Travel Log: St. Joseph Missouri

While driving to Iowa on Wednesday my friend Rich and I decided to take a detour through the town of St. Joseph Missouri (wiki), population roughly 74,000 (year 2000). St. Jo has many familiar faces: the old industrial section next to the river, the (now) flooding waterfront park, the old warehouse area, the nearly vacant downtown, the “it will save downtown” arena, parking garage and hotel combination, numerous older residential areas, new suburban homes and auto-centric chain shopping areas with mid to big boxes.

Near the river is an old industrial area with some great structures such as the one above.

Not far to the north is an active warehouse district. The building detailing is above anything you’ll see in a modern industrial or office park.

St. Joseph got into the highway game in a big way, a massive structure dividing the downtown from the riverfront. Inviting huh?

The riverfront park, immediately adjacent to the highway, was flooded while we were there on Wednesday. Numerous people came to see the flood waters. The downtown, thankfully, is on high ground while surrounding residential areas are on even higher ground.

St. Joseph’s downtown has great potential. Numerous older buildings have wonderful detailing and pleasant massing.

Sadly, St. Joseph was convinced of the whole arena/convention center, parking garage and hotel myth for revitalizing their downtown. The arena, shown above, occupies and entire city block and presents a cold shoulder regardless of angle.

Another view of the arena, the parking garage can be seen in the background. The hotel entrance is to the right. Surface parking is also plentiful, although I am not it is not when they have a monster truck pull (per a local).

The hotel entrance, above, is all about the car. The design is not much different than you’d see in any suburban area — not at all suitable for a downtown.

Just south of the area destroyed for the arena is a newish park which is more memorial than anything active to do. It was attractive but boring. Note the gas station in the background.

The downtown area includes a number of one-way streets, such as the one we were on. I really hate one-way streets, they just seem like mini highways to me.

Back over by the arena is the parking garage consuming an entire city block. Lovely it is not!

Just up the hill from downtown are some great old mansions. Most are cared for like the above examples. Across the street…

This house has seen better days.  However, it certainly is not beyond reusing.  All over St. Joseph we saw buildings with great unrealized potential.

Above is another great home on a wonderful site near the central business district.  Builders years ago knew how to build on sloping sites, unlike todays suburban builers that level every site they develop and then name the subdivision something Oak Hills.

I loved the way this more modest sized home “held” the corner.

We ended our too brief stay in St. Joseph at the walk-up Dairy Queen.  Overall I was very impressed, St. Joseph has such great potential.  I look forward to doing more research on this city regarding past development (arena, highways, etc…) and what is planned.

To see the rest of my 230+ images from St. Joseph click here.

Travel Log: Greater Kansas City

I’m on the road this week so I will be bringing you images from my travels through small towns in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. A good friend from Seattle has work to do in a bunch of these towns so I am going along for the ride.

On Tuesday afternoon I walked a few blocks to catch the #70 Grand bus. The timing was good, I arrived at the stop just as the bus stopped — both were running a few minutes late. I then took MetroLink to the airport. My flight to Kansas City took about as long as it took me to get to the airport. Still, I didn’t use any fuel nor will I have to pay to park my car at the airport.

As we approached Kansas City the extent of the flooding was clear. This view is from over Downtown KC looking north. The airport is in the north edge of the KC region. I arrived at a different terminal than my friend’s flight that had some from Chicago. We each took buses to the rental car building where we had to get “upgraded” to a minivan because Dollar was out of economy cars. I must admit, the automatic opening/closing side & rear doors on the van are addictive.

After dinner with friends that live in a very cute bungalow in South KC we headed to Independence Missouri for the evening. Our Red Roof Inn had a nice view of I-70. The boil order on the water didn’t help. The next morning I spotted the newer gas station above with the sidewalk ending in grass of an old parking lot for the business next door. Many places have a lot of work to do until they get everything connected.

The above image is about as close as we got to downtown Lee’s Summit, MO — the downtown is getting a new streetscape. In my many years of visisting Kansas City, I assumed Lee’s Summit was just typical post-war suburbia. Much of it is. However, the downtown looked really interestsing (although not in the above image). It is not a one-street show — it is a multi-block area (see Google map). I look forward to returning to see how the streetscape project turned out.

We then headed to nearby Blue Springs Missouri.  Again, I know Blue Springs from the sprawl along I-70  — who knew they had a real downtown.  On Wednesday afternoon is we pretty active.  Unlike Lee’s Summit, downtown Blue Springs is pretty much confined to a few blocks of one street — Main St (google map).

Even small towns got bad building remuddles.

Above: Another view of Main St. in Blue Springs MO.

Blue Springs has a very charming, yet unused, old train depot.

Just a couple of blcoks west on Main you see some of the old housing stock, at first larger homes such as this example.

Another block or two and you get more modest homes such as this one.  I’m a sucker for frame bungalows, big porches and arts & crafts details.

Another cute house from Blue Springs Missouri within walking distance of downtown.

Above is from downtown Grandview Missouri, a small town now surrounded by Kansas City.  This was the largest building in their downtown.  Click here to see the google map.

It was an interesting day.  Leaving the greater Kansas City area last night heading to Iowa we saw lots of flooding.  Last night we stayed in some anonymous-looking area on the border of Iowa & Nebraska.  Tonight we’ll be in central Kansas.

Tower Grove Farmers’ Market Kickoff Celebration, May 12th

From my friend Jenny Ryan….

