The west side of Fairground Park once held the leafy estates of Italianate and Second Empire country homes, but as the city expanded, and the park itself pushed its boundaries out to what is now Fair Avenue, apartment buildings, churches… Continue Reading
Heading west on Natural Bridge Avenue, there are more surprises that can be enjoyed, including this massive duplex on the right above. There seems to be more single family houses west of Warne Avenue. Sadly, there is more abandonment, with… Continue Reading
I know that many people, including business owners along Natural Bridge Avenue, have spoken out and criticized the “road diet” that has considerably narrowed the major thoroughfare through a multitude of North St. Louis neighborhoods. There were concerns that it… Continue Reading
Many of the east-west streets have the same names of their counterparts on the other side of the Botanical Garden in Shaw. This is Flad Avenue, I believe, which is a mix of two- and four-family apartments. I do not… Continue Reading
For anyone who doesn’t live in the City of St. Louis, for many residents, “four-family” is a “four-letter word,” if you know what I mean. But what always strikes me about the Southwest Garden neighborhood is how there are so… Continue Reading
The theme this summer in many divested neighborhoods seems to be green, where plants and trees have grown up and swallowed buildings. I looked at some of these houses back in May of 2021. I’ve looked at this building before;… Continue Reading
Continuing south on Leffingwell Avenue, retracing my steps from my visit in May of 2020, I saw more green overgrowth and abandonment. The house on the left is actually a half-flounder, with a hipped roof. Its front façade was altered… Continue Reading
Back in May of 2020, I went and documented the houses to the west of the new NGA in the JeffVanderLou neighborhood, one of the most heavily damaged in the city. But I have met many proud, hardworking people in… Continue Reading
Heading northeast up Southwest Avenue, we get closer to the heart of the Hill, and see more interesting renovations to houses. More Formstone, which was popular in the mid-Twentieth Century, was added to the front of these houses. Also, the… Continue Reading
I looked at Arsenal Avenue between Michigan and Minnesota avenues a while back, so I thought I would look at the south side of that street between the former state street and South Compton on a resplendent Saturday morning. You… Continue Reading