Under Contract: 4241 Connecticut in Tower Grove South

The best phone call that a Realtor gets to make to a Buyer?

YOU GOT IT! 🍾 🎉 

Happy tears this morning made my day and the only thing 130 years old about this gorgeous 1891 Tower Grove South cutie? The stories the walls could tell. Beautiful from the inside out, just like my wonderful clients who beat out 24 other contracts. Great day, wonderful house love match. Connecticut closes escrow in four short weeks- Yippee and congrats C and A!

If you are contemplating a 2021 purchase, the time to start strategizing is NOW, friends.  I can help, let's connect...

A peek at an afternoon at the new St. Louis Aquarium...

Heaven. If you haven't yet had a chance to visit, you must! So well done, a beautiful incorporation of the historic trainshed location, and a terrific addition to the exciting comeback of Union Station.

NITTY GRITTY:
St. Louis Aquarium
201 S 18th St,
St. Louis, MO 63103

(314) 923-3900

https://www.stlouisaquarium.com/

See my other St. Louis Hidden Gems HERE.

SOLD: The Penthouse in The York House

I don’t do lease work regularly, but occasionally, I assist a client in acquiring a special property.  This one takes the cake! The photographs of this historic 3,300 square-foot penthouse suite, with a private rooftop deck overlooking the Central West End and Forest Park, speak for themselves...

Lovely, isn’t it? My clients are tickled pink and move in next month! A sincere thank you to my client for the opportunity to help implement this exciting move.  In addition, a warm moment of gratitude to my former client turned friend, C, for the generous corporate client referral.💛  See the full listing HERE.

About the building: The York House, adjacent to the historic Chase Park Plaza hotel in the heart of the Central West End, was completed in 1922. It was originally named the Chase Apartments after its creator, Chase Ullman. It’s architectural design combines elements of Neoclassical revival with a muted Beaux Art style, consistent with the history and character of the neighborhood. 

This beauty was built in an era of sophisticated urban living, and this block was the center of it all. “Meet Me in St. Louis” was filmed right along Lindell Boulevard.   The Chase Club next-door was the place to see celebrity performers including Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope. These events were broadcast locally and nationally, and this block became a mainstay for entertainment. Later in the century, KPLR Channel 11 was headquartered in the building, and filming took place in the adjacent studio. During the flood of 1993, Peter Jennings broadcasted the ABC national news from the fourth floor of the York house.

It is a gorgeous building and a very unique unit in one of the most ideal locations in St. Louis.  A special new home for a special client, indeed!

In St. Louis and considering a move in 2019? The time to start planning is now! Have a friend who is looking for an agent?  I proudly base my business on direct referrals and wear my past client reviews like a badge of honor.  Let’s connect...

Summer Fun in Lafayette Square

Lafayette Square Historic District is one of my absolute favorite St. Louis neighborhoods, between the gorgeous late-19th century Victorian architecture and the dozens of terrific shops and eateries. That being said, the true draw and charm of Lafayette Square is how cohesive the people that live there are. If you have never, head there this summer to enjoy some of their activities in the park which is the epicenter of activity in this special area... 

Great fun!

A trip to Fellenz Antiques in the Central West End

This AM, I introduced a client of mine to my favorite architectural graveyard in the city... 

If you have an older home that has lost original architectural elements over the years...  reintroduce some historic charm via Fellenz Antiques in the Central West End. While I would obviously prefer to see lovely 100 year old architectural goodies in their original HOMES, Fellenz is an excellent resource for old home lovers and owners!

Visit them at:
Fellenz Antiques
439 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 367-0214

See my other St. Louis Hidden Gems HERE.

Summer 2016 Shows at the Muny

Hey ‪St. Louis‬...

The St. Louis Muny has announced their Summer 2016 show lineup and it is amazing! Season tickets sales begin this weekend- don't miss out!

More ticket information can be found HERE.