FARM FRESH PRODUCE AND MEATS, LOCALLY BAKED GOODS, HANDMADE WARES, ART ACTIVITIES AND LIVE LOCAL MUSIC AT TOWER GROVE PARK

On Saturday, May 12, one of St. Louis’ newest and most successful farmers’ markets will celebrate the start of its second season by hosting its Kickoff Festival. The Tower Grove Farmers’ Market, together with community partners, The Southside YMCA and KDHX will host an event filled with great food, music and family fun.

Joining the Market’s regular cast of farmers, bakers, ranchers and artisans, the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market Kickoff Festival, scheduled for Saturday, May 12 from 8:30 am – 2:30 pm, will feature the following activities:

• Various arts and crafts
• Face painting
• T-Shirt art
• Sack racing
• Food concessions by Missouri and Illinois small farmers and restaurants
• Free Yoga
• Music by Noah Earle, Swing De Ville and Grass Pack
• Outdoor fitness activities with the South City YMCA

For additional information on the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market Kickoff Celebration visit http://www.tgmarket.org or email the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market at Contact@tgmarket.org.

Tower Grove Farmers’ Market’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in the St. Louis area by providing a community activity that fosters social gathering and interaction while promoting sustainable agriculture and urban education.

Bike Education Classes & Bike To Work Day

I wanted to pass along a couple of useful bicycle related bits for you. First, my friend Martin Pion will be teaching some education courses starting tomorrow. I took this course from Martin a number of years back and then in 2005 I received a training course so that I am also a League Certified Instructor (the League is the League of American Bicyclists). Anyway, here is the info from Martin – the course is highly recommended for anyone cycling on the streets:

It makes the utmost sense to use a bike instead of a car for local commutes, plus it’s good for your health, pocket book, and planet. And May, National Bike Month, is the time to start, or hone your skills if you already bicycle.

I’m offering two 12-hour bike education classes via Ferguson Parks & Rec. department, starting next week, details below for any interested readers. They can also e-mail or call me: 314/521-0299.

LOCATION: Ferguson Parks & Rec., 501 N Florissant Rd, Saint Louis, MO 6313

DATES & TIMES: Classroom: Weds. or Thurs. 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., May 9/10 & 16/17 On-bike: Saturday’s 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m., May 19 & 26 (tentative dates)

FEE: $30 Ferguson residents; $45 Non-residents Note: $10 discount for additional family members; St. Louis Bicycle Federation also offers its members a $10 student discount.

To register, please call Ferguson Parks & Recreation during business hours at 314/521-4661.

Regards, Martin Pion League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructor #625 thinkbicycling.com

And soon we will have the annual bike to work day, May 18th. Local groups are getting ready, here is some information for those interested:

Join St. Louis bike commuters and the rest of the nation as we show our communities the benefits of riding your bike for transportation. Bike commuters and supporters are invited to stop by our Companion Baking Refueling Stations at the Missouri History Museum, Missouri Botanical Garden, both on Bike St. Louis routes, or at Memorial Park in downtown Clayton, for a continental breakfast provided by Companion Baking.

Pedal Past the Pumps in May and enter the Drive Your Bike Challenge. Use your bicycle instead of a motorized vehicle whenever you can, and you qualifiy to enter our drawing for a chance to win one of two new bicycles (one men’s and one women’s) compliments of Sunset Cyclery. Friday, May 18th 2007
Features: FREE CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST for Bike Commuters 6:30 – 9 AM
FREE SHOWER coupons to redeem at any YMCA location
• Memorial Park in Clayton is located at 41 S. Meramec Ave., at Carondelet Ave., in
downtown Clayton.
• The Missouri History Museum is located at Lindell Blvd. and DeBaliviere Ave. on the
north edge of Forest Park. Look for the tents at the north entrance to the Museum. If
driving, please park at the “Twin Lots” at the Davis Tennis Center.
• The Missouri Botanical Garden will host the event in the front plaza of the Ridgway
Center. (The main entrance at 4344 Shaw Boulevard between Tower Grove and Vandeventer).
Three Refueling Stations!

Here are a few tips to get you started bicycling safely:

• Wear a helmet and make sure it is properly fitted — if we can see your forehead you are not wearing the helmet properly.
• Ride with traffic, not against it.
• Do not ride on sidewalks where pedestrians are present.
• Act like you are a vehicle — because you are.  This means being in the correct lane and signalling.
• If you are going straight ahead, do not place yourself to the right of cars turning right.

Ald. Kennedy Finally Opens Westbound Olive to Traffic

In April of 2006 I first mentioned the barrels that completely blocked through traffic on Olive at Walton in the Central West End.  The next Month, in May of 2006 I looked into the issue a bit closer and realized that Olive was the dividing line between two wards.  Below is an image from that post.

At the time I wrote:

Olive, a once great road, is politically divided. One side of the street from Boyle Westward is in the 18th Ward (Terry Kennedy) and the other is in the 28th Ward (Lyda Krewson). Both sides of the street, however, are fully within the Central West End neighborhood. From an urban perspective the issues relating to the rebirth of this street do not fall into line with ward boundaries.

In June 2006 I was happy to report that Ald. Lyda Krewson of the 28th Ward had made the decision to remove the old barrels and open the eastbound portion of Olive to traffic once again.  However, the westbound barrels remained in place.

Recently, Ald. Kennedy finally relented and had the remaining barrels removed allowing a free flow of traffic on Olive — a first in many decades.

Much investment and development is happening in the areas formerly on the wrong side of street closings so hopefully we will see a nice blending of the areas.  It is just too hard to justify developing on the bad side of closed streets.  The Central West End folks that pushed for the reopening of Olive deserve lots of credit.  Viva la street grid!