Brittany Gray Dr. Torrusio 04/30/12 Hon.

3100-003 Artifacts Essay A Walk to Remember Winner describes two ways in which artifacts can have politics. The first is how the invention, design, or arrangement of artifacts or the larger system becomes a mechanism for settling the affairs of a community. The once completely dilapidated, but recently turned popular hot spot Washington Avenue section of the downtown community is proof of the political implication of being an artifact. Washington Avenue is in fact a political artifact and has played an influential role in the resurgence of the downtown St. Louis area with its own redemption. The Washington Avenue Historical District is commonly referred to as Washington Avenue. Most of the buildings that surround Washington Avenue were originally built between the late 19th century and the 1920s. The majority of the buildings are large multi-story brick and stone constructions that exhibit a variety of popular architectural styles of those eras. The area served as a warehouse district for the St. Louis garment district. After World War II, the garment production industry declined severely leaving the buildings vacant. After the buildings in the area became available, the newfound preference for singlestory industrial space kept the towering buildings unused and obsolete. Over

Gray 2 time, the structures and the area became dilapidated. After taking into consideration the history, culture, and age of Washington Avenue, it is clear that it qualifies as an artifact. Washington Avenue was resurrected using government funds and programs; this shows its ties to politics in St. Louis. The Washington Avenue area finally began to experience some revitalization in the 1990s. In 1998, Missouris government adopted a tax credit for the redevelopment of historic buildings. This tax credit made it financially possible for to accomplish largescale renovation. Local and national developers acquired many of the buildings along Washington Avenue and in other parts of downtown St. Louis for this purpose. Many of the edifices have been restored and rehabilitated into loft-style condominiums and apartments. The others have been transformed into restaurants, nightclubs, bars, lounges, boutiques, theaters, bowling alleys, and many other trendy hangouts. If you have never been to Washington Avenue, it is one of the most frequented weekend hot spots in downtown St. Louis. Its located close to everything popular downtown: the Arch, Busch Stadium, Americas Center, Lacledes Landing, Scottrade Center, Edward Jones Dome, etc. This makes Washington Avenue an opportune place to hang out or grab a bite to eat before or after other activities in the city. It is especially a place to visit after other events, since the nightlife is so prevalent. There are so many bars, nightclubs, and lounges conveniently located together one street; Washington Ave provides a wide range of options to satisfy everyone from casual to upscale ambiances.

Gray 3 Washington Avenue has been so successful that it is still growing to this day. The Mercantile Exchange is essentially an all inclusive strip mall at the intersection of Washington Avenue and North 7th Street, near the Americas Center. It hasnt been completed yet, but they are hoping to have it finished by this summer. It will contain restaurants, shopping, a movie theater, and venues for various events. Once they are ready to open they will have Pi Pizzeria, Snarfs Sandwiches, Takaya New Asian, Robust Wine Bar and Caf, and a large Macys. The Mercantile Exchange is also working on raising money to further their progress on the National Blues Museum. This museum will be in honor of the spiritual and emotional ballad style of music, rather than St. Louis popular hockey team (I know you were thinking it!). The Mercantile Exchange also contains the Laurel Apartments. These apartments are very eco-friendly and have an electric vehicle charging station that is open to residents and nonresidents alike. Downtown St. Louis and Washington Avenue have been growing and improving, especially in the last decade. It seems to me that the renovations of Washington Avenue are the root of the resurgence of downtown. After Washington Avenue made its first resurrection, downtown St. Louis experienced their first population growth in 40 years. Some people may say that this is a coincidence, but I believe not. Most other areas within the City of St. Louis have not been upgraded as extensively as Washington Avenue has. There are also more residential units on Washington Avenue than anywhere else that I can think of in all of St. Louis. The multi-story buildings that make up Washington Avenue

Gray 4 are perfect for housing units. In most of the structures the bottom floor houses a shop, eating and drinking establishment, or another type of business, while the upper floors are used as condominiums or apartments. Almost all of the businesses along Washington Avenue use the higher levels as housing units. The convenience of living close to so many shops and restaurants as well as many of the major downtown attractions draw people in by the droves. Since Washington Avenue does have such a bustling nightlife atmosphere, police presence had to be increased to accommodate the people who get drunk or out of control. There are several cops policing the area on foot discouraging any would-be criminal activities. Bicycle policemen also patrol Washington Avenue and help with traffic problems when necessary. This area is most often regulated by St. Louis City police officers. Washington Avenue regulates what is done with the buildings along that area. The only way that I can think of for the area to have some control over its citizens would require referring back to Jane Jacobs The Uses of Sidewalks: Safety. In this essay, Jacobs discusses how popular city streets can be made safe by proprietors keeping a watchful eye on the activity on the streets. Since it is such a busy area, there is definitely plenty to keep someone busy while watching over it. Even before more policemen were added to survey Washington Avenue, the incident rates were fairly low. The main reasons that more cops were called in were single more significant incidents. The instances have decreased since as most people flock to the area in search of entertainment and celebration of life.

Gray 5 Washington Avenue is a new age progressive area for young people. It fosters the celebration of everything from graduations to birthdays to anniversaries to the end of the workweek. Its a place for the future leaders of St. Louis to rally around a focal point that stands for progress in their city. It shows everyone that St. Louis is and continues to be rebuilding. The atmosphere attracts the younger crowds, as it is more of a partying area. However, I believe that people of all ages can and should celebrate the landmark that Washington Avenue has become. Even with an economy that was in a recession, this area was still growing, bustling, and doing very well financially. Washington Avenue is a political artifact. I have shown that from its government funding and rich history. Some people may find it ironic that this area, which is old and rich in culture, actually attracts the younger generations rather than the older ones. No matter who or what Washington Avenue appeals to, it is still remarkable. This area has gone through tremendous transformations at remarkable times, and still managed to come out on top. It was a dilapidated area that received a second chance and became even more useful that it used to be. If that is not something to commend, I honestly do not know what is.

Gray 6 Bibliography "News and Events." Mercantile Exchange. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://mxstl.com/news-and-events>. "Highlights of Washington Avenue, St. Louis." Real Estate Properties. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://www.realestate-properties.info/highlights-of-washington-avenue-stlouis/>. Lehtinen, Merja. "St. Louis, City on the Rebound, Willing to Try." Civil Engineering ASCE 51.7 (1981): 78-80. ASCE. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. Hurley, Andrew. Beyond Preservation: Using Public History to Revitalize Inner Cities. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2010. Project MUSE. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://muse.jhu.edu/>. Jacobs, Jane. "The Uses of Sidewalks: Safety." The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House, 1961. 106-11. Google Documents. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. Winner, Langdon. "Do Artifacts Have Politics?" Daedalus 1st ser. 109 (1980). Google Documents. Web. 20 Apr. 2012.