What Happened to East St. Louis?

[@jacktribble5253]

As a teenager in the 1970s, I remember "East St. Louis" as a euphemism for "Mismanaged, run down, crime ridden hell hole."

[@Sandshark17]

I live 20 minutes away from it, not much has changed in 50 years... Unless boarded up windows and broken flower pots are your thing...

[@painkillerjones6232]

Still is, for the most part.

[@sujoudza14]

It’s funny that it got that reputation. Really the crime isn’t nearly as bad there as it is on the south side of St. Louis. I grew up in the 90s tho, maybe times were different

[@jacktribble5253]

@@sujoudza14 You could say that.

[@stephenbrand5661]

@Sujoud Ali The north side of St. Louis is the part with all the crime, NOT the south side!!! Are you really even from that area?

[@Tobtakular]

My grandparents grew up in East St Louis. The way they talk about it being seems almost unimaginable now.

[@charlesburke2379]

The one benefit to living in rotting places like East St Louis, Gary Indiana and Camden, NJ is they would have to offer affordable rent. Provided of course the drive by shooters and toxic mold lets anybody live that far.

[@joeblow1937]

SAME THING THAT HAPPENS TO ANY DEMOCRATIC CONTROLLED CITY...... MISERY AND DECAY..... GEE THANKS DEMOCRATS

[@edvaira6891]

This city was in such drastic shape in 1979 that John Carpenter was able to shoot the Post-economic-collapse scenes of the “Prison community New York City” in ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK with almost NO SET DRESSING NEEDED!

[@johntumahab323]

And that was back in the 70s... Urban blight has labored on it since.

[@gusgreen3104]

They shot in the street in front of what is now The Tap Room, Schlafly Brewery's iconic brewery and bar. It's even on Schlafly's website. They also shot at the old 66 chain of rocks bridge. I don't remember mention of the East Side being included.

[@dlbstl]

The scenes were in St Louis and Chain of Rocks Bridge.

[@chuckman2219]

Other than the bridge scene, I think everything was in St Louis proper. Union Station was used in several scenes. The "boxing" ring was set up right in the grand hall

[@erob1962]

Misinformation huh … he probably don’t know East St. Louis is in Illinois. That’s Illinois that sounds like Illinoi when spoken

[@ehawkins1971]

I've lived in the St. Louis area most of my life. East St. Louis was at one time the Model City of America. One of the issues that caused the downfall of ESTL was the same thing that eventually happened to Cahokia. As people moved out and property values decreased, out of towners bought the homes to rent. Mostly slum lords, renting out to Section 8. To a point that 99% of the homes in these towns were owned by non-residents that didn't care for the area and were looking to make a buck at the expense of the reputation of the towns. Now, am I saying there is anything wrong with Section 8 housing, no. But you will find that some people using it, don't care what they do to the homes and more from home to home destroying them as they move along. At some point it becomes not worth it to repair the homes for the Landlords. Especially when the property values are so low. Repair cost more than the home is worth.

[@showmestatefinest5412]

This riots and redlining played a major role also

[@ronlanter6906]

Belleville resident here. I agree with your statement 100%.

[@rapidride2]

Cahokia's problem was even though it was an excellent location there never was any real money that came in. Sure some of the neighbors may have been slightly better off than some others but as far as businesses go nobody ever brought any real money into Cahokia. Then came HUD housing....

[@ronaldstampley8285]

Politics, Misuse of funding NO JOBS

[@selanryn5849]

Houses require regular maintenance regardless of who lives in them, and absentee landlords tend to neglect such upkeep whether renting at or below market rate, because they "didn't care for the area and were looking to make a buck at the expense of the reputation of the towns" as you noted.

[@abrielshell6319]

My grandmother and uncles still reside in East. St. Louis. Her house is one of the few good ones standing on her street. A lot of prostitutes and drug dealers roll through there often. I believe it can be rebuilt with the right politicians in charge and community leaders. They need to stop putting criminals in charge of the funding though. They steal a lot from the city.

