Soulard revisited

34 years ago this summer I moved to Des Moines from St. Louis. My first job there didn't work out, and a job offer here made a fresh start in Iowa look like a good idea. While it was a relative blip in my timeline, my false start there taught me a lot.

I never returned, and I have lost track of pretty much every one I knew there. Still, I was excited to see what it looked like after all these years when we went to pick up the Kouvolan envoy this weekend.

We found a gorgous AirBNB place in Benton Park, near my old Soulard neighborhood, so it was easy to see my old apartment.

We then went and checked out the Soulard Market, a farmers market that has been operating continuously at that location since 1779.  I barely got to know it during my year in St. Louis, so it was fun to be able to wander around.

We had a couple of nice dinners in Benton Park, and we added a little sightseeing this morning downtown before driving home. Still, I felt a little sad about Soulard. When I lived there, it seemed that the area revitalization was just gaining steam. Now it seems to be just treading water. While there are some rehabs of larger old buildings underway, and some new construction, there remain quite a few of the classic brick small apartment buildings empty and decaying. I figured they would all be done by know. The neighborhood seems a little rougher and more worn down.

But then, maybe it's not the neighborhood that has changed since 1985.