The Grove
Though bars helped stabilize the area for years, the turning point came in 2011, when Urban Chestnut Brewing Company opened its brewery and bierhall. “It was the stake that went into the ground and said, ‘This is a place to invest,’” says St. Louis City Talk’s Mark Groth. Last year, $80 million worth of development was proposed for the neighborhood, including two mixed-use projects. There are also several new businesses, including Firecracker Pizza & Beer, Confluence Kombucha, UCBC’s Urban Research Brewery (the U.R.B.), and the Gezellig tap house. “It’s still not a full-service neighborhood,” says Groth, “but it’s getting there.”
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Carondelet
“It’s a melting pot,” says Groth, noting that the neighborhood has a wonderfully New Orleans–style vibe. “Carondelet was founded in 1767, right? It’s old.” It has the largest collection of “Scrubby Dutch” architecture in the city (brick two-families with white brick at the base) and a business strip that Groth describes as “the most untapped commercial corridor” in the city. Perennial Artisan Ales has been there for a while, and several new venues—including The Sinkhole, Overtime Studio, and The Livery—recently opened there. “It’s just in mothballs,” Groth says, “waiting for someone to come in and do what they did on Cherokee or South Grand.”
Botanical Heights
“As goes The Grove, so goes Botanical Heights,” Groth says. Like the former, the latter is exploding, largely thanks to developer UIC, which has rehabbed historic homes and built eco-friendly ones and is building more homes on the neighborhood’s east side. There are many other signs of success as well: City Garden Montessori School has a waiting list, the neighborhood boasts several Ben Poremba restaurants, and the community garden is among the city’s best. After losing 71 percent of its population over two decades, “this is another neighborhood that will, in the 2020 census, probably see a gain,” says Groth, “and that’s exciting.”
Cherokee
“One of the gems of the city,” Cherokee’s Antique Row still has its neighborhood vibe, and the other side of Jefferson is vibrant with up-and-coming businesses. Though Cherokee does have a thriving entertainment district, “it’s become a fully functional neighborhood,” he says, citing a groomer, barber, florist, supermarket, record stores, clothing boutiques… His only worry for Cherokee? The possible loss of energy and momentum should Hispanic businesses relocate to the suburbs or young developers decide to leave once they have kids—“which is completely unnecessary,” says the father of three and Fox Park resident.
Southampton
Packed with early–20th-century gingerbread houses, SoHa is undergoing a population shift as younger people move in. “Now there are people walking dogs, and strollers everywhere,” says Groth. Macklind Avenue is also a destination, with such restaurants as Copper Pig and Grapeseed. “It’s still got that charming feel of the ‘real South Side,’ where you can go to The Mack and watch a Blues game…but there’s also an influx of people trying new things,” Groth says. As the neighborhood shifts, many families are enrolling kids in public or charter schools and, since Our Lady of Sorrows’ recently closure, students are attending St. Joan of Arc in Northampton.
