Excellent documentary. Pretty much what I remember, I was born in 1951, grew up in University City near Olive St. Rd, and Woodson Ave. My father, born in St Louis in 1913, was his family's first native born. My mother, five years younger, was born in Chicago but moved to the Delmar Loop in the mid-Twenties. She graduated from U. City HS in the thirties. My older sister did so the year before we moved. I always loved U. City City Hall. I was friends with Mayor Nathan Kaufman's son, Arthur, at Brittany Jr. HS. My family 's was the second house on Sheridan Dr. to be sold to a Black family when we moved to Ballwin in 1966. Then moved back to Creve Couer, where I was living when I graduated from Parkway Central HS in 1969. Graduated from Washington U. with a degree in Urban Studies in 1973. My senior year I lived on Waterman, two blocks east of Skinker .Then moved away. Before I left, I saw the revitalization of the Loop. A big shout out to Chuck Berry's Blueberry Hill. Two things most everyone got wrong in the Sixties and would be lying about if they said they approved at the time: The Arch was generally seen as a joke and why did the Cardinals trade Broglio for Brock?
PS: I forgot to mention. After graduating high school in 1969, I got a summer job as a Temporary Utility Carrier with the US Post Office Department. I was assigned to the new facility in Florissant, recently opened to handle the 72.7% population growth during the decade of the city. (1960-: 38,166 - 1970: 65,908). I delivered mail all over the new developments. It was the last year before the US Postal Service put a freeze on hiring before being replaced by the US Postal Service two summers later.
@@lonn761 Sorry it took two weeks to reply. No, can't say I recall Burke City..Did you attend high school at McClure or Hazelwood? Was hardto find on a map. Said it was in Florissant-Ferguson School District. Looks to be on the East side, the older part of town. I delivered mail on the other side of town.
@@elliottkolker4321 At least you replied. He must have missed the notification. All of this is so interesting. I was only just born in '65, but my wife and I love driving through all of downtown and outskirts of St. Louis. The Loop certainly has changed.
I live in Skinker Debaliviere about two blocks east of skinker. I regularly walk down to Waterman as part of my daily walk. I probably regularly walk the same sidewalks and streets you used to. I love to learn about the history of my neighborhood. Btw, it may hearten you to know that this neighborhood is still very diverse and very strong. We have neighbors of all ethnicities and races, but (in 2023) we all stick together to make sure it is a strong community and to lift each other up. We are perhaps (hopefully) somewhat on the "other side" of white flight etc -- where we all pull together for the community rather than being concerned specifically with race etc. Everyone (well, most of us) just want to live a good life, be left alone and have opportunity advance. We want a diverse unique community with strong bonds with our neighbors.
Me to, on a hot Aug day my Mom took me told me to always remember this ride because there would never be another in St. Louis, that was on Delmar Blv.on that red & yellow streetcar & green on the inside.
My family was the second "black" family on our block. I was 3 yrs of age then. I attended U. City high-school. The main hallway shows the how the faces of the community changed. In the neighborhood I grew up people were proud of the community. They were very aware of how curb appeal effects the value of property. They offered no leniency for those that didn't. I am a U-citian for life 🥰❤💯😊
I was born at DePaul Hospital in 53 stayed in St. Lous and watched it's total decline & collapse. Boing bought out Mcdonell aircraft and closed it down, the Chevy, Ford & Mopar plants all closed and hundreds of small manufacturing company's folded with NAFTA killing all skilled labor jobs in the area, plus all over our Country in the late 70s. I moved out in 1980 and thank God for that as after that it became a total gang controlled area that even today St. Louis still has some of the highest crime stats in the U.S. a very dangerous place to live today.
The major reason for its decline is the fact that the city of St.Louis decided to seceded from St.Louis County in 1877 cause they got all whiny about the County taxes and didn't want to be part of the County. Had the City of St.Louis stayed with the County then the city of St.Louis wouldn't suffer as much as it is today.
I took a pol sci class from George Wendel at SLU in 1966 ......clearly remember Laclede Town and the SLU campus that became more and more dangerous after dark for co-eds in 1967-1968 period .......sit-ins at the Busch center and book store on campus and of course the Fruit Store on Grand Ave where we could get something to drink and eat after the cafeteria closed at the men's dorm compllex on W Pine st ..........oh, and THE best pizza ever at Rossinos ......1965 when the "Little Boys " were founded at SLU and challenged the 'Intruders' as the most popular R&R band on university campuses in the city and county.........
The best years of my life were at SLU from 66-70. Then I got caught in the first draft lottery, my # was 32. Lucked out and was sent to South Korea,. Remember the Fruit Stand and Rossinos very well. Reggie
The racist aspect of St.Louis is something that should be studied on a national level. I mean no other city in the north has experienced such blatant racism and division like STL City and County. The redlining and rezoning by race, resources offered
A lot of costly mistakes made In tearing down st Louis history to build projects such as Pruitt . What a waste of money and now just empty lots. St Louis downtown area now a dying city.
