Photo by Theresa Harter
The Gate District was Photo Flood 80, first visited by Photo Flood STL on the 18th of May, 2019. It is the area between Chouteau Avenue and Interstate 44 on the north and south and between South Jefferson Avenue and South Grand Boulevard on the east and west. This area is just south of the central corridor and west of Lafayette Square.
Photo by Ann Yeoman
The neighborhood is certainly a mixture of businesses and industry. St. Louis University dominates a large section of the northwestern corner with its medical campus, and a track and field facility. The Dominican Friars of St. Dominic have a priory along Lafayette Avenue to the south. Along Chouteau Avenue there are many businesses, including Walter Knoll, a well-known St. Louis florist.
Photo by RJ Wilner
Photo by Mike Matney
Photo by Dennis Daugherty
To the surprise of many who may not travel this section of Chouteau there is a collection of surplus military aircraft at Bissell Frame & Frame. They are all in various states of disassembly as they are stripped for precious metals and parts.
Photo by RJ Wilner
Photo by Theresa Harter
Photo by Ann Yeoman
Located in the southeast corner of the neighborhood is Architectural Artifacts of St. Louis, a salvage store that contains just what its name says. They were in the process of shutting the store down and removing the treasures inside and outside to another location. Not sure what is in store for their inventory but hopefully it will not be destroyed.
Photo by Dennis Daugherty
Photo by Mike Matney
Photo by Mike Matney
Photo by Mike Matney
Photo by Ann Yeoman
Famed Poet Maya Angelou was born in the Gate District on April 4th, 1928. Her birthplace/home is at 3130 Hickory St, where she lived her first three years of life. When her parents divorced in 1931, Angelou and her brother, Bailey were sent to live with their grandmother in Arkansas. They returned to St. Louis four years later and lived in a different home in the same neighborhood for five years where they then moved once again to Arkansas. After her death in 2014 the house was designated as a St. Louis City landmark.
Photo by Dennis Daugherty
Photo by Theresa Harter
Photo by Theresa Harter
The many homes within the neighborhood are mixture of old and new. There are still many turn of the century red brick row houses. A great deal of more modern architecture is mixed in, giving the area a unique flavor and look. There have been many attempts over the decades to revitalize the area. However, as we see in many areas of the city a lot of promises are made but these projects seem to fall apart. The neighborhood does continue to thrive despite these failed attempts.
Photo by Ann Yeoman
Photo by Dennis Daugherty
Photo by RJ Wilner
Photo by RJ Wilner
