All my time last week in St.Louis was spent on the Hill.
Nola’s studio complex is located in three houses on two lots on Elisabeth Street, on the Hill. She is shown here with the Matise Goldfish Bowl she worked on with me last fall in Arkansas.
This class photo was taken in the main house, which she uses for her hooking studio where 2 classrooms, 1 showroom, a kitchen and bathroom are located. I taught there for 2 days. The basement provides an office space for her husband. The second house has a big dye studio in the basement, while the top floor has 2 rentable bedrooms with bath and a kitchen that several students used. My third day there was spent doing a dye class in that basement. Her third house has the main floor configured as a full guest house, where I stayed, plus a basement where I think she sews pattern edges and other things. All of these house are on Elizabeth Street … on the Hill.
The Hill is the highest spot in greater St. Louis. It’s located very close to the place where the 1904 (Meet me in St.Louie, Louie ..) World’s Fair was held. As some of the buildings for that fair where made of stone for permanent use after the fair, the organizers brought in several stone masons from Italy to build them. Many of those families decided to stay and did so by buying new little houses on the hill in the early years of 1900. Within no time, other Italian families joined them, creating a little Italy sort of place. It’s still, very much, an Italian enclave.
Many of merchants run family businesses that go back to the early days of 1900.
While the Missouri Baking Company sells all sorts of backed goods, their specialty is Italian cookies and pastries. The current owner, shown here, is 3rd generation of this family run business. I can repeat the same basic story at the restaurants where I ate and the Italian Deli where I shopped. While the deli sold their own products, they also sold other Hill created meats, sausages and salamis that other family business on the Hill produce.
I loved the spirit on the Hill.
We even found a little free time to go to other newer business – one was a wonderful antique store attached to a magnificent warehouse like eating place featuring wine and Italian appetizers.
It was all in a beautiful renovation that was picture perfect.
My only regret
Was not buying a Matisse print that I found there. While Nola offered to ship it to me, I won’t have room for the art I already own when we down size to a condo! Maybe I should make it as a rug?
And, Elizabeth street does not just produce hooking, fiber art, antiques, gelato and other fine Italian food. Just 5 blocks down Elizabeth from Nola
Is the house where a guy named Lawrence grew up.
However, everyone called him Yogi.
And, directly across the street from him was another house
That also produced a ball player.
His name was
Not too shabby for one street – and Joe’s brother also ended up being a professional player too.
Along side of the Hill are other attractions which you can see from the highway and streets.
I did not have time to go to the St. Louis Zoo but, did get there on my 8th grade trip to St. Louis and at other times as well.
Marsha and I even spent a day at the Missouri Botanical Gardens while on our Honeymoon, almost 49 years ago this May.
It’s a big site with all sorts of marvelous plantings.
However,
My favorite feature at these Gardens has always been the Climatron, which I first started going to shortly after it opened in 1960.
Again, Nola was a great tour guide for me and some of the other out of town students.
It was pretty much like I remembered it.
Except
Chihuly has been there
Since I was!
I had a great visit on the Hill.