborhoods going back as far as the 1700s, many of them bearing no resemblence to their origins. The most extreme example is on the riverfront.
Where today there is a sleek, majestic, urban park, there was once a vibrant riverfront commercial area, and, before that, the original settlement village of St. Louis. No sign of those early days remain, except for the Old Cathedral, and across a section of depressed highway lanes, the Old Court House. In between, the area has completely changed.
The St. Louis riverfront would be mostly unrecognizable to her earlier inhabitants. And, despite the fact the area is in at least its third or fourth iteration of form, the current landscape, dating back only to the 1960s - a timeframe within the dreamscapes of many of us living today - it is designated a national historic landmark.
Travel around town and there are many examples of multiple time horizons sharing the same space, or city block, as it were. On Cass Avenue in north city, the cousin of Samuel Clemens, James Clemens, built a mansion.
In its prime in the middle 19th century, the Clemens House was one of the city's finest homes. Today, it is wracked with weather damage and overall decay. The area around it is almost completely redeveloped, the historic Clemens House standing in lonely juxtapostion to the 1970s and 80s vintage rental apartment buildings that dominate the area around it today.
There are hundreds of similar examples around town. And with each situation comes different human experiences. Many with fond memories, others with stories of neglect, abandonment, and pain. In some places, the personal possessions from previous generations are still present on sites abandoned for decades. There is little sameness in these places and always opportunity for new discovery and the imagining of a new present or a variety of futures.
Have you seen "Inception"? Have you sensed the multiple levels of human experiences under your feet? Have you noticed how often those many levels are present around us? In St. Louis, do you feel how you are adding to the layers of the story?
Monday, July 18, 2011
500,000,000 by 2050
The US needs goals. We need to aim high.
The country is in the middle of a struggling economic recovery, facing massive federal deficits and a mushroomed national debt.
All of this happening as our last generational population boom, the baby boom, gets ready to retire. What to do?
Let's grow our country. Let's grow it by leaps and bounds. Let's set a goal of reaching a population of 500,000,000 by the year 2050.
A couple hundred thousand of those folks could easily fit inside the boundary of the city of St. Louis, and a million or three could join us here in the state of Missouri.
The country is in the middle of a struggling economic recovery, facing massive federal deficits and a mushroomed national debt.
All of this happening as our last generational population boom, the baby boom, gets ready to retire. What to do?
Let's grow our country. Let's grow it by leaps and bounds. Let's set a goal of reaching a population of 500,000,000 by the year 2050.
A couple hundred thousand of those folks could easily fit inside the boundary of the city of St. Louis, and a million or three could join us here in the state of Missouri.
Monday, July 11, 2011
PD: Stastny suggests reducing traffic lanes on N. Grand
The Post Dispatch reported over the weekend that planner Don Stastny is suggesting reducing traffic lanes in front of the Fox Theater and Powell Hall from five to three.
The three lane configuration sounds like a possible one lane in each direction, plus a two-way center turn lane. The intent of eliminating traffic lanes is to make the area more pedestrian friendly, encourage outdoor activities such as sidewalk dining, and overall improve the quality of life.
Road diets are being employed more and more across St. Louis:
City to River proposed a major road diet between the riverfront and downtown.
9th Street in front of the Culinaria has gone from three lanes to one.
Statsny is suggesting reducing North Grand from five to three lanes.
Manchester through the Grove is undergoing a road diet.
South Grand from Arsenal to Utah has gone from four lanes to three (or is it two?).
With the overabundance of road capacity on St. Louis city streets, what other roads would you like to see restriped with fewer traffic lanes?
A few worth considering:
S. Broadway
Hampton
Natural Bridge
Kingshighway
Page
Gravois
North and West Florissant
Jefferson
Delmar
Grand north of Grand Center and south of Gravois
A common compaint about St. Louis is that our neighborhoods are beautiful but they are weak on the edges.
Road diets on major streets would be a low cost way to soften the edges of St. Louis neighborhoods.
The three lane configuration sounds like a possible one lane in each direction, plus a two-way center turn lane. The intent of eliminating traffic lanes is to make the area more pedestrian friendly, encourage outdoor activities such as sidewalk dining, and overall improve the quality of life.
Road diets are being employed more and more across St. Louis:
City to River proposed a major road diet between the riverfront and downtown.
9th Street in front of the Culinaria has gone from three lanes to one.
Statsny is suggesting reducing North Grand from five to three lanes.
Manchester through the Grove is undergoing a road diet.