[@RTD3]

They need more Democrats.

[@bufnyfan1]

the story of East St. Louis' decline is identical to what happened to Camden, New Jersey (which sits opposite Philadelphia). The only industry of note there now is Campbells Soup Company while all other industries left, unemployment increased and the tax base collapsed

[@teahmoore3601]

No politicians is in the business of doing good for people

[@GETole]

@@RTD3 LMAO.

[@GETole]

@@teahmoore3601 The politicians didn't create the mess. It's over for East St. Louis. It's never coming back.

[@ELMS]

This is very interesting to me personally. I visited St. Louis as a tourist in the late 1980’s. When I asked what was across the river, absolutely everyone said “You DON’T want to go there!” I appreciate the background. Great videos.

[@SuperSinestro]

You really don't. That's Illinois over there. You just go, get your weed and come right back.

[@JohnSmith-gk8ts]

If I could destroy all bridges that cross the Mississippi river and ban boats coming to Missouri I would. Let's just put it that way.

[@AseAleisha]

@@SuperSinestro lmaoo

[@emptysuit]

Interesting comment - I visited Scott AFB at least a dozen times over my military career without actually driving to St Louis, Mo once. The comments from the base were always “You DON’T want to go there! I guess, sometimes perception is reality and other times perception is perception...

[@mbatchelor]

@@SuperSinestro not even that since virtually anyone in MO can get a medical card... And IDK if the topless places in Sauget ever reopened from Covid but that was the other reason people went to IL, or maybe to see a show at Pop's. Otherwise for MO folks, the East Side is like another planet LOL although there are some nicer towns like O'Fallon and Highland out further which aren't bad places, but just typical suburbia.

[@d.brandon8375]

I am from East Saint Louis. I will always cherish my hometown and know the good that comes from there ( especially in its people ). I am not here to debate or argue about what has caused (or is causing ) the plight of my hometown, but I will always have hope that one day, the city will make it out if this dark narrative and have a better story.

[@dissipatedtaint]

You're absolutely correct when you talk about the high quality of the people that call East St. Louis home. My wife was born and raised there and almost her entire family still reside there and they are the best people I've ever known. Not to mention the dozens of world class athletes that come out of The Boogie every year.

[@NgJackal1990]

The only way is to nuke it and rebuild it from the ground up and not have democrats run the new city.

[@GETole]

You live there now?

[@GETole]

@Blake Schnitker How many of those world-class athletes go back there to live?

[@nelsonmcatee3721]

You're right dude. East Side has lots of good people. You don't have a football team like the Flyers just because the town's black. Winning football games takes organization and discipline and pride. I'm white and I go to the East Side several times a year. Nobody bothers me. I'm treated with respect. If there are ghetto hood rats there, I haven't met them.

[@johntumahab323]

I remember an old joke on "The Simpsons" when the local members of MENSA ended up taking over Springfield and tried to implement improvements in the town to help it, then reported on their results: "And thanks to our improvements, we are now ranked 999th out of the top 1000 places to live in the USA! Take that, East St. Louis!"

[@TarantuLandoCalcuLingus]

That 70's show also mentioned east st. Louis once lol

[@JbFit]

I’m pretty sure one of the writers of the Simpson went to South Western Illinois College which is located only a few minutes away from East saint

[@LeeGrill]

Don't forget National Lampoons Vacation, where the Grizwolds take the wrong exit and end up in East St. Louis!

[@donovandey1196]

You're not ready for the REAL answer to that question...

[@johnnyboy55]

Lol. It’s pretty obvious isn’t it?

[@donovandey1196]

@@johnnyboy55 oh hell yes! All you gotta do is drive through there. But it's 2022, people cry when you tell them the truth.

