Blog Archives

This apartment building built between 1900 and 1905 stands on the city limits border of the city of Saint Louis. I first became acquainted with the building when I became a student at Washington University.

 This was because, while Wash U is two blocks south of the building, my bus stop was directly in front of it. So I spent a lot of time … rain, shine, snow and sleet … standing in front of the building studying the details of its brickwork while I waited for my bus to arrive.

 Jump ahead a few years to when I began working in Clayton as a copywriter at the shoe company. My bus from Clayton connected with my bus to home at the same bus stop in front of the same apartment building that was like second nature to me now. Only now I was viewing the building at sunset, twilight and when I worked late night.

 Jump ahead a few more years to when I met and became friends with Andy, a grad student and brawny rugby player who actually lived in the building … first floor balcony on the right. Thanks to him, I finally got to see the inside of the building. Eventually he got his degree and moved on and I was back to waiting for the bus in front of the building.

 Jump ahead a lot more years when I either retired as the sales promotion supervisor at the shoe company or was downsized … neither of which sounds good on a resume. So, as a freelance creative writer I wasn’t waiting in front of the building for a bus every day. Except when a freelance project would take me in front of it.

 Jump ahead a decade. The City of Saint Louis finally entered the 21st Century and built the Metrolink train system. And where do you think they built one of the stations that I would use most?

 That’s right, across the street from my friendly of bus stop in front of that historic apartment building.

 And all things considered, that old building has held up a lot better than I have.