Saint Louis Public Transport

As part of an effort to close my other blog and move all of its transit-related posts over here, I will make Saint Louis's transit review on #Urban. Operated by Metro Saint Louis, Madison County Transit, and Saint Charles Area Transit, public transit in Saint Louis is...OK. On this trip I road the MetroLink Blue Line on the shared segment from Grand to Civic Center, and the MetroBus #70 Grand from Grand & Cherokee to Grand MetroLink Station. Both of these lines help form Saint Louis's measly frequent network, consisting of 5 lines. (These are the #11 Chippewa, #70 Grand, #99 Downtown Trolley, Red Line, and Blue Line.) Frequent transit is basically transit that runs so often you don't need a schedule to use it. The general definition is every 15 minutes or better, 7 days a week, for more than just peak hours, and in both directions. However, this being Saint Louis, they have no service at all fitting that description, so I changed the Saint Louis frequency definition to every 20 minutes, and all of the criteria listed above. Anyway, on to the reviews. The # 70 Grand is Saint Louis's busiest bus route, running along a very urban corridor. The line gets about 8,000 riders per weekday. Service is quite frequent, and my bus came very promptly. Bus stops are alright, with many just being a sign saying "MetroBus" and the stop ID, website, and route number(s). Some stops also had benches or shelters of varying quality, which unlike in Chicago, were NOT all in uniform design. The #70 Grand, in addition to using the standard Gillig Phantom and Gillig Low-Floor buses, also uses ex-Ottawa New Flyer D60LF buses, which are the first articulated buses in Metro Saint Louis's history! One problem with all the buses, though, is that only major stops are announced, as opposed to the CTA which announces every single stop on the line. Fares are currently paid through an archaic system of cash, transfers, and little paper-y passes, but the Saint Louis region is FINALLY attempting a smart card, the Gateway Card. The card will roll out very soon, and readers can already be seen at MetroLink stations, and on MetroBus fareboxes. Although I rode only the shared section of MetroLink between Grand and Civic Center stations, I DID ride on a Blue Line train, so I will refer to it as the "Blue Line". Service is relatively frequent on both the Blue and Red Lines, and schedules are fixed so that on even Sundays, the shared section gets headways of exactly 10 minutes between trains. The trains are OK, with MetroLink using Siemens SD400 and SD460 LRVs. Although technically a "light rail", MetroLink has a lot of metro-like features, such as no street running sections whatsoever, and a very "rapid" feel. The only street running sections are at level crossings, and those are mostly on the Red Line only segments on the Missouri and Illinois sides. One major problem I have is that there are not nearly enough stations in the more transit oriented inner ring suburbs, or in Saint Louis City. I would propose infill stations at Compton, Jefferson, Sarah, 71st (East Saint Louis), and Carlyle (Belleville). Vocals are non existent, with announcements made by the driver, which is not so good. At Civic Center, a HUGE transit center exists, where one can transfer between both frequent MetroLink lines, 16 infrequent MetroBus lines, 2 frequent MetroBus lines, 5 infrequent Madison County Transit lines, Greyhound intercity buses, and Amtrak intercity trains. An OK system, with room for improvement.

West University City

While the most exciting, central part of University City is definitely the Delmar Loop, there are other very urban, nice areas as well. The area I would call "West University City" is roughly between Hanley Road and North & South Road on Delmar Boulevard. While one would not expect this area to be very urban, The entire area was filled with apartments, urban houses, townhouses, duplexes, and even a few small mixed-use buildings. At the corner of North & South and Delmar, there was even a small, walkable, 1950's era business district, with mixed use buildings! Almost all businesses were local, and small offices sat above said businesses. The area is close(ish) to the frequent MetroLink Blue Line stations at Clayton and Forsyth, and has immediate access to the infrequent MetroBus #47 Hanley, #66 Clayton-Airport, and #97 Delmar, so West University City has OK transit access. A really cool neighborhood!

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Downtown

Downtown Saint Louis, though far from its former glory, has begun to pick up again. The population in 2000 was a mere 806 people, and has exploded to its current 3,721 inhabitants. Many new businesses can be seen, especially on Washington Avenue. However, due to being in Saint Louis, Downtown has many abandoned buildings, empty storefronts, decrepit properties, etc. Transit is good, with quite a few frequent transit lines! (These consist of the MetroLink Blue and Red Lines, and the MetroBus #11 Chippewa and #99 Downtown Circulator. However, there is always the problem of excessive parking, this being Saint Louis. When a lot becomes vacant downtown, the immediate course of action was to turn the space into surface parking. This means that what was once continuous  good, mixed-use, transit and pedestrian friendly development became marred by ugly patches of evil surface parking. An important development in this story is a downtown supermarket, Culinaria by Schnucks having recently opened, destroying Downtown's previous reputation as a food desert. A good are, with potential to be even more!

