Cyber Monday Links for Purchasing from Old North Businesses & Organizations

If you’re making your post-Thanksgiving purchases online on this “Cyber Monday,” then please consider the following options:

(1) Show your pride and support for Old North St. Louis with a mug, t-shirt, window cling, sticker or other merchandise from Old North St. Louis Restoration Group.  Click HERE to purchase any of these items.  You can also use this link to make a tax-deductible contribution to ONSLRG as a gift in honor of a friend or relative.

(2) Old North Grocery Co-op… You can purchase a gift membership by clicking HERE.

(3) Crown Candy Kitchen… Click HERE to purchase candy for shipping almost anywhere.

(4) Therapy Boutique… click HERE for dresses, jewelry, and other fashionable items from the first of Crown Square’s new retail establishments.

(5) Rambles Gift Gallery & Boutique - via Rambles.com… click HERE for “fun, funky, and functional” one-of-a-kind gifts from Crown Square’s newest retailer.

(6) La Mancha Coffeehouse… although it doesn’t look like they have an online ordering option right now, you can send an email to inquire about ordering baked goods as a special treat for those on your gift-getting list or for catering your holiday event.  Click HERE for their website.

• POSTED IN
• 14th Street Mall, Crown Square, Crown Square Businesses, Life in ONSL, ONSL amenities, Old North Grocery Co-op, Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, Uncategorized
• 0 Comments

Shop for the Holidays in Old North

With the traditional start of the holiday shopping season almost upon us, we offer the following suggestions for finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list while supporting community-based development at the same time.  As an added bonus, you won’t have to rush away from your turkey dinner or get up at midnight to take advantage of these great deals - the shops of Crown Square and Old North aren’t going for any of that door-busting, middle-of-the- night or crack of dawn gimmickry.  In fact, shopping in Old North promises to be much more relaxing, enjoyable, and friendly compared to the chaos and hype of the malls and big box retailers.

Therapy Boutique, 2717 N. 14th Street.

Therapy is offering a special deal on Friday:  25% off on shoes and apparel.  The store will be open 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Rambles Gift Gallery & Boutique, 2611 N. 14th Street.

Rambles will have special hours on Friday:  10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Closet Repeats,  2603 N. 14th Street.

Regular hours at Closet Repeats are Wednesday - Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Old North Grocery Co-op, 2718 N. 13th Street (one block east of Crown Square)

James Anderson stopped by the store earlier today to pick up his fresh and local turkey.

Here's an idea for a unique gift - purchase an Old North Grocery Co-op tote bag and fill it with non-perishable goods from the store or create your own Old North sampler gift bag with an assortment of items from the co-op and other Old North shops.

La Mancha Coffeehouse, 2815 N. 14th Street:

Stop in for breakfast, lunch, or just a cup of coffee or a smoothie, and while you’re at it, you can purchase some locally produced artwork, from tie-dye prints to t-shirts, and coming soon: woolen items produced by Andrea Berry.

Old North Merchandise from Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, online at ONSL.org or at 2700 N. 14th Street (although the office will be closed on Friday, Nov. 25).

The above items and much more can be purchased at the ONSLRG office or online by clicking HERE.

Original artwork by Seitu James Smith or Carlos Barberena, currently on exhibit at the Old North Gallery adjacent to Old North St. Louis Restoration Group’s office, 2700 N. 14th Street.

The “Nosotros, Los Otros / We, the Others” exhibit is sponsored by Missouri Immigrant & Refugee Advocates with support from the Missouri Arts Council.  The exhibit is open during ONSLRG’s regular business hours (Mon.-Fri., 9-5) and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, except Thanksgiving weekend.

Crown Candy Kitchen, 1401 St. Louis Avenue.

At lunch time today, customers were already lined up and out the door for Crown Candy's holiday chocolates and other treats.

What more do we need to say?  Crown Candy offers candy, t-shirts, mugs, and gift certificates for meals.

Poor Souls Society Art Gallery, 2701 N. 14th Street.

Poor Souls Society Art Gallery hosts a number of activities but also includes a number of items for sale, including original art.

Old North St. Louis Holiday Market - Saturday, December 17, 11a.m.-5 p.m. at Old North Gallery, 2700 N. 14th Street.

