RSS Feed
- TGE
- Breathe & Let Go
- N. Grand & 20th
- New for '08
- Family Values
- Makin' Dough?
- Stop
- Walk Of Shame
- Ballpark Village
- The Future
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- October 2007
- December 2007
- January 2008
- February 2008
- March 2008
- April 2008
- Current Posts
I'm off to NYC early tomorrow morning. It's the trip I've been waiting years to take and I'm hoping a city I've only visited in dreams can somehow live up to my expectations. I have a feeling I'm going to love it and not want to come back...see you Sunday!
Switzer Building to be demolished.
I almost vomited when I read this article.
The huge Chesterfield Valley mega strip mall is less than 10 miles away from O'Fallon's new development. Sheesh, all O'Fallon & St. Peters consist of are strip malls, a lot of them empty, and now O'Fallon is going ahead with this monstrosity?
Talk about regionalism and smart development. Basically, STC county wants to yell a big "Fuck you!" to STL county.
I half expect St. Charles County to release a video entitled "Developers Gone Wild."
The huge Chesterfield Valley mega strip mall is less than 10 miles away from O'Fallon's new development. Sheesh, all O'Fallon & St. Peters consist of are strip malls, a lot of them empty, and now O'Fallon is going ahead with this monstrosity?
Talk about regionalism and smart development. Basically, STC county wants to yell a big "Fuck you!" to STL county.
I half expect St. Charles County to release a video entitled "Developers Gone Wild."
Curiosity...
...got the best of me.
I had to know what was hiding behind the ugly red wallboard and painted wallpaper. Now I know. I hate my kitchen, it's the only hideously decorated section in my house. I don't know what the people who owned this place before me were thinking.
My plans? Well, I think I'm going to install wainscoting on the lower 2/3rds of the wall. Easy. As for the old plaster that I can't scrape off and the cracking, well, crazy as it sounds, I like the texture those things are giving to the wall, so I'm thinking of filling what cracks I can and then doing some sort of color wash. I think I'll paint the portion of the wall that isn't covered with the white wainscoting a browny-red, then use a darker version of that color and wash it over the wall so the darker paint catches the irregularities of the wall.
Ideally this is what I'm looking for, just with more texture showing.
Any suggestions from remodeling pros always welcome.
...got the best of me.
I had to know what was hiding behind the ugly red wallboard and painted wallpaper. Now I know. I hate my kitchen, it's the only hideously decorated section in my house. I don't know what the people who owned this place before me were thinking.
My plans? Well, I think I'm going to install wainscoting on the lower 2/3rds of the wall. Easy. As for the old plaster that I can't scrape off and the cracking, well, crazy as it sounds, I like the texture those things are giving to the wall, so I'm thinking of filling what cracks I can and then doing some sort of color wash. I think I'll paint the portion of the wall that isn't covered with the white wainscoting a browny-red, then use a darker version of that color and wash it over the wall so the darker paint catches the irregularities of the wall.
Ideally this is what I'm looking for, just with more texture showing.
Any suggestions from remodeling pros always welcome.
I witnessed my first criminal act this morning at the intersection of Kingshighway and Southwest. I saw it coming before it happened.
I approached the intersection as the traffic light turned yellow. The SUV in front of me was already in the middle of the intersection on yellow when a broken down, gray car traveling northbound on Kingshighway slammed into the red SUV. The SUV spun and the car that hit her rolled backwards and knocked down the traffic signal in front of the Don Brown car dealership on the eastern side of Kingshighway.
There was strange moment of quiet after the wreck happened that lasted no more than a second.
"The guy's going to run."
That thought had barely just registered with me when the driver's side door of the gray car popped open and a young man took off east on Southwest. The police were hot on the man's trail. 3 of 4 police cars had pulled into the intersection a split second after the man started to run and a foot pursuit ensued.
The driver of the red SUV that had been hit stepped out of her car a moved to the sidewalk, she was clearly shaken. Drivers got out of their cars, cell phones glued to their ears, as the woman stood on the sidewalk looking dazed.
