Posts Tagged ‘Bridgeton’

Technicolor skies over Ferguson. Ah, the quiet joys of winter.

Like most people, I’m wrapping up 2009 with a mixed bag of good and bad. I fell short of several goals this year (no surprise), but as usual, the fact that I didn’t get rich or skinny was easily overshadowed by an abundance of other blessings. Good friends, a healthy and happy family, a loving husband – when I focus on all the positives in my life, the negatives are so much easier to handle.

And so it is with North County as well. During 2009, our underdog community continued to face a number of challenges, many a result of the flagging economy. Housing values dipped, several local retailers went out of business, and in terms of foreclosures, seven NoCo zip codes (including my own) were among the top ten hardest hit areas in the entire state of Missouri.

It would be easy to look at an older, discarded suburb like North County and assume that further decline is a guarantee. But that’s only if you’re not looking hard enough. Over the past few months, I’ve spoken with hundreds of NoCo residents and business owners and actively searched out positive news, and I can tell you with absolute certainty: there are good things happening in North County.

Here in Ferguson, CORK Wine Bar has been surprising lots of former NoCo naysayers, just as Ray Hill’s BrewHouse is bound to do when it opens in January. The Ferguson Farmers Market celebrated its seventh successful season. Overland’s new market also had a great inaugural year. In Bridgeton, several parks got a lovely facelift in 2009, and a new city government complex is currently being built. In the Old Jamestown area, residents won further legal protections for the uniquely beautiful Florissant Karst.

In the Spanish Lake area, a gorgeous new visitor center was built at the Confluence, helping to draw larger crowds to this amazing natural wonder. And all across North County, despite the steady drum beat of negativity regarding local schools, students and teachers at every school district won awards and made countless achievements that were rarely reported on the evening news.

This year also saw bright spots in terms of redevelopment: The Express Scripts distribution facility is currently under construction at NorthPark and will eventually create 300 new jobs. Seventy-six acres of new cargo facilities will soon be built in Hazelwood, just north of Lambert Airport. Also in Hazelwood, the long-vacant former Kmart was redeveloped into professional office and conference space, giving a boost to local small businesses. And on Dunn Road near Bellefontaine and 270, the National Archives and Records Administration is building a $100 million, 475,000-square-foot records center that will be home to 800 employees.

At the site of the former Gem department store, the largest National Archives building outside of Washington D.C. is being built. Right here in NoCo.

Will Bridgeton kick off 2010 by using TIF money to get a Super Wal-Mart built on the site of the former Value City? Will St. Louis County allow a casino to be built in a pristine natural area near Spanish Lake? Will Ferguson approve the demolition of 7-8 handsome vintage houses to make room for a CVS (right next to a Walgreens)? Only time will tell. But clearly, somebody sees potential in North County, so that’s a hopeful sign.

As for me, I’ve spent the past few weeks planning my NOCO articles for 2010, and wow, there are so many great stories coming down the pike! Historic golf courses, hookah lounges, musicians, ice skating, glee clubs, fun places for kids, aviation history, car collectors, private schools, dive bars, artists, local nonprofits, community gardens, and even one of the oldest fencing clubs in the country – you can read about all that and more in upcoming NOCO posts.

Donate $2 or more to NOCO and get this fun sticker! The tip jar is in the far right sidebar.

And if that’s not exciting enough, I’m also throwing in a bonus, meant to really rev up your North County mojo! Starting January 1, anyone who donates $2 or more to help keep NOCO up and running will receive a big fat NORTH COUNTY PRIDE bumper sticker – sure to be the envy of everyone in St. Louis!

(Don’t worry, it’ll fit just fine next to your FERG sticker. And you’ll finally be able to tell the world, or at least fellow drivers, “I’m from NoCo and damn proud!”)

Can a blog and a bumper sticker really turn the tide for North County? Honestly, I don’t know. But if you keep reading, I’ll keep writing. And with a little collective pride and a commitment to remain active, invested and hopeful in our community, I truly believe we can make 2010 an even brighter year for our beautiful little corner of St. Louis.

So Happy New Year, everyone! Thank you so much for supporting NOCO (and NoCo) in 2009!

If you’re looking to spread some holiday cheer and maybe do a little Christmas shopping, North County is the place the be. Over the next few weeks, several local cities will be hosting their annual holiday festivals and other special events, so be sure to mark you calendar!

