The North Riverfront Trail

Last Sunday, I did what I had been waiting all winter to do, and that's complete the entire North Riverfront Trail from the Landing across the Chain of Rocks bridge into Illinois.  While not in my best cycling shape of the year, I was determined to complete the entire 11 mile (10?) trail there and back.  I completed it with relative ease and was rewarded with the beautiful sight above taken from the old Chain of Rocks bridge (looking south toward downtown, although the overcast obscures it), which is opened only to pedestrians and cyclists only.

The entire time I couldn't help but think about how I have lived here my whole life and have never stopped and just stared at the Mississippi river, one of the greatest rivers in the world.  Fortunately, the North Riverfront Trail gives us all an excellent opportunity to experience both the majesty of the river and St. Louis history in one fell swoop.  The trail winds through the industrial near north riverfront before taking you on top of the levee, up the bluffs, and across the river.  It is truly an amazing experience.  When you reach the chain of rocks bridge, you are rewarded not only with an amazing view of the river but also several remarkable structures in the middle of the river itself:

How many cities can lay claim to having that kind of character, in the middle of the river?!  If you haven't completed a ride on the North Riverfront Trail, I highly recommend it.  It will give you a deep appreciation for the history of our city as well as the remarkable scenic beauty it as well.  I can't wait until it is a bit warmer and clearer outside so I can capture some even better views of the mighty Mississippi.

Census Data: The Aftermath

So the numbers are in and it's safe to say we lost. While I had a nagging feeling that we weren't going to show a gain, I sure didn't expect an 8% loss.  That is definitely bad news.  But I don't think it's the end of the world.  My half glass full outlook thinks that maybe this result will spur talks of more regional cooperation since St. Louis county lost too.  Or maybe a shakeup at city hall that causes things to be done a lot differently than they have been.  The Mayor blogs on his website that "If this doesn’t jump-start regional thinking, nothing will."

I agree.  Something major will have to happen before the disturbing sprawl trend truly reverses.

Census data

The 2010 census data results for Missouri will be coming in this week and it will have absolutely huge implications for how St. Louis should proceed in this emerging decade.  We have expected city population to show growth, albeit somewhat small growth, finally bucking the declining population trend.  But will it?  Cities such as Chicago and Baltimore lost out to the suburbs in the 2000's but can St. Louis be different? 

I'm hopeful, but I am not so sure it will be.  St. Louis city is a much improved place from 2000 to 2010, but I don't know that that translated into population growth.  It definitely didn't translate into significant population growth.  But frankly, it doesn't have to.  I would be just as encouraged if the more specific demographic census information showed the city outpacing national averages for growth in income, real estate values, and college educated citizens.  That would be the type of press the city needs just as much as population growth.  I have little doubt once detailed data becomes available, it will show that.  It would be even better if we can show that our population is growing too.

Neighborhood Websites

You can tell a lot about a neighborhood from its website.  It shouldn't come as a surprise that many of the most blighted neighborhoods have awful websites worse than stuff I could've made on geocities in 1995.

Here's a great example of what I mean, Kingshighway West's website

I recently noticed that my neighborhood, Tilles Park, recently gave its website a nice makeover and added some updated information.  Here are some of my faves from other neighborhoods in the city:

Cherokee Street News.  Updated often, sleek looking, and fits the neighborhood like a glove.  The best in the city if you ask me.

Southampton.  It has the same dull format as TPNA's (aren't there some graphic designers in these hoods?) but has a TON of information about the neighborhood.  Plus I love that header pic - where is that, by the way?  I would guess the Christy Greenway, although I'm pretty sure that isn't in Southampton.

Benton Park.  This one looks amazing.  It could have some more information but it's the nicest looking site I've seen.

St. Louis Hills.  Of course the Hills gets a very nice website.

Downtown St. Louis.  I am waffling over whether this is the same as a neighborhood website but I'm including it here anyway.  It's remarkable and makes downtown look amazing.

Central West End.  It's good, but come on it's the CWE.  I guess I just would expect...more.

The Grove's CID and Promotional site.  The Grove is the king (queen?) of marketing itself as far as burgeoning neighborhoods go.  So of course the site looks great.

Lindenwood Park.  All around good site.

An informed and active neighborhood can improve the quality of life in a neighborhood as well as keep it stable.  It's no coincidence that the above neighborhoods are vastly improving or have been stable for a long time.

Missouri or Missour-uh?