Watch for more details coming soon about this great, new Old North holiday tradition in the making.  In addition to several vendors selling great hand-made gifts (from soaps to knitted items and fresh, baked goods), the Old North Holiday Market will feature Amanda Doyle, who will be on hand to sell and sign copies of her new book, “Finally, a Locally Produced Guidebook to St. Louis by and for St. Louisans.”  Click HERE to see our previous post about this book.

And, if you’re feeling especially generous, how about taking advantage of a great deal on some properties in Old North?

We’ve got some great fixer-uppers for the rehabbers in your life, or some nice move-in ready houses for your friends who live outside the city but would love to have a home closer to all of the great attractions and amenities our city offers, including world-class restaurants, shops, museums, professional sporting venues, and so much more. Click HERE to see our recent post about homebuying and rehabbing opportunities in Old North.

Happy Thanksgiving - and have a great holiday season!

• POSTED IN
• 14th Street Mall, Art in Old North, Crown Candy Kitchen, Crown Square, Crown Square Businesses, Houses for Sale, Life in ONSL, ONSL amenities, ONSL people, Old North Gallery (formerly known as Crown Village Gallery), Old North Grocery Co-op, Uncategorized, sustainability
• 0 Comments

Comeback Cards and Old North Have a Lot in Common

Wow!  Unbelievable!

Those one word exclamations have been flying all over the blogosphere, facebook postings, tweets, and even on the pages of good, old-fashioned print publications. Yes, that represents a good summary of the Cardinals phenomenal resilience and determination to avoid elimination in the roller coaster ride of Game 6 – and throughout the latter part of the 2011 season and each round of the playoffs.  But those words also have been used recently to describe the incredible, skeptic-defying rebirth of Old North St. Louis, or as some have called it, “the little neighborhood that could.”

As dramatic and thrilling as Game 6 was, there still is some work to be done.  The Cardinals fought against setbacks and long odds to turn things around, but the World Championship trophy has yet to be won.  And Old North isn’t quite there yet, either.  Many outsiders doubted that Old North’s transformation was possible - and many others counted the neighborhood out long ago.  But over the past few years, we’ve turned a lot of skeptics into believers.  Whether it’s the stabilization and preservation of the severely damaged Mullanphy Emigrant Home building; the phenomenal redevelopment of historic buildings that had been crumbling into the street along Monroe, North Market, Hebert, Blair, or N. 14th Street; the establishment of a community-owned grocery store; or the extraordinary 28% increase in population over the past decade, the evidence is there to demonstrate Old North’s capacity to overcome long odds and achieve results that previously had been deemed absurd or impossible.

Despite the great progress achieved in recent years, Old North St. Louis Restoration Group still has a lot of challenges to tackle.  In fact, because the bar of what is possible has been raised, we’re busier than ever with a range of initiatives focused on revitalizing Old North, from operating the Old North Grocery Co-op to assisting others in finding apartments to live in, properties to rehab, or homes to purchase in Old North.

Ironically, just as we have more and more evidence of the amazing returns on previous investments, the funding to carry out this work has been getting harder to secure.  Due to economic hardships among some of our regular funders (including both individual and corporate contributors), reductions in funding from some previously committed sources (such as a 14.5% cut in our grant from the Community Development Administration as a result of federal block grant cuts), and the lag time between approval of some grants and delivery of funds (including a $25,000 grant which has been approved but won’t arrive until December at the earliest), ONSLRG’s operating funds are incredibly tight at the moment.

As the Cardinals have demonstrated, success requires team effort - and sometimes it means getting help from unlikely sources.  If you’d like to help Old North St. Louis Restoration Group continue Old North’s dramatic comeback story, we have a few ways for you to pitch in:

1) Make a tax-deductible contribution to ONSLRG right now by clicking HERE.

2) Refer us to any contacts you might have with any corporate charitable funds or foundations with an interest in community development, historic preservation, healthy food access, community gardens, social outreach, and almost anything else related to neighborhood sustainability.

3) Spread the word about Old North’s revitalization to people who haven’t heard about it yet, by sending a link to this blog, our ONSL.org website, ONSLRG’s facebook page, our Twitter account - or by bringing them into Old North for lunch at one of our fine eating establishments or to shop at the Old North Grocery Co-op, or to purchase something at one of Crown Square’s retailers, such as Therapy Boutique, Closet Repeats, or Rambles Gift Gallery & Boutique.

