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If you frequent Chippewa near it's intersection with Kingshighway, you have most likely noticed the glut of large apartment buildings on the western side of the intersection. While these buildings could be turned into an asset for the area, the general lack of upkeep at most of the buildings tends to create more problems than it solves. That's what makes the gut renovation of the 12-family at 4920...

One of the decisions that all landlords must face when managing their apartments is whether or not to allow pets in their properties. There is no doubt that there can be a negative side to allowing pets: they can pee on the carpet, they can scratch  hardwood floors, they can be loud when they bark or run around the unit... You get the idea. But while the negatives sometimes outweigh the positives, with...

So you're a landlord who has decided to allow pets into your apartment. Even so, that doesn't mean you should simply allow any pet to stay at your property. To ensure the safety of tenants, other pets in the building and your property, you should always run a background check on a pet, just like you would a tenant. So what are the ingredients to a good pet policy? Breed The first thing you need to do is...

With their waterways spanning across most of the United States, the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers are the two largest rivers in the country. While they are no longer the transportation corridors they once were, there is no doubt that their commercial importance helped make St. Louis what it is. Unfortunately,  most St. Louisians take these waterways for granted. But if you would like to see their...

Late each summer, in South St. Louis' Tower Grove Park, nearly 150,000 people come through the park to sample a bit of merchandise, culture and food from countries around the world. Countries in attendance range from as familiar as Mexico and Scotland, to as obscure as Eritrea and Congo. It's an interesting experience and a good way to exercise your pallet. For the 12th annual Festival of...

It seems the end is near for the former American Eagle Credit Union (which was a Taco Bell before that) at 2101 S Jefferson Avenue and neighborhing vacant buildings at 2123-27 S Jefferson Avenue . Located on the southwest corner of Jefferson and Russell, these Fox Park neighborhood building will soon be demolished. Purchased by the South Side Day Nursery (SSDN), the sites and neighboring parking lot...

So your sewer line has backed up and a simple Roto-Rooter cleaning did not solve the problem? You might have a hefty bill on your hands if something significant is wrong with the sewer lateral. Or then again, with luck, maybe not If the issue with the sewer lateral turns out to be in a certain type of easement or the right-of-way such as an alley, sidewalk or tree-line, the City of St. Louis might cover...

Construction at the long-vacant apartment complex at 3800 Shenandoah in the Shaw Neighborhood of St. Louis is now complete. Developer T & E Development, LLC utilized Federal and Missouri State historic tax credits on the rehab of this apartment complex at wrapped up primary construction in August 2011.  Originally 24-units, the building was converted to 18-units in the finished project due to the...

If you are like most people, you probably don't have much experience with fleas. Even if you have had minor troubles with them in your home, caused by a dog or cat, you most likely took steps to remove them quickly before they became a problem. But when a property owner simply gives up on any semblance of personal hygiene, or a property is left vacant for a long time, a minor problem can snowball into...

When a duplex decays to the condition of 3434 Humphrey, the end result is often a date with a wrecking ball. But that wasn't the fate for this architectural beauty in the Tower Grove East neighborhood of St. Louis.Development is now complete on the conversion of this duplex to a 2,394 square foot single-family home. The finished product features 4 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms, and includes many...

Tucked away in the northeast corner of the Benton Park neighborhood of South St. Louis at 1920 Shenandoah, neglected and lonely, is the former Falstaff Brewery. It might not be as beautiful or well known as the Lemp Brewery 10 blocks to the south, but a piece of local history nonetheless. But while talk has continual gone on for years about redeveloping the old Lemp complex and other former Falstaff...

Is there a street light out on your block? Is the grass at that vacant property across the street ridiculously tall? Or maybe the bricks falling off the building next door were the last draw. Never fear, there is an easy way to tackle the problem: Report it to the Citizens' Service Bureau (CSB). Any code violation in the City of St. Louis is usually best remedied by contacting them for an inspection or...

It's been an eventful few years for the historic Pevely Dairy Complex at 1001 South Grand Blvd, on the southwest corner of Chouteau and South Grand. Following the abrupt closure of the site in October 2008, Bruce Development unveiled plans to convert the site to a mixed-use development. All seemed to be going smoothly until a fire wiped out one of the buildings in March 2009. Talk of Bruce Development's...

Often overshadowed by it's larger cousin to the south, Fremont Park is a 2.31 acres park located at the corner of Salena and Lynch in the Benton Park Neighborhood of St. Louis. Formerly known as Pontiac Central Park, this green space features a softball field, a playground and a fair amount of open space and shaded areas. The softball field isn't much, but the facilities are good enough for casual game of...

Nothing is quite as healthy as a meal consisting of bratzel (a bratwurst wrapped in a pretzel) and a bag of pretzel sticks. Or at least that is what I tell myself when I stop by Gus' Pretzels twice a week. In business for about 90 years, Gus' is a St. Louis establishment akin to Ted Drew's. Back in the Spring of 2008, I was excited when I heard that they were going to make some significant improvements...