It's time for a few fall musings as I look out over the falling leaves, just a week ago they were such glorious color filling the sky - one of the loveliest falls I can remember.  Now they lay trodden on the ground. Tomorrow to be sucked up by the municipal vaucumns or in compost piles or picked up by the trashmen.  Our lives move on, just as the leaves do, and we prepare for the winter to come.  here are a few reminders of things to take care of as we move into the winter months.  Best to do when the weather is still this wonderful mild temperature and the days once more are dry.

Picking up leaves? Many of the municipalities will pick them up if you rake them to the curb, in others you will need to bag them for the trash pickup. My husband and I prefer to put ours in a compost pile, turn them in a year and then put them on the garden beds.  Don't forget to check the gutters and clear them and get any leaves that you can off the roofs and out of the areas where they will rot and cause issues with people slipping.

With all the rain, don't forget to pick up the fallen brush in the yard. During the winter it can be used as tinder for your fireplace, but a brush pile makes a wonderful shelter for birds and small woodland creatures, then in the spring when the municipal brush pickups are scheduled set it out for pickup rather than now.

It's time to check your furnace and make sure it's ready for the winter months, if you haven't done so already. Change the filter, check the humidifier, reset the thermostat from cool to heat, change the batteries in the smoke detectors, make sure that the furnace has space around it to pull air from.

Don't forget to disconnect your hoses once you have finished cleaning up everything for the winter. Stretch them out & leave them in the sun to get the kinks out, then roll them up and put them away. If you have "extensions" on your faucets take them off as well. Then turn off the outside faucets from inside your home to help prevent freezing problems when winter really sets in.

Your gas furnace & water heater may not be getting enough air. You can add air to the room by putting in a louvered door, or by adding vents in the wall between that room & the rooms next to it. Typically it only takes 2 large return air duct size vents to be cut in the wall then having a return air duct cover put on them to vent the room into the next room& provide adequate oxygen to the gas equipment.

Clean your bird feeders, bird baths and bird houses.  Don't have any?  I made a very simple bird bath out of the tray that went under one of my plants, put a few large rocks in it for the birds to sit on and set it out. In the winter I put a small warmer in it to keep the water from freezing.  I use the WildBird Store at Manchester and Baxter in the Lafayette Center for all my birding needs. Doyle and Rebecca have a wonderful supply and are always there to answer my questions about the birds.  Make sure to keep your seed in a dry place that is safe from marauding squirrels and other creatures (I have raccoons) - I use a metal garbage can with bricks on the lid.

Now while the ground is wet it is easier to pull the last of those weeds that you don't want to come back in the fall.  These need to really go away, not go in the compost pile if you don't want them back.

If you want to feed the birds over the winter, you may chose to leave the seed heads on your spent flowers as I do, other wise, now is the time to clean up your garden for the winter.

If you have a fireplace and like to burn wood in the winter, make sure to have the fireplace checked and the chimney cleaned every few years to help ensure that you don't have a fire.  The firebox needs to be checked periodically as well to ensure that there are no cracks in it that would allow flames to escape into the wall behind the firebox and cause a fire in the wall of your home.  Welsch Chimney Services does my home.

Now is the time to plant your spring bulbs!  If you have squirrels and chipmunks that like to feast on the bulbs, try cutting pieces of chicken wire to place on top of the bulbs when you plant them. Note that daffodils are toxic so they won't eat those, but they do love the tulips.

Have a GREAT FALL!!  If you need any other contractors to help with minor repairs, let me know and I'll be happy to help.

Dale

Both as a friend and as a Realtor, I end up taking care of vacant homes for people. Often I get asked for my “checklist” of what to look for and how to take care of a home. When someone is asked to care for a home, it’s often a simple, “will you watch over my home for me” with no real guidance or instructions, and while that works for a short vacation trip, it doesn’t work when the homeowner is gone for a much longer time period. As a result, I’ve written out these instructions to give to the many people who ask me how to take care of a home.

One thing I would suggest is up front, determine how the person taking care of the home is going to be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses. There will be some things that regardless of how much “stuff” the homeowner leaves behind, he won’t have left enough or the right things and the person caring for the home will have to go buy – whether it’s light bulbs or insect spray or leaf bags. Does the homeowner leave $100 with the person taking care of the home and then send more money as needed? Does the person caring for the home keep receipts and then settle up at a set time? It’s up to you, but it needs to be decided in advance.

