Ted Wight's St. Louis Style

Top St. Louis Area Luxury Homes for Sale

1091 Wings Rd, St Albans 63073

$8,500,000

12,031 Sqft, 15.7 Acres

Listed by Kristin & JT Monschein with Berkshire Hathaway Alliance

314-954-2138 

9847 Litzsinger Rd, Ladue 63124

$6,650,000

3.4 Acres

Listed by Barbara Wulfing with Janet McAfee Inc.

314-277-3285

2701 South Lindbergh Blvd, Huntleigh 63131

$6,499,000

11,587 Sqft, 6.56 Acres

Listed by Ellen O'Brien with Coldwell Banker Gundaker

314-965-3030

2660 South Warson Rd, Ladue 63124

$5,400,000

2.998 Acres

Listed by Megan S Rowe with Laura McCarthy - Town & Country

314-569-1177

2271 Talon, St Albans 63073

$4,999,999

10,000 Sqft, 3 Acres

Listed by Margie Kubik with Gladys Manion, Inc.

314-954-2513

12 Huntleigh Woods Dr, Huntleigh 63131

$4,998,000

9,614 Sqft, 2 Acres

Listed by Peggy B Dozier with Janet McAfee Inc1 Denny Lane, Huntleigh 63131 

314-974-6990

1 Denny Lane, Huntleigh 63131

$4,975,000

3,046 Sqft, 3.92 Acres

Listed by Kevin A Wood with Executive, Realtors

314-517-7355

 

1337 South Mason Rd, Town and Country 63131

$4,900,000

9,157 Sqft, 4.53 Acres

Listed by Kim Carney with Coldwell Banker Premier Group

314-422-7449

760 Kent Road, Ladue 63124

$4,495,000

10,738 Sqft, 2.84 Acres

Listed by Marcy M Byrne with Janet McAfee Inc.

314-750-5800

 

11 Upper Whitmoor, Weldon Spring 63304

$3,995,000

11,748 Sqft, 3.31 Acres

Listed by Bill Ziercher with United Select Properties

314-412-3966

 

A Timeline of High-Rise Residential Towers in the City’s Central West End

I thought this article on nextSTL was interesting. Read it HERE.

The 1904 St. Louis World's Fair Myths and Legends: FOOD at the Fair?

Check out this article on 1904 World's Fair Myths and Legends HERE 

St. Louis Featured in the Travel Channel's Off-Limits Show with Don Wildman

 

http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/off-limits/episodes/st-louis

Enchanted Embellishments Holiday Windows

You need to stroll down McPherson Ave in the Central West End (CWE) and check out the Holiday windows for Enchanted Embellishment.   They are something....and I am not surprised since two of St. Louis' premier drag queens are dudes by day and run this establishment. The store should be opening in the next couple months. A sofa studded in Swarovski crystals is featured in the window and will be for sale in the store. All I can say is Wow!

This outfit is made entirely of greeting cards.

Check out the former greenhouse in back that is being transformed into Mary Ann's Tea Room.

 

Central West End News- Another New Apartment Building Going Up!

You may have heard about the apartment building going up on Euclid above Whole Foods or the luxury rental building going up at Lindell and Euclid....though have you heard about the new building going up on Union Blvd behind The Congress?  This building will provide 82 additional apartments and will be a Green Community. Great location with easy access to Metrolink and Forest Park.

Hotel Jefferson's Secret Ballroom

You have to check out this Blog post by Michael Allen.  I find it fascinating to uncover hidden treasures in our historic city. Read it HERE.

VP Parade

The parade is about to start!

VP Parade is Coming!

The VP Parade will be on July 4th at 9:30 am. Look for me on the Yankee Doodle float!

APA's Harry and Hanley Project Press Conference

Monday I attended the press conference to kickoff the Harry and Hanley Project for the APA. Local artist, including my friend, Charlie Houska, painted dog and cat sculptures created by artist Harry Weber.

They will be displayed around town and then auctioned off.

"Loving the Midwest" NY Times Article

Check out this article by one of my clients. I hope I had something to do with her new love of the area!

Read the article HERE

4th Annual Show-me Burlesque and Vaudeville Festival

Last night I went to the opening night performance if the 4th Annual Show-me Burlesque and Vaudeville Festival down on Cherokee Street. More performances Friday and Sat PMs. So much fun! I escorted my Aunt Bunny who was honored by Lola during the performance.

Arts note: Frank Lloyd Wright House lecture

Arts note: Frank Lloyd Wright House lecture

In Out & About

By Donna Korando, Features and Voices editor

6:21 am on Fri, 03.22.13

Circle April 7 on your calendar for a chance to learn more about Frank Lloyd Wright’s connections to St. Louis. Did you know that “Sixty years before the construction of the Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park (The Kraus House), Wright assisted Louis Sullivan in designing such iconic 1890s skyscrapers as the Wainwright Building and Union Trust in downtown St. Louis.”

