Here are some photos of the graffiti wall. Undeniably, there is some top shelf art here, the complicated relationship we have with graffiti here is the ‘where’. The tagging that’s taken on a new level in North City and near riverfront is damaging on so many levels.
The Whiffenpoofs, A St. Louisan's Ascent to Yale and an Interview with Emil Beckford
A life-affirming interview with a Yale student and member of the world-renowned “Whiffenpoof” a cappella group is a St. Louis native and product of the St. Louis Public Schools. He and the rest of the group are performing in town October 13-15th. Go check them out and help spread the love.
Park Name Changes
During some light research, I noticed a park name was recently changed with not much fanfare. What’s in a name, should park names be changed without public opinion? Should it come to a vote of the people? Should it be a hyper-local decision? Does it not matter at all? Here’s some thoughts on the topics.
Ballpark Village Finally Getting Residential Component
We’ve spent a lot of time on the riverfront and downtown the last few weeks. You can’t help but notice those cranes at Ballpark Village, visible from many vantage points. Here are some thoughts on the plans throughout the years, the hope and the reality of tenants announced to date. Hope springs eternal as does every baseball season.
St. Louis Skyline and Thoughts on Modernism
The Museum at the Gateway Arch - Photo Tour
Scooter Ride #5: Dr. Martin Luther King Drive East to West
I recently took a scooter ride down Martin Luther King Avenue from Downtown to the St. Louis border with Wellston, MO. The ride yielded 165 photos documenting this time and place in some struggling areas of our city. Some light discussion and photos of this important east-west street that forms a border for seventeen separate neighborhoods.
Photo Tour - Gateway Arch National Park Grounds - Part 1 of 2
Kind gestures on Russell Boulevard
Best Mexican Food in St. Louis
Parts Unknown - Missing Anthony Bourdain and His Compassionate Voice For American Cities
Shepherding The Next Generation St. Louis Sports Fans
Forest Park Avenue in Midtown
Capturing the City - Joseph Heathcott and Angela Dietz
Always a fan of trying to contextualize the current with the past St. Louis, my wife bought me a fantastic book that helps with the “then” variable in the “then and now” equation. The book and how it came about has a fascinating backstory. The content was saved from the landfill by several parties over the years.
Dana Kelly-Franks and the License Collector Office
Forest Park Community College - New Health Science Building
South Broadway Housing Projects in the Mt. Pleasant and Marine Villa Neighbhorhoods
Part 3 - How surface parking lots become common place along St. Louis' busiest streets in historic neighborhoods
Part 3 of the story that evolved at the corner of Jefferson and Ann in the McKinley Heights Neighborhood. Ever wonder how a surface parking lot fronting the streets with a building in the back gets through the city review boards? Here it is. Next step is to push for some transparency on the review process and how citizens can be best prepared to make their case to protect our city’s built environment and better urban design.