When it comes to caring for a vacant home, there are differences based on location - the issues you will face in a southern climate are different then those you will face in a northern climate, but there are some very basic starting points. First is to define why you are taking care of it. Watching a home for someone who is away on vacation or deployed in the military for an extended time period and is coming back to their own home and you want to make sure that they aren’t ticketed by the local municipality, has damage that no one catches until it’s a big problem or their home is marked as “empty” by thieves is totally different than keeping a home in a show-ready state when it’s on the market to be sold. As you go through my list, please keep that in mind.

Take care of the exterior – make sure the yard is watered and mowed and weeds trimmed (and that included not just flower beds but the cracks between the sidewalks and driveways). Keep vines under control as they can grow up and force their way into a home through windows and cracks. In the fall, rake the leaves. In the winter, at the minimum if the home is not being shown, open the garage door and drive a car through the snow from the street to the garage and out to make it look like the home is being used and shovel the walk. If the home is for sale, then shovel the drive and the walks (this helps to prevent a buyer from slipping and falling on the snow as well). If you have an exterior storm drain close to a door (in St Louis, we have a tendency to have them close to a basement door on the outside), keep them clear of leaves and debris – if they get covered and can’t keep the rain water going down the drain, it will go back into the home. Keep downed branches and brush picked up and take out any dead bushes.

Pick up the free newspapers, phonebooks and marketing materials that are left on the doorstep and on the door handles and in the mailbox. Even when the mail is stopped, you will periodically have a temporary mailperson assigned to the route who will deliver the junk mail without paying attention to the fact that it is an empty house, so check the mailbox periodically.

When the seasons change and it gets cold, make sure that hoses are disconnected and taken inside, and that outside faucets are turned off from inside the home if at all possible. If there is a sprinkler system, disconnect it and take off the multi-hose connections at the faucets. Sometimes I invest a little bit of money (a couple of dollars) in putting the Styrofoam covers over outside faucets if I can’t find the inside faucet shutoffs. Make sure that all water is allowed to run out of sprinkler hoses and the end caps are taken off as well. If you are in an area where children may turn on the faucets to play with the water or neighbors may help themselves to watering the yard or washing the car with your water, you may want to disconnect the outside faucets (just put a note in your files so you remember that they are shut off or put a note at the shut off valves inside the home) If a home is really vacant and no one is going to be there, then the utilities may be turned off and the water shut off and antifreeze put in the system (toilets and water heater will be drained then) but a sign goes up warning people or someone WILL use the toilet and then it is a mess (in which case you carry bottles of water to the home and manually flush it)

After any large storm, someone should walk around the outside of the home and check it for damage and walk around the inside of the home and check for broken windows, damaged roof, leaks, water coming UP drains, etc. Any damages should be taken care of right away. If a hurricane is coming, put up the shutters and boards.

Bugs are a way of life, but spiders will take over a vacant home in a heart beat. Spray the interior and the exterior periodically, especially around exterior lights, exterior doors and windows – inside and outside. Take a stick and knock down the cobwebs even if it is close to Halloween, you don’t want spider eggs hatching and the more webs you have the more neglected the home looks. In some areas, you may want to put out mouse traps, bug glue traps (both those that go on the floor and those that hang down from the ceiling) and cockroach motels.

Water - Run water down the sinks and tubs/showers periodically to prevent the pipes from getting dry enough that sewer gases come back up (I do it at least once a month). Flush the toilets periodically – water will evaporate from the toilets leaving nasty rings – MAKE SURE when you flush that you stay around long enough to make sure that they stop flushing since the seals can dry up, chains can get hooked up, etc and the water can continue to run indefinitely with no one in the house to catch it (again at least once a month). Gaskets dry out. Both laundry and dishwashers need to be run every few months to ensure that the gaskets and hoses don't dry out too much or they will leak when they are run. Also the garbage disposal should be cleaned before the home owner leaves or accumulated soap, food particles, etc can essentially gum it up to the point that it will freeze and become inoperable.

My parents once had the ice maker and it’s water supply line for their refrigerator ice maker go haywire while they were out of town on a long trip and they came back to find their entire house flooded. After that they turned the water off to their home whenever they left town for more than a day or two and they would have to turn it back on when they got home again before they could get a glass of water, for many that would be overkill, but after having the water flood their kitchen, and then be absorbed by the carpet in the dining room, family room and living room and then seep into the basement and flood the basement and have to deal with the mold and mildew for years (and the collateral damage of not only the floors and walls that were ruined but cleaning and reupholstering the furniture, paintings were ruined , boxes of things stored in the basement were ruined, etc) they took no chances.