4) Volunteer to assist with our fundraising committee or to help plan a future fundraising event.

or…

5 Fill in the blank with your own ideas _____________________________.

For more information about any of the above options, feel free to give us a call at 314-241-5031 or send a message to info@onsl.org.

In the meantime, on behalf of St. Louis City’s comeback neighborhood, we tip our caps to baseball’s comeback team of the year.  GO CARDS!

• POSTED IN
• 14th Street Mall, Awards and honors, Crown Square, Life in ONSL, Mullanphy Emigrant Home, ONSL amenities, Old North Grocery Co-op, Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, Uncategorized, Volunteer Opportunities, sustainability
• 0 Comments

Rambles Gift Gallery & Boutique Set to Open Saturday, Oct. 22

Shopping in Old North is about to get even better this Saturday with the opening of Rambles Gift Gallery & Boutique, the latest new business at Crown Square.

The store at 2611 N. 14th Street will open for business at 10 a.m.  Come on out to show your support for Maria and thank her for bringing another shopping option to Old North.  In the meantime, check out Maria’s online site at www.Rambles.com for more information about the fun, funky, and functional items available from Rambles.

• POSTED IN
• 14th Street Mall, Crown Square, Crown Square Businesses, Life in ONSL, ONSL amenities
• 0 Comments

More Cool Scenes from Open Streets in Old North

Yesterday’s post had a few photos of the fun on the streets of Old North while the City’s Open Streets day and North City Farmers’ Market were still in progress.  Now, we can share more of the cool scenes from throughout the day.

Much of the work on the neighborhood end was done by Molly Johnson, a practicum student from St. Louis University who’s working with ONSLRG this semester.  Thanks Molly! And thanks also go out to Patrick Brown from the Mayor’s office and Ann Chance, Special Events Coordinator for the City of St. Louis, and all of the people they pulled together for the planning committee.

• POSTED IN
• 14th Street Mall, Art in Old North, Bikes and Trails, Crown Candy Kitchen, Crown Square, Life in ONSL, North City Farmers' Market, ONSL amenities, ONSL people, Old North Grocery Co-op, Pictures, Uncategorized, sustainability
• 0 Comments

Phenomenally Cool & Fun Day at Old North Open Streets

Words can’t describe the amount of energy and excitement along N. 14th Street right now, so the following pictures of Open Streets in Old North will have to do…

The fun continues until 1 p.m., so come on down now!

• POSTED IN
• 14th Street Mall, Art in Old North, Bikes and Trails, Crown Square, Historic rehabs, Life in ONSL, North City Farmers' Market, ONSL amenities, ONSL people, Old North Gallery (formerly known as Crown Village Gallery), Old North Grocery Co-op, Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, Pictures, sustainability
• 0 Comments

Open Streets Day Returns to Old North Sat., Oct. 8

Cyclists, rollerbladers, joggers, parents with strollers, individuals in wheelchairs, pedestrians, and all sorts of others will converge on N. 14th Street in the heart of Old North this coming Saturday (Oct. for the first of two Open Streets Days in the City of St. Louis.

Please plan to join us for this family-friendly, community-enriching event — and help us spread the word to all others who might want to join in on the fun.  For more information or to make your plans to attend known, visit the facebook page for the event in Old North.  If you’d like to help with any of the activities planned for the “activity hub” along the 2600-2800 blocks of N. 14th, call the ONSLRG office at 314-241-5031 and ask for Molly.

• POSTED IN
• 14th Street Mall, Bikes and Trails, Life in ONSL, North City Farmers' Market, ONSL amenities, Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, Outreach, Parks and green spaces, Volunteer Opportunities, sustainability
• 0 Comments

Veronica Holden of La Mancha Coffeehouse Named Best Barista in St. Louis

For the second time this week, Veronica Holden is receiving recognition for her work here in Old North St. Louis.  This past Saturday Veronica received an EarthDance Mission Award along with Old North Grocery Co-op’s Sarah Kate Buckles for their collaborative efforts at the 13th Street Community Garden and the grocery co-op.  Now, Veronica is in the spotlight once again, this time as the owner / barista in chief at Old North’s favorite coffee shop, La Mancha Coffeehouse.   The annual Riverfront Times “Best of St. Louis” issue has hit the streets, and Veronica has made the list as the Best Barista.  Click HERE for the online version of the article.

