The Crooked Road

I have always been amazed by the roads in Saint Louis that have no cardinal orientation. North, south, east, and west are all mashed together to form a road with a history because if it was a modern road in a modern place, it would follow the rules. I made an effort to enjoy one of our real crooked gems recently. Lindbergh Ave. from Big Bend Boulevard to its quiet ending at the Maplewood community garden is a fascinating walk. To do it justice, I decided to walk it three times, once from the north sidewalk, once from the south sidewalk and finally, once down the grass in the center.

On my initial walk down the north side, I saw a number of new homes. I wish that I had side-by-side pictures of the before and after. I've never been a huge fan of the tear down rebuild houses that fail to look around the neighborhood for suggestions on how to fit in. I also noticed the incredible amount of red brick. I have been blessed to have a red brick home in Richmond Heights for seven years, but rarely do I look for stories in the brick, but that day, I saw old holes from cable television and wiring, worn spots, and even some white chalk on the side of a house.

The intersection where Bredell Avenue, W. Bruno Avenue, and Lindbergh meet is an incredible collection of the character of the communities of Maplewood and Richmond Heights. The welcome signs for both communities are there. The majestic historical homes stare at the starter homes across the street, each not sure if they want to share their stories on the inside. I finished this pass with a walk to the community park. There is a quiet playground and a forgotten set of swings across the creek.

The pass on the south sidewalk reminds me how uphill the walk from W. Bruno to Big Bend is. There is a sense also that you are moving along a set of houses that grew one by one by one. The unique composition of the south side of the street is amazing, and there is never a time that I don't notice something new on this journey. At the end, there are two new houses that tried really hard to be subtle and slide into the neighborhood. They are a great addition. 

Finally, I took the grassy stroll down the middle of our crooked gem. This time, I took time to focus on the trees and canopy above. It takes a long time to wait for a tree lined, shady street to develop, but once in place, it has a charm. It has its own voice and attitude, and this was clearly my favorite walk. It is easy to north, south, east, or west, but the beauty comes from the adventure of traveling two directions at once.