Electricity - If the utilities are on, the home owner may want to invest in motion detector lights or lights on timers that will come on periodically to give an illusion that the home is occupied. You may want to unplug the garage door opener. And turn off all the big appliances at the breaker box (just put a note that they are turned off). If there are outside electrical outlets, and the home is in an area where someone might "help themselves" by using the home's electricity, shut them off at the circuit breaker box. Likewise, if possible shut off any outside phone jacks so no one runs up a phone bill.

Periodically check the thermostat – if it’s newer and has a battery, make sure the battery doesn’t go out, in which case the thermostat won’t work. When the seasons change, someone has to reset from one season to the next – turn off the a/c and turn on the furnace, turn on and off humidifiers, etc. In a hot, humid climate, the a/c may be left on just to keep the moisture down in the house to keep the mold and mildew from growing Water heaters can be turned to vacation settings to keep utility bills lower. Any refrigerators left in the home can be turned to their lowest setting (freezer and refrig)

Light bulbs and toilet paper and some hand soap (and if you’re really nice some paper towels or a small hand towel) should be in the homes as people looking at the homes (and those taking care of the home) do need to use the facilities). (I have small garbage cans under the bathroom sinks and kitchen sink (or plastic garbage sacks) that I periodically take home and empty (empty homes don’t have trash pickup).

If a home is being shown for sale, someone needs to check on the “nice cleaning”. Sometimes it’s a matter of dusting as well, or cleaning the windows (inside may stay clean but outside won’t). Periodically the floors need to be swept if people have tracked in leaves etc (you can ask the agent for shoe covers if the floors are carpeted to keep the carpets clean).

If there is a pool or hot tub, it may need to have the chemical balance checked periodically, so instructions and chemicals may need to be left by the homeowner.

Check the refrigerator, they do go out while they are running. If you stop using the refrig, make sure to unplug it and block the door open so you get enough air circulation inside so it does not develop mold and mildew inside.

Believe it or not, things that aren’t being used break. I walk through a home and look for “odd” things – is there a leak that has developed somewhere, is there a doorknob that is loose, is there a window that isn’t closed properly or that has cracked from a tree branch hitting it in a storm, a door that isn’t locking easily – I look for security issues as well as preventative maintenance as well as things that make a home look nice. I also try to keep air fresheners in the home and if the home has ceiling fans I’ll keep them on low so the air continues to circulate regardless of temp, to keep the house from smelling stale. Herbal tea bags can help keep drawers and cabinets smelling nice.

I sincerely hope that this helps you as you care for a vacant home. If I've missed anything, please let me know. I'm always looking to improve this list.

Who's minding all the empty houses?

All over the US there are empty houses at the moment.  Some are foreclosure and pre-foreclosure homes, some are empty because the homeowners relocated for a new job and haven't been able to sell.  Who's taking care of them?  Some things you can just turn off and leave, but other things need to be maintained and checked periodically.  I went to preview one home the other day where the grass and weeds were taller than I am (I'm 5'1" tall).  I've gone into homes where the basements were so full of spider webs that I walked out feeling like I needed to go spray myself with insecticide and hope my hair wasn't full of spiders.  I've seen some where the bathroom pipes had burst and 2 rooms were flooded.  One had broken glass throughout the home.  Another had a tree branch sticking through the garage wall and the garage roof was covered with huge tree limbs from a storm.  I've gone into homes that have doors left unlocked by a previous showing agent and have sat that way no one knows how long.  The list goes on and on.  All lovely homes, all on the market, but being neglected.  The listing agents hadn't been by to check them out in a very long time and the home owners weren't in the local area.

Grass needs to be mowed, weeds & vines pulled in flower beds, light bulbs need to be replaced, batteries in thermostats and smoke detectors need to be changed, furnace filters need to be changed.  When the temperature changes, someone has to reset the thermostat and change it from heat to cool or cool to heat or you can destroy the system.  If water isn't run through the drains periodically, sewer gasses can build up and back into the house.  The water in the toilet bowls will evaporate leaving nasty rings unless someone periodically flushes the toilet. Gaskets will dry out on the dishwasher if it's not run once in awhile.  The spiders and other insects will take over quickly if no one is there to spray and maintain control. Checking for backed up floor drains, water seeping into basements, ceiling leaks, storm damage - who's doing it?  In winter, who is checking for burst pipes?  Did a mouse get in?  Or a bigger creature? Has anyone broken into the home or left it unsecured?  The list goes on and on.