Veronica Holden enjoying another day behind the counter at La Mancha Coffeehouse.

Head on over to La Mancha Coffeehouse to congratulate Veronica and show your support by buying a coffee, muffin, panini or a smoothie.

• POSTED IN
• Awards and honors, Crown Square Businesses, Life in ONSL, ONSL amenities, ONSL in the news, ONSL people
• 2 Comments

Old North’s Sarah Kate Buckles & Veronica Holden to Receive EarthDance Mission Awards

At a ceremony and celebration tonight, Sarah Kate Buckles, manager of the Old North Grocery Co-op, and Veronica Holden, 13th Street Garden Coordinator, will receive an EarthDance Mission Award.  You can join in the celebration and show your support for Old North St. Louis Restoration Group’s comprehensive healthy food access initiatives.  The event is scheduled for this evening (Saturday, September 24th), 7 p.m.-11 p.m. at Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room.

Sarah Kate with customers in the Old North Grocery Co-op

Veronica at the North City Farmers Market

The EarthDance Mission Awards, inaugurated in 2008, honor ordinary Saint Louisans who embody the EarthDance mission: to grow and inspire local FARMS—Food, Art, Relationships, and Music, Sustainably!   Each year EarthDance recognizes a local farmer, artist, community activist and a musician, each of whom make our region socially dynamic, healthier, and more inspiring, in an eco-conscious manner.

The Mission Awards Ceremony is open to the public, and will feature tributes to each of the award winners, live musical performances from The Lulus of The Folk School of Saint Louis,  and The Phat NoiZ Blues Band, and dancing.

The 2011 EarthDance Mission Award winners were selected by a panel of judges consisting of: Kelly Childs of Slow Food STL; Jean Ponzi of The EarthWays Center; Roseann Weiss of RAC; and Lew Prince, founder of Vintage Vinyl Records.

Sarah Kate and Veronica were selected to receive the award in the “Community Activists” category.  The announcement from EarthDance explains:

The 2011 EarthDance Mission Award for Community Activism will be shared by Veronica Holden and Sarah Kate Buckles, partners in an effort to increase access to fresh food in Saint Louis’ Old North neighborhood. Buckles is the manager of the Old North Grocery Co-op, and Holden coordinates the adjoining 13th Street Community Garden. The garden’s ultra-local produce is sold affordably at the Grocery Co-op as well as the North City Farmers Market.  Most of the grocery’s waste products are recycled into mulch and fertilizer for the garden.  Holden and Buckles credit the Old North community for supporting both projects a great deal, and they are pleased that the EarthDance Mission Award will bring attention to the achievements of this north side neighborhood.

Veronica was hired by Old North St. Louis Restoration Group in 2009 with funding support from Missouri Foundation for Health to coordinate the then-newly established 13th Street Community Garden so that fresh, local produce would be available for the North City Farmers’ Market.  Sarah Kate was hired by ONSLRG in June of last year to manage the then soon-to-open Old North Grocery Co-op.  Sarah Kate’s position is also made possible by a separate grant from Missouri Foundation for Health.

So, if you see Veronica at the market or Sarah Kate at the co-op, be sure to congratulate them for this great honor.  Or, you can celebrate with them tonight.  Tickets to the EarthDance Mission Awards Ceremony are $15, and may be purchased at the door or in advance at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/189898.

• POSTED IN
• 13th Street Community Garden, Awards and honors, Community Gardens, Life in ONSL, North City Farmers' Market, ONSL amenities, ONSL people, Old North Grocery Co-op, Uncategorized, sustainability
• 0 Comments

North City Farmers’ Market Going on Right Now

Come on out now to listen to the cool tunes of the Ragged Blade Band - and while you’re at it, pick up some great farm-fresh foods and locally produced crafts.

With the overcast skies and pleasant temperatures, it’s a great day to hang out at the market.

• POSTED IN
• 14th Street Mall, Life in ONSL, North City Farmers' Market, ONSL amenities, ONSL people, Old North Grocery Co-op, Old North St. Louis Restoration Group
• 0 Comments