In quest to find affordable home, family lands in once-segregated St. Louis County neighborhood

[Sherman A1]

Michael and Danielle Abril are active members of the Meacham Park Neighborhood Association. They show up at meetings. They volunteer. They help inform others in the community.

“Meacham Park is a blessing to us because it allowed us to be relatively close to my work and in a great place, a great community,” Michael Abril said.

The neighborhood is a mostly black area of Kirkwood that had been segregated from the rest of the city for years. But that’s changing.

Not only are neighborhood leaders working to move the community beyond old stigmas, but the rising cost of homes in Kirkwood and surrounding county municipalities is prompting families who are not black, like the Abrils, to turn to Meacham Park to raise their family.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/quest-find-affordable-home-family-lands-once-segregated-st-louis-county-neighborhood#stream/0

[samir.g]

1. here comes the gentrification

[Sherman A1]

2. That was a comment below the article

and I agree that it is certainly a real possibility. It can also be a chance for long overlooked and sometimes worn out neighborhoods to see a renewal, depending upon how this trend (if there is one at all) shakes out. There are many good things that could happen and many that are less so. It is important for neighborhoods and communities to take opportunities such as this and manage them for the long term. I will be passing this article onto my City Councilman and giving him my thoughts on what might be a path forward to benefit our municipality.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. In the inner city portion of St. Louis City, especially Tower Grove, South City, etc.

Huge areas of the city lay abandoned and ignored. I brought my home then and am so glad I did. I hated the long commutes that so many undertook from the outlaying areas of West County, South and North Counties and Illinois. I never could understand why one would want to commute so many miles and spend so much time just to and from work. With me, it was 5 minutes, each way to downtown. I never regretted it, loved the neighborhoods, and loved the big old house which I got for a good price, and especially loved the people, all of them. This time is gone now, in Tower Grove Park (pricey now), but I think instead, it's moved on, to other lower priced neighborhoods.

People are still searching for that piece of affordable housing, they are searching for that city life that one gets when you live in a highly populated area, and you don't have to drive or drive very little to get to things.

Best of wishes to all of those in Meacham Park!!

[Sherman A1]

4. Tower Grove is a beautiful area and the park is very nice

next to The Missouri Botanical Garden as you know. I lived North and commuted to the area for years. Now happily retired I no longer need to make that daily drive.

To a degree, things I believe will run in cycles as areas become less desirable for whatever reasons and then become more desirable again for whatever reasons, some of that will take generations other times economics may drive the changes faster.

[SWBTATTReg]

5. Good points made by you AND ...

CONGRATs on retirement!!! Me too. Take care!