Cherokee Street

Like Chicago's "Community Areas", Saint Louis has official neighborhoods that are often groups of two or more unofficial neighborhoods. Some unofficial neighborhoods get divided along official neighborhood boundaries. This is the case of Cherokee Street. Divided by Marine Villa, Gravois Park, Benton Park, and Benton Park West all the way from Grand to Broadway, it is an extremely socioeconomically and culturally diverse neighborhood. From Broadway to Jefferson, most of it is in a historic district, with very upscale old apartments, homes, duplexes, etc. and very nice, hipster antique stores. This area is richer than the rest of the street, and is pretty nice. From Jefferson to about Nebraska the area is very Latino, with many bodegas, restaurants, etc. dotting the street. Past Nebraska, the area has far less business and becomes more residential, as well as more African-American and less Latino. After it hits Grand, it sort of becomes the southernmost edge of Tower Grove South. There is an extremely diverse range of housing stock and business variety, with housing dominated by turn of the century urban houses and two-flats. Businesses range from upscale antique shops to light industry to markets to print-shops. Transit-wise, the #73 Carondelet runs right down Cherokee Street, but is not very frequent. The #10 Gravois-Lindell, #30 Soulard, and #40 Broadway serve the area, but aren't very frequent either. The #11 Chippewa and #70 Grand also serve the area, and are quite frequent. A pretty good neighborhood, with a lot of diversity!

West Ridge

West Ridge, also known as West Rogers Park, has a slightly quieter, less dense atmosphere than Rogers Park, and is a tiny bit less diverse. The neighborhood is still very urban, however, and is named West Ridge due to it being west of Ridge Avenue, where as Rogers Park is east of Ridge Avenue. The housing stock in the neighborhood is mostly small, densely packed single family homes, with a few low density mixed use apartments, 2 and three flats, and garden apartments mixed in. On main roads, single story commercial and low density mixed use dominate. Many small and large parks and play lots are present, and the neighborhood is covered with lush, tall trees. Devon Avenue, home to Chicago's Little India, is mostly within West Ridge, with the area around the intersection of Devon and Western Avenues being the heart of Chicagoland's Desi community. The area ranges from low-income to upper middle class, and is very safe. The main ethnic groups in West Ridge are Eastern Europeans, Desis, and Koreans. The neighborhood, though lacking an "L" line, still has pretty good transit, with several good, frequent bus lines in the area. A great neighborhood!

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Rogers Park

Although I have already written a review of Rogers Park before, I liked it so much, I decided to write a second review the next time I visited:
The area of Rogers Park near Sheridan Road and the lakefront is quite nice. Though pieces of it are a little sketchy still, overall the neighborhood looks amazing now! Great transit including the CTA Red Line and CTA local and express buses lies throughout the area. The neighborhood is really culturally and socioeconomically diverse, and lies very close to Lake Michigan, on which there are pleasant beaches and parks. Mixed use and purely residential apartments form the majority of housing stock in the area, many of which are garden apartments with well kept, lush gardens inside. Businesses in the area range form small-scale industrial to hipster coffeehouses to drug stores. The apartments themselves are between three and six floors for the most part. On side streets, Chicago bungalows, other houses, and small two and three flat apartments make up the majority. An amazing place!

Lincoln Square

This post will be rather short, as I did not spend very much time in the area so I did not observe as much as I would've liked. Lincoln Square is a formerly German-American neighborhood on the North Side. However, the area is now a hip neighborhood crawling with hipsters, but also just regular people and families. Extremely good transit is present throughout the neighborhood, including frequent bus lines, all night frequent bus lines, and the L. The neighborhood is very urban, much of it being mid density and mixed use. However, there is not much mixed income housing stock in the area. Buildings consist of older, mid rise, mixed use buildings, and the typical Chicago two flat. A good neighborhood.

