Fountain Park and Lewis Place North of Page

The area between Page Avenue and MLK Drive is a long suffering counterpoint to the better preserved areas to the south. This lone wood frame house is probably one of hte oldest houses on the block, built before the city came out this far.

Here and there, a few houses are left, and they're owned by fiercely proud people, several of who I had the opportunity to talk to while I was in the area touring the tornado damage last year.

Vacant lots, some with freshly planted grass, show that there has been substantial loss to the built environment. At what point does it become so degraded that everyone moves out? I've seen completely abandoned blocks further into the city.

But the good news is that the majestic church down the block serves as a reminder of what had been, and what can be here again. Well maintained and occupied, it's the type of structure that can anchor the revived neighborhood.

The Patina on Just One House, Lewis Place Neighborhood

This is just one humble house on just another street in St. Louis, but just looking at the outside raises numerous questions, and wonder at how many stories it could tell. When did the porch get put in? When did the fake stone go up? When were the doors replaced? When was it abandoned? Who first built it?

The Neighborhoods Around Lewis Place

North St. Louis is just one gigantic wasteland, right? Wrong, particularly just north of the Central West End, around the historic Lewis Place, the streets are lined with houses just as stately as those to the south of Delmar.

In fact, the entire western end of the city, stretching to the city limits, was once the wealthiest part of the city. While Lafayette Square was full of boarding houses and factories, its wealthy residents long departed, the areas around the West End teamed with some of the most important leaders in St. Louis industry, including the DeWitts, who lived on West Cabanne Place.

These neighborhoods survived suburban flight, but they're now at a critical stage where many of the residents, having bought the houses in the 1960's, are now passing away or moving out of the neighborhood. As with all neighborhoods, the question remains: who will replace them? Will young, energetic people move in and update the houses for the new millennium, or will suburban slumlords buy them and turn them into decrepit rental properties that breed crime?

Tan Brick Up North in the West End

I live on the south side; its north and south streets make it hard to get a sense of place sometimes in relation to downtown, unless you're on Gravois. But up north, the street grid is actually aligned not with the cardinal directions, but rather logically with the shortest, "as the crow flies" route. And because of that, the streets and avenues of the north side often times provide you with fantastic views of downtown.

Likewise, out by Fountain Park, Lewis Place and the West End (not to be confused with the Central West End), the brick starts to change from that ubiquitous red to tan.

Obviously, tastes and styles change, but I almost wonder if brick manufacturers throughout St. Louis felt that need to compete and try to find the next trend in brick. Regardless, it's an interesting change of pace to see an area so full of non-red brick buildings.

Even the red brick has evolved on this magnificent former synagogue; the brick has a different, richer red surface coat compared to the classical red brick deeper in the city.

Mansion, Lewis Place

I have no idea really what to call the style of house shown in these pictures. Eclectic? Neo-Classical?Regardless, the house has some amazing detail, giving the house a distinct appearance.