ILLUSTRATION BY JOEL KIMMEL
Nearly a decade ago, we wrote a sort of love letter to the city, listing 50 reasons we’re happy to call this city home.
“As with any great love, the obvious things draw you in first: baseball, Forest Park, price tags cheaper than Chicago’s,” we wrote. “Your appreciation for all those things grows over time, as you come to discover more. But what hooks you are the subtle nuances: the Delmar Loop on a Saturday afternoon, a fresh batch at Donut Drive-In, the curtain at the Tivoli...”
A lot’s changed since that time. We’re getting hipper by the minute, rolling out ridesharing, building an aquarium, spicing up our menu of restaurants, and fueling our high-powered startup scene.
Even celebs who’ve moved away—Ellie Kemper, Sterling K. Brown, Jon Hamm, Cedric the Entertainer, Kathleen Madigan—name-check their hometown on a regular basis.
At the same time, the past decade has illuminated old tensions and fault lines. Our city is the center of a new civil rights movement, and at last we’re grappling with the issues that have divided our region for generations. In courtrooms, schools, and neighborhoods, we’re making a concerted effort to have candid conversations about social justice.
That conversation is resonating in new and profound ways across the arts community. As Luminary co-founder James McAnally wrote for Vice, “A Radical Black Arts Renaissance Is Reshaping a Fractured St. Louis.”
Other institutions are also giving artists vital platforms. The Kranzberg Arts Foundation’s music artist-in-residence program provides mentoring and a steady paycheck. “We are putting in place the type of industry and resources that you need to grow your career, raise your family, and put yourself in the best position to be successful here in St. Louis,” the foundation’s Chris Hansen explained when the program launched this spring.
When LouFest was abruptly canceled six months later, the foundation came to the rescue once again, hosting local musicians at The Grandel. What could have been a setback for St. Louis instead became an example of its resilience.
That same spirit of community is on display at businesses and nonprofits large and small. Enterprise continues to pour millions into the St. Louis Public Schools, Forest Park, and the Urban League. Lola Jean’s Giveback Coffee and scores of other restaurants are sharing profits with local charities. Welcome Neighbor STL helps refugees settle here.
Together, we’re all seeing St. Louis—its shortcomings, strengths, and potential—more clearly and moving forward more deliberately. In doing so, we love it all the more.
