The people of St. Louis are incredibly enthusiastic about its history and background of their own neighborhood. The neighborhoods of St. Louis undoubtedly exhibit St. Louis’ diversity and outstanding historical and architectural interest. What better way to preserve history than with enthusiasm! It’s no wonder that a multitude of beautiful, historical buildings are still maintained.

One of the most exciting neighborhoods in St. Louis is Grand Center. Grand Center has its own rich and exciting history, just as neighborhoods in St. Louis. Grand Center Inc. was founded in 1987 to overlook the revival of Grand Center, as well as to make the the arts, entertainment, and education district come to life.

Over the years there have been some marvelous improvements made to the infrastructure. Improvements included the lighting, sidewalks, and parking facilities. Structures were restored and 25 arts and education organizations became the basis of Grand Center. It’s no surprise that Grand Center is the 12th largest attraction of St. Louis today.

Even though the neighborhoods of St. Louis have received great enthusiasm from people about its buildings and history, there is another reality. Some of the famous historic buildings of St. Louis’ architecture are crumbling to the ground. And it is not just small homes, but also some buildings of great historical consequence. Signs of neglect are being shown throughout. Hopefully, there will be a call to action in regards to this urgent matter.

The Clemens House provides an example of a building in danger, as does the City Hospital. Thankfully, these are buildings that are in the process of rehabilitation, however others aren’t receiving the same care. I’m sure you’re familiar with the beautiful buildings that lie in downtown St. Louis: the Chemical Building, the Railway Exchange, the Frisco Building, 705 Olive (formerly the Union Trust Building), the American Theater, the Mark Twain Hotel, just to name a few. So why is it a ghost town here? Owners of these buildings have very different ideas about how these buildings will eventually serve the community; probably as parking lots.

On the other hand, we’re just discussing downtown St. Louis, and not the beautiful and diverse surrounding neighborhoods. Just as downtown Los Angeles has suffered neglect to its art deco building and towering office structures, so are other urban cities. There is a lack of life and spirit in downtown Los Angeles, because the owners of these historic buildings do not have the proper imagination and care. However, when you look at the surrounding neighborhoods of Los Angeles, you’ll see some of the most lively and gorgeous buildings and styles. St. Louis is commonalities to the same characteristics of Los Angeles in this aspect.

But like Los Angeles, we need to take our attention off the decay of downtown and focus on the beauty in the neighborhoods. As I already mentioned, I absolutely love Grand Center and Washington Ave.

The T.P. Barnett building is particularly appealing because it also contains Art Deco influences, which makes it one of the most one of a kind buildings in the Grand Center region of St. Louis. T.P. Barnett was the son of George I. Barnett who was also a well-known architect in St. Louis. The next time you’re in St. Louis you should absolutely stop and visit this Spanish Revival building on Washington Avenue.