If the homeowner is lucky, a good neighbor, friend or relative is stopping in and checking on the home, but if the home is empty for long, that gets old and the neighbor, friend or relative gets busy with their own life and slowly doesn't come around as often.  After a storm, the empty house doesn't have the priority of their own home.  There's no checklist for them to work off of, so it's kind of hit and miss what they think to do or not do.  They don't carry things in their car with them when they come over, so they try to remember the next time they come over what it was that they meant to bring, but often it gets forgotten.  The person who ends up taking care of it, is often the Realtor.  They don't get paid for checking on the home, property management is not in most of their job descriptions, it's the home owner's responsibility to have someone take care of the home.  But in most areas, there is no "company" to hire to stop in and check on a home, and where there are, they are expensive enough that they are only used for very expensive homes or for rentals.  The Realtors have enough to do without adding that to their job description, but they know that if they want to get the home sold, they need to make sure that the vacant homes get checked periodically and if something is wrong they let the owner know and arrange to have someone come fix it, because if not taken care of the small problem may become a big problem before it's dealt with and at that point it will cost the home owner most money and could end up costing a sale.  Sometimes the Realtors will discuss with the owners in advance having a handyman on call for minor repairs that come up, or having $XX on hand to buy furnace filters, lightbulbs, etc with, but often the Realtors just take care of it.  Some bill their clients at the end, some just eat the cost, some call their clients and get permission first and have their clients reimburse them right away, but it's still their time, their energy and their effort that keeps it going even if the light bulb got paid for.

But as Realtors we have a responsibility also, to let the listing agent know if there is something wrong when we visit a property.  I checked on one of mine recently and the doorknob to the basement was off.  Since there had only been a couple showings since I had last been to the house, it was fairly easy to find out who was responsible, but it was irritating to have the other agent tell me the door knob had been "loose" when I know if wasn't. Someone had tried to force the door open using the doorknob without unlocking the upper lock on the door first - it's the only way it could have happened.  How much simpler it would have been to have called me right away and told me, and let me know so I could have had the neighbor come over and fix it that day rather than my finding it a few days later and then having to call the owner and ask if he knew anything about and track down the neighbor and ask him then track down the Realtors who had shown to talk to them.  All it took to fix it was a screwdriver.

Welcome to St Louis!  While we're noted for being a metropolitan area, with all the amenities and tourist attractions of a major metropolitan area, St Louis is noted for it's friendly, welcoming smile.

Many years ago, the City of St Louis decided that the County growing up around it was going to be a drain on it's financial resources.  As a result, the City literally divorced itself from the county.  The City of St Louis lost when it did that because the City then became land and river locked and couldn't grow.  The County proceeded to grow and expand, gradually pulling the wealthier sections of the population with it.  Today we have St Louis City which is it's own county, and St Louis County as 2 seperate entities, tied together through their mutual need for each other.

The City has 79 Distinct neighborhoods, while the County has over 90 different municipalities, ranging from some that are literally a city block big (but have their own government!) and those with over 100,000 people living in them.  Driving down some of our streets in the winter can be a challenge when different municipalities have different snow removal priorities and equipment!

As the metropolitan area has continued to expand, the Counties of Jefferson, St Charles, and Franklin on the Missouri side are considered part of the "metro" St Louis area.  On the Illinois side, the metro area encompasses a large area as well.

St Louis boasts a Major League Baseball Team (the Cardinals), a ProFootball Team (the Rams) and a ProHockey Team (the Blues).  We have the National Bowling Museum and National Transportation Museum, along with our St Louis Art Museum, Zoo, The Missouri History Museum, and much much more.  Tune in later to learn more about St Louis.

Here's a tongue in cheek look at driving in St Louis.  When you're ready to start looking at homes, give me a call, I know my way around and will be there to help you find the right home in the right area!


A VISITOR'S GUIDE TO DRIVING IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI:  

The morning rush hour is from 6:00 to 10:00 am.  The evening rush hour is from 3:00 to 7:00 PM.  Friday's rush hour starts Thursday morning.  

Gravois Road can only be pronounced by a native. Ditto for Spoede and Chouteau.  

Construction on Highways 40, 64, 70, 255, 270, 44, 55 and I-170 is a way of life, and a permanent form of entertainment.   The current construction will end in time for us to start renovating the next highway on our list however.