That information comes from the press release announcing the annual Frank Lloyd Wright House lecture. Tim Samuelson, who is the cultural historian for Chicago and an expert on Midwestern architecture, will give the address at 3 p.m. in the Lee Auditorium of the Missouri History Museum.

The event is free.

Information about The Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park can be found atwww.ebsworthpark.org. Tours are by appointment by calling 314-822-8359.

MX Theater Downtown St Louis and PI Pizza

Last night I went to see OZ at the new MX Theater downtown. You can order food and drinks from your plush seat! Cool and fun! The movie was 3D and good. Probably not a classic.

Afterwards we checked out PI's new location. Always so good!

A Weekend of Culture!

I am ready for a fun weekend full of culture.  Tonight I am taking my mother to see Carmina Burana at the Touhill Center.....I have always wanted to see this performed. Orff's pieces from Carmina Burana are always used to movie where they need a demonic chant....I think they used it in the Omen every time Damian was going to do something bad.

Sunday I am going to see The Book of Mormon at The Fox.

I should sneak in a trip to the Art Museum inbetween or the Missouri Botanical Garden... a walk through the Climatron this time of year always cleans out my nasal passages.

STL250.....our Birthday

Check out and "like" STL250th Facebook page. St. Louis will be celebrating our 250th birthday in 2014. The Facebook page will keep you up-to-date on the plans and daily posts about our rich history.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/StL250

City Library

Over the Holidays I finally made it down to the City Library for a peek. Make sure you also drive by it at night....it is gloriously lit. I want to go back soon and get lost in the St. Louis room that has every book on St. Louis that you could imagine.

VP Parade

Come to the VP Parade this morning and waive hello! On the Marrakesh Market float.

Come to the VP Parade on July 4th!

My son Nicholas and I will be on the Moroccan-themed float this year for the VP Parade. Come downtown and see us on the morning of July 4th! Here we are getting fitted for our costumes.

The Lantern Festival- Missouri Botanical Garden

My sons were still in California yesterday so I we are going to celebrate Father's day today. Last night I went to dinner with some friends at Katie's Pizzeria and then we went to the Lantern Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden. You have to see it!  & at night when it is lite up! The exhibit runs through August 19th. You will be surprised by how large the exhibit is that is placed throughout the Garden.

And now for some Hipsomatic ap pics!

 

Columbarium and Missouri Crematory

Located on Sublette near Arsenal are two historic structures. They close to the St. Louis Lunatic Asylum that I talked about recently. Lovely structures!  A columbarium is a place to hold urns with ashes....I had to look up this one.

(Update:  there is actually a book about these buildings. Find out more HERE.)

St. Louis Lunatic Asylum

For years St.Louisans have used an off-colored joke that when someone is acting a little strange...."It is time to take you to Arsenal".  Below is an portion of the article from HERE that talks about this lovely and historic building in more detail.

On April 23, 1869, St. Louis County Lunatic Asylum opened its doors to 150 mentally ill people. Work began in August 1864. Designed and built by architect William Rumbold, it is the second governmental facility in the state to serve this population. Rumbold's vision was to recall Imperial Rome, resulting in the cast-iron-dome and plans that called for fine imported marble pillars for the front portico.

Rumbold's cast-iron-structured dome on the old St. Louis County Lunatic Asylum, now called St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center has dominated the landscape of south St. Louis for over a century.  In the beginning, it was generally held to be magnificent after which  the fashion for ornamental extravagance faded and it came to be considered everything from monstrous to quaint.  Now, however, it has regained a place of architectural importance, not so much by being beautiful, as by being old.  It is also one of a unique matched pair in St. Louis; the other being Rumbold's dome over the old Court House at Fourth and Market Streets.  The dome is even a sort of skeleton cousin to what is probably the most widely recognized dome in the world; the one surmounting the Capitol in Washington, D.C.  Rumbold may not have been the prime architect for the great dome in Washington, but he was an  honored consultant at least.

Danforths Pictured in Vanity Fair for Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy

It is nice seeing St. Louisans pictured in the January issue of Vanity Fair. Senator John Danforth and William Danforth received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.

Mesker Brothers

The Mesker Brothers were based in St. Louis and manufactured iron storefronts for buildings across the nation.  They did most of the iron storefronts that you see on Laclede's Landing.  Today I was driving through Eolia, MO in Pike County and stopped by a store.  I noticed that this storefront was also built by Mesker Brothers.

