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Juneteenth 2020: Dancing in the Streets in Downtown St. Louis

Juneteenth was a block party with lots of dancing and fun Friday evening in front of St. Louis City Hall on Tucker Boulevard in Downtown St. Louis. The stereo speakers used were hauled in on a flatbed that filled city streets with music for the first time in a long time.

Juneteenth is a holiday held annually on June 19th which celebrates the emancipation of black people who were enslaved in America. (source wikipedia.org/Juneteenth)

ExpectUS organized the celebration and it was a great success. Tucker Boulevard was turned into the biggest dance floor I have ever seen. Painted yellow on Tucker Blvd. was the word REPARATIONS, which is the right thing to do.

I have joined the Black Lives Matter movement and will fight for true equality in this country. I am old and thought things were getting better until I watched George Floyd’s murder. I was shocked that the other cops did nothing while the crowd was yelling. I then questioned how many murders occur by police that aren’t on film for the world to see.

Now that I am part of the movement, should I fear for my safety? When will I be pulled over, assaulted and put in jail on a trump charge? The famous American phrase “Land of the Free” is a farce as long as black people continue to be enslaved by inequality and the poor reside in the streets.

The people in ExpectUS work tirelessly, putting themselves in danger each time they protest. They bravely do this to make America a better place, a place where true equality will exist one day. more at https://www.facebook.com/FrontLineA1/

Featured

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Raises Funds to Fight Gun Violence, a Few Days Later the World Shut Down!

It was a little over a year ago when Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Gamma Omega Chapter of St. Louis featured Phirst Experience Fashion Show in The Carmel Room. It was a fund-raising event in March of 2020 to help fight gun violence in St. Louis. A few days later, the world shut down.

Now that things are looking better here in the States, we are looking forward to more venues opening up their doors once again for fashion shows such is this one.

This year in March 2021 the event was skipped and there is no indication there is going to be one in March of 2022 as well. This event was well organized and was so much fun as you can see by the video below. We can only hope that is going to be another one in 2022.

The designers featured at the fashion event were Cedric Brown Collections from Atlanta, Alishas Pieces, Ji Funze, Iamnadya.ra, Boutique Calla Lily, Bowties by Botchway, a young entrepreneur in middle school.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is the first intercollegiate historically African American sorority which began in 1908.

DATE: March 8, 2020
TIME: 3 PM – 7 PM
VENUE: The Caramel Room Event
600 N Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63102

Miran Halen creates Beauty Buzz promo for Neiman Marcus, St. Louis Press Club

Miran Halen is co-chairing this year’s Beauty Buzz for Neiman Marcus and the St. Louis Press Club…and she isn’t wasting any time. She single handedly created a cute promotional video for the Beauty Buzz event that will hopefully get more people excited early on.

It only took Halen about 20 minutes along with Phyllis Langsdorf, a co-chair as well, to call it a wrap. Her editor had it done later that day. As usual she tore it apart until it was perfect. Most importantly, she made sure it prompted more questions than answers. In short, we loved it. Halen is able to achieve things like making a cool promotional video before going to lunch with a friend. She is the person to call when it comes to fixing awkward transitions, framing and a storyline that’s just not working.

What: Virtual Beauty Buzz
When: Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Nieman Marcus St. Louis

Join us for our beauty mix, mingle, and runway party to raise a little “fun” and “funds” for media scholarships, while learning cosmetic and skincare tricks of the trade from NM experts.

Enjoy brunch lite bites from the Zodiac, coffee and mimosas, and a chance to win prizes. Plus a great line-up of cosmetic demonstrations modeled on the runway.

https://www.stlpressclub.org/BeautyBuzz.html

Magnolia Hotel St. Louis, Parking $30/night, No Free Breakfast

Magnolia Hotel St. Louis, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, charges $30/night for self parking and offers no free breakfast. The hotel does have free coffee in the lobby, however.

Paying for parking and no free breakfast are two complaints that are common for hotels in downtown St. Louis. Magnolia mentions on their website that they do charge for parking but do not mention the price.

After checking the Magnolia website today, the cheapest room for 1 adult with a senior discount starts at $152/night. After adding on $30/night for parking and the cost of breakfast, the actual cost to stay at Magnolia can be around $200/night.

Magnolia Hotel St. Louis, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
421 N 8th St, St. Louis, MO 63101
(314) 436-9000 | google.com/maps

The Oliver STL Apartments, Olivette, MO Fall 2021

THE OLIVER STL Apartments are coming along where the former Olivette Fire Department once stood at 9473 Olive Blvd. On Nov. There is approximately 3,500 square feet of retail space planned for the southwest corner of the mixed-use development.

