A day in the life: Kirkwood, Missouri

I can confess that often when I think of St Louis, Missouri there is a picture that pops into my head.  It isn't the green leafy suburbs or a lively night in Soulard or the Central West End.  The overwhelming impression i've been left with is of broken down houses and shifty, half deserted neighbourhoods.  (See here)

In such a state of extremes there are people living in two very different worlds.  We spent some time in Kirkwood yesterday.  It is probably one of the sweetest places you can find! There is a lovely little farmers market selling local produce (Peaches the size of footballs by Eckerts.)  Everything seems taken care of, lush and green.    

The restaurants and bars are bustling and full of a busy, working type of clientele. Others there seem to have the time to stop and enjoy the simple things. Whilst waiting (for happy hour) we found a bench to sit on.  There aren't too many streets in St Louis that I would feel comfortable closing my eyes in never mind taking a nap but Kirkwood seems to be a happy, safe place to get some shut eye. 

We woke and indulged in a spot of public people watching.  A man had pulled up in front of us on a bike and was reading by the train tracks. 

Another guy came along and was sat playing with a dog. 

A hawk began to circle above us. 

An elderly man walked off the path to check that the guy sat on the floor was okay. 

The man and his wife stopped to watch a train come through.

They began to wave to the driver and watched the whole length of the cargo train pass.

All the while this guy was still sat causally reading.

Stalkerish tendencies aside, I thought this was all quite sweet and worth capturing.  

Home with a box full of fresh fruit and vegetables.  There is a butternut squash risotto on the cards.