Where is Downtown St. Louis? KMOV Needs to Know
It seems the local media has no clue where downtown is, or isn’t. Or they just think it’s much much larger than it actually is. A story from this morning:
“ST. LOUIS (KMOV)– A man is shot and killed for allegedly trying to break into a home in downtown St. Louis.
This happened around 1 a.m. Monday in the 5600 block of Maple.”
Really? 5600 block of Maple in downtown St. Louis? Reporter Robin Smith correctly says north St.Louis in the video report but the online report said downtown (corrected following my tweet). Google Maps shows the distance from KMOV’s downtown studios as a 21 minute, 6.5 mile drive. Downtown? Past Saint Louis University, past Grand Center, past the Central West End — nearly to Page & Goodfellow. Â Downtown huh?
Who types this stuff? Do they have editors? Are they all from Chesterfield or further where the view is the city limits is synonymous with downtown? I don’t care what the excuse is,I want them to get their stories correct. It’s no wonder I meet people who are afraid to come downtown — all they here is every bad thing that happens in the City of St. Louis is in “downtown.”
– Steve Patterson
It fits the narrative of don’t go downtown it is dangerous. Local news will do anything to discourage people from living or visiting the city.
It fits the narrative of don’t go downtown it is dangerous. Local news will do anything to discourage people from living or visiting the city.
This just reinforces the negative conotation that the City is a bad place full of evil people….except of course when those people want to come visit our zoo, museums, fairs, bars, and the list goes on and on and on.
We have a relative that lives in Kirkwood. She won’t visit us in the City. She proudly told us once that they don’t have crime out there, we don’t have ‘those type of people’, etc. Within a few months of that comment, Devlin was found, their mayor was shot. She still doesn’t visit, but at least she no longer makes such stupid, bigoted comments.
Come back to the City folks. It’s safe and it’s fun!
This just reinforces the negative conotation that the City is a bad place full of evil people….except of course when those people want to come visit our zoo, museums, fairs, bars, and the list goes on and on and on.
We have a relative that lives in Kirkwood. She won’t visit us in the City. She proudly told us once that they don’t have crime out there, we don’t have ‘those type of people’, etc. Within a few months of that comment, Devlin was found, their mayor was shot. She still doesn’t visit, but at least she no longer makes such stupid, bigoted comments.
Come back to the City folks. It’s safe and it’s fun!
Ouch Moe, Kirkwood people read this, too you know.
Ouch Moe, Kirkwood people read this, too you know.
Ouch Moe, Kirkwood people read this, too you know.
lori, not sure how moe’s comment about his relative who happens to live in kirkwood has anything to do with anyone else who happens to live in kirkwood…
If it’s east of I-170 (“the inner belt”), it’s “downtown”! Or, is it Kingshighway?
If it’s east of I-170 (“the inner belt”), it’s “downtown”! Or, is it Kingshighway?
The County-oriented media doesn’t know the location of ‘downtown?’ (Never mind the inherent issues of social and spatial representation concerning boundary and territory.) Maybe I’d value your indignation if more than a handful of St. Louis urbanists could name a neighborhood north of Delmar – or if someone spoke up when St. Louis Magazine crafted a nightlife guide to the City that ignored anything in North City. You feel misrepresented? Give me a break. How about that entire half of the urban corpus that goes unrecognized except for violence, poverty, and pathology? I lived in St. Louis for three years and found North St. Louis to be a far more vibrant and urban area than anything South St. Louis had to offer. Start recognizing the dignity of your entire city and maybe the rest of the region will recognize you with the dignity you feel you deserve.
The County-oriented media doesn’t know the location of ‘downtown?’ (Never mind the inherent issues of social and spatial representation concerning boundary and territory.) Maybe I’d value your indignation if more than a handful of St. Louis urbanists could name a neighborhood north of Delmar – or if someone spoke up when St. Louis Magazine crafted a nightlife guide to the City that ignored anything in North City. You feel misrepresented? Give me a break. How about that entire half of the urban corpus that goes unrecognized except for violence, poverty, and pathology? I lived in St. Louis for three years and found North St. Louis to be a far more vibrant and urban area than anything South St. Louis had to offer. Start recognizing the dignity of your entire city and maybe the rest of the region will recognize you with the dignity you feel you deserve.
I lived in north St. Louis for three years (1991-94) and worked at Union & I-70 for 5 years. I have spent a lot of time there and have written many posts about north St. Louis.
I’m certainly aware of your work and I am proud that you highlight the City as a whole – but you are the exception. Language can enfranchise and disenfrachise, I believe we should at least be consistent in our considerations of ‘fair representation.’
I think educated, privileged people who are able to move freely in and out of such ‘vibrant’ areas would have a different perspective than someone who has lost another to violence and drugs, can’t sell their home, can’t get a job, or afford rent in other places. North St. Louis is hardly a vibrant urban area but rather a pretty good example of everything wrong in America.
