Crown Square by Monulita Boey

Crown Square is located in the historic Old North. By the mid-19th century, north St. Louis had emerged as an important manufacturing district. Proximity to the Mississippi River provided businesses with easy access to raw materials and excellent opportunities for shipping their goods.

The business district on North 14th Street was converted into a pedestrian mall in 1977; however, the urban planning experiment failed due to decades of deterioration and abandonment of the historic buildings. Now the area has come a long way though. There’s a farmers market, several neighborhood beautification projects, pedestrian mall, and I can’t forget Crown Candy Kitchen.

Crown Candy Kitchen is a great place to hang out. I recently had a great eating experience there. I visited for lunch and ordered a BLT. I had no idea it would be 13 slices of bacon, fresh lettuce, ripe tomatoes and toasted bread. I washed it down with a thick, chocolate shake. The weather was so nice I decided to take a tour of the newly revived 14th street pedestrian mall.

Crown Square is a community that has come together, despite doubts it was too run down to revitalize. The surroundings have been revived. The community stepped up. Humanity can be seen though the local farmers market; that is, the co-op. There are neighborhood beautifications
projects, restored buildings, and the free education opportunities offered through a local church.
Also, the 14th street mall and the 13th street community garden are a part of Crown Square. A strong community anchors the amenities that serve the needs of the residents.

Have you heard of a co-op farmers market that helps grow community health? The one in Crown Square does. It offers affordable fresh produce, free health screenings, free kids activities and healthy cooking demonstrations, while encouraging community participation.

There are store fronts such as a pet shop, an art gallery, beauty salon, and workshop art center, clothing/accessories boutique, and police substation, just to name a few. Brick streets are painted with art. There are wide sidewalks and sitting areas with umbrellas. As visitors come to Crown Square, they have a little more of a reason to come down or come back. They can enjoy events, tours, shop, and eat. Visiting a small area shopping mall has a lot advantages over large malls. There’s no hassling with parking, no shoulder to shoulder shopping, enjoying the outdoors while walking from place to place. Don’t forget to drop by the Farmer’s Market.

In the historic Old North of St. Louis, the old business district on North 14th street was converted into a pedestrian mall that failed. Now decades later, it has been restored and revived. Historic Crown Candy Kitchen is still there, so after a great meal, take a tour, and do some walking and shopping. Family and friends come out for a great outdoor adventure.

Works Cited
"A Short History of Old North." Old North St. Louis Restoration Group. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.

Photo: Missouri Division of Tourism