Former Most Holy Name, Attacked

Well, this is not good. I was coming from somewhere and when I drove by the former Most Holy Name Roman Catholic Church, I was startled to discover a very bad development. Much like what doomed St. Augustine’s and what has also happened at St. Mark’s, someone has stolen all of the copper flashing and…

North Up Blair Avenue, College Hill, March 2024

We cross into College Hill and look down Obear Avenue, which I looked at back in the snow of the winter of 2019. Below is the wood frame half flounder I’ve photographed many times over the years. Further north I came across that pocket of wood frame houses, which must be very, very old. Sadly,…

Updates on the Northeast Side

There has been a major collapse of the service wing of the former Jewish Orthodox Old Home. I have been tracking its deterioration, and the last time I photographed this portion of the building, in January of 2021 (second photo), it was already looking unstable. I wonder if the repeated lashing of severe weather recently…

College Hill, Late January 2023

I thought I would check in on College Hill and see what was happening. One of my favorite houses, that rare wood frame hipped roof half flounder, is still hanging on. I’ve looked at it multiple times before: spring of 2021 (seventh photo), March of 2021, in the snowy winter of 2019, November of 2016 (third photo) April of 2018 (fifth…

Good Hope M.S. Baptist Church, Revisited

I realized recently that sadly the church at West Florissant Avenue and North Grand Boulevard is clearly vacant. Formerly known as Water Tower Baptist Church, it had held out until recently, but judging from the windows that have blown open or are hanging by a single hinge, the telltale signs are clear. Like much of…

A Tour of the Sites Mentioned in the Federal Indictment

Update: As of August 26, 2022, all three former aldermen plead guilty to the allegations made by federal prosecutors and have been sentenced by a judge. The text of the following post has been updated to reflect the changes from allegations at the time of the original writing to guilty pleas. By now I’m sure…

Former St. James German Evangelisch Church

I wasn’t planning on taking any photos of St. James German Evangelisch Church when I was passing by, but the light was just so good I stopped anyway. I’ve looked at it at least twice before, once back in April of 2019 and then again in February of 2021.

Hyde Park Up To O’Fallon Park, Winter 2022

Update: The building above was destroyed by fire in December of 2022; scroll down to the bottom for images. I do the “North Up Blair Avenue” post every so often, but this time I strayed off that exact path a bit. This is the corner of North 20th and Ferry streets in the Hyde Park…

North Up Blair Avenue, Spring 2021

Every year or so, I do a “North up Blair Avenue” post, and see the state of the neighborhoods slashed on their eastern side by Interstate 70. You can see the 2018 and 2019 posts from previous years. I did it again last Saturday, and things are looking good, but also some things are staying…

College Hill, February 2021

Update: See the house above in the spring of 2021 (second to last photo). I revisited the house in the winter of 2023. See the houses above and below in March of 2024. I’m still fascinated with some of the wood frame survivors in the College Hill neighborhood, especially the house above, which I’ve looked at…