Ivory Street in St. Louis MO 63111
Do you sometimes feel so proud of yourself that you almost break your arm patting yourself on the back. Well, that was me this week. I felt like I was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 1800's when I found this unique neighborhood in the Carondelet area of St. Louis MO. Many of you may have already discovered this gem but for the rest of us it may be a place to put on our bucket list of things to do in St. Louis MO.
A little history of the Carondelet Neighborhood: It was founded in 1767 (before Lewis and Clark) by Clement DeLore de Treget. The Carondelet village proper originally laid south from Bellerive Park towards the River des Peres and east from present day Broadway to the edge of the bluffs. Well into the 1840's, French Creole was the preferred language of Carondelet and French customs prevailed. In the late 1840's Jacob Steins, a German immigrant, moved into the area and brought other Germans with him starting the melting pot that describes the area still today.
On the way to my discovery, I found the Carondelet RecPlex and also stumbled across the South City Flea Market at 7500 Michigan Avenue (an event that happens every Saturday). As I hung out in this neighborhood, I noticed many families walking with their young children, I saw an owner sealing his sidewalk (he does this every fall and he lives on a corner lot, whewww!) and I saw several miniature cars (similar to the Shriners' cars) cruising the streets.
And then there is Ivory Street at Steins. It felt a bit like a short street in Greenwich Village on a smaller scale. There are two little grassy areas with park benches, Suzy's Deli, Ivory Coast, Melt and the Ivory Theatre at the intersection.
Melt is a coffee shop/diner with pin ball machines. It has wifi and looks like a very interesting place to hang out. Check them out on their facebook page.
The Ivory Coast Bistro is a small corner bar with live music, outside seating and private rooms. Here's what Urbanspoon says.
The Ivory Theatre has events scheduled throughout the year. The next production is A Raisin in the Sun in October and then a tribute to Neil Young on November 2. This building was formerly St. Boniface Catholic Church (1860-2005). It reopened as a theater in 2007.
What did Judy Garland say in the movie Meet Me In St Louis - "Don't tell me the lights are shining anywhere but there" -- St. Louis MO.
Short Tour of Ivory Neighborhood
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