[@johnnyboy55]

@@donovandey1196 Yep. I live in a good neighborhood but within walking distance of Camden NJ. Once you cross the highway it’s like going to a different country.

[@iamcase1245]

Aren't you "real men" the ones who always tell the truth? Where arre your balls? Say what you need to say.

[@iamcase1245]

@@johnnyboy55 So what about all the meth and pill-ridden shit wholes all over the US, including all over New England and even the midwest where "those people" dont even live?

[@protonneutron9046]

You've never been there? All you have to do is drive through it (quickly in an armored vehicle). The racial makeup of the city is 97.74% Black or African-American, 1.23% White. Any other questions?

[@chickenalaking1319]

It's not so bad, at least we're not speaking German, right?

[@protonneutron9046]

@@chickenalaking1319 what ARE you insanely blathering on about?

[@JAD1225]

And there is the answer.

[@manchesterexplorer8519]

What happened ? The original owners and families that had pride in this area are long gone . Cities are being bought up by investment companies that only care about rent and never put money back into the buildings to keep them looking good . When neighborhoods fall apart they turn into hoods . Unfortunately this is happening just about everywhere .

[@MalachiHealey]

White flight.

[@thomaskennedy9705]

All the industry that used to be in the area wasn't in the city limits. So they never paid taxes to ESL. When those places closed/moved, so did the work force and the revenue that a bigger population provides. Crime and crooked politicians didn't do it any favors either. But it used to be a nice town.

[@MalachiHealey]

@@thomaskennedy9705 So huwhite flight?

[@thomaskennedy9705]

@@MalachiHealey Joined the military, moved around a lot. Live in a different state now.

[@aidankirby8412]

You missed it by a mile....you know who moved in.

[@jimkreider9997]

I grew up there. It was such a nice little city and safe. Now no one wants to even go there. I have no home town to go back to or a high school reunion. It makes me so sad

[@jackson5116]

Cahokia has become the same way, and it's spreading to the west side of Belleville. It's not the skin color of the people, it's the kinds of people- trash. It doesn't matter if you're black, white, green, blue, purple, red, or orange, trashy people ruin communities.

[@jimkreider9997]

@@jackson5116 Is Cahokia now called Cahokia Heights? I remember my cousin lived there on I think Cecilia St. Of course, this was years ago. East St. Louis being right on the riverfront has so much potential but all the crooked politicians who ran the city ruined it along with a lot of the people who moved in. We lived on 85th st which is right down the hill from Belleville. So many people moved there when the city started going to pot. Now where? Belleville, Fairview Heights, and others are also going downhill. When I see pictures of ESTL now I get so mad. I went to Assumption high school and it's now a prison.

[@bwake]

It’s a real bummer.

[@bwake]

@@jimkreider9997 There’s a town nearby named “Fairview Heights.”

[@jimkreider9997]

@@bwake I know and Belleville is right up the hill. These two are getting just as bad.

[@queenpangaea3325]

Unlike St. Louis, MO, whose major industries were founded and run by people who lived in St. Louis, and had a long-term financial interest in what happened to the companies that they lived near, the major industries in East St. Louis, IL were founded and run by people who lived in the eastern United States, men like Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan. Once they got what they wanted, and the businesses no longer made them money, they pulled out and this was part of the decline. The men in New England didn't care what happened in Western Illinois. They already had their money. The businesses that once thrived there left behind loads of environmental waste that make it too expensive to attract new businesses that don't want to spend money to clean up all the stuff that has leaked into the ground and been left behind in the old factories and plants. It's cheaper to build on clean ground or move into a clean building. Sure, it's always easy to blame race for our cities problems, but that's what uninformed people do, find a scapegoat and blame all the problems on them instead of learning that the problem has many more layers to it and has decades of built-up issues besides just racial and social issues.

[@mandys1505]

well said!