The fact that ‘St. Louisans’ (people need ro redefine who gets the label) and its media are ignorant of their own geography should be factored into population forecasts.
I grew up in Webster Groves and now live in the City. Have family and friends in Webster Groves, Shrewsbury, Crestwood, Kirkwood, Ballwin, Manchester, Wild Wood, Jennings, Florissant, University City, as well as places east of St. Louis City. The City works for me and my family at this time in our lives. We don’t regret it one bit. And what do they say expatriate….no good deed goes noticed? Steve did post to discuss so that is what I did. I just wish others would not lump the entire city as one bad apple.
I lived in north St. Louis for three years (1991-94) and worked at Union & I-70 for 5 years. I have spent a lot of time there and have written many posts about north St. Louis.
A West County friend and I were recently in Soulard and she kept referring to the area as downtown, and made comments about how I live and work downtown (I do in fact work downtown, but I live in Dutchtown). She just thinks of all of St. City if downtown. It is crazy to me that people can group St. Louis Hills, Dutchtown, The Grove, Downtown, Soulard etc all together… such different areas!Â
A West County friend and I were recently in Soulard and she kept referring to the area as downtown, and made comments about how I live and work downtown (I do in fact work downtown, but I live in Dutchtown). She just thinks of all of St. City if downtown. It is crazy to me that people can group St. Louis Hills, Dutchtown, The Grove, Downtown, Soulard etc all together… such different areas!
lori, not sure how moe’s comment about his relative who happens to live in kirkwood has anything to do with anyone else who happens to live in kirkwood…
I think this usage is a testimony to urban sprawl. Anything in the urban core is “downtown”, whether on Market Street or Willmore Road. It is indicative of how removed (literally and otherwise) from the City of St. Louis many people in this region are, rather than an intentional slight or insult.
Years ago a developer addressing the LCRA Board continually referred to Hampton and 44 as “downtown” until the annoyed and confused chairman told him to knock it off.
I think this usage is a testimony to urban sprawl. Anything in the urban core is “downtown”, whether on Market Street or Willmore Road. It is indicative of how removed (literally and otherwise) from the City of St. Louis many people in this region are, rather than an intentional slight or insult.
Years ago a developer addressing the LCRA Board continually referred to Hampton and 44 as “downtown” until the annoyed and confused chairman told him to knock it off.
I’m certainly aware of your work and I am proud that you highlight the City as a whole – but you are the exception. Language can enfranchise and disenfrachise, I believe we should at least be consistent in our considerations of ‘fair representation.’
I grew up in Webster Groves and now live in the City. Have family and friends in Webster Groves, Shrewsbury, Crestwood, Kirkwood, Ballwin, Manchester, Wild Wood, Jennings, Florissant, University City, as well as places east of St. Louis City. The City works for me and my family at this time in our lives. We don’t regret it one bit. And what do they say expatriate….no good deed goes noticed?  Steve did post to discuss so that is what I did.  I just wish others would not lump the entire city as one bad apple.
Unbelievable! I can mmmaybe excuse national media outlets like Architect magazine placing the Flying Saucer “downtown” in its coverage of the preservation efforts, but this is a local news station!! How long does it take to use Google Maps, or spelling and grammar checks, for that matter. Online media is notorious for hastily publishing all kinds of errors.
Unbelievable! I can mmmaybe excuse national media outlets like Architect magazine placing the Flying Saucer “downtown” in its coverage of the preservation efforts, but this is a local news station!! How long does it take to use Google Maps, or spelling and grammar checks, for that matter. Online media is notorious for hastily publishing all kinds of errors.
Chesterfield people stay OUT OF ST. LOUIS. YOU ARE RUINING OUR CITY. I’m sick of west county bias.Â
Chesterfield people stay OUT OF ST. LOUIS. YOU ARE RUINING OUR CITY. I’m sick of west county bias.
I think educated, privileged people who are able to move freely in and out of such ‘vibrant’ areas would have a different perspective than someone who has lost another to violence and drugs, can’t sell their home, can’t get a job, or afford rent in other places. North St. Louis is hardly a vibrant urban area but rather a pretty good example of everything wrong in America.
The fact that ‘St. Louisans’ (people need ro redefine who gets the label) and its media are ignorant of their own geography should be factored into population forecasts.
This happens other places as well. We moved to Alexandria, VA and I work in DC. When we first moved, I noticed some people would refer to anything in the district as “downtown”. It’s not just a STL thing, but I think a suburban isolationist thing.
PS – Miss my friends in the Lou. Keep up the good work.
This happens other places as well. We moved to Alexandria, VA and I work in DC. When we first moved, I noticed some people would refer to anything in the district as “downtown”. It’s not just a STL thing, but I think a suburban isolationist thing.
PS – Miss my friends in the Lou. Keep up the good work.