I took a short look at The Ville on a bright and sweltering Saturday recently. Despite the frequent reports of doom and gloom, much of the neighborhood has a lot going for it. There are many streets that are lined with some nice in-fill, and I hope can be built in the future. I definitely…
Tag: Early Vernacular
South Broadway Houses, Revisited
I realized it had been a while since I had photographed these very old houses facing South Broadway just south of the Lemp Brewery. The house on the left above has been reoccupied, thankfully. While the old tavern in the middle still seems to be in operation. Sadly, thee building on the northern end suffered…
Ashland Avenue Between Clay Avenue and Whittier Street, South Side, The Greater Ville
After we pass by Farragut School on Ashland Avenue, things start to look a little more rough, with heavy abandonment and dilapidation. Four-family flats, built together, now sit abandoned in the weeds together. The short streets which give the north central Greater Ville its character are often filled with vacant lots and overgrowth. This corner…
The South Side, Peoria
My trip up to Central Illinois in mid June took me to all sorts of random surprises, including several new churches and other sights, and that is why I enjoy doing what I do. It is often totally random. But sometimes my totally random path takes me through neighborhoods that tell stories that I don’t…
Around Blair Avenue, Hyde Park
If you wondered what that giant forty foot deep hole looked like before it was almost completely filled in, this is what it looked like a couple of weeks ago. MSD was working to get the sewer line fixed. Interestingly, it broke in the same place one hundred years ago. I suspect, looking at old…
Illinois Avenue Between Osage and Chippewa Avenues, West Side
I had initially ignored Illinois Avenue in Marine Villa due to the presence of its little bungalows, clearly built in the mid Twentieth Century. But I finally took a look, realizing that there must be an interesting story, and simultaneously acquired an appreciation for the little guys. Starting at Osage Street on the south and…
Rehabbing and Rising Property Values, Benton Park
It’s interesting to see how property values have risen to such a level in some neighborhoods such as Benton Park and many parts of South St. Louis that even once extremely dilapidated houses are now highly valuable. I checked back in one some houses in that neighborhood and saw some dramatic changes. The old wood…
Far Southern Carondelet, Revisited May 2022
I last looked at the area I called far south Carondelet back in July of 2018, and I’m continually drawn back to the narrow streets and Civil War era housing. These buildings are on or around Davis Street, as well as Reilly Street. They are threatened however, by the encroaching of industry, which needs huge…
Old North, Revisited Winter 2022, Monroe Street Between North Florissant Avenue and North Fourteenth Streets
Heading east down Monroe Street, we come across some interesting houses that have received Formstone, which I am familiar with from living in Baltimore. I am not sure what possessed these owners to do this to their houses. This old wood frame house is not long for this world, I’ve been told. I’ve always been…
Old North, Revisited Winter 2022, North Market Between Jackson Place and North Florissant Avenue
I could have sworn I’ve photographed North Market Street west of Jackson Place before, but apparently not. There are all sorts of interesting buildings, including some in-fill. There are still some abandoned houses, as well. My friend Matt renovated the house on the right below. It is still not completely done yet, but looks great…