SWSL update

That last batch of homework before finals has kept me from doing much exploring outside my immediate neighborhood, and a cold (as well as "the cold" in general) has been keeping me indoors for a few days. Fortunately, there's a lot going on around my immediate neighborhood, and now I have time to sit here and write about it. And cough. And go through a couple boxes of Puffs Plus, which is about the only tissue my poor nose can tolerate right now--even though it's kind of like honkin' into a fat-infused sheet of Bounce.

Remember when I was discussing the opening of Aya Sofia just a couple of years ago? Well, it's gone already. (So's my post on the topic; its reference to Wagr33n5 attracted so much spam that I had to delete it.) The humble rough-wood siding that made Aya Sofia (and Rizzo's before it) look so homey has been replaced by a grandiose facade treatment that makes the building look like the runty little brother of one of those high-end furniture hangars out in Ballwin. Don't know what's moving in yet.

Just across Chippewa (at Lansdowne), Lion's Choice has finally opened. It's only the second location within city limits for the 40-year-old chain (the other one opened not too long ago downtown), and the drive-thru is constantly hoppin'. No word on whether the nearby Arby's is suffering yet. I'd say probably. (I'd been hinting around since 1990 that they should put a Lion's Choice on Kingshighway, somewhere near Uncle Bill's--but this was before the better location on Chippewa became available. Say, does anyone else think the strip of Kingshighway between Chippewa and Home Depot has a kinda Chicago feel to it? Dunno why, I just do.)

A little farther east, eulogies for the St. Louis Hills Office Center were premature; the demolition of the structurally-unsound parking garage was just a necessary bit of cosmetic surgery. The random pieces of billboard graphics hung from the structure to keep the dust down provided a nice little public art installation for a while, too. I'm glad they're repurposing the main building, and it's nice to be able to see all the foliage that was previously hidden from the intersection. (Well, there's no foliage NOW, obviously, but that's fall for you.) Toby will keep you apprised!

Nearby there's an isolated little business block that hasn't had a vacant storefront for as long as I can remember...you know the one; it's got a dragon rising out of the sidewalk. It's always been a cheerful little strip, and the wild new purple-and-yellow facade of Gooey Louie makes it even more vibrant. (The proprietors of Gooey Louie, specializing in a local treat called the gooey butter cake, could have benefited from a pre-emptive peek at Urban Dictionary.)

This is sad: The cool old neon sign at Donut Drive-In (Chippewa at Watson) is gone. I wonder if someone ran into it. Seemed inevitable.

There's a lot going on in the Southtown strip along Kingshighway, too. The remodeling of Shop 'n' Save and the rebirth of the Kriegshauser Funeral Home as a church (hey, it always looked like a Spanish mission anyway)--not to mention the pathetic occpancy rate at Southtown Plaza--are making it look less and less likely that the entire southeast corner of Chippewa/Kingshighway will be wiped out, as previously rumored, and replaced with a shopping center anchored by Sam's Club. So...Any deluded hermits out there who are still waiting for someone to give you a million dollars for your abandoned southside movie theater, PLEASE stop holding it hostage and let someone throw you a few thousand bucks a month to fix it up as a brew 'n' view or something.

So anyway, I was at the South Kingshighway DMV the other day and I hardly recognized the McDonald's next door! For years it was one of their tackiest remodeling jobs, fronted by a gaudy PlayPlace--but suddenly it's a sleek, clean, compact, adult-friendly example of up-to-the-minute fast-food design. The interior's done in tasteful browns and blues, and there's now a double drive-thru lane. The employees even seem to have their act together more than they used to; the whole front line was friendly, everyone was hustling, and they even got my order right. I'd be happy to see ALL of those PlayPlaces scraped off, frankly; how appetizing can a fast-food place be if the first phrase that pops into your mind when it comes into view is "BALL PIT?" I know this was supposed to attract the kids, but somebody at the home office apparently realized, after much time and money was spent on market research, that it's not usually the children who are driving or paying for the food.

Across Kingshighway, that old, closed streamline-moderne garage that was painted electric blue for years has been remodeled into Eddie's Southtown Donuts. The building's lost its mid-century character, but at least it's now contributing something to the economy--and public safety. Still stuck in a picturesque time warp--at least for now--is the tiny building up the block that, for years, housed a locksmith business. The locksmith has relocated now, and hopefully someone will find a use for this adorable little storefront.

I also spend a lot of time in Webster Groves, and the Old Orchard commercial strip has just been jolted out of an unusually long period of stable business occupancy. The floor-covering store next to Weber's Front Row is gone, and a new tenant (anyone know who?) is presently bustling its way in. On the same block, the Bike and Rack Shack just put up a Going-Out-Of-Business sign. Webster would be a great place for a large, full-service bike shop, wouldn't it? I wouldn't wish any ill upon the 61 Roadhouse--mmm, bbq!--but if it ever moves out (like, maybe, to Highway 61? Just an idea) or goes belly-up, its building right by the railroad tracks would make a PERFECT bike shop. You know what happens to railroad tracks when they get decommissioned, right?

One last Webster note: I can't believe this is actually happening--and I don't know what will ultimately become of it--but it's looking great these days.

Got anything enlightening to add? It's always good to hear from other armchair real-estate mavens.

UPDATE: Aya Sofia, I have learned (thank you, readers), is not out of business! They merely closed temporarily to do a little remodeling, during which their sign was spirited away. They may have looked defunct, but they most certainly are not. So dine, by all means! Dine!!