Below is from the Illinois Historic Preservation Committee:

Many Main Street commercial buildings of the late 1800s and early 1900s reflect the widespread availability of mass-produced building parts, which ranged from individual components to entire building facades. While prefabricated architectural elements were available from a number of manufacturers, no other companies better exemplify this niche than the Mesker Brothers Iron Works of St. Louis, Missouri, and George L. Mesker Company of Evansville, Indiana. They specialized in ornamental sheet-metal facades and cast iron storefront components, which were ordered through catalogs and easily shipped by rail to any interested building owner. Their extensive product lines not only featured embossed sheet-metal panels and cast iron but also entire storefront assemblies, as well as tin ceilings, fences, skylights, and freight elevators.

“Meskers”, as they are called, are found across America. However, because the companies were based in the Midwest, they are particularly plentiful in Illinois and are part of the state’s rich architectural history. Made of galvanized steel and cast iron, these durable facades often survive, despite the occasional neglect and lack of maintenance. While not all buildings may feature elaborate sheet metal facades, individual building components, such as cornices and window hoods, are quite common throughout the state, especially in smaller communities. If your town has a Mesker facade, we would like to know about it. The goal of our ever-expanding Illinois database (PDF file) and this website is to recognize the historic significance of the Mesker companies in the shaping of our downtowns’ architectural fabric.

St. Louis's 250th Anniversary is Coming....2014

I have joined the committee to plan St. Louis's 250th Anniversary which is in 2014!  Many special events, programs and exhibits are planned to celebrate this milestone. I am related to our city founders, Madame Chouteau and Pierre Laclede, on both my mother and father's side. We come from the illegitimate lines....Madame Chouteau and Pierre Laclede were never married. There are some descendants from Madame Chouteau's original union who are legitimate, though from her abusive husband. I think I like the ideal of being from her true and lasting love...Laclede. Her life would be a great movie.  Meryl Streep as Madame Chouteau and Daniel Day Lewis as the French Fur Trapper- Laclede...maybe her mean husband, René Auguste Chouteau, could be played by Steve Buscemi. I will keep you updated as the committee moves along...2014 will be here before you know it!

Pierre Laclede

Midtown Alley Fest

The Midtown Alley Fest is going on right now until 11 pm. Music, beer, food, antique cars and much more! Locust and N Compton.

North City Sign....Frogs!

A friend of mine passed these pictures along from a building up in North City.  I love it!  Maybe this could be a new fast food concept not tested yet.

9-11 Memorial Art Hill, Forest Park St. Louis

Make sure you catch the 9-11 memorial display on Art Hill in Forest Park this week. The memorial will be in place just through September 18th....so hurry!  Breath-taking!

 

Roberts Tower

The Roberts Tower in downtown St. Louis is beginning to move into the next phase of completion.  The restaurant and bar, Shula's is opening on the first floor in the next week or two. The units are all "grey boxes" and will begin to get finished and be available for sale in the coming months.

 

 

 

 

May Day Open Houses!

 
The following of my fine listings will be open on Sunday, May 1st from 1-3 PM

612 Vassar, University City, MO

 
 
15 Washington Terrace, CWE, 63112

 

8 Graybridge, Ladue, MO 63124

 

 

 

 

It is nice to see St. Louis on the top of a positive list!

 

Read the entire article HERE.

Dead Goose in The Loop

Yesterday I had an appointment in The Loop in the morning and saw this poor site....a dead Snow Goose on the sidewalk. The violent storm on Sunday night must have knocked him/her out of the air.  Other parts of the country have dead black birds falling from the sky...we have one poor goose.

2010 Real Estate Sales Numbers in St. Louis

There is a lot of optimism in the real estate market for 2011. Prices have come down and interest rates continue to be low...making it a very attractive market for Buyers.

2010 Real Estate sales volume was mixed in the St. Louis area.  Here are some statistics concerning sales volume:

Ladue, Clayton, Parkway Central and Webster Groves experienced an increase in number of homes/condos sold in 2010

Area                    2010            2009

Ladue                  331              321

Clayton               192              178

Webster              490              487

Parkway Central   327              318

University City, Brentwood, Richmond Heights/Maplewood and Kirkwood were down a little

Area                     2010            2009

U City                    358              388

Brentwood              156              172

RH/Maplewood       158              181

Kirkwood                528              598

St. Louis City was down

Area                2010            2009

Downtown        83                99

Central East     450              613

South              1600            1995

Central West    370             487

 

 

Million Dollar Plus Home Sales In St. Louis 2010

The economy and confidence in St. Louis must be picking up a little.  Although we have a couple weeks left in this year, I took a peak at some statistics.  Houses/condos that sold for more than $1,000,000 are 128 properties so far in 2010 compared to 119 in 2009. After the close of the year I will look at some of the areas of St. Louis in total sales...not just the moneyed buyers.  Below are some of the significant sales this year:

2021 S. Warson with 10 acres in Ladue for $7,970,000

6 Denny Lane, Ladue  $2,300,000

9 E. Brentmoor Park, Clayton  $2,050,000

41 Glen Eagles, Ladue, St. Louis Country Club Grounds  $2,050,000

23 Countryside Lane, Frontenac  $2,120,000

6 Denny Lane, Huntleigh  $2,300,000

Park Plaza, CWE

Look at these sales!:  $2,391,868...$2,821,886....$3,127,197....$3,154,665....$3,841,952

And one of my sales!  7200 Wydown Blvd, Clayton  $1.430,000

 

SKINKER-DEBALIVIERE TO HOST WINTER FESTIVAL DEC. 4th

 Wintermarkt, now in its 10^th year!

Come celebrate the 10^th anniversary of a unique neighborhood event — the reimagining of a traditional German festival called Christkindlmarkt.  It takes place on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the charming city neighborhood of Skinker-DeBaliviere, just north of Forest Park.

Visitors will be able to take a tour of the 100-year-old neighborhood in a horse-drawn carriage (cost $5) and watch demonstrations by a local blacksmith. Among the other attractions are food stalls, a music stage and booths selling handmade goods made by local artisans.

“There are no two booths that are alike,” says Andy Cross, one of the organizers of the event. The event is ideal for those looking for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts, and it is a welcome alternative to the mall, Cross adds. Visitors can expect to find vendors selling jewelry, photographs, candles, Christmas ornaments and locally produced honey. About half the vendors are from within the neighborhood.

A variety of musical groups will perform, as well, every half hour from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. They include the Washington University a cappella group The Pikers, the bell choir of St. Roch’s School, accordionist Charlie Block and folk musicians Ian and Mary Walsh.

To keep visitors warm on what could be a very cold day, there will be soup, roasted chestnuts, barbeque, glühwein (mulled wine) and hot apple cider. The event takes place at Greg Freeman Park at the corner of Kingsbury and Des Peres avenues. The event will take place whatever the weather conditions. Wintermarkt is presented by the West End Arts Council, which is affiliated with the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council

 

"The Grove" Sign....now lit

"The Grove" located along Manchester between Vandeventer and Taylor Avenues now has a sign marking its Eastern edge.  Last night I noticed that it was lit up for the first time. "The Grove" has many venues for everyone to enjoy.  Everest Cafe located at 4145 Manchester is an unassuming place that has fantastic Nepalese, Korean and Indian cuisine.  Atomic Cowboy is a fun, smoke-free bar/restaurant/nightclub. You need to go to one of their burlesque shows and dine on some of their yummy food.  I love the french fries and sliders.... I also enjoy their pulled-pork burrito. Sanctuaria is also a cool/new restaurant in this area. It is sort of a Mexican tapas place. (So much for my career being a food/restaurant writer.) The area is also teaming with bars/nightclubs catering to the LGBT community.

Okay I have to run and peal potatoes and parsley roots for my Thanksgiving dish.  Happy Thanksgiving!

CWE Grain Elevators

For years I have thought that the grain elevators along Highway 40/64 in the CWE were an eye-sore.  They made us look like a "cow-town".  I now think it would be a shame to tear down this piece of our landscape. The other day I walked up to them and was surprised that they are still in use. They are interesting and mammoth. You can see them from many parts of the city.  I have a really cool idea that I am going to pursue....come back tomorrow and I will share it with you!

Wings of Hope- Butterfly Project

Today the Butterflies for the Wings of Hope Project were on display in Forest Park at the Spanish Pavilion. This was a special, one-day preview until they emerge in the Spring.  The Butterflies will be placed throughout the city.

Wings is the BJC Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Care program.  It is a non-profit organization that provides clinical, emotional and spiritual support to children who have progressive, life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses, regardless of their ability to pay.

(Famed artist, Charlie Houska, was on the scene next to his Butterfly)

Transcend 2010- University City Ladder Project

You may be asking yourself...what is up with all of the ladders on Delmar?

"This is "Transcend2010," a conceptual public art project. It's intended to be temporary; most of the components are borrowed. By strapping the ladders together and taking them up the rise, the intention is to show how we depend on one another to overcome adversity."  St. Louis Post Dispatch  Read the whole story HERE.

 

Green Homes Festival

The Green Homes Festival took place yesterday in Grand Center. What a pretty day to celebrate being Green!  Artist Charlie Houska was on the scene orchestrating the painting of a Metro Bus with his design.  You will see it around town for the next year.