Thursday, June 17, 2010

Slummin' It in Tower Grove East

My dearly departed neighbors in this long suffering house left behind quite the mess. It seems they didn't like getting evicted, and trashed the place on their way out.Why can't the slumlord who owns this place realize he's in the wrong line of business, and sell this poor house to someone who cares? Even in this economy, I know someone who wants to buy it who is also a responsible owner. Instead, our neighborhood is dragged down by a slumlord who has made such wonderful cosmetic changes as ripping out the stone lintels above the second floor windows, and placing a too small window in what was once a larger one.The greatest threat to the future and well-being of the City of St. Louis comes not from drug dealers or criminals, but from the "investors" who sweep into our city to make a quick buck and then hit the road, leaving a damaged neighborhood in its wake.Conversely, this last house, the first house's neighbor, is in the process of being converted into a single family house, waiting for a responsible, caring homeowner. The current owner, the rehabber, is putting hundreds of hours of work and tens of thousands of dollars into this house. Thanks for improving the neighborhood.

4 comments:

  1. how recent are those photos of the second house? is it really in bad enough shape to be condemned? so dissappointing...

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  3. Is this a housing conservation district? It should be.

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  4. Yes, it is, but housing conservation districts are meaningless in the City of St. Louis.

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A Blog detailing the beauty of St. Louis architecture and the buildup of residue-or character-that accumulates over the course of time.