Shaw
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.
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.
