Part 3 of Highlights of Old North’s Event-Filled Year in 2011

On Wednesday and Thursday we reviewed Old North’s population gains, the new businesses that have set up shop in the heart of the community, and some of the events that took place in Old North this year.  (Click HERE to see Part 1 and HERE for Part 2) Now, we take a look back at even more events and high profile developments that took place in 2011…

VARIOUS EVENTS SPONSORED BY ONSLRG OR OTHERS AT ONSLRG’S GALLERY

The first ever Open/Closed conference in March held its opening and closing events with standing room only crowds at ONSLRG’s gallery in March, including a presentation by Juan William Chavez on bee colonies at the former Pruitt-Igoe site and a screening of The Pruitt-Igoe Myth.

On September 29, the founding meeting of the Community Builders Network of Metropolitan St. Louis took place at ONSLRG’s gallery, with a convening of executive directors from community development corporations and key partners from throughout the St. Louis area.

The first-ever Old North Holiday Market took place on Dec. 17, thanks to great planning and coordination by our practicum student Molly Johnson.

ARTS EVENTS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES

Missouri Immigrant & Refugee Advocates held their second annual exhibit at ONSLRG’s gallery from November 18 through December 11, this time featuring the work of two artists, including former Old North resident, Seitu James Smith (shown in the photo above).

Also for the second year in a row, Cinema St. Louis hosted several film screenings for students from schools in Old North (including Ames Visual & Performing Arts Magnet School, shown above) as part of their St. Louis International Film Festival.

In February the St. Louis Rescue & Restore Coalition held their exhibit, “Freedom from, Freedom to” at the ONSLRG Gallery to raise awareness about human trafficking and the fact that slavery still exists in our world.

Starting with an opening reception on September 1, the ONSLRG Gallery hosted the ReBuild Foundation’s “(en)Visioning Hyde Park” exhibit of photographs taken by young participants in their summer photography program.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS THROUGHOUT OLD NORTH

Work finally got underway at the historic building at 1306 St. Louis Avenue, where a partnership between Ken Kranzberg and ONSLRG is rehabbing the long-abandoned building to accommodate Northside Workshop, a new community art center established by award-winning artist Juan William Chavez.  Watch for an opening in the spring of 2012.

Another art-themed public investment happened at the intersection of Warren and N. 14th Streets with the painting of a street mural by Lucas Rouggly and volunteers recruited through his Love the Lou organization.

Completion of Jackson Park Improvements & Ribbon-cutting Celebration… thanks especially to Miranda Gilstrap and Trailnet.

(Other green space work, including Wingmann Park improvements and 13th Street Community Garden work, will be in the next post.)

Habitat for Humanity continued their home-building in Old North with 12 homes under construction along N. 13th Street and along the 1200 and 1300 blocks of Clinton.

Due to time restrictions, that will have to do for today’s post.  But there still is much more to come.

And, as mentioned in the past two posts…THANK YOU to all who have supported the many components of our comprehensive, neighborhood-wide revitalization strategy.  To help us continue that work throughout the coming year, please click HERE to make a secure, online tax-deductible contribution.

We invite you to check back tomorrow for the final segment of the Old North Year in Review.

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Happy Holidays from Old North…& Part 1 of an Award-Winning Year in Review

As we wish you all a belated Merry Christmas and best wishes for the holiday season, this is also a good time to thank all of our friends, partners, and supporters who helped make possible another full year of events, awards, and new business openings in Old North.

Among the top stories of 2011, perhaps the biggest was the news that…

OLD NORTH’S POPULATION GREW BY 28% OVER THE PAST DECADE

The Census Bureau released figures showing that Old North had reversed at least a half century-trend of population losses and actually grew by 28% between 2000 and 2010.  We start off with that bit of news because no matter how impressive anything else might be, Old North wouldn’t be a viable or sustainable community without people wanting to live there.

This achievement was made possible due to the efforts of many people and organizations over many years.  Part of the credit no doubt goes to the good folks at the Regional Housing & Community Development Alliance (RHCDA) who agreed to partner with ONSLRG in producing housing units in parts of the neighborhood where no one was living in 2000.  It would seem to be obvious that a change from 0 residents at a particular parcel of land to ANY residents at all would result in a population gain, especially when multiplied numerous times throughout the neighborhood.  However, at least one published report about the neighborhood’s growth generated a few of skeptical comments from readers who clearly have not been in the neighborhood at all or at least in a long while.