Most St Louisans know enough short cuts through the metro area that they can get anywhere they want without getting on a highway and they can often get there faster.

The Page Avenue extension and Airport expansion projects took over 20 years to get approved and St Louisan's lost track of how many political figures claimed them as their own ideas.  

A St. Louisan from South County has never been to North County and visa versa.

West County has everything delivered.  If you live in St Charles County you will only come to St Louis County for school field trips, the zoo, ballgames (baseball and/or football) or an occasional concert unless you have out of town guests.

St Louisan's were aghast when the federal government required them to redo the highway signs to indicate that the federal highway went to cities in other states instead of local municipalities.  

If someone actually has their turn signal on, it is probably a factory defect, or has been on for the last 17 miles.  

There are 2 exits on Highway 40 for Clayton Road and 2 for Big Bend.  

All old ladies with blue hair in Cadillacs (driving on Olive west of 270) have the right of way.  

Laclede Station Road mysteriously changes names as you cross intersections. As do McCausland, Lindbergh, Watson, Reavis Barracks,  Fee Fee, McKnight, Airport Road, Midland, Olive and Clarkson.

Drivers are starting to cut their OWN plates rather than go through the Mo. Vehicle Dept. to get new tags. You can purchase tags from dealers behind QuiK Shops in the city. They are cheaper, the clerks are nicer, and the service is faster.  

You can go all four directions on Highway 270: North and South in West County, East and West in South County, and East and West in North County.   Confused? So are the St. Louis drivers.  

There are 54 school districts on the Missouri side alone - each of which has their own school bus system and scheduled times to block traffic.  

There are 75 "official neighborhoods" in the City of St Louis.  St. Louisans commonly give directions (especially for restaurants) to strangers based on these neighborhoods which aren't marked on any maps that are handed out by the tourist board, the AAA or Mapquest.    

There are 91 official municipalities in St Louis County.  Each municipality has it's own rules, regulations, and often their own police departments.  More importantly, most have their own snow removal contracts so it's not uncommon to drive down a road in winter and have one block plowed, the next salted, the next piled with snow and the last partially cleared by residents wanting to get out of their driveways.  

No native St. Louisan knows that Lindbergh runs from South County to North County. And, if you tell them, they will not believe you.

Lindbergh belongs to every neighborhood except Kirkwood, who had the nerve to creatively change the name to "Kirkwood Road".  

Highway 270 is our daily version of the NASCAR circuit.  

YIELD signs are for decoration only. No native St. Louisan will ever grasp the concept.  

Lambert Field and St Louis International Airport really are the same place.  The East Terminal however is a different place.  

Never ever try to cross a bridge in St Louis during rush hour unless you have a port-a-potty in the car.  

The outer belt is Highway 270 which turns into Highway 255 in South County.  The inner belt is Highway 170 and if it's a 3XX number it's an outer outer belt.    

Highway 40 is the same as Interstate 64 through the middle of St Louis. 

If you need directions to O'Fallon, make sure to specify Illinois or Missouri.  

The City of Ballwin actually proposed that drivers use connecting strip mall parking lots to get from place to place rather than drive on Manchester Road to cut the traffic on Manchester.

St Louisans are very proud of our city and our highways and byways.  We proudly show off the flowers along the side of our highways in the spring, our bridges (those that have traffic on them and those we walk across and hold concerts on) and we will point out to you that the US highway system started here in St Louis and as far as we are concerned we "Own" route 66. (as we direct you to Ted Drewes for some Frozen Yogurt)

Remember, if you need help finding your way around when you first get to St Louis and start house hunting, give me a call.  I'll demystify our road system for you!  314-660-4803 or Dale@YourSTLHome.com!

I had a GREAT time recently at the Butterfly House at Faust Park.  They held a reception for people who had donated a paving stone in front of the building.  The butterfly house is always a wonderful place to go.  This time there seemed to be even more butterflies flittering around then the last time I was there.  One particular butterfly was hitching a ride on a gentleman's head.  The man had walked all the way through the butterfly house - the butterfly would periodically flit off only to come back right away.  The gentleman kept saying that his student's wouldn't believe him when he told them about it on Monday, so I whipped out my camera phone and took several pictures then emailed them to him.  That got me started, by the time I was done, I had a camera full of butterfly pictures.  When I get a chance I'm going to upload them to my website at www. YourSTLHome.com (it will probably be a week or two before I get that far though).