Fair St. Louis 2015 Concert Lineup on Art Hill

Fair St. Louis will once again be in Forest Park this year, as the Arch Grounds construction continues.  The 2015 4th of July weekend concert lineup on Art Hill was announced yesterday, and it ROCKS...

Mark your calenders St. Louis!  Fair St. Louis is not only free, but family-friendly.  NOTE: The nightly concerts will be followed by fireworks.

FOR MORE INFO:

Web: http://fairsaintlouis.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FairSaintLouis
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/fairsaintlouis

Union Station Phase 1 REVEAL- Grand Hall lobby

Phase one of the multi-million dollar renovation of Union Station is well underway, and with the opening of the new and improved Grand Hall, the internet is buzzing with videos like this of the impressive rotating light shows...



A little local history lesson...

St. Louis Union Station, circa 1894, was once the largest and busiest passenger rail terminal in the world.  Built for $6.5 million and primarily of Indiana limestone, St. Louis Union Station was designed to not only be functional, but beautiful... 

The train station acted as the main central hub between the east and the west for decades, and was designed with three main areas: The Headhouse, Midway, and Trainshed.  

The Headhouse originally boasted a hotel, restaurant, passenger waiting rooms, railroad ticketing offices, and a clock tower....

The crown jewel of the Headhouse, however, was  the gold-leafed Grand Hall...

One of the main gathering spots during the famous 1902 St. Louis World's Fair era, Grandhall featured an impressive 65ft barrel vaulted ceiling, mosaic, Romanesque archways, and the STUNNING  "Allegorical Window" made from hand-cut Tiffany glass and strategically positioned above the Station's main "Whispering Arch" entryway ...

The window features three women, representing the main US train terminals of the time: New York, St. Louis, and San Francisco...   

The Midway, a covered transfer area between the Headhouse and the Trainshed,  provided a place for train passengers to bid farewell and/or welcome family and friends...

Union Station's 11+ acre Train Shed, the largest in the world at the time, included 42 tracks and combined the St. Louis passenger services of 22 railroads at its peak...

Unlike other train stations, trains backed into the Union Station underneath the shed, allowing passengers quick and covered access to the Midway and Headhouse.  In the 1940s, it is said that the train terminal handled a whopping 100,000 passengers per day!  In fact, recall this famous photograph from your US History class of Harry S. Truman proudly displaying the misprint made by the Chicago Tribune after his upset victory over Thomas Dewey in the 1948 Presidential Election?

It was taken at our Union Station as Truman headed back to Washington DC from Independence, MO.  Rich history, to say the least.

In 1976, Union Station was designated a National Historic Landmark.   The advent of planes saw train travel decrease, however, until the last train pulled out of Union Station in 1978.  In 1979, a property company purchased the Station for $5.5 million.  The dilapidated structure sat empty until it reopened in the mid 1980's after an enormous $140+ million restoration, making it the largest adaptive re-use project in the United States.

As a native St. Louisan and as a teen at the time of the 1980's reopening... it was a big deal.  Truly, the place to be with restaurants, hotels, and shops galore.  While mostly geared towards visitors of our city, it was a very popular destination for locals, as well.  Particularly before and after downtown events, such as Cardinals games and concerts...

 

 

 
In recent years, however, locals have genuinely worried about the future of Union Station as the shops and restaurants have slowly closed down, leaving this historic landmark a virtual Ghost Town...



In 2012, Lodging Hospitality Management bought the station and its 539-room hotel for $20 million with the goal of restoring it to its original glory.  I am not going to lie, locals have been nervously sitting on pins and needles while closely following the project to see what direction is was going. 

LHM revealed BIG plans for the structure and has made ever bigger promises to the city including a 2 level family entertainment area, a parking lot climate-controlled Ferris wheel, new restaurants, a fabulous new event and convention space, and more. 

I was aware that the Union Station hotel, now a Doubletree, had undergone a massive $30+ million renovation.  In fact, I followed much of the progress on Instagram as craftsman associated with the City Museum posted real-time renovation photos, including this AMAZING original plasterwork detail found behind a wall in March of this year...