South Grand from Arsenal to Utah has gone from four lanes to three (or is it two?).
With the overabundance of road capacity on St. Louis city streets, what other roads would you like to see restriped with fewer traffic lanes?
A few worth considering:
S. Broadway
Hampton
Natural Bridge
Kingshighway
Page
Gravois
North and West Florissant
Jefferson
Delmar
Grand north of Grand Center and south of Gravois
A common compaint about St. Louis is that our neighborhoods are beautiful but they are weak on the edges.
Road diets on major streets would be a low cost way to soften the edges of St. Louis neighborhoods.
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Culinaria puts downtown on a diet
Workers are out today painting angled parking spaces in front of the downtown Culinaria. The new parking arrangement narrows the space for traffic lanes on 8th street and increases the number of on street parking spaces in front of the store.
The new parking spaces are short term, free, and limited to fifteen minutes. The new parking increases convenience for Culinaria customers while calming traffic on 9th Street. (corrected thanks to a reader comment.)
Restriping traffic lanes and parking configurations is an inexpensive, fast, and effective strategy to make real improvement to the quality of life in neighborhoods. With the abundance of excess capacity on St. Louis city streets, there are many more opportunities for such retrofits.
More of these please!
The new parking spaces are short term, free, and limited to fifteen minutes. The new parking increases convenience for Culinaria customers while calming traffic on 9th Street. (corrected thanks to a reader comment.)
Restriping traffic lanes and parking configurations is an inexpensive, fast, and effective strategy to make real improvement to the quality of life in neighborhoods. With the abundance of excess capacity on St. Louis city streets, there are many more opportunities for such retrofits.
More of these please!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Cherokee Street
The redrawing of ward boundaries has created new opportunities for Cherokee. Cherokee will soon become the dividing line for much of the southern boundary of the 9th Ward and the northern boundary of the 20th Ward. Previously, it was difficult to tell which ward was which, as both wards shared a sawtoothed connection, criss-crossing back and forth across both sides of Cherokee.
With Cherokee Street now serving as the seam connecting two wards, the opportunity is prime to create a unified strategy across ward boundaries for the future of the area. Speaking recently with a property owner in the area, I was told that as far as he knew, there is no "Cherokee Street Plan". His impression is that development decisions are made on a case by casis, with some decisions governed by individual ward policies.
As the street is about to be more evenly shared by both the 9th and 20th Wards, is there a possibility that development and business policies would differ from one side of the street to the other? If so, that would create confusion for people interested in investing. We need our city neighborhoods to be sensitive to the concerns of existing residents and businesses, but also a welcoming place for new people and businesses to want to locate.
If you know of official plans or guidelines governing development or businesses activity in the area, please share the information in the comment section below. It would be especially helpful to hear from representatives of the Cherokee Street Business Association.
With Cherokee Street now serving as the seam connecting two wards, the opportunity is prime to create a unified strategy across ward boundaries for the future of the area. Speaking recently with a property owner in the area, I was told that as far as he knew, there is no "Cherokee Street Plan". His impression is that development decisions are made on a case by casis, with some decisions governed by individual ward policies.
As the street is about to be more evenly shared by both the 9th and 20th Wards, is there a possibility that development and business policies would differ from one side of the street to the other? If so, that would create confusion for people interested in investing. We need our city neighborhoods to be sensitive to the concerns of existing residents and businesses, but also a welcoming place for new people and businesses to want to locate.
If you know of official plans or guidelines governing development or businesses activity in the area, please share the information in the comment section below. It would be especially helpful to hear from representatives of the Cherokee Street Business Association.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
South County Connector Alignments Released for Public Comment
Five options considered:
Laclede Station Road Corridor
Shrewsbury Avenue Corridor
River Des Peres Boulevard Extension Corridor
South Outer Road Corridor
Local Roads Corridor
Maps of each are posted along with an analysis of the pros and cons of each alternative.
Thoughts?
Laclede Station Road Corridor
Shrewsbury Avenue Corridor
River Des Peres Boulevard Extension Corridor
South Outer Road Corridor
Local Roads Corridor
Maps of each are posted along with an analysis of the pros and cons of each alternative.
Thoughts?
Monday, June 06, 2011
Free Screening of Pruitt-Igoe Documentary June 13 at Fontbonne
Reviews of this film have been excellent. If you haven't seen it, here's a chance to catch it in STL.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Targeted Home Repair Fund Would Create Jobs, Help Neighborhoods
A source of accessible, affordable, home improvement financing in St. Louis could mean great things for the revitalization of St. Louis neighborhoods.
