Captivated

Scott & headed into north St. Louis on Monday to drop off Angel gifts at the Salvation Army. I was glad I picked him up at work to go with me because we ended up getting lost several times - and for those of you that know the area, it is not the safest.

We stumbled upon an area known as Fountainhead Park, which is a park that intersects North Euclid. The words "ghost town" and "eery" come to mind - it was like we had fallen off into a hole a few blocks away from some of the largest homes and gated communities in Central West End.

We were captivated by what might have been the "better days" of this area. Huge homes and ornate buildings overlook the park. Many of the homes are crumbling, dilapidated heaps of what they used to be, but yet the beauty of what "once was" still shines through. "What a shame" came out of our mouths over 20 times in the 5 minute tour through the area and I truly believe it is a shame that such beautiful architecture is boarded up, burnt out, and falling down.

We made our stop at the Salvation Army and headed back towards Central West End which is less than a mile away from Fountainhead Park. The homes, churches, and businesses we saw reflected years of abandonment and we left the area questioning why this had happened to something that seemed to be, or could be, a prize of the city?

After I returned to the home office and Scott back in the lab, we both began to research this area yearning to know more. One building in particular caught our eye and through much digging, we were able to find it and realized we weren't the only ones that were nostalgic for days past at Fountainhead Park. You can read about it here.

I can't help but feel a little helpless that there is not something more I can do for this area, except to write a blog post about it. I also can't help but think that if this area was able to "gentrify" that the Boyles would be the first ones to move in! Great location close to WashU and downtown plus quaint shops and restaurants in CWE (and not to mention the Zoo being even closer than we are now!) Maybe someday Fountainhead Park, maybe someday.