Enjoying the weather Sunday afternoon, my parents and I decided to check out our favorite place for ridicule, Ladue just south of Clayton Road. We were not disappointed; we saw our favorite McMansion in the whole wide world off of Warson Road, which you can see above.
Here are a couple of other beauties that replaced the original houses in this area.
Finally, we took a spin over to Huntleigh, where we filmed some exclusive video:
Driving up Jefferson Avenue Saturday, I spied this forlorn relic of the high density living that once existed in North St. Louis. This alley house, which would have been built in the alley of a pre-existing house along the street, still survives. The front is lightly decorated, because it would have been visible from the street, as the main house was offset on the lot.
Looking at old Sanborn Insurance Maps, we can spot the alley house with its streetside partner, and from Bing, we can see an aerial view of the now devastated landscape. James Cool Papa Bell Avenue was once named Dickson, and the alley house is right next to the label for Alley 971
While photographing this house, two women in a car stopped and asked me if I was working for Paul McKee. I assured them I was not, and told them I was greatly distressed by his actions. They seemed well informed, which is a necessity if the residents of North St. Louis want to get a favorable outcome from the St. Charles developer.
The old funeral home on St. Louis Place is coming down fast, with little evidence that anyone can stop it.
How long before these two beautiful walls are harvested for their brick?
Finally, brick theft has come to the Clemens Mansion, albeit only to the exterior wall of the compound at this point.
The Ettrick Apartments are well on their way to becoming a hole in the ground.
A large black tarp attempts to keep dust from entering the nearby parking garage.
The Schoenberg Nurses Residence Hall, a small building, sits weeks from demolition presumably. Kept intact for the Greek Fest, its days are numbered.
The St. Louis College of Pharmacy residence hall is under demolition as well.
Perhaps one could argue that the demolition of buildings are new ones (one day, for a couple of the sites) could be seen as a sign of prosperity in the Central West End, what is being built in the demolished buildings' place does not possess the same charm as what was there before.
I realized while photographing the San Luis demolition site that the two men in the computer mock-up of the new "green" parking lot are clearly checking out the woman walking away from them. Very classy, guys.
A year or so after the demolition of the Central Apartments, Grand Center has done nothing to revitalize this sad block of Olive Street on the west side of Midtown.
Above, the Continental Building shows how rehabbing apartments can be successful, while below, the empty lot shows the lack of vision in demolishing the perfectly fine Central Apartments.
The wreckers were so lazy on this house that a noticeable hollow sits where a house once sat.
