TCB > December 2003

From an interview in Metropolis Magazine (Jan. 2004):

"You start by looking at a city's history and thinking about ways to help nurture its intrinsic strengths. For example, I'd say to people in St. Louis, Forget about being Soho. You're never gonna be Soho. You never were Soho. But you could be an affordable place where people can live in a great urban neighborhood near a beautiful Olmsted-designed park with an excellent art museum."

Posted by Brian Marston on Sat., Dec 27, 2003 at 11:31 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | STL in the News

For those keeping score at home, it seems that our own Washington University has managed to crack that nut known as the U.S. News & World Report top ten college/university rankings...evidently, at least in part, by giving non-needy students cash to call St. Louis their academic home. Interesting read-all-about-it in the NY Times.

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Mon., Dec 22, 2003 at 1:41 PM
Link & Discuss (1 comment) | STL in the News

The Commonspace is happy to announce that we've been awarded a $2,200 grant from Team St. Louis to buy a Web cam and three Internet-connected computers running Linux. The computers will be available for free public use. This equipment will allow us to tie together what we do in cyberspace with what we do at our physical space. The Web cam will broadcast images of events at 615 North Grand on our Web site, and people will be able to use the computers to read our e-zine while they're at the space. The grant will also help us introduce more people to Linux and Open Source software. Team St. Louis is an initiative of St. Louis 2004.

Thank you Team St. Louis!

Posted by Brian Marston on Thu., Dec 18, 2003 at 1:40 PM
Link & Discuss (4 comments) | The Commonspace

SLU has announced that it will be building its new 13,000-seat arena on the southwest corner of Compton and Laclede (map). The arena will be visible from Highway 40. It's scheduled to open in August 2005 and will cost $70 million. Earlier, there was talk of building the arena a bit farther north in Grand Center, but the land acquisition proved too costly. It'll be interesting to see what it's like getting in and out of the area when there's an event at the Fox, the Symphony and the arena all on the same night.

Posted by Brian Marston on Thu., Dec 18, 2003 at 1:06 PM
Link & Discuss (4 comments) | Business District

I've been digging through our log files today. Here are some funny Google searches that brought people to TheCommonspace.org:

Thai teak products and its reputation

"Chip Chip Chippewa"

innate need for motorcycle

how to dress like a beatnik

field champion bunny coonhound

Posted by Brian Marston on Mon., Dec 15, 2003 at 2:25 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | The Commonspace

Tim Boyle bought the house at 3539 Hartford on 5/4/2001 for $77,000.00 with the intention of turning it into a parking lot for the St. Louis Bread Co. During the demolition hearings, he argued that the building was not worth saving. Now he's got it listed for $134,900 (MLS ID#: 357422). As far as I know, he hasn't done any work on it.

As reported in the Arch City Chronicle, Tim Boyle and Ald. Steve Conway are on the outs because Boyle has failed to make promised repairs to the Anderson Garage (2337 S. Grand), which he has owned for about six years. In retribution, Conway is holding up the liquor license for the Qdoba restaurant that's slated to move into the former Streetside Records space owned by Boyle.

Part of the south wall of the Anderson Garage has already collapsed. There are gaping holes in the roof, floors and walls. Yet, in the Business Journal's Summer 2002 Leasing Guide, the Anderson Building was listed as having been renovated in 2000. The rent was listed as $15.50 per square foot, and the leasing guide claimed that the building had 70 parking spaces

Some more back story: I called Tim Boyle in the spring of 2000 to ask him if he had any available office space on Grand for the company I was working for. He tried to sell me on the idea of moving into the Anderson, which he said would be completed in August (of 2000).

Posted by Brian Marston on Thu., Dec 11, 2003 at 12:59 PM
Link & Discuss (4 comments) | Business District

Anyone else taken a gander at the recent redesign of the Journals? (At least the South Side Journal, which showed up in our yard recently). It's nice-looking! Enough to trick me into picking it up...though I haven't yet read it to see if my old favorites -- stories whose jump never jumps anywhere, and verbatim story reprints in successive issues -- made the cut in the new format.

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Thu., Dec 11, 2003 at 10:36 AM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | The Media

As an interesting update to my original entry about the RFT/KDHX dust-up, I note that at the time of my arrival at the KDHX studio on Monday night, the RFT rack (typically still holding at least a few copies of the prior week's issue) was curiously empty. Expunged from the building? A hot commodity among the station's peons? Lining birdcages at the homes of Bev 'n' Bob?

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Wed., Dec 10, 2003 at 3:17 PM
Link & Discuss (2 comments) | The Commonspace

Gen Obata's star cat, Lilly (she of the giantess-looming-near-the-Arch fame ), has been keeping a keenly observant blog for a while now. Shamelessly, I'll recommend that you start with her mention of The Commonspace, but then I'd start at the top if I were you.

Tell your boss you'll get back to work tomorrow.

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Wed., Dec 10, 2003 at 3:13 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | Fun Links

A new Web site for the short-lived publication has shown up at pubdef.net. It sports one article and the claim that Pub Def has 30,000 readers. The forums promise that "Pub Def will return very soon." Is Pub Def a Phoenix or just another Icarus? And if it comes back, will Joe Daus' subscription be honored?

Posted by Brian Marston on Mon., Dec 8, 2003 at 11:11 PM
Link & Discuss (1 comment) | The Media

Café Madeleine in Tower Grove Park now offers its popular Sunday brunch year-round, with extended winter hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A full buffet selection is available at $14.95 for adults and $7.95 for children. The Café is operated by The Butler’s Pantry. To make a reservation, or for more information about brunch at Café Madeleine, call 314-575-5658.

Posted by Brian Marston on Sat., Dec 6, 2003 at 2:15 PM
Link & Discuss (1 comment) | Business District

Mike Seely's RFT cover story on KDHX is a real corker. In a move I don't always make...I'd recommend you give it a read. Happily, I'm usually able to obliviously go about my business as co-host of "The Wire" (that's Monday nights from 7:30-8 p.m.) without hitting my pretty little head up against any of this drama. Although perhaps it's one of the talk shows that former staffer Tony Renner finds lacking?

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Thu., Dec 4, 2003 at 2:02 PM
Link & Discuss (10 comments) | The Media