The Mark Twain Neighborhood

Mark Twain is a north St. Louis neighborhood bound by West Florissant Avenue to the north east, I-70 to the south and south west and Emerson Avenue to the north west:

The 2000 census data counted 4,999 residents (down 28% from 1990's count) of whom 98% were black and 1% white. There were 2,281 housing units counted, 78% occupied (64%/36% owner/renter split). Another neighborhood showing the tremendous flight of black people out of St. Louis from 1990-2000. The trend continued from 2000-2010 where another 16% packed it up and left. Racial breakdown was pretty similar at 98% Black, 1% white, 1% Hispanic/Latino and 7 American Indians/Alaska Natives. The 2020 Census data revealed another 24% of people left Mark Twain, all Black. They are down to 3,257 residents. There is a tiny bump 78 whites up 81% in the decade, 11 Asians up 100% and 32 Hispanic/Latinos up 52%. 7% of the housing units were lost from 2010 - 2020, and a 14% drop in occupied homes while vacancy increased by 25%.

My guess is that older Black middle class folks are dying or moving to care homes and young Blacks do not see this as a place to settle down. I don’t get that, because it is pretty amazing housing stock.

This is one of the north city neighborhoods that is in quite good condition overall. I'd put this up there with North Pointe and the West End as some of the more stable neighborhoods on the city's north side.

Much of the area is marked with the familiar pillars that can be found in the north side neighborhoods along W. Florissant Avenue:

Much of the housing stock is really quite beautiful and stable. There are a lot of people living here and the streets were active with pedestrians, dog walkers, etc even on an icy cold winter day.

Kingshighway has a large center garden median with older trees and looks great all the way from West Florissant to Bircher:

My favorite setting in the neighborhood are the blocks bound by Ruskin, Thelka, Queens and Harney. If you want to check out a well planned 2 block area, this may be the one in Mark Twain:

Mark Twain school is for sale. The North City Church of Christ is simply beautiful as are the homes and elevation of the streets sloping toward the north east.

The nice, well-cared for homes are mainly concentrated toward the center of the neighborhood, but can be found throughout:

Some other parts of the neighborhood are very reminiscent of the Dogtown neighborhoods on the south side:

The worst area of the neighborhood with the most burn outs, board ups and crumbling homes is the north west end nearest Walnut Park East:

As you can see in the map, Mark Twain is largely residential northwest of Euclid Avenue and the area southeast of Euclid is largely industrial. The historic Bellefontaine Cemetery abuts Mark Twain to the north and east.

Toward the south eastern edge of Mark Twain, the impressive Archer Daniels Midland grain silos visible from I-70 are quite a presence in the neighborhood and can be seen from many parts of Mark Twain.

There is also a senior housing complex:

As well as a the former home of the Royal Knights Athletic Association, a club youth boys and girls sports club founded in 1959.

The fields are no longer in use but once were home to some talented young athletes (and some sharply dressed coaches):

source circa 1977/1978

There are some former factories that are quite the cool aging structures:

Unfortunately, the amount of illegal dumping in the former industrial is overwhelming, one of the worst I've seen throughout the entire city. It's actually quite embarrasing and a health risk I'm sure...but as we all know, the city turns it's back on these problems, especially when it's on the north side. I won't post photos, but if you want to see what I'm talking about just go to the area near Shreve Avenue and Rosalie Street...a real bummer.

But again, this is probably one of the most stable looking neighborhoods on the north side. There are plenty of businesses and churches both along W. Florissant as well as sprinkled throughout the neighborhood:

I didn't spot any cool metal and neon signs, but there were a couple others that caught my eye including this one two punch of my favorite lo fi beer guzzling calls:

And a couple others:

There are some handsome structurs along W. Florissant Avenue including engine house #12 and a former police station built in 1930:

***In October, 2023 I revisited the neighborhood and the following includes updated commentary and photos.***

Misses On Original Tour

No misses that bother me, pretty decent job, but I didn’t really comment on how peaceful and decent Kingshighway is in this part of the city. The shit show on the Southside and Central Corridor is not in effect here as they added a garden median and reduced a lane. This part of the city is like North Hampton (with less apartments), or Lindenwood Park when it comes to housing. The racial/diversity index is the exact inverse, but the look of the place is worthy of the comparison.

But, unlike those neighborhoods, the backdrop of current and mostly former industry toward the southeast of Mark Twain is prominent, as is the damage of Interstate highways which disconnected Mark Twain from the beautiful parks and neighborhoods just south of I-70.

Housing stock, like the neighborhoods I mentioned is largely single family homes on the smaller side, mostly brick but some sided frames. Mostly tidy and loved.

There are some bigger homes, but mostly smaller.

I might have missed the small stretch of buildings with intricate tiles/placards from families past.

There are apartment buildings, but mostly single family homes.

Noticeable Changes

Demos are happening resulting in vacant lots. Demo seems to be outpacing infill. The infill that is here does not jar the eye as the 70s/80s cheap attempts do. In fact, I think it appropriate for the times.

Rehabing, the one thing I want the most, is slow if not scant. There may be a few attempts, but not at the rate we need for sustainability.

The former St. Philip Neril Catholic church and Mark Twain school have stepped back a bit but are still in the picture.

I don’t want to mislead you, there are a bunch of board ups and vacancies. Big deal, take a chance and move here. You’ll be fine on the dime.

The speed hump game is extremely strong and welcomed. It changes the whole vibe of the place from the no-dignity idiot drivers to a calmer vibe. The place is homey and needs preservation, just a little bump of new folks and investment would do. I really like it here.

What Are The Future Needs?

These North City neighborhoods that are experiencing severe outward migration and older folks dying. We just need love and investment and wait for the young Black folk and others to see the beauty and value. This is one of the places to build. If I was a Black guy and trying to buy my first home, I’d settle in a place that has Black history for at least one generation vs. the burbs. There is no fear here white people, some diversity would go a long way, as I believe that makes everything better. But short and simple, invest. Dig in, live on the cheap and be part of St. Louis vs. the shitty suburbs.

Street trees please. Intra-neighborhood business has taken a hit in the last ten years. But, as we all know, that is up to the community who lives there to build and support. Without immediately local support, the $ will go to the burbs and other parts of the city for the necessities.

If I was in control of the purse strings, I’d invest immediately closer to I-70 and the grain elevator. That part has seen the most decline over the last decade and could use the love/$. The industrial parts of the neighborhood seem to be less desirable for home investment. As a longtime Fox Park resident, I’ve seen this. Unlike Fox Park, where things are changing via investment and rehabs, Mark Twain lags a bit. But the industrial areas are cool and so big rustbelt city.

If one photo sums up Mark Twain, it is the fact there there are vacant lots from recently demolished homes, board ups, aging 70s/80s infill and handsome homes that are clearly taken care of and loved.