Back Bay

Back Bay has changed a lot since its creation in the 1890s. One of the only areas of Boston with a true grid, its graceful rowhouses, apartment buildings, and mansions radiate outwards from Commonwealth Avenue, and run along every street in the neighborhood. A very upper class area, the architecture of the area is famous throughout Boston and the world over. There is not very much cultural, socioeconomic, or business diversity, though. Nearly every shop in the area is an upscale clothing store, boutique, or some other kind of upscale shop. The area is graced with very good transit connections. Amtrak, Intercity buses, MBTA Commuter Rail, the MBTA Orange Line, the MBTA Green Line, several frequent and infrequent MBTA Bus Services, and two MBTA Key Bus Routes all serve Back Bay. The area also plays host to very wide sidewalks, Hubway stations, and bike lanes. However, some mixed income development would do everyone in the neighborhood some good.

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East Boston

East Boston, especially the Maverick Square area, was pretty cool. For transit, Hubway (bikeshare), the MBTA Blue Line, many reasonably frequent bus lines, and two Key Bus Routes all serve the neighborhood. Maverick Station and its bus bays are straight in the middle of Maverick Square, and act as an important hub of the neighborhood. The area lies near Logan Airport, and streets are arranged in a loose grid. The neighborhood is predominately Latino, and is mostly working class, though some new upper class developments can be seen. The buildings include tall public buildings, single story commercial, townhouses, and lower density mixed-use. Most buildings are older, and businesses range in variety quite a lot as well, from taquerias to light industry, and everything in between. My suggestion for the neighborhood would be to designate certain mixed income "corridors" and allow the rest of the neighborhood gentrify naturally. A pretty good area.

Chinatown

Boston's Chinatown is one of the largest and most ethnically Chinese Chinatowns in the country. Located close to Downtown, Chinatown has good transit connections and many Hubway (bikeshare) stops. A few surface parking lots exist, but other than that, the neighborhood has no vacant lots, or abandoned buildings. As far as buildings go, mostly older 5-7 story buildings dominate, many of which are mixed use, but some are purely residential or multistory commercial. Of the newer buildings, mostly 2-3 story multistory commercial dominate. The "entrance" to Chinatown is at the corner of Beach and Hudson Streets, where the Chinatown Gate, or Paifang, and a small but crowded park can be found. Transit-wise, the Orange Line, Green Line, Silver Line, and Red Line all have stations in or nearby the neighborhood. In addition to these three lines, several frequent and infrequent bus routes serve the neighborhood as well, but no key bus routes currently serve the neighborhood. All in all, a pretty great neighborhood, with a lot of potential. However, due to its proximity to Downtown, if nothing is done soon, Chinatown may eventually push out its ethnic Chinese due to gentrification.

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Inman Square

Inman Square is an are of the city of Cambridge, centered on the intersection of Cambridge and Hampshire Streets. The area is a mix of university students (due to the area's proximity to Harvard University), hipsters, yuppies, and Brazilians. Buildings consist of one story commercial, mixed use, and townhouses/lower density apartments. Businesses range A LOT from Brazilian restaurants to toy stores to grocery stores. Transit Connections are pretty good, with the area being a reasonable walking distance to the Central Red Line station. Although no key bus routes serve the neighborhood, several reasonably frequent regular bus routes do serve the area quite well. All in all, a pretty good neighborhood, with a very friendly and local atmosphere.

Harvard Square

As the name implies, Harvard Square is a neighborhood located near Harvard University in the city of Cambridge, next to Boston. Previously a neighborhood commercial center, the area is now a regional shopping destination, with upscale shops lining the streets. AMAZING public transit connections are present at the square, with Harvard Station being the third busiest in the system. All of the trolleybus routes left in the city of Boston, frequent regular bus routes, five of the fifteen key bus routes, and both the Ashmont and Braintree branches of the Red Line all meet here. The neighborhood also includes nice parks, small businesses, and pleasant houses and apartment buildings. Harvard University dominates the area. Although the neighborhood is not too diverse, it is still nice and lively, so a pretty good neighborhood.

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Dorchester

Dorchester is a massive neighborhood on Boston's southern edge. Boston's largest in both area and population, its six square miles contain all kinds of people, from all races and income levels. The eastern pieces of the neighborhood are predominately middle to lower middle class East Asian and Irish populated, the northern pieces of the area are predominately Eastern European lower middle class, the western pieces of the neighborhood are mostly African, Afro-Caribbean, and African American lower middle class, and the southern pieces are mostly middle and lower middle class African Americans, Irish, yuppies, gay couples, and artists. The neighborhood also has quite a few families. The Fields Corner area of the neighborhood is one of the most diverse, though still predominately Vietnamese. Extremely good transit connections can be found throughout the area, with reasonably frequent regular bus routes, two key bus routes, the Mattapan High Speed Line, and the Red Line-Ashmont Branch all serving Dorchester. The Fields Corner area consists of tightly packed houses on side streets, and medium density mixed use, as well as one story commercial buildings on main streets. The buildings vary a great deal in age, and overall, the neighborhood was just AWESOME!!!!! A MUST SEE for any Boston trip!

