THE HIGHWAY THAT SPLITS MY TOWN

The railroad tracks I showed three days ago cut across Webster Groves but aren't much of a barrier (unless you are trying to drive across them when a train comes by, but that's not often). Interstate 44 is another matter. It forms a shallow artificial canyon with far fewer places to cross than the railroad. Much of it is depressed below the surrounding ground level so it's not visually in your face but is something of a scar and a barrier between neighborhoods. 

As long as America remains so car dependent I suppose we need it. These roads are much uglier and cause worse social divisions in some other cities.           

MY TOWN

Although I've been in the St. Louis area since I came to college here in 1967, I do not live in the city proper. It has a small and declining share of the metropolitan population. We have sprawling suburbs. This one is now considered inner ring, older by local standards. According to Wikipedia

Webster Groves' location on the Pacific Railroad line led to its development as a suburb. In the late 19th century, overcrowding, congestion, and unhealthy conditions in St. Louis prompted urban residents to leave the city for quieter, safer surroundings. In 1892 the developers of Webster Park, an early housing subdivision, promoted the new community as the "Queen of the Suburbs", offering residents superb housing options in a country-like atmosphere, as well as a swift commute to downtown St. Louis jobs.  

That may have been just real estate promotion but it's still a nice place to live, although passenger trains haven't come here in decades. Now the old station houses a model railroad club.

       

SUBURBAN DEATHSTAR

Or that's what it made me think of when I edited the photo, a fiery floating orb with nasty stuff sticking out. Of course, it's just an old fire hydrant that has been painted and repainted many times. I like the patterns in the worn paint.             

THE MIDWEST

                Typical view in this territory. This is a short walk from my home.                 

HONEY BEARS

I've got some nice springtime shots in the botanical I haven't posted but I could use some new material. This wall painting faces a parking lot in the Grand Centre (they use the British spelling) arts district. The figure is a squeezable container in which honey is commonly sold here. Why pick that? I get the reference to the visual arts and the symphony hall is nearby. However, the arena where the beloved hockey team plays is two or three miles away and I don't get the top hat at all. It's not like we have a lot of white tie events and such plutocrats as we got are much more discrete.