  • THE OLIVER Apartments Construction, May 2021. by craig currie
    THE OLIVER STL Apartments’ construction site in May of 2021. by craig currie

In November of 2020 a banner with the name ‘THE OLIVER” along with Ridghouse Capital and Mission Constructors was attached to the fence that surrounded the construction site along Olive Blvd. catty corner and across from Olivette Bowl.

The multifamily apartment complex will house 151 units which include studios, 1 bedroom and 2 bedrooms layouts. The Oliver is anticipated to be ready by Fall 2021.

THE OLIVER Apartments
3,500 square foot outparcel retail structure
117,000 SF of living and amenity space
Near ag-tech companies: Monsanto, Bayer, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.

INVOLVED
Ridgehous Capital
Mission Constructors, LLC
Timberlake Engineering
VE Design Group
Larson Capital Management

THE OLIVER Apartments
9473 Olive Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63132
Google Maps

St. Louis Soccer Stadium, First Look at Seating

A first look at seating for the Saint louis Soccer Stadium is depicted in these released renderings courtesy of The St. Louis City SC. The Stadium’s capacity is 22,500 and is on track to open for the 2023 Season.

The new state-of-the-art facility is located in the Downtown West neighborhood of St. Louis across the street from Union Station.

Stay! @ Bar K, Kennelwood Pet Resorts coming to The Grove

Lisa Shackelford, June 10, 2021 MetroWireMedia.com

Bar K has teamed up with Kennelwood Pet Resorts, a leading petcare services provider, to develop Stay! @ Bar K, a 7,000-SF facility that will reside adjacent to Bar K in the Grove neighborhood at 4565 McRee Avenue.

The new petcare facility will offer daycare, dog grooming and dog training services as well as dog boarding by shuttling dogs from Bar K to one of Kennelwood’s existing boarding facilities.

“Kennelwood has always been proud to be an innovator in the pet care industry. That is why we are excited to partner with Bar K to bring together the best-in-class pet lover experience, and the best-in-class pet service experience in this unique pet destination,” said Chris Danforth, president of Kennelwood Pet Resorts.

Daycare dogs will be able to romp in Bar K’s expansive, 2-acre dog park during their stay where they will be able to experience Bar K’s unique play structures and engage with other dogs (and humans) enjoying the space.

“This will make Bar K an even more indispensable part of the lifestyle of dog lovers in St. Louis,” said Leib Dodell, founding partner of Bar K. “Now, in addition to spending time with their dogs and their friends in our joyful space, pet owners will be able to leave their dogs in a safe, trusted environment, as well as take advantage of Kennelwood’s unparalleled expertise in grooming and training.”

The combined Bar K and Stay! facility will be housed in a 56,000-SF repurposed warehouse previously occupied by Cardinal Building Supply company. The project is being developed and built by Green Street Real Estate Ventures, which will also be moving its headquarters and approximately 60 employees into the same building at 4565 McRee Ave.

The grand opening of the new Stay! @ Bar K facility is slated for October 2021.

About Bar K: Bar K is a unique new destination combining a thoughtfully designed, fully staffed dog park with a modern bar, restaurant and event space. Bar K brings engaged, community-minded people and their dogs together to share connections with their pups and each other in a joyful and creative atmosphere. The first Bar K opened in August 2018 on the riverfront in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. More locations are planned around the country. To learn more, visit www.barkdogbar.com.

Courtyard Hotel Downtown St. Louis: Parking $27/night, No Free Breakfast

Courtyard by Marriott on Washington Ave., in Downtown St. Louis charges $27 a night for parking and offers no free breakfast. According to the reviews, complaints have been written about the hotel charging for parking.

Courtyard Hotel in Downtown St. Louis. May 2021 by craig currie
Courtyard Hotel in Downtown St. Louis. May 2021 by craig currie

I looked on the official website and couldn’t find where they charge for parking and offer no free breakfast. I am not saying it’s not there; I just couldn’t find it. This seems to bother people the most, being charged for services that are commonly baked in with the price of the room.

Paying for parking and not having a free breakfast can really take a bite out of a travel budget, especially if you have kids. One guest reported a few cons which were paying $27 a night for parking and being charged $15 for coffee and orange juice.

Courtyard by Marriott St. Louis Downtown/Convention Center
3-star hotel
823-827 Washington Ave,
St. Louis, MO 63101
(314) 231-7560 | Google Maps

Ely Walker Lofts Building in St. Louis once owned by President George H. Bush’s Great Grandfather

Ely Walker Lofts building at 1520 Washington Avenue in St. Louis, formally the Ely and Walker Dry Goods Company, was once owned by President George H. Bush’s Great Grandfather.