[@treeoflifelove8261]

And when you ride by to see it for yourself one can truly see all the waste that was left behind! I believe you! They must’ve gotten their money and left. Although, I am a bit young to know this for a fact (80s baby) I can see it now with my own eyes. Concrete from buildings, waste, old buildings etc.

[@kathyg239]

@Dan Jackson Who are "these" people?

[@chadking4928]

@Dan Jackson they always do, they don’t build only break.

[@UzumakiNaruto_]

@Queen Pangaea *Sure, it's always easy to blame race for our cities problems, but that's what uninformed people do, find a scapegoat and blame all the problems on them instead of learning that the problem has many more layers to it and has decades of built-up issues besides just racial and social issues.* Lets be honest. Alot of these problems ARE related to certain demographics of people who turn every area they populate in large numbers into being much worse rather than better. THIS is the main problem that no one wants to tackle because they don't want to be labeled as racists. Until we can deal with this problem seriously and fix it, nothing will change for cities like ESTL or Gary or Baltimore etc. Imagine if you removed all the current people in ESTL, cleaned up the land so its usable and then offered it to hard working, peaceful people for dirt cheap or even free to try and entice them to lay roots in ESTL what would happen? I think there's a great chance that a number of people would look at ESTL as being a blank slate where they could build a house a raise a family and in a few short years ESTL would start to bounce back. The thing is this will NEVER happen as long as there are violent and dangerous people living there and the government does nothing to rehab and/or remove them permanently from society to make a safe environment for people to live in and have them create growth in that area.

[@pigvomit4730]

"What happened to East St. Louis?" Well, should we start with demographics?

[@Neon_Nyanian]

That factor should cover how those demographics were artificially created, though.

[@BewareofDarkness44]

I live in St. Louis, we have similar problems with the north side of the city. It's called "white flight". Black people moved in, white people moved out; industry and commercial business move out, poverty goes up, crime goes up, blight goes up, etc. It started with suburbanization back in the 50's and 60's. It seems to have hit the east side especially hard. My grandmother grew up in ESTL in the 30's and 40's, and it used to be a nice working class city.

[@masunrise7471]

This is what I came to say. Thank you for saving me so much typing.

[@Publius_1787]

Not so much white people leaving, as it was middle class leaving. Most poor people in urban communities tend to be black, which are the ones left behind, being the reason the term white flight was coined, albeit not entirely accurate... The main issue is that as an area becomes less desirable to live, city governments raise taxes to try and regain revenue, causing more people to move out. Why pay more to live in a less desirable area? As people leave, crime rises, and as crime rises, people stop investing in those areas. From there, it's a perpetual decline. Truly disappointing. St. Louis is a beautiful city, but it's decaying.

[@Powertuber1000]

@@masunrise7471 Don't let that stop you from commenting on the blk problem, it needs to be stated over and over, but everyone is either too afraid or too media brainwashed.

[@andrewstanley5317]

I live in St. Louis as well and have heard this theory before... it always confuses me. I think this completely disregards all the other significant factors the narrator cited. The exodus to the suburbs was motivated by many things and race probably played a part in it (especially in those racially charged decades). I'm sure this affected the economy; however, I think it's illogical to say "white people moving" was the sole cause of East St. Louis' downfall. It was not only white people but the middle class. People wanted to live in nicer places which the suburbs offered in spades with a construction explosion. And, in response, East St. Louis made many missteps (raising taxes!) to remedy its challenges. The result, unfortunately, has been utter ruin :( As a contrast, St. Louis city and the surrounding neighborhoods experienced the same exodus but have not experienced nearly the blight that has befallen East St. Louis.

[@tira2145]

Race, really? Don't you have a better excuse? This idea of blaming every failure of the democrat controlled city/state is really getting old. Please come up with something else.

[@twistedzoink3645]

My mother, who is 93, grew up there. She said there was a gangster that ran the place and during that time, it was a safe place to live. When he died, it deteriorated and became a dangerous place to live.

[@benpetot1515]

She's right. His name was Frank "Buster" Wortman.