The light turned green and I was allowed to continue on my way to work, so I did. As I drove down Southwest towards 44 the police had apprehended the criminal who had hit an innocent passerby in his quest to escape punishment. I wanted to yell some obscenity out the window to let this guy know he's a complete asshole, but he probably already knows that and doesn't really care. He almost killed someone and he fled the scene...he's probably done it before and will most likely do it again.
I hope the woman who was hit is OK, and I hope the man who hit her is prosecuted and dealt a harsh sentence. To the STLPD I offer congratulations for getting the guy...not exactly the best way to start the morning for me or anybody who witnessed this.
I approached the intersection as the traffic light turned yellow. The SUV in front of me was already in the middle of the intersection on yellow when a broken down, gray car traveling northbound on Kingshighway slammed into the red SUV. The SUV spun and the car that hit her rolled backwards and knocked down the traffic signal in front of the Don Brown car dealership on the eastern side of Kingshighway.
There was strange moment of quiet after the wreck happened that lasted no more than a second.
"The guy's going to run."
That thought had barely just registered with me when the driver's side door of the gray car popped open and a young man took off east on Southwest. The police were hot on the man's trail. 3 of 4 police cars had pulled into the intersection a split second after the man started to run and a foot pursuit ensued.
The driver of the red SUV that had been hit stepped out of her car a moved to the sidewalk, she was clearly shaken. Drivers got out of their cars, cell phones glued to their ears, as the woman stood on the sidewalk looking dazed.
The light turned green and I was allowed to continue on my way to work, so I did. As I drove down Southwest towards 44 the police had apprehended the criminal who had hit an innocent passerby in his quest to escape punishment. I wanted to yell some obscenity out the window to let this guy know he's a complete asshole, but he probably already knows that and doesn't really care. He almost killed someone and he fled the scene...he's probably done it before and will most likely do it again.
I hope the woman who was hit is OK, and I hope the man who hit her is prosecuted and dealt a harsh sentence. To the STLPD I offer congratulations for getting the guy...not exactly the best way to start the morning for me or anybody who witnessed this.
I was disheartened to hear that the state has decided to strip the SLPS of its accreditation today. Giving control to the state, and naming a developer from Chesterfield as the head of the SLPS's, in my opinion, is a mind-boggling and awful idea. Beyond awful.
Mayor Slay's support of this take over has caused me to re-evaluate my support for him. I used to think he was good for the City, and while I think he's done some good things, I'm beginning to realize he may be a big part of our city's problem.
The state controls our police department and now our school's, that's not something to be proud of Mr. Mayor. What's next? The citizen's of St. Louis City should choose who is on the school board and vote out who they're unhappy with. You were among many who were instrumental in taking that choice away from us. Your lack of (and perhaps misguided) leadership in regards to the SLPS speaks volumes to me.
Mayor Slay's support of this take over has caused me to re-evaluate my support for him. I used to think he was good for the City, and while I think he's done some good things, I'm beginning to realize he may be a big part of our city's problem.
The state controls our police department and now our school's, that's not something to be proud of Mr. Mayor. What's next? The citizen's of St. Louis City should choose who is on the school board and vote out who they're unhappy with. You were among many who were instrumental in taking that choice away from us. Your lack of (and perhaps misguided) leadership in regards to the SLPS speaks volumes to me.
Us creative types compromise our creative integrity when we make a living doing what we love. It's a fact of life. Designers, architects and everybody in between must make compromises and whore out their creative soul to ensure that they can pay next month's rent. I've done it tons of times. We do it because we want to do what we love and there are some things we're willing to accept so we can be employed in the creative arts. I've created the most god awful brochures you've ever put your eyes on just because it's what the client wanted. Creating those brochures almost killed me, and I tried to talk the client into something a bit more sophisticated, but in the end, it comes down to getting paid...or not.
I have walked away from a job or two and I didn't feel guilty about it. I quit my last job because, among other things, I couldn't support the mission of the company. But, for the most part, yeah...I "compromise".