Charlestown

Charlestown is one of the oldest areas in Boston, however it was only annexed to the city in 1874. Charlestown is located on a peninsula separated from the North end of Boston by the Charles River, and East Boston by the Mystic and Chelsea Rivers. This causes it to feel like a separate city when there. The neighborhood is further separated from the city of Chelsea by the Mystic and Chelsea Rivers. However, this might not have been to much of a problem for the neighborhood's overall connectivity to the rest of urbanity, except that the evils of urban renewal managed to set in. Two highways were gashed through the area, cutting Charlestown off from the neighboring cities of Cambridge and Somerville, and cutting the area off from its navy yard and waterfront. The elevated railway tracks were cut off from the neighborhood, stuck down in between a highway and a rail yard. However, the neighborhood remained a strong sense of Irish immigrant identity, and is now an upper middle class neighborhood, with well maintained homes, businesses, and streets. Main Street is peppered with small businesses, and the side streets are filled with historic rowhouses and apartments. The USS Constellation and the Bunker Hill monument can also be found in the area. Transit wise, the Orange Line serves the neighborhood via the Community College and Sullivan Stations, and the frequent 92 and 93 bus routes also serve the area. Towards City Square, Main Street, and Bunker Hill Avenue, the area densifies, with more commercial buildings present on Bunker Hill Ave. An OK neighborhood, with a need for better access to low-income housing, and to Downtown Boston. 

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Downtown Boston/Financial District

This is the first in a longer than usual series of posts on Boston and its neighborhoods.
Downtown Boston is extremely dense, with LOTS of mixed use buildings. Narrow, winding streets help protect pedestrians and slow automobiles. Most buildings are from the late 19th century through the middle to late 20th. Many of these buildings are mixed use, and older and newer buildings poke out here and there, which helps make the urban fabric that much more interesting. Though most people go to Downtown, the people who actually live there are almost all upper class, meaning the area is not very mixed. VERY good transit can be found throughout Downtown, with bike lanes and Hubway (the bikeshare system) making up the bike portion, advanced bus stops, bus lanes, express buses, frequent but not key, infrequent, and key bus routes making up the bus portion, and BRT, advanced stations, light rail, and metro making up the rapid transit portion. I would try to bring more low income housing into the area, but other than that, Downtown Boston is pretty close to perfect. A great neighborhood!

An Announcement

My other website/blog, Urbantransit, uses the Webs website maker tool, which has proved to not be suitable to my hopes for the blog. So, sometime in 2014, Urbantransit's articles will be moved to #Urban, and all new public transit articles will appear on #Urban only. So now, this blog will continue to be on vibrant urban neighborhoods, with "focus posts" on public transit. (In vibrant urban neighborhoods, of course.)

Chinatown, West Ridge/West Rogers Park, and Near North

I've reviewed these neighborhoods in other posts already, which is why I'm combining the three neighborhoods into one and keeping this post SHORT. Basically, I'm just saying that these three neighborhoods are still cool, still urban, still worth visiting, but not much has changed since last time I visited, so there's not much to say.

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Downtown Skokie

Skokie is one of Chicago's "urban suburbs", meaning a pre-WWII suburb, with many urban features, such as a grid of streets, houses without driveways, multiple housing styles (apartment, duplex, urban house, etc.), and mixed use areas. Downtown Skokie was at one point very prosperous, but it fell on hard times for a period. The Village of Skokie has poured a lot of money into its redevelopment, and a new CTA Yellow Line station was opened nearby. There are Afghan, Jamaican, Korean, Eastern European, and Jewish businesses lining Oakton Street, Skokie's principal street. The area has urban commercial businesses, apartments, offices, townhouses, and urban houses, creating an interesting corridor to live, work, or visit. An amazing place, ready to leap forward into something even better!

