All Entries Tagged With: "agriburbia"
In search of NoCo’s sustainable gardens…
North County gardens are needed for the Sustainable Backyard Tour on June 24.
If there’s one thing we have in North County, it’s an abundance of rich, fertile soil. We also have lots of farmers, gardeners, innovators and other green-minded folks, so I wasn’t surprised to learn today that somebody wants to show us off.
Last year, the first ever Sustainable Backyard Tour featured dozens of gardens in St. Louis City and County. For 2012, organizer Terry Winkelmann (who owns South City’s Home Eco general store) is hoping to include even more stops up north.
Pretty gardens are welcome, of course, but the real focus of this tour is sustainability, so featured properties should have elements like composting, organic gardening, edible landscaping, rainwater harvesting, renewable energy, permeable surfaces, bee hives and/or small-scale livestock.
More than 1,000 people went on the tour last year, looking for good ideas in sustainable gardening. This year, who knows? All I’m sure of is that this is a wonderful opportunity for North County to showcase one of its finest assets, and I will personally be welcoming visitors to my own yard.
If you’d like to sign up too, contact my friend Chris Jaurigui at (314) 974-6138 or cjaurigui@hotmail.com. He’s the North County node leader. You can also learn more about last year’s tour by jumping over here.
The 2nd annual Sustainable Backyard Tour, which is free and self-guided, will take place on Sunday, June 24, from 11am to 4pm.
Photo Essay: Dave Naumann’s Native NoCo
An adventurer at heart, local attorney Dave Naumann likes going off the beaten path to explore the hidden natural areas of North County.
As the year closes out and I look back at all the reasons I’ve had to be grateful in 2011, I can’t help but think of you, dear NOCO readers. Since I launched this blog two years ago, I’ve gotten to meet so many amazing people, both here in North County and throughout St. Louis. Hundreds of you have emailed with story ideas or insightful comments, and quite a few have even offered to help. Thank you!
One of those generous “helpers” is David Naumann, a Florissant attorney and lifelong NoCo resident whose passion is hiking and biking North County’s many unspoiled pockets of wilderness. Dave knows the area’s trails and hidden pathways probably better than anyone, and lucky for us, he always brings a camera along.
He has been offering to share his images for months now, and I finally got a chance to pull them all together. I have to admit, some of them are so gorgeous, they even made me wonder if they’re really in North County. But of course they are!
Many thanks to Dave Naumann for these beautiful photos, and to everyone who read NOCO and supported North County this year! You are truly appreciated!! Enjoy…
1480 Alicia: your own private NoCo wonderland
Just a few years ago, this wonderfully unique Ferguson estate was listed for nearly $700,000. Today, it can be yours for a small fraction of that...
If you’re a regular NOCO reader, you know that I love to highlight North County’s many hidden gems. Well, this one is certainly very well hidden, and there’s absolutely no doubt that it’s a diamond in the rough. In fact, this sprawling house at 1480 Alicia Avenue may be one of the coolest places I’ve ever come across in NoCo.
For one, it sits on ten acres! And that’s ten lush, wooded acres with a natural creek and a horse pasture, all tucked away on a private road in the heart of Ferguson. As if that’s not awesome enough, the property also has a horse stable, a huge workshop building and a massive, one-of-a-kind house……a 4,700-square-foot executive home that offers all kinds of great possibilities.
Back in 2006, when the city of Ferguson considered developing this land into a new subdivision, the asking price was a whopping $695,000. But now, thanks to our lackluster economy, you can snag this incredible suburban wonderland for just $199,900!
So what’s the catch? I have to be honest, it’s a pretty big one.
Cosmetically, this place is a mess. Seriously. There isn’t a single room that doesn’t need work, and there are many, many rooms to deal with. But, if you’re willing to get your hands dirty and spend a decent chunk of change on renovations, you just might wind up with one of the sweetest private retreats in all of St. Louis.
And did I mention that 1480 Alicia is historical as well? Click on pic #1 for the full story….
