Fountain Park is Fabulous

Too many folks ignore the treasures that can be found North of Delmar. This a shame because some of the most compelling urban neighborhoods in the entire city are found on the North side. One of the best is Fountain Park.

Located on Euclid just a couple of blocks North of Delmar is this simple yet elegantly designed neighborhood around a park. You regular readers know I hate breaks in the street grid. But, every rule is meant to be broken — if done right. The oval shaped Fountain Park interrupts Euclid – drivers must go around the park to continue on Euclid. Pedestrians and bicyclists — as should be the case — are allowed to cut through the center. Fountain Park breaks the grid and in doing so it creates one of the most appealing spaces in the city. Seriously folks, if you have not seen this little gem just North of the West End you are indeed missing out.

As I said the park is oval shaped. The houses facing the park follow the oval so the facades are nicely stepped back from one to the next. These homes are quite grand without being too big. I saw only one vacant lot – an opportunity for a nice appropriately scaled modern infill. I took some pictures but I’m not sharing — I want you to see this in person.

People get all excited about buildings such as the Moolah (yes, I love it) but what I really love are neighborhood commercial buildings. At the East end of Fountain Park is one of the most spectacular:

First, the building curves to follow the street pattern. This is a lost art — most people just build square buildings these days. The composition of this building is one of the finest I’ve ever seen — anywhere. Seattle has nothing like it. Vancouver has great buildings downtown but their residential neighborhoods are a bit dull architecturally. Same for San Francisco, D.C., and most others. Scale, proportion, materials. All come together in a way that most newer buildings just don’t. This building just belongs – feeling perfectly at home with the adjacent houses. Rarely is a commercial building such a fit in a residential area.

Obviously I can see past the current condition. Hopefully you can too. The surrounding residences are being rehabbed and if someone is smart they’ll snap up this building and do a coffee house/deli/cafe/market on the ground floor. The sidewalk facing Fountain Park is just begging for outdoor dining. The old upstairs apartments would make great condos.

Only after we see past old racial lines and boards on windows will we fully realize the potential of our city. Good urbanity is colorblind.

– Steve

Getting Connected – the first step

One of my priorities as Alderman would be to get DSL coverage for all of the 25th Ward and the entire City of St. Louis. We cannot expect to compete with other city wards and the region without offering such a basic service to residents and businesses. Right now residents both West and East of Grand cannot get DSL.

I suspect SBC looked at demographics and decided our household incomes didn’t justify the expense of adding another switching station. We need to demonstrate sufficient demand to make the expense at the very least a break even proposition for SBC.

To that end I’ve been on SBC’s list for over 3 years. Every couple of months I get an email from them saying service is still not available for my phone number. But, they know I’m still interested. At times when I’ve been on the phone with SBC I’ve made it a point to remind them I’d love their DSL service but can’t get it.

Click here to go to SBC’s residential page where you can enter your phone number to check DSL availability in your area. Please get on their list to show your interest. You are under no obligation to get DSL when it becomes available. If you have multiple phone numbers or say a business in the area enter every number.

The first step is to show interest and the second step is for the Board of Aldermen to apply political pressure to get coverage for the entire City of St. Louis. We’ve got to show SBC we are here and that we matter too!

– Steve

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise…

By a vote of 26-4 the 25th Ward Democratic Club endorsed the incumbent, a former Committeewoman, at last night’s ward meeting. Nobody should be surprised.

In the Mayor’s race Francis Slay received a similar majority of votes with Irene J. Smith and Bill Haas each getting a few votes (sorry – don’t have the exact numbers).

Related Posts:
• Not Trying To Get the Ward Endorsement
• 25th Ward Committeeman Takes Exception to Arch City Chronicle
• 25th Ward Democratic Club Moves Up Endorsement Vote
• Old Ward System Has Lost Clout in City Politics

Mt. Pleasant Skate Rink

I drive past Mt. Pleasant Park all the time since I live in an adjacent block. I snapped a few pictures yesterday just before 5pm. It was clouding up but the temperature was still great for February. But where were the kids in their skate gear?

The fact is, I have yet to see a single person – kid or adult – skating here. What I have noticed is in a few short months we are already getting areas where mud & water collect.

In another area leaves & debris are collecting. Who is responsible to keep this clean? Asphalt as a material needs maintenance – regular sealing and eventually a new layer added or the old replaced.


Where did the idea for this come from? How long had this been in the works before construction started?

This morning I made a written request to Marjorie Melton who is the President of the Board of Public Service to find out the total cost of the project. As soon as I get a response I will pass along the costs of this project to the public.

– Steve

Save the Date – it is Time to Debate!

It looks as though various neighborhood leaders have managed to organize a debate between my opponent, Dorothy Kirner, and myself. The League of Women Voters will supply a moderator.

At this point the date is set for Tuesday March 1st – exactly one week prior to the March 8th primary. The time will be 7pm-9pm and location will most likely be the Gretchen Inn banquet facility on Meramec – adjacent to the related Feasting Fox.

Format and questions have not yet been determined at this point. I am open to any format the League of Women Voters determines is best for this race. Stayed tuned for more details as they become known.

– Steve