This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, June 11, 2013: There are plenty of short-hand adjectives I could use to describe Cherokee Street and its denizens: Hip. Artistic. Creative. Quirky. Young. Gruff.
And add passionate -- at least judging from the reaction to two Beacon stories about development along Cherokee and to an inquiry from the Public Insight Network (PIN).
Readers were eager to share their thoughts, opinions and experiences on Cherokee Street and in its surrounding neighborhood. They were happy to chime in with their perspectives on a few major questions:
- What makes Cherokee Street unique? And how did it get that way?
- What sort of relationship does the business community have with surrounding neighborhoods, many of which were hit hard by the economic collapse?
- Can Cherokee Street sustain itself – and attract more people and investment into the four neighborhoods?
- How can Cherokee Street get better? And what are the challenges that stand in the way?
Here's what some of them said.
Why is Cherokee Street unique?
Many PIN respondents agreed that Cherokee Street had a much different feel from other commercial centers in St. Louis.
Take Owen Godwin. The 32-year-old IT worker and musician used to live on Cherokee Street throughout the 2000s. He called Cherokee Street “a place where artists, musicians, and generally creative and resourceful people like to live.”
He added, “It's where these people band together and make their projects and dreams happen because it's still a poor enough area that buildings are cheap. But there's also a high enough concentration of said people for the area to overcome the neighborhood's shortcomings.”
Dutchtown resident Toby Weiss fondly recalls visiting Cherokee Street in the 1990s and early 2000s, especially the Record Exchange and the antique stores east of Jefferson Avenue.
She said watching the street “come back to vibrant life is distinctly joyful.”
“Its rise has been completely organic, a charge of can-do spirit and enthusiasm,” Weiss said. “It has thrived despite aldermanic turf wars. St. Louis' lingering segregationist soul can't even stop it from coming back to life. Its private citizens understood a jewel in the rough and buffed it back to a high sheen.”
Sappington resident Michelle Fassler said there isn't "a more unique street in St. Louis" than Cherokee Street.
"From Whisk to La Vallesana to Kevin's to Mud House, the food alone is completely diverse," Fassler said. "The businesses that have started there are interesting because they are very invested in that community. APop could be anywhere. Firecracker Press would probably get more walk-in business in 10 other business districts. But somehow it just makes sense to be on Cherokee."
Tony Cornejo – a 56-year-old computer programmer from Imperial – used to live in the neighborhoods around Cherokee Street. He said he had fond memories going to Thurmer's for a steak sandwich, picking up a Sunday beer or attending rock concerts at the venue that eventually became the Way Out Club.
He said he’s heartened by Cherokee Street’s current development, which includes an ever-expanding network of Latino businesses.
“I'm very pleased with the recent changes of the Latin American intermingling with hipster culture,” Cornejo said. “It has its own energy that is not a product of the regional power brokers. Reminds me of hipster neighborhoods in Chicago and NYC.”
Benton Park resident April Regester described Cherokee Street as “a little gritty and rough around the edges, yet wonderfully unique and organic.”
“I feel connected,” Regester said. “I live in Benton Park, one block off Cherokee. I moved here because of the surrounding businesses and feel that they do an excellent job at supporting and working with the residential communities.”
Diversity is one selling point to Hilary Hitchcock, a 40-year-old editor who lives in Gravois Park. She called the area “a wonderful mix, which isn't found many other places in St. Louis.”
“There are so many groups of people who find this place home,” Hitchcock said. “The people who live in the surrounding neighborhoods are a part, as are people who come from all over to buy antiques or listen to music or get a torta. The vibrant art scene that coexists with the Latino-owned businesses, along with the barbershops and other businesses.”
“I also love that this is something that has developed, slowly, over time, and very much feels like it belongs to the people who are there, and not that it's artificial,” she added. “That feels sustainable.”
How can Cherokee Street get better?
Still, Cherokee Street isn’t immune from challenges.
The four neighborhoods have struggled with foreclosures, crime and poverty. And the business community and local officials have frequently clashed.
After living in Cherokee Street for six years, Godwin said he moved to South Hampton after he and his wife started a family. The crime, he said, played a big factor.