I think a lot of architects have been in those same compromising positions. They want to do good design, they try to convince their client that good urban design is important to the fabric of a city, but in the end it comes down to having a developer tell them what retailers want and don't want. Most developers aren't visionaries, they think in a very small (or big, depending on the development) box, so I'm sure the design process for these architects is extremely frustrating.
A lot of people are quick to blame architects for some of the crap being built in the city, but I bet a lot of those same architects are being forced to crank out some pretty crappy stuff because they have a family that needs to be fed. Developers want cheap and they want their product on the market fast. Not really a formula that inspires great design.
Today someone told me a story about an architect who refused to do some things a client wanted her to do. It was against her personal code, and she let the client know straight up that she wasn't the architect for that particular client. That takes guts and a company that will support your decision. Unfortunately, not many of us work for corporations so supportive or understanding.
As "creatives", I firmly believe part of our job is informing clients what is and isn't good design. I don't say that with conceit or arrogance, and good design is certainly subjective, but there are some basic principles to excellent design that will always be true. Sometimes we are rich, or brave, enough to fight for those principles...but most of the time, mortgage payments get in the way.
I have walked away from a job or two and I didn't feel guilty about it. I quit my last job because, among other things, I couldn't support the mission of the company. But, for the most part, yeah...I "compromise".
I think a lot of architects have been in those same compromising positions. They want to do good design, they try to convince their client that good urban design is important to the fabric of a city, but in the end it comes down to having a developer tell them what retailers want and don't want. Most developers aren't visionaries, they think in a very small (or big, depending on the development) box, so I'm sure the design process for these architects is extremely frustrating.
A lot of people are quick to blame architects for some of the crap being built in the city, but I bet a lot of those same architects are being forced to crank out some pretty crappy stuff because they have a family that needs to be fed. Developers want cheap and they want their product on the market fast. Not really a formula that inspires great design.
Today someone told me a story about an architect who refused to do some things a client wanted her to do. It was against her personal code, and she let the client know straight up that she wasn't the architect for that particular client. That takes guts and a company that will support your decision. Unfortunately, not many of us work for corporations so supportive or understanding.
As "creatives", I firmly believe part of our job is informing clients what is and isn't good design. I don't say that with conceit or arrogance, and good design is certainly subjective, but there are some basic principles to excellent design that will always be true. Sometimes we are rich, or brave, enough to fight for those principles...but most of the time, mortgage payments get in the way.
I think one of my new favorite views of downtown is from the big high ramp that connects 44 to 55. I wish I wasn't driving so I could pull over and take a photo. I like looking at the skyline from the south, it's an interesting way to view it.
Downtown needs to start on a comprehensive streetscape improvement plan yesterday. I don't think downtown looks or feels "dirty", but it does feel "tired". Some new sidewalks, street trees and colorful plantings would go a long way in dressing up downtown streets.
Memorial Drive is disgusting, I can't believe that mess is what welcomes visitors to St. Louis' national monument. Embarassing. 4th street, as it stands now, is just a mess. North of Market, there is too much going on visually and the way finding could use a touch up. I believe around Olive and 4th there is a directional highway sign that looks to have originally been freestanding. It currently hangs crooked from a light post with a metal pole from its freestanding days dangling behind the blue highway shield. This sign is right by the Adam's Mark Hotel...not exactly a nice sight for tourists, or downtown workers for that matter.
4th street has a few hotels along it, so it seems to me this street would be tree-lined and decked out with flowers. Not so. And there seems to be plenty of room for these improvements. The sidewalk around Gentry's Landing feels awfully wide. Some color on the eastern half of 4th street might offset the sterile, stone plaza that sits outside the Federal Reserve at Locust and 4th. Blech, is that plaza nasty.
Broadway could use similar treatments. The improvements made around the Marquette Building are nice, perhaps a street plan could take cues from this redeveloped area? From Chestnut to Washington, Memorial Drive to Tucker, I'd like to see all the sidewalks and streets improved. Big dreams, but someone should work on making it happen.
I do appreciate the downtown guides and street cleaners. It's nice to see those guys out there with a broom and dustpan.