OK, so now that you’ve seen the property, you’re probably thinking, “Holy cow, that place is huge!” And I agree. It is a little too much for most families. But here are some out-of-the-box ideas to consider…
Given the size and nature of the lot and the duplex-like layout of the house, 1480 Alicia could be uniquely suited for a number of uses. In my mind, I totally see it as a bed & breakfast, a mini farm, a corporate retreat center, even a spiritual/wellness/yoga destination. It could also make an ideal site for a work-at-home artist, a homeschooling family, or even two families seeking self-sufficiency and a co-housing arrangement, though a zoning variance might be necessary.
Whichever way you look at it, this property is bursting with potential. And I really want to find someone who will appreciate and love this place and make it the very best it can be. So if you’re interested in taking a closer look, give me a call at (314) 359-5927. My broker, Pearce Neikirk, has the official listing on this property, and I would be happy to show it to you…
That’s right. In case you missed my big announcement, I recently became a licensed real estate agent, specializing in vintage, historical and unique homes just like this!
1865 S. New Florissant: a fixer-upper Spanish gem
Built in 1932, this adorable Spanish Revival house sits in a private corner of Florissant on nearly an acre. It's also priced crazy cheap...
Whenever I drive past this classic 1932 bungalow perched high atop a shady hill on Florissant Road, I can’t help but think of Los Angeles. The home’s Spanish Revival style, so popular during Hollywood’s golden era, is a common sight in southern California, gracing everything from sprawling mansions to old movie theaters. But here in the Midwest, well….these babies are pretty rare.
Even more unusual is the fact that this house sits on close to an acre – a peaceful, private oasis you would never expect. Also surprising (or maybe not, considering the economy): it’s listed for just $25,500!
From what I can tell, the property was once part of the Andrew Harper estate – a totally cool story on its own. If you’re ever driving south on Florissant Road (just south of Highway 270), turn right on a street called Bascom and be prepared to have your jaw drop. You’ll pass one modest cracker box after another, nothing special. Then all of a sudden, you’ll see a big ol’ Federal-style house halfway down the street, almost like it’s out of a time warp. It was built around 1840, prior to the Civil War, and it remains one of the oldest houses in St. Louis County.
Businessman Andrew Harper lived here from roughly 1845 to 1878, but by 1925 a subsequent owner began selling off the land for development. The charming brick bungalows along Jean Drive were part of that initial building phase, back when Florissant Road was still a rural route and 270 didn’t even exist. Our sweet little Spanish house at #1865 came just a bit later.
As you can see in this aerial view, the property stretches waaaayyyy back from Florissant Road. Behind it is another very long parcel – the site of another gorgeous private estate, circa 1927. But that one’s not for sale. This one is….
Typical of foreclosures, the condition is definitely rough, but OH, what potential! I might even buy this house myself! It has three bedrooms and 1.5 baths in 1,002 square feet – which is small, yes. But there’s plenty of space to expand.
You get a half story upstairs, a full basement downstairs and a “two-car detached garage” that, quite frankly, should probably be torn down. Just looking around the outside of the house, I see water damage on the front porch, huge original gutters that probably need to be updated/repaired, and original windows that should either be re-glazed or replaced. I also smelled a slightly musty odor, so who knows what the basement has going on. Maybe it just needs fresh air??
On the positive side, the basement does have nice glass block windows. There are also many original details throughout the house, including lovely wood moldings, decorative vent grates, period doors and lighting, hardwood floors (some under carpet) and a fabulous Spanish-style fireplace (painted blue). More good news: the HVAC unit looks newer and a good deal of the back yard is fenced.
All in all, this house is most certainly a project waiting to happen. But for $25,500, you could renovate the whole place and still come out ahead. And just imagine the garden you could grow on your .78 acres! There’s even room for an orchard…
For more information about 1865 S. New Florissant, which is conveniently located mere seconds from Highway 270, check out the official listing or contact realtor Jamie Loftus at (314) 731-0006.
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K