Grand South Grand House Tour

Tell us the story of how you chose your house. What makes your house your "home"?
My mom and dad moved here in 1952 - I was 12. There were a lot of fireplaces in the house and big trees up and down the streets. I got married and moved my bride in with the folks here in 1958. Since I was an adopted only child, I got the house when Mom passed away in 2001. We raised our children here and we're raising our newest grandchild here too. We like the big "roomy" rooms and high ceilings.

What does your neighborhood mean to you? Why do you stay?
When we first moved here, this was one of the prettiest neighborhoods to be in - it really is a historic neighborhood. We enjoy that the gardens and the churches have stabilized the neighborhood. It is easy to get around - the accessibility is great. Our 3 kids walked to school and those schools are still here standing. Our neighbors also make life good.

How do you describe the neighborhood to your family? your friends? Are the two descriptions different?
For the most part, it has always been a fairly stable neighborhood. The fact that the garden is so close probably contributes to it.

Tell us about your ideal snapshot of the neighborhood in 5 years. In 10 years.
There was kind of a flight in the 60s - it's nice to see young professionals moving back in. I'd like to see the renovations continue and the neighborhood maintained. We need new streetlights like the ones on Grand ave - the old-fashioned kind that light up the entire sidewalk!

Tell us the story of how you chose your house. What makes your house your "home"?
My wife had lived in Shaw in 1982-83 right out of college. When we made the decision to move back to St. Louis in 1987 following grad school, we settled on an apartment in Shaw. Sixteen months later we moved across the street to our house and have been there ever since. Instead of "location, location, location," we based our decision on "woodwork, wainscoting, staircase!" Our house is our home because of our kids. They love it, they have loved growing up in it, and they refuse to entertain the idea of living anywhere else. Who are the parents to argue? I figure that I've saved roughly 5 months of my waking life in avoided commute time over the past 19 years!

What does your neighborhood mean to you? Why do you stay?
I stay because it's home, pure and simple. Shaw to me means beautiful parks within easy walking distance. It means easy access to the entire metro area. It means expanding, vibrant diversity within our community. It means (for the most part) friendly, helpful neighbors. And it means a short commute to work; more time to spend as I choose, every day. I expect to retire from the exact same home we live in today.

How do you describe the neighborhood to your family? your friends? Are the two descriptions different?
Better now than it's ever been. We still have the challenges of many urban neighborhoods, but we have made great gains in the past few years. I feel better than I ever have about our decision to stay when the kids reached school age.

Tell us about your ideal snapshot of the neighborhood in 5 years. In 10 years.
In five years: still a diverse housing stock, but with a higher proportion of owner occupied homes (not just of the single-family variety). Continued economic and ethnic diversity, coupled with continuing decreases in crime and noise. More families with school-age children. In 10 years: More of the same. If my kids come back to live in St. Louis, I hope that Shaw will be a place they want to raise their kids!

Tell us the story of how you chose your house. What makes your house your "home"?
I had 72 hours to find a house, as I had accepted a job offer in St. Louis and was living in Washington, DC at the time. While I had grown up in Missouri, I had spent very little time in the St. Louis area, and so didn't know the city at all. We lucked out in finding an amazing real estate agent (Stacey Gerber with Gladys Manion, unfortunately no longer in the area) who blocked off two days of her time to shepherd us around the neighborhoods of St. Louis. During that time, she got an excellent feel for our wants and needs, and we eventually settled on the Shaw neighborhood for its proximity to Tower Grove Park and the Botanical Garden, as well as the dog park and South Grand area. We saw over 20 houses in two days, and our current residence was the next-to-last one we visited--it was to go on the market the next day. Our property had two great features--it was a historic rehab done by Kraig Schnitzmeier (who does fantastic work), and it came with a full second lot adjacent to the house. This house is the first house that my wife and I have owned, and it instantly became our home. Within weeks, we had met many of our neighbors, most of whom were young couples moving back into the city. We are now good friends with most of them and do many things together.

What does your neighborhood mean to you? Why do you stay?
Our neighborhood has a sense of community that does not sacrifice diversity or ostracize those that are of differing views for the sake of cohesiveness or identity. We love the wide range of characters and experiences that make Shaw what it is. And of course, the proximity of Shaw to parks, hospitals, schools, highways and the South Grand area are all perks as well. In the end, though, the friends we have made (and continue to make) are the real reasons why we live in Shaw.

How do you describe the neighborhood to your family? your friends? Are the two descriptions different?
We describe the neighborhood as "transitional, but on an upswing" to both family and friends. There are aspects of Shaw that are representative of the economic struggles facing St. Louis and most large cities in the US, but all the rehabbing and revitalization of the Shaw neighborhood has helped curtail many of these aspects. Still, when we have friends or family visit that aren't used to urban living, we do prepare them somewhat for the experience--more street noise, more diversity, and more risk than suburban living, to be sure.

Tell us about your ideal snapshot of the neighborhood in 5 years. In 10 years.
I would like to see the neighborhood stabilize in the next 10 years, with an influx of cafes, bistros, and small businesses moving in to service the needs of residents locally. Think of it as a reduction in urban sprawl, so that most, if not all of a resident's chores can be accomplished on foot, rather than necessitating a drive to the suburbs. In addition, while I would like to see the rehabbing continue, there needs to be some thought given to addressing the needs of multi-family dwellings for lower-income individuals. And of course, the schools are perenially a problem; if they aren't brought up to reasonable standards, this could cause a stagnancy in the influx of younger couples to the city.