Saint Louis in the NY Times
As I write this, the number one emailed article on NYTimes.com is “Hopes for a Renaissance After Exodus in St. Louis.” Reading this story was bittersweet for me, as I realized just how much I’ve grown to love the city, and how short a time I have left here. The gist of the piece is that Saint Louis has been struggling to draw people back to the city, after some significant drops in population.
I found myself annoyed that the Times characterized my city as spiralling “from one woe to the next”, and that embarassments which were previously local news are now national: “In the past few months, the public schools were stripped of accreditation and taken over by the state; the city was designated the most dangerous in the country in a national crime survey; and 15 police officers and supervisors were disciplined for giving World Series tickets seized from scalpers to friends and family.”
Thankfully, they didn’t analyze the racial component to these stories. Or perhaps they should have, for that is what I’m most embarrassed about in Saint Louis. The police scandal, for example, has generated outcry in the black community. Why were these men only given a slap on the wrist when black policemen would have been fired, without a moment’s hesitation, had they committed these crimes?
While the downtown lofts, along Washington Ave, are a testament to the ability of private businesses to revitalize an area, what about the previous residents of the area, poor and primarily black? They’ve just been pushed a few blocks over. The new residents are white, middle-class and generally childless (raising families in these lofts doesn’t seem to be an option for most).
But after living here for nearly six years, I’ve fallen in love with the city’s opportunities. In a small place like Saint Louis, in contrast to New York or Chicago, if you have an idea for a business or an organization, you can find a niche. Local artists thrive and I’ve seen restaurant after restaurant open, selling food that you won’t find in chain restaurants–Vietnamese, Thai, Afghani, etc. I’ve been able to write for the local gay and lesbian newspaper (try emailing the Washington Blade and pitching them a story–see how quickly you can join their staff).
Sure, Saint Louis can be dangerous. We’ve had our car stolen from the street in front of our house (and we live in what’s considered a very nice area). I’ve given in to the segmentation here, as ashamed as I am, and rarely travel north of Delmar. But there’s an excitement in the city here, and a pride that is connected with what citizens can do. Coming from the Annapolis area to the Midwest, I thought Saint Louis lacked history, and was ugly. The city changed my mind. We’re not simply resting on our 17th century laurels like Annapolis (for one thing, we only go back to Lewis and Clark) Instead, we’re making history, building and restoring beauty, not just preserving it.
I will miss this place.
Original images by Colleen Keating, 2007.