While there’s no need to respond to every skeptic out there, it’s occasionally encouraging for us and our supporters to demonstrate what the changes have looked like in Old North.  And since a lot of our more recent photographic evidence has focused on vacant buildings transformed into nicely rehabbed homes, the following shots show new houses that have sprung up on formerly empty lots.

Other than the bragging rights that come along with positive Census numbers, more people also means more people power for community building.  We’re not just improving the streetscape of the neighborhood, we’re infusing the community with more social capital.  And for that, part of the credit goes to the long-term residents who have created a welcoming atmosphere that attracts others from outside the community, including many who could choose almost anywhere in the region.  So, part of the credit also goes to the people who have made that choice to move into a community that is still a work in progress and have quickly joined the efforts to make the community a better place.

This has been good news for Old North, but also good news for the City of St. Louis as a whole because some of these people have moved into Old North from outside the city limits - or even from outside the St. Louis Metro area.  People such as:

Nevels & Eulonda Nevels and their daughters, who moved into Old North from Richmond Heights.  The Nevels family contributed not only to the quality of life in Old North but also to the whole city through Eulonda’s job with the YWCA and Nevels’ teaching job at St. Louis Public Schools, which selected him as their “Teacher of the Year” for 2011.  (Watch for a future blog post about that later.)

Chicago native Tino Ochoa & his wife, Zoila Rendon.  Tino has taken on many volunteer responsibilities over the past 8 years or so in Old North, and because of his commitment and passion, he was recruited to serve as chair of ONSLRG’s social outreach committee, then to serve as a member of the executive committee, and most recently as ONSLRG’s Board President, while juggling law school, and now, his more than full-time job with law firm of Bryan Cave.  Meanwhile, when not supervising social work practicum students working for ONSLRG, Zoila has put her MSW to work at other non-profits, most recently assisting BJC Hospital.

Graham & Viveca Lane, who moved to Old North from Kansas - and quickly shared their discovery with a national audience through an article published in Money Magazine in January of 2008.  While Viveca has been answering the call of duty in the airs over foreign lands (including Libya), Graham has contributed countless hours of service to the community through neighborhood clean-ups, building-board-ups, various construction chores at the Old North Grocery Co-op, and as a board member - and now Board Vice President - with ONSLRG.

Ben & Heidi Sever, who moved into Old North from Webster Groves.  As an attorney and jewelry-maker, Ben and Heidi could have taken their talents just about anywhere, but they chose to move into Old North so that they could bring life and charm back to a crumbling, city-owned empty shell of a building on N. 19th Street, and chronicle the thrills and challenges along the way through a cool blog with a name that reflected the condition of the building at the time they took it on:  www.3walls.net.  While Heidi brought a new jewelry-making business to the city, Ben has contributed much of his time to various neighborhood initiatives, and as chair of ONSLRG’s Real Estate Committee, has overseen (with Graham Lane) improvement efforts that require healthy doses of muscle and sweat (and thus, this band of volunteers has earned the name, The Macho Action Group).

Old North’s new residents have arrived from different directions and taken different paths that led to their new homes on the north side of the city, but the common denominators for many have been a desire to live in a community that is in the midst of a revitalization — and a desire to get involved with that process.  That doesn’t happen by chance.  Attracting people with talent and a sense of responsibility takes a lot of time and effort.  Marketing the community, providing assistance to current and prospective residents, and facilitating opportunities to get involved are just a few pieces of what Old North St. Louis Restoration Group does in pursuing a mission to “revitalize the physical and social dimensions of Old North in a manner that respects the community’s historic, cultural, and urban character.”  ONSLRG wouldn’t be able to do that work without consistent financial support over many years, including from the City’s Community Development Administration, and more individual, corporate, and foundation contributors than can be named in this space.  THANK YOU to all who have supported this ambitious agenda.  And, if you feel compelled to help us continue that work throughout the coming year, please click HERE to make a secure, online tax-deductible contribution.

Check back tomorrow for more of our list of highlights from 2011.

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Join Us NOW at Old North Holiday Market (11-5 TODAY)

The first ever Old North Holiday Market is now open for business (and will continue until 5 p.m.)!