[@tommyhearns840]

@@benpetot1515 not gay buster?

[@bossyupbossy3912]

​@tommyhearns840 no not the gay buster...Frank is a white man

[@Phlample]

"ROLL EM UP!" - Clark Griswold

[@craigcavaliere6744]

First thing that came to mind when I saw the title was National Lampoon's Vacation.

[@mikekeeler6362]

Hey this is Clark Griswold

[@TheMad31683]

Took the fucking rims and all left on slabs lololol Holiday Roaddddd!!!!!

[@marytygett4189]

😳🤣yikes ! Classic movie !

[@joemomma3208]

That was North St Louis in Missouri that was not East St Louis.

[@gusgreen3104]

This barely scratches the surface of ESTL history. I'm more nervous working in St louis City than I ever will be in East St Louis.

[@nsant]

Agreed

[@nelsonmcatee3721]

I would be too. I shop for clothes in East St Louis and I'm white. No problems. But I'd stay clear of St Louis city. Three people I knew from my town got bumped off in St Louis.

[@ericschneider8524]

Isn't St.Louis MO. The murder capital of the U.S. ?

[@mikeeckert6147]

Why?

[@jenniferpirtle8172]

Right

[@gojenson]

Another sad story in Illinois is Cairo.

[@johntumahab323]

Oh my gosh, I drove through Cairo, IL just two years ago. I'd swear I was in a demilitarized zone.

[@cosmiccharlie1056]

Absolutely. Used to play them in football back in high school. Don't think they have a team anymore.

[@theblacksheep5226]

@@cosmiccharlie1056 You are right about Cairo no longer having high school football team. It's been awhile since they have.

[@cosmiccharlie1056]

@@theblacksheep5226 had some great basketball teams when I was in school back then. Should of won state the one year but slipped up in semifinals

[@Socialjusticewarriorsaretrash]

Man I'm from here we call it east boog. Crazy how buddy skipped up the politicians embezzling millions and pocketing it and caught after spending it. Imagine some person not from here giving the outside view of it. Yes it's bad and crime ridden I left it too. But alot of things go unnoticed. I still love the city they've got some of the best soul food around. There are some good people who live there still to this day.

[@maranitalogan6148]

Thank you you said it right … money pocketing politicians

[@Socialjusticewarriorsaretrash]

@Maranita Logan don't pay anyone any mind most of the people talking live in the burbs ect. People say the most on the internet these days

[@kambam2291]

He never even mentioned the masaacre tho😳

[@Socialjusticewarriorsaretrash]

@@kambam2291 there's so much history brother. 1917 riots is always gonna be hidden. We know why. We will just get people on the outside looking in thinking they know.

[@trwhitford65]

I grew up in E St Louis in the 40's, 50's & 60's. I left in early 1964 for the USMC & Vietnam and never really returned except for short visits. I now live about 35 miles away in High Ridge MO. I guess I didn't realize just how bad it was. I thought that I had a pretty dang good childhood. The blight didnt really start until the late 60's. My house at 508 N 43rd St still stands although it has iron bars over the doors and windows now. It stands just a few blocks from E St Louis Senior High School.

[@julisteck9548]

I go roller skating at Skate City in EStl. Wonderful place. Lots of wonderful people call EStl home.

[@maranitalogan6148]

Thank you for your kind words

[@naludragneel5371]

Skate city whoop woop I learned to skate there as a kid

[@tommyhearns840]

I live down da street hbu next time u here lol

[@LR-je7nn]

Hi Juli, Where is Skate City located?

[@julisteck9548]

@@LR-je7nn East St Louis, Illinois at Broadway and 22nd.

