A week from today is the 10th anniversary of this blog. All month long I’ve looked back over the last decade, a week ago I posted about Some Positive Changes In The Last Ten Years.
So today I want to share negative changes from each calendar year I’ve published this blog:
Every time I see that little sculpture patch at the corner across from St. Francis Xavier, I just don’t know whether to laugh or cry. It looks so preposterous, like somebody’s backyard with the kids’ toys lying around. There’s nothing fitting or inviting or right about it, just some doodads behind a cheap, ill-mannered fence. To think of that attractive building that stood there once — poor toppled thing!
I agree, I can still remember seeing ballet dancers on an upper floor (the second) practicing through the windows. It’s been a while but I think I remember seeing a dancers bar running down the length of the room visible from the street also. Actually if you think about it, it’s good advertising to be able to see your upper story business from the street. The building would be a great entrance to Grand Center, far better than the oversized vacant lot, littered with sculptures. I see dogs in there, so it does get used. Although I’m not sure the dogs care whether they are on a major intersection or tucked away in a park somewhere else. And surely the dogs have no comments about the sculptures.
The fountain plaza across the street is just as ridiculous, it is seldom used and is mostly good for a drivers glance zooming by on Grand or Lindell.
It certainly doesn’t function as a public space. Unfortunately these type of urban failures are far too common in St. Louis.
I was looking at Toronto again, a city I’ve been to quite a few times. Even in dense downtown areas near high rises and major buildings the modest turn of the century brick several story tall commercial structures are intact and in use, just down the block, complete streets of them, not buildings isolated by parking lot after parking lot. (This likely means that Toronto has some sort of urban policy to support mixture of building types) It stands in stark contrast to St. Louis and the wanton destruction of buildings like the one that stood on this corner which have decimated what was a superb walking city.
AARP Livibility Index
The Livability Index scores neighborhoods and communities across the U.S. for the services and amenities that impact your life the most
Built St. Louis
historic architecture of St. Louis, Missouri – mourning the losses, celebrating the survivors.
Geo St. Louis
a guide to geospatial data about the City of St. Louis
The Rock Hill one is particularly disappointing especially when you consider the follow up: http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/2013/09/gas-station-replaced-rock-hill-church-built-by-slaves/ Make sure you checkout the comments section to see what happened to the “relocated” church.
Every time I see that little sculpture patch at the corner across from St. Francis Xavier, I just don’t know whether to laugh or cry. It looks so preposterous, like somebody’s backyard with the kids’ toys lying around. There’s nothing fitting or inviting or right about it, just some doodads behind a cheap, ill-mannered fence. To think of that attractive building that stood there once — poor toppled thing!
I agree, I can still remember seeing ballet dancers on an upper floor (the second) practicing through the windows. It’s been a while but I think I remember seeing a dancers bar running down the length of the room visible from the street also. Actually if you think about it, it’s good advertising to be able to see your upper story business from the street. The building would be a great entrance to Grand Center, far better than the oversized vacant lot, littered with sculptures. I see dogs in there, so it does get used. Although I’m not sure the dogs care whether they are on a major intersection or tucked away in a park somewhere else. And surely the dogs have no comments about the sculptures.
The fountain plaza across the street is just as ridiculous, it is seldom used and is mostly good for a drivers glance zooming by on Grand or Lindell.
It certainly doesn’t function as a public space. Unfortunately these type of urban failures are far too common in St. Louis.
I was looking at Toronto again, a city I’ve been to quite a few times. Even in dense downtown areas near high rises and major buildings the modest turn of the century brick several story tall commercial structures are intact and in use, just down the block, complete streets of them, not buildings isolated by parking lot after parking lot. (This likely means that Toronto has some sort of urban policy to support mixture of building types) It stands in stark contrast to St. Louis and the wanton destruction of buildings like the one that stood on this corner which have decimated what was a superb walking city.