If you go to the Butterfly House, make sure to wear layered clothing - it's hot and humid in the house, so unless you go on a hot summer day, you will typically need to "shed" some clothes as you walk around.

The butterfly house is located in Faust Park in Chesterfield.  The park also holds the home of the 2nd governor of the State of Missouri (Gov Faust for whom the park is named), a historical village where re-enactments take place on Summer weekends, a working antique carousel, concerts in the park in the summer and much more!  It's a grand place to visit.

Guess what's 130 years old?  St Louis's own Forest Park!  While most people think Forest Park was created for the 1904 World's Fair (officially the Louisiana Purchase Exposition), the Park actually existed long before that.

The original plan for the park was rejected by the voters in St Louis in 1864, but 10 years later, in 1874 legislation was passed to create 3 parks in St Louis - O'Fallon Park, Carondelet Park and Forest Park.  It took 2 more years before Forest Park was completed and opened to the public.  It hasn't closed since!  With lots of water from the River DesPeres, lakes, and streams (both man-made and natural) the park has been  a haven for wildlife and plant life along with the citizens of St Louis.  The original plans for the park gave it's size as 1,371.75 acres.  The park contains a golf course, the St Louis Art Museum (in one of the buildings left from the 1904 World's Fair), sports fields, the Planetarium, the Zoo, the Jewel Box, the Municipal Opera (which has live outside performances during the summer), The History Museum, bandstands, picnic stands, and much much more.  The Science Museum (a fabulous hands on, fun place to go) is located outside the park, but is connected via an overpass bridge to the Planetarium inside the park.  You'll find our Omnimax theater inside the Science Museum.

Most of the attractions located in the park are free or have a nominal admission charge.  This is because the residents of both St Louis City and St Louis County tax themselves to support the Park, along with many volunteer organizations that raise money for it.

Some of the "fun" things about Forest Park include watching for the Planetarium to be wrapped with a huge bow for the winter holidays.  Originally done as a college prank, it was such a hit with the citizens that it's been wrapped for the holiday's since.  Sledding on the hills inside the park when it snows.  The annual hot air balloon races.  The outside shakespeare theater in the summer.  Boating, golfing, watching the local sports groups.  Family reunions abound.  Taking the children through the ZOO and riding the railroad train through the ZOO, such fun!

A St Louis tradition is going to Forest Park to watch the submarine races.  You didn't know about those??  Well, let me explain.  First you need to ask your favorite person out on a date, then you need a nice blanket and a picnic basket full of treats.  Next you go to Art Hill and find a great spot overlooking the Grand Basin Lake with the Art Museum behind you, and the Lake in front of you to settle down to watch the races.  But wait, when submarines race, they do it under the water so it's a bit difficult to watch!   ...  What to do?? Hmmm, guess we'll have to find something to do on this wonderful afternoon picnicing in the park with our sweetie while we wait to see who wins the races.  I'll let you take it from there.

Seriously, Forest Park is one of the City's greatest treasures.  Come visit and plan to spend some time enjoying this great park!

The St Louis Zoo - What a GREAT place for the whole family.  It doesn't matter what age you are, the zoo is fun.  When I was a young girl, I remember taking a class at the zoo with my mother one summer.  I don't even remember what the class was really about (I think it was on birds, but I'm not sure now) but I remember going to the zoo every day for a week with my mother to go to "our" special class.  A few days ago, I went with a group of adult friends - we petted and fed the stingrays, visited the penguins and bears and had fun.  We also joked about the zoo having the neatest fun socks in town (if you haven't checked them out, do).  Some "must do's at the Zoo include - riding the train - can't say no to that.  And of course you must stop by and see Phil the Gorilla, and the Sea Lion Show and the World's Fair Bird House, but then everything is special and a must see and do at the St Louis Zoo.  Admission to the St Louis Zoo is free - only a few attractions and exhibits such as the children's zoo, the train and the special exhibits have a small charge and if you are going to be there all day and do everything, I'd suggest that you buy a Safari Pass for the day and if you plan to come a lot, consider joining the Zoo

While the Zoo is open year round (it only closes on New Years Day and on Christmas), in the summer, the zoo stays open later and has some really special events that beckon the adults to linger and have some more adult fun.  That is especially true with their concert series which they call Jungle Boogie Nights.  Where the Hippos Hop and the Lions Roar and The Bears Dance - Held on Friday nights from 5pm-8pm May 22- Sept 4^th, the concerts are free and a wonderful way to spend a Friday evening.  This year's concerts are:

•·                                 May 22
Ralph Butler Band (Motown/Pop)

•·                                 May 29
Boogie Chyld (Funk)

•·                                 June 5
Gumbohead (Zydeco)

•·                                 June 12
John Henry & Rob Boyle of Spur (Country/Pop)

•·                                 June 26
J Rob (Jazz/Blues)

•·                                 July 3
Kim Massie (Blues)

•·                                 July 10
Ticket to the Beatles (Beatles)

•·                                 July 17
Charles Glenn (Jazz/R&B)

•·                                 July 24
Mighty Big Band (Blues/Jam)

•·                                 July 31
Bob Case (Rhythm & Blues)

•·                                 August 7
Hudson and the HooDoo Cats (Blues)

•·                                 August 14
Usual Suspects (Rock)

•·                                 August 21
Indecisive Band (Rock)

•·                                 August 28
Tiny Cows (Rock)

•·                                 September 4
Arvell & Co. (Motown/R&B)

For more info on the wonderful things to see and do at the zoo, check out http://www.stlzoo.org/

Want to have some great fun??

St Louis is famous for its free outdoor summer concerts!!  This summer Chesterfield's line up includes:

June 23: Billy Peek

June 30: Spectrum

July 7: The X-Jazz and Swing Band

July 14: Hudson and the Hoodoo Cats

July 21: Trilogy

July 28: The Ralph Butler Band

August 4: Yessir

The Chesterfield concerts are held at the wonderful Faust Park (15185 Olive Blvd).  The concerts start at 7 pm, but you can arrive as early as 5 pm to grab your spot on the grass (bring your own blanket or chair).  The Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce will be happy to sell you a variety of drinks and food items from their refreshment stand or you can bring your cooler with you.  Before the concerts there is entertainment for the children.  Bring your toe tapping shoes with you since dancing is encouraged at many of the concerts!!  (If you don't want to dance yourself, watch for Rosalie and Wally to do their thing since they are fabulous dancers!)  -- One more thing, keep your fingers crossed for a dry evening since the concerts don't get rescheduled if they get rained out.

OK, so you are searching for a home and you are looking in the greater St Louis area and trying to make sense of where the different communities are located and what they are like and your friends keep saying, "Check out Chesterfield."  "You've got to see Chesterfield." So what is the buzz about Chesterfield really about? 

I can give you basic data facts:  Chesterfield is located in West County, officially 22 miles from downtown St Louis.  It was incorported in 1988 and covers about 32 square miles.  The population of Chesterfield is just under 50,000 people.  The median household income is $83,802.00 and the median home value is $238,300 (this is based on the 2000 US Census Data report and the numbers have increased since then).  The school district's servicing Chesterfield are Parkway and Rockwood, both of which typically receive very high ratings from the Missouri State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).  Over 80% of the adult population has some college education and 61% has at least a bachelor's degree.

I can tell you how easy it is to get to anywhere in St Louis from Chesterfield and tell you that many people have a tendency to call most of West County "Chesterfield".  The area was largely rural until the 1960's when both housing and commercial development started to expand into the area from St Louis.  It was when Highway 270 (the outer belt around St Louis) was built and more families started having cars instead of being tied to public transportation that the area really started to grow.  US Highway 40/Interstate Highway 64, runs through the middle of Chesterfield, allowing commuters quick and easy access to get to any where in the greater St Louis area. 

I can tell you the history of Chesterfield and tell you that it was one of the earliest settled areas in West County, though the city was originally started as 6 different towns or communities, each with it's own post office (you weren't anybody unless you had a post office).  The area originally known as Hilltown dates to 1837.  It became Bellemonte (French for "Beautiful Mountain" in 1851, then  Bellefontaine (French for Beautiful Spring) in 1869.  This area is essentially at the intersection of Olive and Chesterfield Parkway now.  To give you an idea of the age of the area, the Antioch Baptist Church was founded in 1841.

In 1850 the area known as "Hog Hollow" was initially started with a Post Office being established in the community in 1871.  In 1872, the name was officially changed to "Lake", however the locals continued to refer to it as "Hog Hollow".  This area can be found today at the intersection of Hog Hollow Road and Olive.  (In the late 60's, early 70's this was a favorite area for local teenagers to hang out and drag race as it was fairly rural at that time and Hog Hollow Road led down to the farm fields and water treatment plants, so it wasn't highly traveled (especially by parents or other adults).)