Ely Walker Lofts St. Louis. March 2020 by craig currie
Ely Walker Lofts St. Louis. March 2020 by craig currie

In 1857, David Davis Walker, a member of the Bush family, arrived in St. Louis from Illinois. In 1880, he and Frank Ely founded, Ely Walker & Company, which became a leading dry goods wholesaler west of the Mississippi River and was acquired by Burlington Industries after World War II. (source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ely_Walker_Lofts)

Ely Walker Lofts
Apartment complex
1520 Washington Ave,
St. Louis, MO 63103 | Google Maps

The Last Hotel STL Features Fashion Shows in Garment District

The 1909 International Shoe Company building was rebuilt by PARIC Construction into a 142-room boutique hotel called The Last Hotel in the heart of the Historic Garment District on Washington Ave. in Downtown St. Louis. The Last Hotel is one of the best venues for fashion shows. You can watch one of the fashion shows by local Designer J. Stockings in the video below.

VIDEO: Watch fashion show by Designer J. Stockings at The Last Hotel. 2019 credit craig currie

The old ten-story contains 160,000 sq. ft. designed by Union Station architect Theodore C. Link. Remnants of the original structure are still intact including the terrazzo floors, exposed brick walls, and barrel ceilings.

The Last Kitchen + Bar located on the rooftop is known for its beautiful view of downtown’s Garment District and its tasty pre-prohibition style whiskey and handcrafted cocktails.

Photos collection below were taken at different times.

Pocket Park at 10th and Locust brightens up Downtown St. Louis

A Pop-Up Park (Pocket Park) with games and activities for pedestrians of all ages was opened this weekend at the corner of 10th and Locust in Downtown St. Louis. It certainly brightened up Downtown and turned an empty plot into a place to play games or just to relax and enjoy the day.

PocketParks.co turns vacant lot into colorful park at 923 Locust Street in downtown St. Louis. Games, Giveaways, Food from Bailey’s Restaurants and more!!!

PocketParks was founded by Samantha Lee and is non-profit organization that turns empty areas into fun-filled pop-up parks. As a company, the board has a goal in mind and that is to add a network of parks across the the U.S.

Video of Pocket Park pop up at 10th and Locust in downtown St. Louis. May 2021 by craig currie

Samantha says by, “Using a human-centric approach, we can elevate the urban experience to one that is safe, beautiful, active, and diverse. We are creating a platform using parks to reactivate the streets and build up the ecosystem of our city.” (source https://www.pocketparks.co/learn-more)

Dates & Times

The DUC Park Pop-Up Event on Locust May 2021
Friday, May 14th | 4pm – 9pm
Saturday May 15 | 12pm – 9pm 
Sunday May 16th| 12pm – 4pm 

PocketParks.co is remaking Downtown STL

Civil Courts Building, Downtown St. Louis with Sphynx-like Creatures on Roof

The Civil Courts Building is a landmark court used by the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri in Downtown St. Louis. The architects were Klipstein & Rathmann who featured Greek Revival architecture throughout the building.

The pyramid roof was designed to resemble the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world. It features 8 columns on each side.

The roof is cast aluminum with two 12 foot (3.7 m) Sphinx-like structures with the Fleur-de-Lys in Saint-Louis adorned on the chest. These Sphynx-like creatures were sculpted by Cleveland sculptor, Steven A. Rebeck.

NumberBuildingCityFloorsHeight Year
1One Metropolitan SquareSt. Louis42181m 1989
2One AT&T Center909 Chestnut St. St. Louis44179m1986
3Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse111 S 10th St. St. Louis28170m2000
4US Bank Plaza505 N 7th St. St. Louis35 148m1976
5Laclede Gas Building720 Olive St. St. Louis31122m1969
6Southwestern Bell Building1010 Pine St. St. Louis26122m 1926
7Civil Courts Building10 N Tucker Blvd. St. Louis13118m 386Ft 1929
8100 Above the Park100 Kingshighway Blvd. STL36117m 2020
9Bank of America Plaza800 Market St. St. Louis31117m1981
10600 Washington600 Washington Ave. STL25 fl114m1985
11Park East Tower4909 Laclede Ave. St. Louis26101m2007
12Queeny TowerSt. Louis1998m1965
13One Cardinal Way1 Cardinal Way, St. Louis2998m2020
14The Tower at OPOP411 N 8th St. St. Louis2595m2010
15Park Plaza Apartments212 Kingshighway Blvd. STL2794m1931
161010 Market Street1010 Market St. St. Louis2090m1982
17Millennium Hotel St. Louis Tower200 S 4th St. St. Louis2888m1968
18Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis999 N 2nd St. St. Louis1988m2007
19The Gentry’s Landing400 N 4th St. St. Louis2887m1965
20Mansion House Apartments300 N 4th St. St. Louis2887m1965

The Civil Courts building in Downtown St. Louis