[@antmer3954]

From my viewpoint as a middle aged white man here in Melbourne, Australia, one issue with St Louis and East St Louis is common in other parts of the USA, and here in Australia ~ Administration Borders. St Louis is in Missouri, East St Louis is in Illinois. Whilst both are separated by the Mississippi River and the Missouri ~ Illinois State Border, they are collectively a "Border City". So you could effectively call both St Louis and East St Louis greater metropolitan St Louis. Another example is Kansas City. It too is on a state border, most of it is in Missouri, with its western suburbs in Kansas. Yet, because the Missouri ~ Kansas State Border passes through western Kansas City, that isn't called Kansas City, Missouri, and West Kansas City, Kansas. Somehow, Kansas City doesn't appear to suffer the disconnect that St Louis and East St Louis. The logic is simple, where two states have a city, Regional Centre, straddling a State Border, two sets of State Administration apply. The State Capital of Missouri is Jefferson City, halfway between St Louis and East St Louis to the east, and Kansas City to the west. The State Capital of Kansas is Topeka, its supposed largest city is Wichita, yet, a look at a map shows that Kansas City, Missouri, has its outer western suburbs, west of the Missouri River, in the northeast corner of Kansas. So, for that part of the USA Midwest, you have a triple state Administration of two major cities across the states of Kansas, Missouri and Illinois, due to the respective locations of both Kansas City and St Louis/East St Louis. Unfortunately, for East St Louis, its State Admin is Illinois, whose State Capital, Springfield, is halfway towards Illinois' largest city, Chicago. To regenerate East St Louis is not an easy task, given how it's been ignored and allowed to decline for such a long period of time. Multiple issues require multiple solutions. However, there is one thing in favour of the St Louis ~ East St Louis metropolitan area. In a time of housing shortages, the amount of vacant land in East St Louis means opportunities to establish the city there as a Residential area near the river. The location of these cities, in America's Midwest, southwest of Chicago, places them near/in The Great Plains region of the USA, noted for large scale Agricultural Industries which supply food to US citizens. The establishment of an Administrative Centre for Agricultural Industry, Research, etc, in East St Louis, would better serve the needs of American farmers, than relying on larger US cities further away. The eastern edge of East St Louis is on the edge of The Great Plains and natural wilderness. Establishing an Industrial Estate that supplies Machinery for farmers to use for Agriculture would better suit America's "Food Bowl" growing areas, including Spare Parts Warehouses for growers to access to keep their tractors, etc, operational. One part of a video on East St Louis talks about a problem with Prostitution in remaining areas. In the state of Nevada, it's believed that Legalised and Regulated "Red Light District" places have allowed Police to monitor these, whilst stamping out illegal operations. Here in Australia, we've had such Laws in place since 1990. The results ~ Health has improved, crimes around the sector have dropped by 98%, as the Legal Establishments are monitored by State, Territory and Federal Governments. A "Red Light District" in East St Louis, properly Regulated and with Laws enforced to stamp out illegal operations, would go a long way to cleaning up the streets there. However, this would also necessitate a change in Illinois State Laws to Legalise and Regulate the Sector. Good fortune with that under the current climate of toxicity in American politics. You won't ever stamp it out, however, Regulation means you can eventually stamp out the criminal aspect of it. Back to the Residential aspect, with the CBD City Centre, aka, Downtown for US residents, of greater St Louis being located in Missouri, I wonder if a reinvestment in Housing in the western and central suburbs of East St Louis provide those "Housing Opportunities" that St Louis residents are seeking. You will also need to establish Residential Aged Care facilities, to address the needs of people as they get older, and less able to look after their own homes, etc. A combination of Residential Housing and Residential Aged Care Housing can be developed and built in East St Louis. And again back to the Agricultural Industry, a large scale, Regional Fresh Food Market selling all manner of fresh fruit, vegetables, Meat, chicken, lamb, pork, bacon, etc, both to locals and nationwide via Wholesalers, could drive Employment in East St Louis. Finally, all those major Ladies Fashion Industry retailers in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington DC, etc, all get their clothes shipped from factories elsewhere. The establishment of Ladies Fashion Industry Sector in East St Louis, consisting of Warehouses, transport, etc, for Wholesalers, plus stores to sell these clothes to locals and those in nearby areas, would provide another employment opportunity. This sector includes all types of Ladies Fashion such as Lingerie, shiny Lycra Bikinis and Swimsuits for swimming at beaches, etc, Women's Cycling shiny Lycra Bike Shorts and Tops, Women's Gymnastics Competition shiny Lycra Leotards, professional suits with skirts, slacks, dresses, etc, Sports such as shiny Lycra Netball Skirts, etc, Softball Women's clothing, and so forth. Yet, except for a few old buildings, etc, I have never heard of a specialist Industrial Estate dealing specifically with Ladies Fashion Industry. Opportunities exist to develop this concept in East St Louis, especially as a major supplier to retail stores, etc, across the USA. To furnish the needs of a reestablished Residential population in East St Louis, either a High Priority Busway Bus Route, or a Light Rail Trams, Transit Corridor, if one doesn't already exist, is needed between the CBD City Centre of St Louis and the western part of East St Louis, linking with any local buses in East St Louis. This would allow for those without a Driver's Licence to obtain Employment Opportunities on either/both sides of Mississippi River in greater St Louis. Is the job easy? No, not by any means. However, the St Louis/East St Louis area is at that point where they can either (a) continue to be ignored and decline, especially the east, (b) begin rebuilding themselves into a new Midwest USA "Hub" with opportunities that exist in the background, yet, haven't been examined as potential solutions.