I think what Downtown streets need are just a punch of color...and maybe that will come now that we are headed into spring.
Memorial Drive is disgusting, I can't believe that mess is what welcomes visitors to St. Louis' national monument. Embarassing. 4th street, as it stands now, is just a mess. North of Market, there is too much going on visually and the way finding could use a touch up. I believe around Olive and 4th there is a directional highway sign that looks to have originally been freestanding. It currently hangs crooked from a light post with a metal pole from its freestanding days dangling behind the blue highway shield. This sign is right by the Adam's Mark Hotel...not exactly a nice sight for tourists, or downtown workers for that matter.
4th street has a few hotels along it, so it seems to me this street would be tree-lined and decked out with flowers. Not so. And there seems to be plenty of room for these improvements. The sidewalk around Gentry's Landing feels awfully wide. Some color on the eastern half of 4th street might offset the sterile, stone plaza that sits outside the Federal Reserve at Locust and 4th. Blech, is that plaza nasty.
Broadway could use similar treatments. The improvements made around the Marquette Building are nice, perhaps a street plan could take cues from this redeveloped area? From Chestnut to Washington, Memorial Drive to Tucker, I'd like to see all the sidewalks and streets improved. Big dreams, but someone should work on making it happen.
I do appreciate the downtown guides and street cleaners. It's nice to see those guys out there with a broom and dustpan.
I think what Downtown streets need are just a punch of color...and maybe that will come now that we are headed into spring.
I am getting tired of hearing about the Highway 40 reconstruction. Being St. Louis "journalists", it's not surprising that most media outlets in this town are heralding the reconstruction of the highway as the region's doomsday. Look, I know the reconstruction is going to cause headaches, and area businesses have every right to be concerned, but drivers in the area need to toughen up and deal with the choices they've made.
From the same article:
I just can't sympathize with these drivers. We all make choices, and if you choose to "live in" your car, or live a good distance from your job, school, whatever, then you've got to accept that there could be consequences that come with that choice. Highway construction is a fact of life. Aside from that, if you can't figure out how to get to downtown from Creve Couer without getting on 40 than you deserve to have a long commute time. Looking at a regional map, downtown St. Louis truly is where all major roads and highways converge.
You know, the reconstruction may give drivers an opportunity to rediscover the oldest parts of St. Louis County and the City by getting them off the highways and into some of these great municipalities/neighborhoods. I realize not many are really going to take in the scenery when they're fuming about not being able to go 80 miles an hour, but maybe a few people will be able to take in a few things that they've missed.
I don't know, it's interesting that drivers who complain about the construction don't see how they are partly to blame for the problems that make reconstruction of Highway 40 necessary. I'm going to be inconvenienced as well. Getting to my parents house in St. Charles County will take a bit longer, but I only go out there once a week, so it's not that big of a deal. More importantly, I choose to live less than 6 miles away from my job and highways aren't a necessity for me.
"Those of us who spend our lives in the car are terrified we won't be able to go anywhere," said one poor driver in a recent PD article.
From the same article:
That means for two years, Terry Frank of Creve Coeur won't be able to use Highway 40 as his straight shot downtown.
"I have no clue how I'm going to get to work," said Frank, managing director of Century Securities. "It's going to take two to three times longer to get back and forth."
I just can't sympathize with these drivers. We all make choices, and if you choose to "live in" your car, or live a good distance from your job, school, whatever, then you've got to accept that there could be consequences that come with that choice. Highway construction is a fact of life. Aside from that, if you can't figure out how to get to downtown from Creve Couer without getting on 40 than you deserve to have a long commute time. Looking at a regional map, downtown St. Louis truly is where all major roads and highways converge.
You know, the reconstruction may give drivers an opportunity to rediscover the oldest parts of St. Louis County and the City by getting them off the highways and into some of these great municipalities/neighborhoods. I realize not many are really going to take in the scenery when they're fuming about not being able to go 80 miles an hour, but maybe a few people will be able to take in a few things that they've missed.
