Diamond Jubilee: downtown St. Louis

July 2021

With the exception of feeling sad that LaClede Landing was all that remained of Old St. Louis, I was still on a high about the city before I walked through "downtown" on my way to the former train station. My opinion of St Louis was about to change radically.

I first passed the Federal Reserve Bank (not surprising given the past importance and location of the city). Then I entered downtown. Even during COVID, it was clear that the city center had fallen on very hard times - such a juxtaposition next to the beautiful Gateway Mall and Arch. Downtown had some nice old buildings, but many were vacant and some not in good condition. I noted there were condo conversions galore and the prices of those units were insanely cheap - for a reason. No one wanted to live there. Downtown St. Louis was not only down and out, it felt kind of scary.

As it was daytime I felt reasonably safe, so I kept walking until I stumbled upon the old Post Office Building, now renovated into a multi-use space. I entered and fell in love with its new use. It was clear that St. Louis was trying hard to revive downtown - as of my visit, not yet successfully. St Louis' original post office was the spitting image of the Old Executive Office Building in DC. If I learned anything on the trip it was that a successful design was often recycled - a LOT. I ate a sandwich in a shop that came highly recommended and found it "just ok", hardly meeting the hype in its reviews. At least it had customers and didn't feel as absolutely dead and dire as the outside.

Finally, I located the old railway station back on the central mall with a feeling of relief. It is beautiful and has been preserved. Unfortunately, my view of the city had changed and my impression of the station was impacted - if only I had visited before my walk across downtown