Carondelet Lions Park

Carondelet Lions Park...no not that Carondelet Park, the other one.  This park is located in the Carondelet Neighborhood, right in the shadow of the awesome, recently renovated Coca-Cola syrup plant, now called the Temtor that houses the delicious Perennial Artisan Ales...and has a lot of people living there now within its apartments.

This 1.7 acre park has been situated between Michigan, Minnesota, Davis and Poepping streets since 1929.

This tract of land was originally owned by Bryan Mullanphy who, in his will, bequeathed this property to the City of Saint Louis. Its use as a Park was recognized by the Lions Club of Carondelet and the possibilities of suitable development prompted action by the Club officers and members which resulted in the general improvement of the premises. (source)

If there is one thing St. Louis needs it is more people living here.  The influx of people living in the former Coke plant has added life to this part of Carondelet.  

When I parked my scooter in front of the park, I saw a woman who lives in the neighborhood who doesn't have A/C; she was folding her laundry under the shade of a maple tree.  She said it's easier and cooler to get laundry done at the park where her kid can run around and she can sit in peace.  I love it.  

Also, there were several people walking their dogs in the park.  This is the perfect park to walk dogs, because there are gated entries to a fully enclosed 4 foot fence surrounding a walking path and center grassy expanse just begging the dogs to run and jump and play. There is even a pet waste station with bags and a small trash can.  Pets are certainly welcome at Carondelet Lions Park!

This park has a great feel; there has been some recent investment and it looks clean and cared for.  New trash cans, lighting, etc.  There is just something about Carondelet that I love.

The park has a playground, a couple pavilions for parties and a concrete pad that may have future plans...if you know what's up with this pad, let me know what the plans are.

This park and the Temtor look great.  Now I'm off to the OTHER Carondelet Park.

Carnegie Park

Carnegie Park is 1 of 4 parks, along with Benton, Cherokee and Fremont Parks, serving the Benton Park Neighborhood.  Carnegie makes up 2.07 acres of the total 2,956 acres of St. Louis park land.

The ground was set aside for park space in 1899 and became a park in 1904.

This playground was acquired in 1899 to be a market but nearby property owners protested and that scheme was abandoned. The Park Department was then put in charge of the playground. It was partially developed into a public park in 1904. (source)

The park is located at just south of the much larger Benton Park at Indiana and Utah with 2 nearly equal sections north and south of Utah Street.

The homes that line the park along Indiana Avenue are St. Louis classics.

 Indiana Avenue is lined with street trees on the side with homes and park space.

Carnegie is really a tale of two parks.  The northern section has been embraced by the neighbors with plantings around trees, park benches and a couple berms with clusters of native grasses and other perennials in various states of care.

This part of the park looks used and with a little more hard work could become a real asset to the neighborhood.  The curb appeal of the park would improve by with more hardscape to define the space around the center planting and provide some structure and curb appeal.

The southern section of the park is a blank slate...literally just a mowed field of grass/weeds and a couple random trees.  There was a recent bump out along the sidewalk for a water fountain that does not work or is not turned on, but it looks nice.

There is no sign or otherwise identifying this as a city park.  In fact, I had to ask around to find out where this park was.

The most fun thing about visiting the parks (other than talking to people) is imagining what could be.  Obviously, the 1899 plan for a market, or some other higher use would be best.  But, this part of the park is probably a place for kids to run around and dogs to be walked.  It would be perfect as a dog park.  However, the much larger and really beautiful Benton Park is within eye shot.  It would be great to see it developed with more homes.

In the meantime it would be great to see the Park's Dept employees working in the parks year round to spread mulch around trees, remove dead vegetation, etc.  Maintenance is non-existent in most parks.  You can tell it is up to the neighbors to take care of them.

Busche Park

Busche Park is 1 of 108 St. Louis parks making up 6.2 acres of the total 2,956 acres of park land.  The park was dedicated in 1931 and is wedged between the two most prominent cemeteries in the city, Bellefontaine and Calvary.  The park straddles the two neighborhoods of Baden and North Riverfront.


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This isn't really a park at all rather a narrow strip of land between Broadway and Calvary Avenue which splits the 2 historic cemeteries.  If I weren't a completist, I'd have skipped this "park".

Nothing to report here other than some new trees planted and a crumbling stairway that is impassable and unusable.

