I had originally headed west on St. Louis Avenue based on an unfounded tip that Sarah Lou’s had caught fire. Thankfully, it had not, and I ended up having a great conversation with an older gentleman waiting for the bus out front about the restaurant’s amazing fried chicken instead. Sadly, from the looks of it, Sarah Lou’s will probably collapse into a giant pile of rubble in the next year or two. I got back in my car and drove east, and the early morning light was really wonderful. The church at the corner is still sitting empty after an attempt at renovation. It has no future.
I always liked the houses just to the east, and I photographed them again. I learned something fascinating about this area.
Originally, there were small, exurban houses (viewable on Compton and Dry) and some developer came in, bought them all out and annihilated the north-south dominant street grid, replatted it with the streets being east-west dominant, and we ended up with the beautiful Lindell Addition.
Moving along, nothing has happened east of Glasgow Avenue, which I looked at back in May of 2021. It’s hard to believe that way back in January of 2008 there was a stunning three story building on the southeast corner. It seems so long ago now.
I’m dead serious: I have no memory of this business ever being here.
I remember around fifteen years ago a man and woman tragically died in a fire in this gas station. It still sits empty, owned by Paul McKee and surely polluting the ground here. Nothing changed.
Well, not nothing. Below is the rapidly improving Parnell (North Jefferson) corridor. I’ll miss all those potholes–it was so urban and edgy!
