urbanSTL

Posted on STL Memories, Vintage Photos page on Facebook:

 

^I had no idea there'd ever been that round tower there.

There was also this very cool Mid-Century church on Beaumont, just north of Market (Holy Cross Lutheran Church for the Deaf). The congregation moved away, and A.G. Edwards razed the church in 2005. It's now just a grassy lot, with the church steeple remaining.

(pics from Built St. Louis)




https://www.builtstlouis.net/central-co ... -deaf.html

framer wrote: ↑

Apr 24, 2022

There was also this very cool Mid-Century church on Beaumont, just north of Market (Holy Cross Lutheran Church for the Deaf). The congregation moved away, and A.G. Edwards razed the church in 2005. It's now just a grassy lot, with the church steeple remaining.

As I recall that was the church that did services in American Sign Language. In my youth I went to a sister congregation and they would send someone out to give a presentation from time to time. Was sorry to hear when A. G. Edwards knocked it down.

4560 West Pine.




https://www.builtstlouis.net/roundbuilding01.html

stlgasm wrote: ↑

Apr 24, 2022

symphonicpoet wrote: ↑

Apr 23, 2022

^I had no idea there'd ever been that round tower there.

That was the Rodeway Inn.  Made a cool mark on the skyline, sucks it’s gone.  St. Louis once had three round towers- now we’re down to one (Millennium Hotel). Which is why I really hope (against the odds) that it is preserved.

Don't know if you're counting only the City proper, but there is also the Lewis and Clark Tower in the County: http://www.beltstl.com/top-of-towers/

Why is there an ordinance against loitering at night specifically in this one little unremarkable triangle of land in St. Louis Hills?
https://goo.gl/maps/WtXr8ho5yNNTKeLn8

15.49.010 - Loitering prohibited.
No person shall loiter, idle, wander, stroll, play or otherwise be in or upon the area, which is bounded by Prather Avenue on the East, Devonshire Avenue on the North, and Nottingham Avenue on the South between the hours of ten p.m. and six a.m. throughout the year.
(1994 C., § 15.49.010; Ord. No. 61476, § 1, 1989.)

Awesome pic from Vintage St. Louis & Route 66 Facebook group:


 

Looks like a nice wander, if perhaps a warm day for it. Well done!

I'd be curious to see, what are some of your favorite views and/or "big city" photos you all have. Like photos of Saint Louis that look like they belong in Toronto, Chicago, or New York.

^That's an oddly complicated question, since "big city" can mean different things to different people. The density of buildings is obvious, and we have a little of that, but our skyline is . . . distinctive. 



For reasons.



 And hard to confuse with other cities.

There are a few concrete canyons, but apart from a few blocks of Olive and Locust most are too broad or too low.





Neon helps, of course.



But ironically, I'd say it's a layering of things, or a complexity of things that really does it for me. Layers of infrastructure, one atop the other, feels "big city."











Which leads me to one of the big winners: nothing says big city like a subway:



And sure, we have very little underground, but we really do have some. And if you're visiting from out of town you have decent odds of using it.

Another thing that says "big city" to me is a complex interlayering of relatively dense and disparate uses in a variety of ages: row houses, vertical warehouses, urban powerplants, old industry, new buildings and old buildings side by side:



There are to me specific types of buildings that say "big city" all by themselves, without the need of any additional context. And we have quite a few prime examples:

The great cathedral


The historic arcade


The big city hall


The central library

(Especially when crowded with people for some kind of civic event: in this case a free concert.)

And of course the grand theatre:




You're simply not going to find a theatre of that size in most cities. And we have several. We have new theatres, old theatres, opera houses, concert halls, arenas, stadia, movie palaces, ballrooms, and clubs as big as they come and as intimate as you could wish. We have some great ones and some awful ones. Places for experimental theatre and grandly traditional. Room for every style of music under the sun. Culture says big city to me. Entertainment. Art. Sport. Every city has bread, but only the great ones have circuses.

To me, there's really nothing that says "I have arrived" quite like this:

Good stuff, SP!

SC4Mayor posted this one a few days ago which struck me as "big city":

^^Agreed Framer. SC4 always posts great pictures, and transit emerging from underground is particularly special "big city." That's a great spot.

^I love that we both have views across Lafayette Square and Soulard to the Cahokia power station. I'm a little jealous of your drone, of course. Yes, row houses have a particular big city feel to them as well. Great stuff!

^Oh, fine! I'm even more jealous!

^Depending on the cost I might well be down with that. Mind you, I'm not independently wealthy. But I am trying to make friends in the aviation community. We'll see what comes of that.