“We lived there with our daughter for the first year of her life but came to the conclusion that as ‘adults,’ we had to leave,” Godwin said. “Cherokee Street itself isn't bad, but the intersecting streets can be. On Virginia, we had at least one drive-by shooting every summer, usually two or three. We didn't have many problems, fortunately for us, but there are robberies, burglaries, and vandalism up and down the neighborhood.
“While it's not overtly hostile and dangerous, there are still elements one would do best to avoid and it's a shame we had to leave due to them,” he added.
Hitchcock added the “perception of it being a high-crime area is unfortunate.”
“I've never been victimized and don't know that I know anyone who has been. But the perception is certainly there among some groups -- and there is likely some reality attached,” she said. “I rarely see any police or security folk when I travel the street. Having some security or police on foot or on bikes might make more people comfortable coming there, which in turn could bring in more responsible businesses, which makes the general feeling of safety increase.”
Fassler said a greater emphasis on crime fighting could help.
“I have friends that live there and not much is done to make the neighborhoods safer,” she added. “To have a thriving business district you need people living around it to visit it.”
PIN respondents also wanted a greater spirit of cooperation – especially between business owners and government officials.
“Different wards bisect Cherokee Street, and there's been some difficult issues with this,” said Weiss, referring to how Cherokee Street serves as a dividing line between the 9th and 20th Wards. “They are not all on the same page, and some have vested interests elsewhere in their ward that seem to cause them to make illogical decisions about what new businesses can come in and thrive. The fiefdom of aldermen is a continual problem in St. Louis, and honestly exploring the aspect of how it both helps and hinders Cherokee Street would be of great interest as an article.”
Benton Park resident Emily Beck would like to see “more cooperation among business owners, on both sides of the Jefferson split.” That’s a reference to how Jefferson Street serves a border between so-called "Antique Row" to the east and the businesses to the west.
She also said she would like to see “less drama when decisions are made, more acceptance of the fact that not every decision can benefit every stakeholder.”
“Several prominent individuals drive the decision-making, and that's contrary to the democratic spirit I want my neighborhood to offer,” Beck said.
Where do you want Cherokee Street to go?
Many of the people I interviewed for the Cherokee Street series had specific ideas about making the business district better.
Some hoped for businesses that would be useful to the nearby residents, such a bank or a pharmacy. Others wanted more relaxed regulations on signage, busking or mobile vending. And many wanted to focus on fighting crime, which has declined in the four neighborhoods in recent years.
But whatever changes may occur, many respondents wanted Cherokee Street to retain its current vibe. Cornejo, for instance, said, “I would keep doing things as they're happening now.”
“Young and immigrant entrepreneurs creating unique businesses … can't be found in the big box stores of the suburbs,” he said.
Godwin added: “It's important that Cherokee Street's city leaders are made aware of the fact that it's vital to support and embrace the community I've described here.”
“Don't stamp out the creative, free-spirited types and their goals. Ally with them,” Godwin said. “It helps the community – even the people who are sitting on the sidelines in the neighborhood that are just waiting for things to get better and have no interest in the art scene. It gives their kids a community to grow up in, and a good one.”
Weiss said the “steady momentum will eventually bring a big, national chain to capitalize.”
“There will be several tipping point moments like this,” Weiss said. “I'd like to see the U City street car be so successful that the city is willing to sink money into such an endeavor and restore the streetcar to Cherokee, running from Broadway to Gravois.”
Regester said she would, among other things, like to get more “businesses in the empty buildings” that help “refurbish old storefronts to their original glory.” Beck would like to see "better cooperation across neighborhood associations and business districts, including law enforcement and community development officers."
"[I'd like to see] one diverse local organization representing multiple stakeholders: residents and business owners working together," Beck said.
Hitchcock, for her part, “would like to see Cherokee continue to develop at the pace it is now.”
“There will be changes, upheavals, but I do think it's important to retain the feel of the neighborhood and to continue to have services and businesses that are useful to people who live in the neighborhood,” she said. “Retain the mix of places that offer helpful service to people who live nearby -- such as the barber shop or muffler place. And continue to be the strongest Latino-owned businesses hub in the STL area, along with the creative flair that has been developing over the last 10 years or so.
“I want to see it succeed, and to see all storefronts filled, but in a slow-and-steady, carefully thought-out way,” she added.
