Downtown St. Louis Residents Association

Who's Up To The Challenge?

We are now approaching my favorite time of the year. SUMMER! I tell my out of state friends, all the time, that there is nothing like summer in St. Louis. Where else, can you smell barbeque at 10:00am, see folks on their porches throughout the day, and enjoy frozen custard late in the evening? We are enormously blessed to live in such a vibrant city with great neighborhoods and great summer weather.

This summer I offer a challenge to my ward residents. It’s called “Operation Talk to Your Neighbor”. We all are guilty. Sometimes we get too busy; perhaps too focused, but we never stop and chat and see how our neighbors are doing. I know in some areas of the city (definitely not Downtown (wink)), some neighbors don’t even know each others names. I’ve seen as a child, people doing the quick, obligatory wave, then ducking their head and running to the car to prevent conversation.

My wish is for our neighborhoods to feel like a community. A community where we speak to each other and know each other. We must make it a point to get to know our neighbors, and welcome new residents to our block. This season, invite a neighbor over for lemonade or share a few popsicles with the kids playing on your block. Strike up a conversation with your neighborhood kids. Ask them about their plans for summer. As we get to know each other on a personal level, our neighborhoods will become stronger, and an even deeper sense of community will develop.

So, who’s up for the challenge? As the summer progresses, let me know how you are doing with “Operation Talk To Your Neighbor”. I look forward to hearing your stories.


You may email your stories to Alderman Kacie Starr Triplett, at kacietriplett@yahoo.com

I am new to St. Louis and living in the loft district on Locust St.
Number one...I love living downtown! The lifestyle is everything we were told it would be. I see new businesses and more people every day.
I am, however, deeply concerned about the people living in the Lucas city park right down the street. I cannot even walk from my secure building without being approached by beggers. Some are more scary than others.
Isn't there something the police or you can do to get these people out of the park? They have sleeping bags, for goodness sakes. The park is always filthy and I always feel threatened. I cannot even park my car and walk directly to my building without being scared to death.
I hate that there are some people without homes, apparently, but this situation is dangerous.
My stepson was attacked when he refused to give a beggar loitering in the park money. Unfortunately, being young, he didn't think the police could do anything about getting his wallet back so it was not reported.
I am aware that bad things happen every and anywhere. I could be mugged at any time. I feel my chances are greater since there are so many dangerous-looking people a block away.
You wanted to bring people like me downtown to live. You want to rejuvenate the area.
It's very upsetting to know that even though we live in a secure building, my life is threatened the minute I walk out on the street.
What, as our alderwoman, are you going to do about getting and keeping these people off the street and out of our park?
Please don't think I have no compassion for these unfortunate people. I do. I'm frustrated. I don't know how to "fix" them. I only know that I would like to be able to walk out of my loft to a clean, safe street.

With all due respect,
Locust St.

Post edited by: oneinfour, at: 2007/06/18 07:40

What a great challenge…thanks. It would be great to get a dialogue going about the challenges of our diverse socio-economic Downtown population. The newest Downtown residents are dealing with some of the same challenges other gentrified neighborhoods such as Soulard and Lafayette Square faced twenty years ago.

EVERYONE, including our homeless citizens, WANTS TO BE SAFE. Let’s work on this together, somehow – this is what we need to talk about. While there are some scary and dangerous people out there, not all of them are homeless, and not all of the homeless are a threat.

There are 1700 homeless people Downtown. Many of them have a mental illness or a disability. Most of them work at some kind of job. They sell beer at the ball park or clean it up after games, clean your office building, cook at restaurants we all enjoy, and stand on street corners waving advertising signs. At night a fraction of them sleep in a bed in shelters like Rev. Larry Rice’s or at Soulard’s Peter & Paul. The rest are on the street, sleeping in doorways, under vehicles, among shrubbery, on benches – anywhere. But don’t be fooled, they don’t sleep very well. The same people who scare the Loft residents also prey upon the homeless.

The City of St. Louis’ Department of Human Services coordinates the Homeless Services Network, a community-based process that provides programs for the wide ranging needs of people who live on the street. I am very proud of my city to have so many caring people at the dozens of agencies that provide services such as hot meals, shelter, clothing and counseling.

