It's the first weekend of May and time for a uniquely St. Louis event, the People's Joy Parade. It was founded I don't know how many years ago by local artist Sarah Patterson. Every strange person who wants to march, roll or ride is welcome, and they seem to get a little stranger every year. This group, seen in the staging area, calls itself the Psychedelic Society of St. Louis. More to come.
Still in the Bevo neighborhood. The Bosnian Chamber of Commerce is going strong. Caffe Milano is down and out. Times and neighborhoods change.
The graphical effect of apartment mailboxes on a building on Gravois Avenue, the main drag through the Bevo neighborhood. I like the rhythm and color. The boxes are obviously not secure and I wouldn't want any checks sent there.
Not all of the Bevo neighborhood has benefited from the Bosnian revival. I assume this is a closed and boarded-up bar. The choice of color is unusual. The graffiti is weird too. I think the white lettering spells out GATOR and the light black letters PRESSURE. Strange enough, but OATMEAL?
During the horrors of the Balkan war in the early to mid 90s, about 40,000 Bosnian refugees were resettled in St. Louis. The city proper, with its declining population, welcomes immigrants, who provide vibrancy and economic growth.
Most of them came to the area around the Bevo Mill, seen on Sunday. The area, now often called Little Bosnia, was in decline but now is full of new businesses, restaurants and, importantly, homeowners. The neighborhood has rebounded. The structure seen here is a replica of The Sebilj in Sarajevo, a kiosk-shaped fountain. There was no water running last weekend but it marks the ongoing cultural ties. Interesting discussion at https://www.wikiwand.com/en/History_of_Bosnian_Americans_in_St._Louis .
