urbanSTL

Ha! Now that you mention it, I do remember that the escalators we're kind of spaced out from each other. I spent lots of time playing on them myself.

^We must have been there about the same time. I was there from the early seventies into the early eighties. St. Johns did indeed have a bowling alley. It's a particularly fond memory. It was in the basement of the old school building. I set pins there a few times myself. Just for the occasional gym class trip downstairs, but I could barely pick up the balls, so setting pins was a lot more fun for me. It was only three or maybe four lanes. Tiny little thing. There as a little snack counter that I believe sold beer (being German Lutherans) and rented shoes.  But I had to walk through it between church and school, so even if I only bowled there maybe twice I walked through it almost daily during my youth. I'm trying to remember if it was between the cafeteria and the new school or between the cafeteria and the church, but it was an odd little spot and when I was quite little it seemed rather spooky. Yep. That's my hood right there. I'm a little displaced now, but after thirty odd years away it's nice to be back at least close to it.

symphonicpoet wrote: ↑

Jan 06, 2023

^We must have been there about the same time. I was there from the early seventies into the early eighties. St. Johns did indeed have a bowling alley. It's a particularly fond memory. It was in the basement of the old school building. I set pins there a few times myself. Just for the occasional gym class trip downstairs, but I could barely pick up the balls, so setting pins was a lot more fun for me. It was only three or maybe four lanes. Tiny little thing. There as a little snack counter that I believe sold beer (being German Lutherans) and rented shoes.  But I had to walk through it between church and school, so even if I only bowled there maybe twice I walked through it almost daily during my youth. I'm trying to remember if it was between the cafeteria and the new school or between the cafeteria and the church, but it was an odd little spot and when I was quite little it seemed rather spooky. Yep. That's my hood right there. I'm a little displaced now, but after thirty odd years away it's nice to be back at least close to it.

My dad was from the area, grew up on Bingham in the big white house across from the Alligator factory. I was born in Clifton Heights on Simpson Terrace, the only street there with smallish two story houses, so when the family started to grow, we went back to Bingham for a few years where I went to Oak Hill until 3rd grade. I also had cousins that went to Oak Hill/Cleveland High, last name Gilson. Maybe you knew a sister of mine or one of my cousins. If you remember the Ragado's, that's who I grew up with, and Heibecks. There were also a set of triplets on our street, Dawn, Rose and Jean, but I can't recall their last name. 

^ Simpson Terrace is my favorite 'street' in the neighborhood.  Goals to live in that little pocket.  It reminds me of going to England in 2003-ish and hitting the suburbs and how homes are just thrown in where they can fit.

^^I don't remember the triplets well, but I do remember them. For some reason I was thinking they were on Osceola, but it's all so long ago now . . . I was on Beethoven a few doors up from Ridgewood. Used to sled into the Tacony parking lot. My dad and I  would watch MoP switch the Nabisco plant behind the post office.

Anyway, man, this is going back a ways, but I wonder if you might remember a kid named Baba Le? Went to school with him. He lived on the corner of Bingham and Gravois. Had a couple of older sisters and brothers. Used to play soccer in the corner lot with him, a friend Steve Vaughn, and sometimes another kid Steve Ralston. The Schecks also lived nearbyish, also on Bingham I think. We got into some decidedly fun mischief.  

Nice! Makes me think the view from some of those AG Ed spots about to be demolished is pretty fantastic. I hope the replacements live up to the potential of the corner.

Great shot by St. Louis From Above:

The sun burst out yesterday afternoon after the rain.

That's the closest the Eastside is ever gonna come to a pot of gold.

^ Slate roofs, glass towers. Love it!

Thanks guys. That's Purdue Ave. in University Hills.

Well shot Framer!

Yes, well framed!

-RBB

^ I see what you did there. 

^Agreed! Very nice shot. It's getting a bit unusual to see the Genesis locomotives. Never thought I'd get nostalgic about them.

Athearn makes full-size locomotives? 

^Har! You made me google to see if Athern has a GE Genesis locomotive in their Genesis line, which . . . of course they do.

Loving the new colors on the "Miami Vice" house on Lindell

I hadn't seen its lights on. That is fantastic. I have appreciated its relatively recent painted colored sections during the day.

^A friend used to tell me that house looked out of place. I always maintained it fit in perfectly, since it looks expensive.

^Yep. Fits in much better than those three standard suburban models at Union.