One of the newest services of the network is a 24 hour drop in center initiated by the St. Louis Office for Developmental Disabilities Resources and opening July 1 at the edge of Downtown.

The Horizon Club offers showers, bathrooms, laundry, lounge, coffee, snacks, lockers, computers, video games, movies, and transitional housing. Information is available about where to go for emergency shelters, food, clothes, employment sources, health and medical services, and more. Classes are planned on Literacy, Resumes, and Interview Skills. Art, chess, poetry, music, gardening and computer clubs are forming. Nurses from Grace Hill Health Services visit weekly, as does a substance abuse counselor.

Those of us working and volunteering at the Horizon Club have found ourselves getting to know our participants as individuals. When we encounter one of them on the street or in some of our Downtown public places, it’s like greeting a neighbor.

Get to know your Downtown homeless neighbors. Come by and visit the Horizon Club at 202 23rd Street. Volunteer opportunities are available.

For more information call Candace Ulrich (314) 249-5415.

P.S. Donations of socks and underwear is very much appreciated. We can also use towels, soap, shampoo and all personal care products.

i recently began a discussion about lucas park and the homeless on the urban st. louis website. i would love for all of you to take part in this conversation, whether you do so here on the dslra website or on the urbanstl website. i look forward to hearing your thoughts.

http://www.urbanstl.com/viewtopic.php?t=4383&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

thanks!

Lucas Park is my backyard. Three times a day I walk my dogs in the park (and pick up after them. Many don't). I have lived downtown in this location for a year and have had a variety of experiences living in this area. I can appreciate the safety concern for sure. Last fall, right after I moved in, at the corner of Locust and 13th, I was approached for a tweaked out man who started talking about my dog, asks for a dollar and when I said I didn't have anything he got right in my face, threatened me with a knife (that I never saw) and wanted my wallet. I was freaked out, gave him nothing and ran/walked away calling him an asshole. (Maybe not the best response but it was what came out.) I called the cops and made a report.

I tell this story to clarify that this man, whom I would recognize with my eyes close, has not appeared in this area (to my knowledge) since that night. I view him differently from the majority of people in Lucas Park. He is the guy who would break in a car.. would harm someone.

It has been my experience that the people who frequent Lucas Park are decent. I have found that when I greet people while walking my dogs, they greet me back. Every morning I say "good morning" to the same people and they give it back.

When people have asked me for money (in a nonthreatening way) I refer them to an area church or let them know when people typically come to the park to feed folks. Hell I have seen a gal hike up her dress and pee on the corner. Ironic given that you would expect it from the homeless, yet the drunk party people also contribute to a problem. Last night two empty bud light bottles were in the middle of the street. Not a homeless person's leftovers I assume.

I do consider these folks "downtown residents" just like me.
It is true that the park is a often trashy. This is for sure an eye sore. I have many mixed feeling about it. When Downtown Children's Center moves I wonder if their playground can become a dogpark. (I can dream.)

I have found that I have used the St. Louis City's website to report everything that I can to improve the area. I have been able to get street lights on, trash cans emptied, lucas park grass cut, porta-potties removed and more.

I have tried to submerge myself in my neighborhood and contribute to improvements where I can. I would love to see a real shift in Lucas Park to where the homeless are included in the decision making. (I don't know the answer to "what is something better" but I will know it when it arrives.)

Let's keep this dialogue going.

one good thing that's started since my last post is the park closing daily for city cleanup. this has really been a plus because it prevents trash from accumulating and people from "moving in" and keeping their things in or around the trees and under benches.

i, too, have a handful of homeless friends who live in the park at least part-time and many acquaintances i greet while walking my dog. it's refreshing to hear from someone who realizes and acts on these folk's humanity and treats them with dignity.


i plan to attend thursday's dslra mtg (if i can figure out where it's being held) and hope that we can have some constructive conversations about the park. i think a dog park on the 14th street end of the park would be great, as i think some sort of public playground remaining on the 13th side would be good for the area kids and more sheltered from the busy street, as well as within the watchful view of our many residents. i also think some sort of mid-week farmer's market could be a real service for all residents.

I hope you all can attend my "Downtown Talk" this Monday at 7pm at the downtown library. We will discuss the Lucas Park issue. It will be a frank conversation, I hope you all can attend.

Ald. Kacie Starr Triplett