Participating vendors include…

Local author Amanda Doyle, with copies of her new book, “Finally! A Guidebook to St. Louis by and for St. Louisans, Neighborhood by Neighborhood,” - and she’s ready to autograph one just for you and everyone on your gift list.

Jewels with Heart

Tiny Montgomery “jewelry, purses, handbags, accessories, geegaws and doodads”

Fable & Lore Necklaces + Sundries

Mound City Soap Company

Heidi Sever Handmade Jewelry

Sun Ministries

Old North St. Louis Restoration Group

Parsimonia

La Mancha Coffeehouse

Work/Play Print Shoppe + Brand

and ReBuild Foundation, with copies of the book produced through the Urban Expressions project

…and much, much more.

Oh, and Santa’s here, too, until noon.

Come on by Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, 2700 N. 14th Street, just a block south of Crown Candy Kitchen.  And don’t forget to stop in and shop at the other stores and businesses at Crown Square.

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Old North Holiday Market, Sat., Dec. 17, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. [Updated]

Enjoy shopping for the holidays at the first ever Old North Holiday Market, this coming Saturday, December 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group Gallery, 2700 N. 14th Street.

Participating vendors include:

• Heidi Sever (with her handcrafted jewelry)
• Cristin Rae
• Cat Pic/Tiny Montgomery
• Parsimonia (Beth Styles)
• Kevin McCoy-Work/Play
• Jewelry with a Heart/Rachna Goel
• Sun Ministries
• Yeyo Arts
• Gloria Bratkowski
• Dayna Kriz and Kids (from the ReBuild Foundation)
• Mound City Soap/ Carolyn Brogdon
• Fable and Lore/Chelsie Hellige

…and Amanda Doyle will be on hand to sell (and autograph!) copies of her new book, “Finally! A Locally Produced Guidebook to St. Louis by and for St. Louisans, Neighborhood by Neighborhood.”

We’ve just confirmed that Santa Claus will make an appearance and will greet visitors of all ages from 11 a.m. until noon. Bring your camera and get a photo of the kids with Santa.

While you’re in the neighborhood, this will also be a convenient opportunity to take advantage of other holiday shopping opportunities up and down N. 14th Street, and around the corner at N. 13th Street and St. Louis Avenue.  As reported in earlier posts, you can find a great array of gift options at Closet Repeats (2603 N. 14th), the Racq Salon & Spa (2605 N. 14th), Rambles Gift Gallery & Boutique (2611 N. 14th), ONSLRG merchandise, such as t-shirts and mugs (2700 N. 14th Street), Poor Souls Society Art Gallery (2701 N. 14th), Therapy Boutique (2717 N. 14th), Crown Candy Kitchen (1401 St. Louis Avenue), La Mancha Coffeehouse (2815 N. 14th), and Old North Grocery Co-op (2718 N. 13th Street, at St. Louis Ave.).

For more information, visit the Old North Holiday Market Facebook event page, (and be sure to select the “Going” option at the upper right side of the page so that all of your friends will be inspired to join you!) and keep up with all of the latest news on Twitter: @HolidaysinONSL.

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Smart Growth Award Attracts Media Spotlight & Other Positive Buzz for Old North

Since the announcement on Thursday that the revitalization of Old North had won this year’s Overall Excellence in Smart Growth Achievement from EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities, a number of news outlets and various websites and blogs have covered the story.

To see the video about Old North that was prepared for the award ceremony, click HERE.  In addition to Sean Thomas of ONSLRG, the video features comments from Archie Cole, owner of Head Hunters Barber & Beauty Salon; Veronica Holden, neighborhood resident and owner of La Mancha Coffeehouse; Graham Lane, neighborhood resident; and Maria Falconer, owner of Rambles Gift Gallery & Boutique.

Local radio stations St. Louis Public Radio and KMOX, aired stories about the award, and a couple of Post-Dispatch columnists (Deb Peterson and Tim Bryant) reported about it on their blogs (although the Post didn’t cover it in their print edition), as did the St. Louis American (which highlighted a congratulatory message from Congressman Lacy Clay).  Meanwhile, the St. Louis Beacon will include the news about the award in a more comprehensive article on the neighborhood, coming soon.