A sampling of recent new stories about our illustrious state government:

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/article_fac9d7fa-3551-11e0-b723-00127992bc8b.html

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2011/02/missouri_drug_test_welfare_recipients.php

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kcur/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1759993/KCUR.News/MO.House.Bill.Calls.for.Balancing.Federal.Budget

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kcur/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1761297/KCUR.News/Mo..House.Committee.Hears.Bill.That.Would.End.Late.Abortions

http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=581834

http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2011/02/preservationists_tax_breaks.php

It's tough to claim we are a truly progressive city when we are in such a regressive state.  I worry that the state is moving in a direction that will not be good for St. Louis and Kansas City.

Boosterism is the problem...really?

A few weeks ago the local twitterverse exploded with contentious debate on the topic of boosterism.  The catalyst was this article about boosterism in Cleveland, although you could replace Cleveland with St. Louis and the article would still read almost perfectly.  This created a lot of chatter on several fronts.  We had a contingent that lead the charge that many well to do city supporters tend to ignore the plight of the underclass in favor of highlighting progress that is more superficial in nature (IE: a new coffeeshop or restaurant).  For a second, I felt a tinge of guilt.  But then there were many pro-boosterism tweets pointing out that highlighting your city's strengths doesn't have to come at the expense of ignoring the poor.

I spent a lot of time deliberating on this.  Like the author of the Cleveland article, my version of my city is pretty great.  I eat at great restaurants, I own a home, I enjoy great parks, and there is just always something fun going on in the city.  And like the author, sometimes I feel some city boosterism goes a little overboard to the point where it can get annoying.  But I do not see an honest argument being made in favor that the most ardent city supporters deny St. Louis' problems.  And I do not at all see how boosterism and acknowledgement of major problems are mutually exclusive.

Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time here can see that negativity is the prevalent feeling in the St. Louis area regarding its future.  How else could you feel about how a city that once hosted the Olympics and now is barely holding on to its title of largest metro area in Missouri (see, even I can't succumb to not being negative!).  So what is so wrong with enthusiastic people who love promoting the city?  Even if they completely ignore the fact that the city has serious problems, you only have to throw a rock to hit someone who will be quick to remind you.  If anything, we need more delusional happy booster people.

Except that these same boosters we are attacking are the very people who actually are doing positive things for the city.  They are choosing to spend their money in the city, live in the city, volunteer in the city, work in the city, and be a part of the larger city community.  And sometimes they can even convince someone else to do the same.  The problems of crime, failing schools, and drug abuse are not going to be "solved" overnight, if ever.  But city boosters are a helluva lot closer to making the city a better place than the negative defeatists who have held our city back for far too long.

Practical cycling in 2011

My main steed

I just finished reading The Cyclists Manifesto  which is not nearly as militant as sounds.  In fact the message of the book is quite simply that you already need to get to point A to point B, so why not do so in a way that's affordable and healthy?  The book also details the history of how bikes led to the creation of the automobile and explored how and why cyclists get such a bad rap at times and why they are often seen as smug scofflaws.

A bike is at its core simply a transportation device.  Yet most cyclists in the United States don't use them for anything more than recreation.  I am guilty of this myself.  When I first really got into cycling a couple of years ago, I spend hundreds on what I read online were absolute necessities to riding.  Clipless pedals, jerseys, lycra shorts, special shoes, special gloves.  It was only a month after buying a hybrid that I had to go out and get a fast bike with drop bars.  I knew I probably was going overboard but I had a new hobby that I loved and it brought a lot of real tangible benefits to my life.

Yet I never really got the hang of using my bike as a transportation tool.  Sure I commuted to work a dozen or so times.  I'd hop on my bike to go pickup chinese food and or a coffee.  I'd ride to check out neighborhoods I'd otherwise be driving around in.  But the vast majority of my transportation still involved the car and it still does.

Well I'm hoping that 2011 (when it gets at least a little warmer) will be a little different.  I don't have any lofty goals but I hope to bike commute more and use my bike more for practical reasons.  It's not always the easiest choice, but it's definitely the healthiest, smartest, and most fun choice.  In the St. Louis area, I can bring my bike on any metrobus and metrolink train so there's really no reason I shouldn't make most of my alone trips by bike other than laziness.  I also love cycling and it's one of my absolute favorite things to do so why wouldn't I do it more?  The change of clothes and dealing with the occasional annoyed driver are worth the vast benefits cycling gives me.  I hope to reap a lot more of those benefits this year.