I don't know, it's interesting that drivers who complain about the construction don't see how they are partly to blame for the problems that make reconstruction of Highway 40 necessary. I'm going to be inconvenienced as well. Getting to my parents house in St. Charles County will take a bit longer, but I only go out there once a week, so it's not that big of a deal. More importantly, I choose to live less than 6 miles away from my job and highways aren't a necessity for me.
"City living...suburban style!" the ad in the apartment guide proclaimed.
I couldn't stop laughing. It is now one of my all time favorite marketing speak phrases, along with "Urban living...in the suburbs." I find these types of headlines a bit transparent. It's kind of obvious, to me anyway, that any form of the word "suburb" is meant to imply "safer" or "better" than the urban environment these developments reside in or emulate.
I couldn't stop laughing. It is now one of my all time favorite marketing speak phrases, along with "Urban living...in the suburbs." I find these types of headlines a bit transparent. It's kind of obvious, to me anyway, that any form of the word "suburb" is meant to imply "safer" or "better" than the urban environment these developments reside in or emulate.
"Who lives here?" was the question asked as we drove down Washington Avenue this afternoon.
It was a question asked with a sort of disbelief that any of the buildings along Washington had residents in them. They were just pretty facades, I suppose. The question did get me thinking though. There are lots of lofts under construction along downtown's "hippest" avenue, but the development of many of them seem to be progressing at a snails pace. The Bogen, for instance, seems to be at the same place in its development today as it was a year ago. Same for the Avienda.
West of about 18th street development seems to be moving along. There were quite a few developments I'd read about but hadn't seen yet. I think this area, if momentum continues, has the best chance of being something special. I can easily see rehabs mixed with new construction in this area...and infill is desperately needed here. The west loft district looks really promising, I'm hopefully everything continues to go well in this sometimes overlooked area.
It was a question asked with a sort of disbelief that any of the buildings along Washington had residents in them. They were just pretty facades, I suppose. The question did get me thinking though. There are lots of lofts under construction along downtown's "hippest" avenue, but the development of many of them seem to be progressing at a snails pace. The Bogen, for instance, seems to be at the same place in its development today as it was a year ago. Same for the Avienda.
West of about 18th street development seems to be moving along. There were quite a few developments I'd read about but hadn't seen yet. I think this area, if momentum continues, has the best chance of being something special. I can easily see rehabs mixed with new construction in this area...and infill is desperately needed here. The west loft district looks really promising, I'm hopefully everything continues to go well in this sometimes overlooked area.
The Arch is looking awfully dirty these days. I remember hearing somewhere that some mysterious stains are showing up on the stainless steel skin of the Arch and it only seems to be getting worse. A few days ago as I was driving by, I noticed that the Arch looked like it was in desperate need of a bath.
Hopefully the National Park Service gets to the bottom of this and restores the shiny, steel surface of our City's most famous monument.
Hopefully the National Park Service gets to the bottom of this and restores the shiny, steel surface of our City's most famous monument.
This afternoon I had to visit an office about 3 blocks away from my building. As I headed west on Locust from Broadway, I couldn't help but think that there should be way more people on the street. I was the sole pedestrian on the sidewalk for much of my trip. When people say St. Louis Centre creates a void of activity downtown, they aren't lying. The huge, empty hulk of a building just sits there dark and foreboding. I'm not sure what the building that faces the mall on its Locust side is called, but it too appears to be vacant, or at the very least underutilized. When you reach Macy's there's a bit (just a little bit) more life, the department store's window displays add much needed color and excitement to the streetscape.
There's not much activity outside the Old Post Office other than the construction of the garage and the rehabilitation of the Syndicate building across the street. It seems that the construction downtown is hurting street life. Maybe once it's all done we'll see more people on the street.
I was fascinated by the thin, black net that has been draped over the facade of the Old Post Office to keep pigeons off the building. I thought the solution was just great. You barely can see the net, and the net is a much better option than the solution of a row of nails over every window or doing nothing and seeing bird shit all over a beautiful building. I think some other buildings downtown might want to look into this "pigeon solution", it's quite clever and pretty much invisible.