As visitors to ONSLRG’s Facebook page know, the most upbeat statement about Old North getting the Smart Growth Award, however, came from a source well outside the St. Louis area.  Kaid Benfield is one of the nation’s leading advocates for smart growth and someone whose job is to think about these issues related to sustainable development.  As director of the Sustainable Development & Smart Growth Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, D.C., Kaid reports on policies, programs, and developments across the country, as well as in other parts of the world.  After attending the awards ceremony in Washington on Thursday, Kaid wrote an article on “The Best Smart Growth Projects in America,” and referred to Old North as “one of the country’s very best revitalizing neighborhoods.”

The article by Kaid Behfield featured a photo of ONSLRG Board President Tino Ochoa and former 5th Ward Alderwoman April Ford Griffin at the 2010 Old North House Tour.

Noting that his enthusiasm has grown since first learning about Old North a few years ago (from former ONSLRG board president John Burse), Kaid added the following assessment:

“Although Old North was all-too-recently considered by many to be a place to avoid, there is nowhere in the region that this writer would now rather be.”

and…

“We are lucky to have other great revitalization stories in America, but I don’t know a better one.”

For the full story, click HERE.

Thanks again to all who made this award possible, including a long list of outside partners and supporters, the board and staff of Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, and most of all, the determined, resilient, and generous residents of Old North who have contributed their time, energy, ideas, and passion over many years.

The Smart Growth Achievement Award recognizes the accomplishments to date and the process that got us here, but by no means does it mean that the job is done.  If you’d like to help us continue the revitalization of Old North, click HERE to make a tax-deductible contribution or click HERE to learn more about volunteer opportunities.

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Old North St. Louis Selected for National Award for Excellence in Smart Growth Achievement

This morning in Washington, D.C., the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Sustainable Communities announced that the revitalization of Old North St. Louis is the winner of the 2011 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement.  The National Award for Smart Growth Achievement recognizes communities that have successfully used the principles of smart growth to preserve and enhance their quality of life while helping to protect public health and the environment.  Of the five projects or communities selected for awards this year, Old North was recognized with the Award for Overall Excellence in Smart Growth.  St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and Old North St. Louis Restoration Group executive director Sean Thomas were on-hand to receive the award from John Frece, Director of EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities.

The Award for Overall Excellence in Smart Growth is the highest award under this program and “recognizes an outstanding comprehensive approach to growth, including built projects, supportive plans and policies, and effective community participation,” according to the selection committee.  The committee further notes that “This award is for the best overall approach to implementing smart growth on a variety of fronts—not just for a single plan or project, but at the neighborhood, corridor, city, county, or regional level.”  Last year’s Overall Excellence award recognized collaborative efforts among New York City’s Departments of Transportation, Health, Design & Construction, and Planning toward improving that city’s livability.

Among the factors that contributed to Old North’s selection was the neighborhood’s 28% population increase over the past decade.  A winning project not only shows that a comprehensive approach is in place, but that it has significant impacts.  Because the overall achievement award is not for one specific project but for the collaborative and strategic efforts over several years, credit for this achievement goes out to a wide range of groups and individuals who worked together on multiple projects.  On behalf of the Board and staff of the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, we especially thank the residents of Old North who, over many years, have scraped together limited resources and put in countless hours of service to the community.

Specific initiatives that have contributed to the neighborhood-wide revitalization include the $35 million, 27-building Crown Square redevelopment of the former 14th Street Pedestrian Mal, and with it, 80 new households in an area that had largely abandoned and a growing number of new locally-owned businesses; the new homes at North Market Place and the historically-rehabbed North Market Apartments, which salvaged 9 previously crumbling, abandoned buildings; the cultivation and maintenance of community gardens throughout the neighborhood; the North City Farmers’ Market; and last year’s opening of the community-owned Old North Grocery Co-op.

Partners who have worked with ONSLRG to help make these great things happen include multiple agencies of City of St. Louis (such as the Community Development Administration, St. Louis Development Corporation, Land Reutilization Authority, Planning & Urban Design Agency, Cultural Resources Office), Regional Housing & Community Development Alliance, University of Missouri-St. Louis and MU-Extension; Missouri Foundation for Health, Ken & Nancy Kranzberg, Gateway Greening, Operation Brightside… and so many more than can be listed here.

Although this award recognizes past achievements, the real benefit is that it will help shed more light on an area that has even greater potential for more growth.  In fact, the work to continue the revitalization is already in progress.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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.

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