Loans from $25,000 - $50,000 would go a long way towards building a strategy for preservation and improvement of the city's historic homes and neighborhoods.
Targeting the investment at homes at least fifty years would help in a lot of ways:
** Older homes are the ones in the greatest need of updating and repairs
** Most of the city's original housing stock would qualify
** More, smaller projects would be happen
** Small businesses would create jobs
** Homeowners would be able to target improvements
** Smaller projects with less government involvement are attractive to homeowners
** Neighborhood improvement efforts would expand across the city
** Financing would be available to households in a wide range of incomes, strengthening economic diversity
The challenge is to structure the program with competitive terms attractive to both homeowners and lenders.
In the past, gaming revenue has been used for this purpose. In today's tight economic climate, with government revenues shrinking, public funding for such an effort is difficult to obtain.
But the need is there. Inquiries for such loans are common, but resources are scarce. Perhaps starting small, and building up over time is a way to create such an initiative?
Loans from $25,000 - $50,000 would go a long way towards building a strategy for preservation and improvement of the city's historic homes and neighborhoods.
Targeting the investment at homes at least fifty years would help in a lot of ways:
** Older homes are the ones in the greatest need of updating and repairs
** Most of the city's original housing stock would qualify
** More, smaller projects would be happen
** Small businesses would create jobs
** Homeowners would be able to target improvements
** Smaller projects with less government involvement are attractive to homeowners
** Neighborhood improvement efforts would expand across the city
** Financing would be available to households in a wide range of incomes, strengthening economic diversity
The challenge is to structure the program with competitive terms attractive to both homeowners and lenders.
In the past, gaming revenue has been used for this purpose. In today's tight economic climate, with government revenues shrinking, public funding for such an effort is difficult to obtain.
But the need is there. Inquiries for such loans are common, but resources are scarce. Perhaps starting small, and building up over time is a way to create such an initiative?
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Looking for the next big thing
St. Louis is on the move. There are always things happening. It's an exciting place, filled with interesting people and cool projects. There's something for almost everyone.
The big issues get lots of media focus, but it's the little stuff that needs our daily attention. A new motto for me is "everyone wants to change the world, but no one wants to clean up their own block" (can't claim credit for that one; it was shared with me by a local historian/neighborhood advocate).
Over in Jefferson City, one of the big issues is the fight to restore local control of the St. Louis police department to St. Louis citizens. It's a big issue that dates back 150 years. It was looking like 2011 might be the year that St. Louisans are re-enfranchised with their own police department. But now, it appears the bill might be blocked over pending tax credit reform legislation.
So, while the legislature works the politics over the local control issue, residents in St. Louis neighborhoods continue to work to strengthen the quality of life on their own blocks. The big thing of local control may never happen. Addressing quality of life challenges will be with us no matter the outcome over local control.
Up in Hyde Park, the long abandoned and severely dilapidated North St. Louis Turner Hall (officially known as the Nord St. Louis Turnverein) has finally been demolished. The demolition marks a milestone in the history of the site. Presently it is a vacant lot with salvaged bricks stacked on pallets. It might be years before the site has a new use. The bricks might end up in a driveway in Dallas.
In the meantime, Hyde Park residents have lots of little things to do, just as they always have. Care for Hyde Park. Insist on strong maintenance of quality of life priorities. Work together. Keep an eye out for one another.
The Avalon Theater has been the subject of controversy for over ten years. It sits a blight on South Kingsghway in the Southampton neighborhood. Poll area residents and you might learn that the majority prefer demolition. But that's not happening for a variety of reasons. Something will happen with the Avalon someday, and some people will be pleased and others disappointed. When that will happen, no one knows.
Meanwhile, not so far away, I saw a locally owned real estate office, branded with the names of two upstanding St. Louis families. Meanwhile, the lawn in front of the building had grown to over 1 foot in height! What is up with that? It's in a high traffic location and is an embarrasment.
Walking through the neighborhood the other day, I saw the most uplifted section of sidewalk I've ever seen. The section was elevated a full five inches, the mother of all trip hazards. I don't know if I should call my alderman, the homeowner, the parish priest, or the street department. But someone has to pay attention to these sorts of things.
We may not be able to effect much change on the things that seem the the biggest issues. Those big things will work themselves out on their own time. Think Ballpark Village. But we can be effective in making sure the little things get the care they deserve. In the end, keeping up with the countless little things - even things so mundane as weeding the yard - can make the biggest positive impact on our quality of life - today.