FERGUSON: On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, November 29, Ferguson will hold its outdoor Northern Lights celebration, which includes an evening parade and market under the stars. I was hoping for a theme centered around “A Christmas Story” (imagine…Chinese food, BB guns, and a Ralphie look-a-like contest!), but instead it’s “Christmas on Main Street.” Oh well. You can still enjoy trackless train rides, a petting zoo, hands-on crafts for kids, a holiday trail walk, and live music from a brass quartet. 2-7pm at 20 S. Florissant Rd

Two weeks later, come back to Ferguson for the Christmas Glow, a luminous showcase of businesses in the Citywalk district. Take a free carriage ride around Ferguson’s historic neighborhoods, then savor live Christmas music, tasty snacks, and great shopping. 7-9pm, carriage rides at 501 S. Florissant Rd

FLORISSANT: Enjoy free cookies, cider and cocoa during the annual Christmas in Old Town Florissant event on Saturday, December 5, where you can stroll to various shops, watch a parade, visit with Santa, and see the lighting of Florissant’s official Christmas tree. The theme this year is “Old Town Winter Wonderland.” 1-6pm, rue St. Francois

BRIDGETON: Experience what Christmas might have looked like at the historic Payne Gentry house in 1904. For the first two weekends in December, the Bridgeton Historical Commission will welcome guests for candlelight tours of the house, where they’ll have an authentic Victorian Christmas tree and other antiques on display. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 seniors, and $1 for children 4-15. December 5-6 and 12-13, 4-8pm, 4211 Fee Fee Rd

BELLEFONTAINE NEIGHBORS: On December 11 & 12, take a yuletide trip back to the 19th century with a candlelight tour of the historic Daniel Bissell home. Costumed interpreters will treat you to cookies, cider and cocoa, then guide you around the property amidst period holiday decor. Tickets are $7. Tours start at 7, 8 and 9pm. Call 544-6224 or email for reservations. 10225 Bellefontaine Rd

The handsome new band shell at Gentry Park, one of several park upgrades that Bridgeton recently completed with the help of federal grant money

To say that the city of Bridgeton has been “impacted” by Lambert Airport is a vast understatement. For the past 25 years, airport expansion has chipped away at the community, gutting entire neighborhoods and causing many St. Louisans to forget that Bridgeton actually has a rich history dating to the 1700s.

In 2006, the U.S. Congress decided to compensate Bridgeton for its losses, awarding the city an $800,000 grant to fund the replacement of park facilities that were lost to airport expansion. Bridgeton used the money to create McKelvey Park at 3220 McKelvey Rd, but it also invested in upgrades at both Gentry Park and Riverwoods Park.

The new bocce ball court at Gentry Park, 4201 Fee Fee Rd

Gentry Park, where the Payne-Gentry house and Bridgeton Community Center are located, also now has eight new picnic areas, a concrete walking trail that loops through the woods, a sleek new band shell for concerts in the park, and what may be the only public bocce ball court in North County.

Over at Riverwoods Park, which sits at the very end of St. Charles Rock Road at the Missouri River, there have also been some exciting new additions. Complementing the park’s gorgeous riverfront trail, where you can enjoy a magnificent view of historic St. Charles and the river itself, Bridgeton recently installed four new picnic sites, additional benches, several information kiosks, and new restrooms.

Eventually, Riverwoods Park will serve as a trailhead for the Greenway Trail being developed by Great Rivers Greenway. This new multi-use trail will stretch from I-70 to 370 (through Earth City) and connect with a larger trail network running from Creve Coeur Park to the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area near Spanish Lake.

If you haven’t been to Riverwoods Park yet, definitely check it out. It’s a beautiful, peaceful place where you can enjoy nature and get some exercise. Dogs are welcome too.

Take a stroll beside the great Missouri at Riverwoods Park, not far from the shipwreck of the Montana, a large paddle boat that sunk in 1884.

The best costume winners at Bridgeton’s recent Howl-O-Ween party for dogs… So cute!

Third Place: Bella B. as Snow White

Second Place: Moose Z. as a squirrel hunter

First Place: Fred P. as Fred Flintstone

Don’t we have clever dogs in North County?