That being said, it wasn't until the recent public reveal and opening of the renovated Grand Hall (now Doubletree hotel lobby) that locals have been able to grasp the TRUE vision of Lodging Hospitality Management and future for our beloved Union Station...

The most interesting feature of the reno?  3D ceiling projections, each 30 to 45 seconds in length, that will be shown at least hourly over the bar and restaurant featuring craft cocktails, and gourmet  "small bite" dishes. 

A little peek of what you can expect...







Neat, right?  Add it to your local "bucket list", St. Louis!

Connect with Grand Hall at...

St. Louis Union Station
1820 Market Street
St. Louis, MO 63103

Web: http://www.grandhall-stl.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandHallSTL
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheGrandHallSTL

Just for fun: April blooms

Tower Grove Park is officially in bloom...

I don't know which is more colorful, the Spring forsythia or the lovely century old pavilion!

My oh my, what a difference 6 weeks can make?!

Winter Wonderland in Tower Grove Park

I showed properties in Tower Grove South over the weekend, and couldn't resist a drive-through the park.  Tower Grove Park, sandwiched between Kingshighway and Grand just south of Highway 44, dates back to 1868 when St. Louis historical figure, Henry Shaw, conveyed part of his land to the City of St. Louis.  Currently at approximately 289 acres, Tower Grove Park is not only a beloved St. Louis landmark... it is also on the National Historic Landmark Registry. 

Personally, many a childhood memory of mine live in Tower Grove Park.  I have stated before on numerous personal bios that my father was a real estate investor over the duration of my childhood.  Most of his properties were in the South City area, and I truly attribute my deep-seated love for historical buildings and real estate to accompanying him on his many summer ventures while I was out of school on summer vacation.

A typical South city morning with my dad exploring beautiful historic buildings flooded with stained-glass light was usually topped off by take-out from Amighetti's on The Hill.  We would take our lunch to Tower Grove Park where we shared it under one of the historic pavilions.  He then would allow me to play in the wading pool to cool off.

Memories one does not forget.

Perhaps THE most distinguishable features of the park, are in fact the colorful pavilions which date
back as early as 1872.  Each one unique, each one more colorful and interesting than the next.  The pavilions have always intrigued me and are breathtaking all 12 months of the year, however, there is nothing like the way they POP when the park is under a beautiful blanket of white. 

The weather outside may be frightful, but Tower Grove Park remains beautiful!  A teeny peek...

Learn more about Tower Grove Park HERE on their website and consider printing off a copy of THIS fantastic visitor's guide before you go, complete with maps, park features, and history

You may also find the park on Facebook HERE and HERE on Twitter.

Meet the cast of the St. Louis Muny Production of Mary Poppins on July 10, 2013!

St. Louis Muny (and Mary Poppins) fans... fun opportunity awaits in July!

 

That's right, on July 10, 2013 at the Whole Foods in Town & Country... you can meet the star of the show herself between 6-7pm.

 

Grab your camera and sing along... =)

 

4th Fun: Fair St. Louis Schedule

As most smaller local municipalities have cancelled their annual fireworks show due to drought and risk of wild fire, I am thinking that the annual 4th of July celebration on the Arch Grounds, Fair St. Louis, is going to be the destination for most locals this weekend.

Per their website:  The 32nd annual Fair Saint Louis will will feature three days of free entertainment on the grounds of the Gateway Arch. Featured headliners include Heart on Wednesday, July 4, Third Eye Blind on Friday, July 6 and Dierks Bentley on Saturday, July 7. Activities will also include two Independence Day runs in collaboration with the St. Louis Sports Commission, the 135th annual VP Parade themed “Parade Around the World,” air shows!