No city park sign, no nothing.  This strip of land should be native prairie grass...no mow for the city.  Lower maintenance costs, improve wildlife and prairie habitat.  Done and done.

I couldn't find any info on who the park was named after, so if you know, please leave a comment here.

Sorry for the boring post.

Buder Playground

Buder Playground is 1 of 108 St. Louis parks, making up 2.31 acres of the total 2,956 acres of parkspace.

The park is located between Rutger, California, Hickory and Ewing Avenues in the Gate District neighborhood.

The park was dedicated in 1912 and the city website boasts basketball courts, playgrounds and a recreation center.  The rec center is not technically within the confines of the park, rather is located on the south west side of Hickory and Ewing .  I will try and visit this place which used to be a "bath house" at a later date.

While the city website does not confirm the history of the name, I can only assume it was named after Susan Rassieur Buder, a notable German immigrant who settled in St. Louis.  A St. Louis City school, library and St. Louis County Park were also named in honor of Ms. Buder.

As the mother of five sons, Buder was interested in the welfare of children. According to her wishes, a public bathhouse, a swimming pool, a playground and a community center were given to the children of St. Louis. Later, her sons gave more than 100 acres along the Meramec River to the city to be used as a recreational farm by the general public. Susan worked with her husband at the Susan Buder Jewelry Company in St. Louis. At the time, jewelry was a sideline to watches for St. Louis merchants, and it was a testament to her acumen that her enterprise prospered greatly. After her death, the South St. Louis community where she had lived petitioned the Board of Education to name a South Side school for her. Each member of the first graduating class of the Susan R. Buder School was awarded a scholarship to Washington University through a fund donated by her sons. (source)

Like many great St. Louisians, Ms. Buder was laid to rest in Bellefontaine Cemetery.

This was an old and historically black neighborhood but you wouldn't really know that now as much of the original housing stock was destroyed due to neglect and abuse and the 1990s brought a suburban styled sectioning off of the streets, complete with cul-de-sacs and Schoemehl pots to cut down on the pressing drug trade that was a big concern for those who chose to stay.  It's gotten a lot better these days though.

The homes that line the park range from old classics in poor to fair condition to newer suburban style homes.

Famous poet and writer Maya Angelou grew up near Buder Park on Caroline street and attended Toussaint L'Ouverture Grammar School just around the way.  I wish the African-American community did a better job of embracing the history and the meaningful black contributions to this city.  There should be something commemorating Ms. Angelou's time here but I couldn't find anything.  If anyone knows the exact address that Ms. Angelou spent parts of her childhood, please let me know.

Sadly, the park has seen a lack of interest from the neighbors over time.  I doubt anyone would say this is a positive space nor asset to the neighborhood.  That's not to say there isn't tremendous potential as the park was built up to rise above Hickory Street and providing excellent views of Downtown and Midtown.

There is a once cool old concrete retaining wall surrounding the park that needs attention.  It is crumbling on all 4 sides.

The homes just north of the park along Hickory Street are largely boarded up; but are classic St. Louis shotgun and 2-family flats.

The homes on the Ewing are a mix of old and new...not unlike most of the Gate District.

There is some really cool older park equipment that could be even cooler if given some TLC:

The swings, playground and surrounding area are kind of treacherous for little ones.  The asphalt is buckling from tree roots, the pea gravel is strewn all over and the park's dept chose to plant sweet gum trees right on the asphalt over the playground, so gumballs are everywhere.

The park is alos used by folks drinking and getting their public groove on.

The playground equipment has been trashed by the local park goers.   The slide is unusable.

It's been a long time since anyone cared about this space and it shows.

Too bad, because the western edge has decent basketball, volleyball courts (no net) and picnic tables.

There is a water fountain, but it is inoperable.

The eastern edge is nothing...just a field of weeds and grass which the city mows.

Trees were planted along Ewing Street, but most have died.

Looks fairly bleak, no?  Well, there is good news on the horizon.  Things are on the upswing in this part of the city and our new alderman, a proven friend to park space, is listening to the neighbors and is working with some Gate District citizens who want to see some positivity in the park.  Said residents have identified the playground as the place they'd like to start (couldn't agree more). On July 10th, 2013 at the Gate District East Meeting, there will be a public comment portion on how to spend the $170,000 allocated for redoing the playground. There are 2 volunteers working with the alderman to identify grant funding, etc to get action going in Buder Park.  

The future looks bright for Buder Park.