A really cool mural has appeared on the side of El Torito Grocery at the corner of Cherokee Street and California Avenue, which has recently received a historic marker sign for Calle Cherokee, recognizing the important cultural and economic contribution of Mexican Americans to the revitalization of the commercial corridor that splits the neighborhoods of Benton Park West and Gravois Park. Many landmarks, such as La Vallesana can be picked out in the mural, with my photographs below.
La Vallesana started out in an old gas station office, and now has expanded into a new building.
The mural also captures the streetscapes of Cherokee.
The old Cherokee Brewery, which is now Earthbound Beer, appears as well.
But I like how the artist has moved El Chico Bakery down the street into the vacant corner lot that is Earthbound’s beer garden at Iowa Street.
Next up is El Torito Grocery, where the mural is actually painted along the California wall to the left.
The Modernist facade of the one story building stands out from the other buildings on the street.
Next up is the southwest corner of the intersection of California and Cherokee, with another supermarket and Don Carlos, a restaurant.
This is such a cool building that has another mural on the side of it.
The Cinderella Building is not actually right next door, but to the east and on the north side of Cherokee Street.
This portion of the mural pays homage to the streetcar that once went down this way, and what transformed Cherokee from a residential street into a commercial corridor.
Finally, the migration of the Monarch Butterfly is shown in a map of the Americas.
