St. Louis Magazine

“I don't have a favorite, but after spending time in Jeff-VanderLou, the Ville, and Baden, I wish we could give homes in those neighborhoods the TLC they deserve.” —Amanda Woytus, Deputy Editor“Soulard has everything I love. Beautiful homes, cozy coffee shops, top-tier restaurants, lively bars, all located within walking distance of each other. And let's not forget about the rich history!” —Kylie Green, Digital and Print Production Manager“The more time I spend in Bevo, the more I fall for it. There's so many great spots, and the people there are such cheerleaders for the neighborhood.” —Christine Jackson, Managing Editor…

IT WAS THE DOG, ultimately, that sealed it. Before taking the plunge and buying a house, we lived in a Central West End apartment near the New Cathedral. My wife and I relished the vibrant neighborhood, often walking our Great Pyrenees along Euclid and through nearby Forest Park. We'd often stop into Left Bank Books, Kampai Sushi, and Coffee Cartel. We delighted in discovering new restaurants and shops, taking in seasonal festivals and traditions. But eventually, prompted by our pup's need for a backyard, we elected to move. And so began a daunting search. To get started, our realtor advised us to list our priorities: budget, minimum number of beds and baths, backyard, garage… Then there was the location: schools, proximity to downtown, walkability. And, of course, the finishes and fixup…

FOR 33 YEARS, MARSHA JOHNSON, 71, has lived on a quiet street in the Ville neighborhood, in a small brick home—and she has a list of things she'd like to fix. The kitchen floor needs to be replaced. Some plaster needs repairing. And, like many seniors who live independently, she needs some modifications to make her house safer. Johnson feared slipping in the shower, so she tried to time them for when she knew someone else would be home with her. She stumbled a few times coming down the steps in front of her house because there wasn't a handrail. Although programs such as St. Louis’ Healthy Home Repair can make major home improvements—like installing new siding, gutters, fascia, and decks—Johnson turned to another organization, which works with the city, for…

Each1 For this program, Mission pairs participants with a coach to offer support in jobreadiness training or life-skills training in areas such as parenting. Mission can also help with transportation, child care, and professional clothing for job interviews. Beyond School Mission pairs reading tutors with students at St. Louis Language Immersion Schools, Lafayette Prep Academy, and Kairos Academies. Students who enter the program are, on average, one and a half grade levels behind in reading. In the 2021–’22 school year, 98 percent of program participants improved their reading skills. Beyond Charity The Healthy Home Repair program is part of Mission's Beyond Charity initiative. As part of Beyond Charity, Mission also offers an affordable Christmas event where participants can shop for reduced-price presents for their families. Neighborhood Healing Network Participants in this program will get help applying for…

How much trash would it take to build an Arch out of trash? THE ARCH WEIGHS 43,226 TONS MODOT crews would need about 21 months to collect the tons of trash needed to build a Trash Arch. That's a timeline eerily similar to the schedule of the actual Arch's construction, which took two and a half years. To put that sobering figure into perspective, we selected some items that are commonly found discarded by the roadside here in St. Louis and—beep beep boop—did the math to see how many you'd need to make up 2,000 tons. But then we took it a step further: To illustrate just how massive the amount of trash on our roadways is, we used a new and highly sophisticated formula we'll call ArchMath to put it in terms…

FROM DEEP IN FAUST PARK, the music starts: “America the Beautiful.” A group of about 100 people has gathered in the Faust Park Historic Village, a collection of 20 old buildings behind the park's Butterfly House, playground, and carousel. The buildings date from 1840-1910, and they give a peek at what life was like for the early residents of the lands that now make up St. Louis County. The St. Louis County Parks Department has relocated them to the park over the years, and today, they're dedicating a new addition. African Schoolhouse #4, a small log house with white siding and red shutters, is Missouri's oldest surviving oneroom schoolhouse; it's been relocated to the park from Wild Horse Creek Road in Chesterfield. In 1893, Black West County residents successfully sued to…