There's not much activity outside the Old Post Office other than the construction of the garage and the rehabilitation of the Syndicate building across the street. It seems that the construction downtown is hurting street life. Maybe once it's all done we'll see more people on the street.
I was fascinated by the thin, black net that has been draped over the facade of the Old Post Office to keep pigeons off the building. I thought the solution was just great. You barely can see the net, and the net is a much better option than the solution of a row of nails over every window or doing nothing and seeing bird shit all over a beautiful building. I think some other buildings downtown might want to look into this "pigeon solution", it's quite clever and pretty much invisible.
Even though my days seem to be blending into one long week, I found the time to vote today...and I cast my vote for Shrewsbury. I've been reading various newspapers and blogs and after getting little useful information, I made a decision based mostly on a gut feeling and the ads that both candidates have been running recently.
I disagree with Shrewsbury on a few issues, most recently his stance on the BJC lease irritated me. However, I think for the most part Shrewsbury ran a sort of informative and positive campaign up until the end and Reed's first "crime" postcard turned me off to him immediately. I don't like fear mongering, I just want facts and I failed to get many of them from Reed's (or Shrewsbury's, for that matter) literature.
To be honest, I didn't want to vote for either one and wish there would've been a better third choice, but that option wasn't in the cards so I played what I was dealt.
I disagree with Shrewsbury on a few issues, most recently his stance on the BJC lease irritated me. However, I think for the most part Shrewsbury ran a sort of informative and positive campaign up until the end and Reed's first "crime" postcard turned me off to him immediately. I don't like fear mongering, I just want facts and I failed to get many of them from Reed's (or Shrewsbury's, for that matter) literature.
To be honest, I didn't want to vote for either one and wish there would've been a better third choice, but that option wasn't in the cards so I played what I was dealt.
I've made a decision and I know who I want to be the President of the Board of Aldermen. Have you made up your mind?
I have discovered the secret (or maybe not so secret) design element that is guaranteed to sell homes. It's so simple it almost alluded me, but today my eyes locked onto that special something that will sell homes as I drove into St. Charles County via Page Avenue.
The secret? Add as many roof peaks as possible to any home or apartment building. The more triangular your roof, the more peaks, valleys and layers the better. Follow this principle and you will sell homes. Absolutely no flat surfaces permitted!
The secret? Add as many roof peaks as possible to any home or apartment building. The more triangular your roof, the more peaks, valleys and layers the better. Follow this principle and you will sell homes. Absolutely no flat surfaces permitted!
I spent some of my afternoon at the St. Louis Landmarks Association doing research for a work project. I could've spent all day in that cozy, little office looking through the pictures and books. The amount of information collected in that office is amazing, you could literally lose yourself for days. There were a few city maps that I wanted to rip off the wall and take with me, they were fascinating.
Surrounded by decades & centuries worth of history really brought home the fact that I live in a City full of old stories, successes and failures. It's painful to look at what St. Louis was, what's been lost. You kind of scratch your head and wonder what the thought process was of those in charge. The more things change...
So I was having a decent afternoon until I got home a saw a corner of my flat, asphalt roof rolled over on itself. The strong winds had today and continue to enjoy tonight found a way to rip the covering away from the wood roof. I tacked down what I could, but the wind is so strong that it tore the roof away from the nails I had used. Well, I guess these are the times when it pays to have insurance. Maybe I'll get a new roof out of this whole thing.
Surrounded by decades & centuries worth of history really brought home the fact that I live in a City full of old stories, successes and failures. It's painful to look at what St. Louis was, what's been lost. You kind of scratch your head and wonder what the thought process was of those in charge. The more things change...
So I was having a decent afternoon until I got home a saw a corner of my flat, asphalt roof rolled over on itself. The strong winds had today and continue to enjoy tonight found a way to rip the covering away from the wood roof. I tacked down what I could, but the wind is so strong that it tore the roof away from the nails I had used. Well, I guess these are the times when it pays to have insurance. Maybe I'll get a new roof out of this whole thing.