Rogers Park

This place is urbanist HEAVEN!!!!!!!!! Rogers Park is a medium density area with a number of housing styles. On side streets, 2, 3, 4, and 5 story apartments dominate. Wooden framed houses, as well as the idyllic Chicago bungalow are also present. On main streets, like Devon Avenue, Ridge Avenue, Sheridan Road, Howard Street, Morse Avenue, Pratt Boulevard, Clark Street, and Touhy Avenue, mixed use three story buildings are present. The neighborhood has EXTREMELY good transit connections, with three "el" lines and five frequent bus lines running through the area. One of these bus lines and one "el" line run 24/7. The area has a wide range of businesses, including hipster restaurants, Indo-Pak grocery stores, and cafes. The neighborhood is also very socioeconomically and culturally diverse, with very cheap apartments in the area. Clark Street is the Latino piece of the neighborhood, Howard Street is the heart of Jamaican Chicago. Sheridan Road houses many university students, Morse Avenue is the "downtown" of Rogers Park. Finally, Devon and Ridge Avenues make up the edge of West Ridge's Indian and Pakistani community. An amazing neighborhood, with lots to see!

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Little Village

One of the most colorful neighborhoods in Chicago, Little Village is a large predominately Mexican and Latino neighborhood, centered on 26th Street. The #60 Blue Island/26th bus runs very frequently, and is a night owl route (24/7 operation). It provides a lifeline to the people of Little Village, as many of its inhabitants are transit dependent. Many other frequent bus routes, as well as a few Pink Line stations are also present in the area. 26th Street is a busy thoroughfare at all times and at all seasons. Lined with bodegas, taquerias, and other stores selling everything from fresh fruit to jewelry, it is an eclectic area indeed. The buildings in which these businesses are located range from one story commercial buildings to three and four story mixed use buildings. Food trucks and fruit vendors are also present on the streets. On side streets, two flats and brick homes dominate. As one approaches Cermak Road, more abandoned properties are visible, but up until that point there are very few abandoned properties. This neighborhood is a wonderful place for new immigrants to experience a safe, vibrant neighborhood, and with its strong sense of community and low rent prices, will stay this way for a long time.

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Upper East Side

The Upper East Side is a predominately residential, high income, high density area in Manhattan. Most homes are 6-8 story apartment blocks, and there were less businesses than in most of Manhattan. The businesses that were here were mostly fancy clothing stores and indie coffee shops. Due to its proximity to the Met and Central Park, a large number of tourists pass through the neighborhood. The neighborhood also sports a few hospitals, and most people who live here are upper class. The Lexington Avenue Line of the NYCTA Subway passes through the neighborhood.

Crown Heights

The Crown Heights neighborhood is a pretty cool neighborhood now, and has immense  potential to be something more. The neighborhood is host to a significant number of Hasidic Jews, Afro-Caribbeans, and African Americans. Currently, it is predominately lower middle class, though its proximity to Park Slope means that some signs of gentrification can already be seen. A way to create a mixed income community is if the NYCHA could begin to create designated low rent buildings to keep some of the current residents, and gentrification could bring in new residents and businesses. The neighborhood currently exhibits a variety of businesses, from Bengali grocery stores to African hair braiding shops.

Park Slope

A very hip neighborhood in Brooklyn, Park Slope is an "up and coming" neighborhood. Mixed use apartments and the typical Brooklyn brownstone are the main housing styles of the neighborhood. Upscale restaurants and other fancy stores are the main types of businesses in Park Slope. The neighborhood is also very transit friendly, with many NYCTA Subway lines stopping in or near the neighborhood. However, the area is not mixed income.

Midtown

Midtown is an extremely high density neighborhood, with a variety of businesses present. Although dominated by tall skyscrapers, Midtown is home to many other building types as well, like three to five story mixed use apartment blocks on some streets. Because Midtown is mixed use area, the variety of businesses present reflect Midtown's many uses. Small corner mini marts cater to the residents of the neighborhood, while upscale department stores cater to tourists and shoppers visiting the neighborhood. One major downside is the neighborhood is NOT mixed income. A 576 sqft. studio goes for $3,220/mo! The area is also very transit friendly. 

Jersey City

One of the most diverse and transit friendly cities in the country, all I can say about Jersey City is...AWESOME!!! A variety of housing styles exist in the city, from fancy art deco high rises to wooden frame houses to new glass and steel condos. A variety of ethnic groups live in the area, with Latinos, Middle Easterners/North Africans, and South Asians dominating the city's demographics. Many people do not own cars here, so transit ridership is quite high. There is also a variety of businesses, from nice restaurants, to checks cashed stores, to movie theaters, to ethnic groceries. Add in a short commute to Midtown or Lower Manhattan via PATH or NJT, and you have an amazing city.