I thought it would be interesting to check in on one of my favorite places in St. Louis, those narrow ancient streets of the old rural village at the northern end of the intersection of Jefferson and Gravois that is now the southern tip of McKinley Heights. I looked at Charless Street in June and November of 2020 and Gaine Street that same year.

Honestly, it doesn’t look like much has changed. There have been no demolitions, but it also doesn’t look like anything has been renovated, which is bad. That mustard color below is new, I think.

Unfortunately, I think what’s happening is that land speculators are sitting on property, waiting to sell at a high price, and in the meantime what is a highly desirable area just sits, waiting redevelopment.

And rare buildings, such as this double half-flounder, could have an easy reuse. I could see this becoming a garden house that served a nice big urban farm in the vacant lot by it.

And of course there’s this house that sits vacant, the result of a tragic story which I’ve relayed before.