Monday, May 09, 2011
You Can't See This from Alaska!
Terrace View Cafe at City Garden
May is prom season in St. Louis and just about everywhere else. So early Friday evening, we found ourselves playing catchup to a group of high school seniors riding a rented coach to snap a few pictures of the sharply dressed young people enjoying a big night out.
Via text message and cell phone we were told we could catch up to the crew at the Arch grounds. Spaces on the Old Cathedral parking lot were being sold for $10 apiece for that night's Cardinal game, but when we explained to the lot attendents that we were only there to snap a few photos, they let us park for free.
While we were waiting, a somewhat lost looking late-20-ish man walked by. He was marvelinig at the Arch. He was utterly amazed by it. "How old is it?", he asked. "Why isn't it more corroded?" "Can you go up in it?". "How do you get up in it?".
Being the astute STL Rising observers that we are, we asked if he was from out of town. He was! He was visiting St. Louis from Alaska and was checking out the Arch. But, sadly, his girl had left him there alone.
We couldn't tell if he had a ride to his next stop or not, but he was friendly enough and eager to chat. So I asked him if he'd like some ideas for places to see. Yes, he was interested. I suggested he make the short trip south to visit the Soulard and Lafayette Square neighborhoods, famous for their historic architecture, fine restaurants, and live music scene. He said he thought maybe he had already been there. He took out his smart phone.
He played a video on it that he shot earlier in his trip. The video was taken from a moving car and showed house after house built of brick and stone. I recognized the street. These buildings weren't in Lafayette Square or Soulard; they were about sixty years younger. These were from my neighborhood! He had been riding around shooting video of random city neighborhoods.
"We don't have anything like this in Alaska!", he proclaimed.
"But that's not Soulard or Lafayette Square", I replied. "In fact, that's my neighborhood! Soulard and Lafayette Square are waaay older. They pre-date the arrival of the automobile. You really need to go check out those places if you like neat old neighborhoods".
Now, I've never been to Alaska, nor is it on my short list of places to visit. Some people say you can even see across the Bering Strait from there. I didn't think that was possible. And I understand that the government
pays its residents to live there.
On the other hand, here in St. Louis, we pay a premium to live in a place where folks from out of town come and marvel at the beauty.
So, we finally caught up to the prom goers at Citygarden. Once there, we found the place filled with teens from across the region stopped to take prom photos amongst City Garden's many photo-friendly spots.
Two St. Louis seniors on prom night enjoying Citygarden in downtown STL
To our new friend from Alaska: welcome to St. Louis and thanks for visiting our fair city! We hope you were reunited with your girl sometime later that evening and had a good time together, perhaps visiting Soulard, Lafayette Square or one of the city's many other unique and interesting neighborhoods!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Cherokee Street Tossup
The emerging Cherokee Street neighborhood (not its official name), is getting more and more positive press, both locally and around the country. It's famous for its creative arts and business scene, Mexican restaurants, and historic architecture.
However, while the outside world is paying lots of attention to the street itself, a local online magazine, the Cherokee Street News, is calling attention to the adjacent historic residential areas on the north and south sides of Cherokee.
A current feature at the site presents a range of opportunities to purchase historic residential properties, all at or below $15,000 apiece. That's fifTEEN thousand, not $150,000. To readers of this site from other states, that is not a typo.
At those prices, the market is very soft, or the buildings are in very poor condition, or both. If you're a supporter of the renaissance of Cherokee Street, you have to be concerned about the strength of the real estate market flanking the strip.
Looking at the efforts to revitalize the Cherokee area, especially its supporting residential blocks, what are the key strategies and goals being pursued? I'm asking because I don't know. If you know, please reply in the comments section. Thanks!
However, while the outside world is paying lots of attention to the street itself, a local online magazine, the Cherokee Street News, is calling attention to the adjacent historic residential areas on the north and south sides of Cherokee.
A current feature at the site presents a range of opportunities to purchase historic residential properties, all at or below $15,000 apiece. That's fifTEEN thousand, not $150,000. To readers of this site from other states, that is not a typo.
At those prices, the market is very soft, or the buildings are in very poor condition, or both. If you're a supporter of the renaissance of Cherokee Street, you have to be concerned about the strength of the real estate market flanking the strip.
Looking at the efforts to revitalize the Cherokee area, especially its supporting residential blocks, what are the key strategies and goals being pursued? I'm asking because I don't know. If you know, please reply in the comments section. Thanks!
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