I can tell you that part of Chesterfield was originally known as Gumbo and today is more noted for the old jail facility, then for the original Road House that was at the 25 mile marker from St Louis.  The area got its name because when there were heavy rains the very rich soil would have a thick consistency, similar to a Louisiana Gumbo stew.  During the 1904 World's Fair, the walkways and streets at the fair were made from a gravel that came from the Gumbo area.  This area still has many farms, and the Spirit of St Louis Airport but most locals recognize the Chesterfield Valley area at the intersection of Chesterfield Airport Road and Long Road, right off of US Highway 40/Interstate Highway 64 as an area full of high density box stores and restaurants (every time I drive that way there are more stores and restaurants to explore and spend my money at).  But if someone asks you about "Gumbo" they are most likely referring to the old Jail.

Areas that no longer exist include the area known as Atherton which was settled along the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Rail Road Lines in the 1870's.  Later the name was changed to Eatherton, then to Monach.  This area is at Eatherton and Centaur Roads. The area known as Bonhomme (French for "Good Man") was a small community at the Western end of Olive, close to the Howell's Ferry Landing, which was washed away in a flood in the late 1800's.  The name Bonhomme is frequently used in St Louis, but nothing remains of the original community.

I can tell you that Chesterfield was started in 1797 by 3 families who had settled on land they received in Spanish Land Grants.  In 1815 a Col Justus Post came to the area from Vermont and in 1817 bought 400 acres from the original families for $1.25 an acre and named the community Chesterfield.  Eventually, he acquired 21,204 acres of land in the area.  He laid out the original community of Chesterfield which straddled Wild Horse Creek Road between Baxter and Wilson Roads and the initial roads in the area.  The town plat that he built was recorded in 1838.  Burkhardt's Subdivision was started in 1877 (after the railroad opened up the area), where Olive crossed the railroad lines.  The City of Chesterfield later officially relocated to this area, in order to be closer to the Railroad Depot.

But that probably isn't what you really want to know. What you want to know is that Chesterfield is considered "upscale" and a prime location to live in.  This makes the land in Chesterfield among the most valuable in the St Louis area, resulting in higher prices, but also greater amenities.  Typical single home prices start in the $300,000 range and go up over a million, condo's start slightly lower, but go just as high (that's not to say that there aren't less expensive homes, but the typical home is over $300,000).  The area has excellent public and private schools.  Chesterfield has not seen the same level of foreclosures and short sales that we have seen in other parts of the St Louis community.  Chesterfield is a very sound area and is an excellent area to live in.

Chesterfield is a WONDERFUL, family oriented environment.  It has great parks, family events and more.  One highlight in the area is Faust Park with it's 200 acres.  This St Louis County Park features the historic home of one of Missouri's first governors.  It also has a historic village located in the park, where the community has gradually moved log cabins and other historic homes and businesses.  During the summer re-enactments are held on the weekends where you can walk through as see a blacksmith at work, or talk to someone going about the daily life of a century ago.  The Park also features a working historic carousel that you can ride and the Butterfly House.  During the summer the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce sponsors concerts in the park on Tuesday nights.  Families come out and sit on blankets on the grass (or bring their lawn chairs), children run and play, wonderful music is played and for those who are willing, a dance floor is set up.

The area also has lots of shopping opportunities at Chesterfield Mall (located at 270 and the Clarkson/Olive exchange) and at numerous strip malls and mega strip malls throughout the city.  Fine Dining to fast food is readily available in the area.  The local standard is that you can drive down Olive Blvd and find whatever services you need without ever leaving the Chesterfield area (including my office which is located at 141 and Olive).

If you need medical care, St Luke's Hospital is located within the city's boundaries, but you are only a few miles away from other major hospitals in the metro area.

Chesterfield is home to the Spirit of St Louis Airport, which is located in the Chesterfield Valley area.  This small, personable airport is used by private planes, small transportation companies and company jets, relieving the burden on the main St Louis International/Lambert Field Airport.  The Spirit of St Louis Airport is the host to an annual St Louis County Air Show and Fair on the Labor Day weekend every year.  This event serves as the "county fair" for the area.  The proceeds from the fair benefit Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital.

My office is in Chesterfield, at 141 and Olive, just minutes from 40/64 and 141 and from 40/64 and Olive or from 270 and Olive, so if you are out and about in Chesterfield, stop in and say "Hi" now that you know what all the buzz about Chesterfield is all about.