This is priceless: in the Business Journal's special "Chesterfield" pull-out section (April 1 issue, so I'm holding out slim hope the whole thing's an April Fool's gag), an ad for "Three Choice Communities for The Up-and-Coming Professionals" includes a joint called "CityPlace Condominiums," in Creve Coeur.
The "come again?" pause is the description of these sparkling new units as providing "the excitement of semi-urban living." What in the name of Jane Jacobs is "semi-urban living"? It's like they know "suburb" is a bad word, but they also know "urban" is a lie. They seem to think "semi-urban" means "walk to shopping and fine dining."
Now, I don't know if you've been out Olive way lately, but ain't nowhere I'd be caught dead (har har) walking to. For starters, you'd be a smudge in zero-60. And where are you hoofing it to? Applebee's??
Posted under Business District by Amanda Doyle on Fri., Apr 1, 2005 at 5:40 PM
Looks like a U City or inner burb in 63130/63105 phone # for Darryl. Who needs to head to Chesterfield when we have Starbucks, Applebees, ShopNSave, SW Bank, Office Max, Traffic Offense Law Office all at Kingshighway and Chippewa.
Hang on, does City Place in Chesterfield offer unlimited check cashing stores and car title loans?
No? Watch out CityPlace, this could be the flaw in your marketing plan. The City has it all.
Get your car out of that gear!
(Magnificent 7 not written for drivers of automatic SUVs obviously)
[Posted by ClashSTLrocker on Sat., Apr 2, 2005 at 7:32 AM]Well, the loft buildings sold out.
http://www.stlcommercemagazine.com/archives/november2002/trends.html
I think that development qualifies as super-sub-urban. Maybe if you wrote Jane Jacobs she'd have an answer. Maybe a Boboburb?
[Posted by Steven on Mon., Apr 4, 2005 at 8:40 PM]Ah, yes, all the perceived coolness of living in a loft without all that unwanted "urban" atmosphere. Then again, if semi-urban lofts in the county stem the spread of gentrification in parts of the city, more power to them.
[Posted by frippy on Wed., Apr 6, 2005 at 2:41 AM]You heard it here first. I call Applebee's, Crapplebee's. I have only been there once, about ten years ago, yet my observation stands.
[Posted by Butler Miller on Wed., Apr 6, 2005 at 1:27 PM]Wow, this blog is lame.
Semi-urban as a concept is not necessarily a sales pitch...though it probably is in this case. Kirkwood, for example, has several semi-urban-type developments. They a great, if you ask me, though they certainly could be better.
http://www.zanesville.ohiou.edu/geography/semi-urban/
[Posted by Trumanalum on Wed., Apr 6, 2005 at 1:53 PM]Member of the STL Syndicate
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