If you have never seen the fireworks downtown with the Arch as a background, it is a sight to be seen!  Shot off a 250 ft barge in the middle of the Mississippi River, St. Louis boasts one of the largest and most impressive fireworks displays in the nation.  In addition to the display, there is great food, airshows, concerts, the VP Parade, entertainment for kids, and more. 

FAIR ST. LOUIS

Noon July 4th

4 p.m. July 6

Noon July 7

On the Gateway Arch grounds

FREE

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS...

July 4

7 a.m.: Freedom 4 Miler
8:30 a.m.: Family Fun Run
10 a.m.: 135th Annual Veiled Prophet Parade
Noon: Fair opens; Air show
1 p.m.: Cultural Stage performances
3 p.m.: Air Show
6 p.m.: The Dirty Guv’nahs
8 p.m.: Heart
9:20 p.m.: Fireworks

July 6

4 p.m.: Fair opens
5 p.m.: Wild Child
7 p.m.: Salute to Our Troops
8 p.m.: Third Eye Blind
9:20 p.m.: Fireworks

July 7

Noon: Fair opens
1 p.m.: Cultural state performances
1:30 p.m.: Super Jam
4:45 p.m.: Florida Georgia Line
6 p.m.: Colt Ford
8 p.m.: Dierks Bentley
9:20: Fireworks

FOR MORE INFO:

Web:  http://fairsaintlouis.org/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/FairSaintLouis

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/fairsaintlouis

Whatever you do this weekend, make it safe friends.  Happy 4th of July.

Link Love for St. Louis: The Library's Street Index

A cool resource for you fellow St. Louisans / history buffs, that came to me the way of Twitter...

The Street Index by The St. Louis Public Library, FOUND HERE,  gives the historical origin of most street names in St. Louis City.

EXAMPLES:

CHEVROLET AVENUE (N-S):

In the General Motors Park subdivision of 1920, it was named for the nearby Chevrolet plant. (Arlington)

LAFAYETTE AVENUE (E-W):

So named in the original 1836 platting of the St. Louis Commons because it formed the southern boundary of Lafayette Park. It honors the Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834), the French general and statesman who aided George Washington in the American Revolutionary War. He was enthusiastically received in St. Louis during a triumphal visit in 1825. (Compton Hill) (Lafayette Square) (Shaw) (Soulard)

KINGSHIGHWAY BOULEVARD (N-S):

Follows the former Rue de Roi or Kingshighway along the western boundary of the Prairie des Noyers Common Field. It became the main stem of the Kingshighway Boulevard system that was adopted by the city in 1903. (Cabanne) (Central West End) (Clifton) (Grand Prairie) (The Hill) (Oak Hill) (Shaw) (Southwest)

Interesting stuff!

Meet me at the Muny...

 

Heads up, St. Louie- Season ticket sales to the Muny are quickly approaching!  The Nenonen family (per my post last summer) can't wait as nothing epitomizes summer fun in St. Louis like an evening in Forest Park.

A peek at the 2012 dancer auditions...



NITTY GRITTY:

Season ticket sales begin on March 3rd.  More info about season tickets can be found HERE.
Single ticket sales begin on June 2, 2012. More info is HERE.

FIND THE MUNY ONLINE:

Website:     http://www.muny.org/
Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/munytheatre
Twitter:       http://twitter.com/TheMuny
YouTube:    http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMunyTV

I'm getting excited!

SOS: Bethlehem Lutheran Church in North St. Louis City

The continued decay and depopulation of North St. Louis City has been of the utmost concern here locally for some time, and is well-documented on popular local blogs like Built St. Louis. That being said, it is difficult to understand the extent of the problem until you actually hit the streets yourself and witness the amount of decrepit and abandoned historical buildings that abound.

Every time I pass by this church, the gothic Bethlehem Lutheran Church at Salisbury and North Florissant, it just screams out to me for help. Built in 1895 and just blocks from the rebounding Hyde Park neighborhood and a stone's throw from the Arch, it is just one of the many architectural treasures in danger of being lost…