Update: The building above, a former funeral home, was damaged by fire on July 16, 2020. See it and its neighbors post-fire in this post from October of 2020. The fire damage has now been repaired, as of the winter of 2022.

The intersection of Grand and Gravois can be a bit intimidating, but looking closer, it’s a teaming, vibrant mass of humanity of people from all over the world. What do the people from other countries, now making their home in the neighborhoods around South Grand, think of their built environment?

The Afghan market is a great example of an entrepreneur rebuilding after his other shop burned last year. He’s back, and still in the neighborhood.

I love this terracotta element shop on Gravois; centuries after brick was first made in St. Louis, the red clay is still influencing the appearance of this city.