[@chupacabrasaurusrex1565]

I used to work at lot close by, and I have worked with people that actively found bullet casings on the lot, and have seen/heard stray fire in their vacinity. I, myself, have heard gunfire close enough to make me hit the deck.

[@trwhitford65]

If you hear it, it's too late....

[@stevev707]

I moved to St Louis on March 2021 and lived there for a year. I didn't go to East St Louis, I really enjoy my time living there. The state parks, museum, zoo, and many events are free. I enjoyed the architecture of the city. St Louis has many potentials if things are managed correctly. I encourage everyone to visit St Louis and expert part of America's city and culture. I wish St Louis a prosperous future.

[@TheGobblersGetback]

Very sensible and positive comment….Much needed…..👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👍🏾❤️

[@carlhorowitz5916]

I grew up near St. Louis, too. Forest Park, Washington University and the Gateway Arch were magical places for me.

[@mannyfrencha5736]

Interesting. Never been to the "East St. Boogie" however, traveled pass there while back in college playing baseball. From pictures & videos, it looks and even sounds similar to Gary, Indiana. I've seen Gary personally when dating an ex-lady friend. Riding thru Gary is very surreal, and then to learn of the actual history, Gary and East St have very similar patterns

[@MrKevinEaddy]

Gary, is rising from the dead. East St Louis though..

[@Boogaboioringale]

Garrett Work : I certainly would NOT recommend going through Washington Park even in the daytime!

[@samuelskillern7365]

Extremely similar. East St. Louis wasn't a company town, though.

[@michaelcraig9449]

East St Louis is even worse. I have seen it way too many times..Typical situation. JObs leave, Real estate folks get greedy and flip houses, then the entire town. Absentee landlords that buy properties and let it run down, too many rental properties, it just keeps going. Then because of that new industries do not want to move in, a sad cycle. This should never be accepted here in the USA!

[@michaelcraig9449]

@@samuelskillern7365 Yes it was. Several large companies hired a lot of people when they left or shit down, many lost their jobs, started the whole town going down.

[@jnorris528e]

I used to deliver pizza and guard a truck stop in East St. Louis.

[@ryanmcdonough8212]

As part of it's storied history the area was dealt a major social and economic blow during the racially motivated labor riot of 1917 leaving an estimated 6,000 homeless with entire sections of the city burned down.

[@queenpangaea3325]

“He witnessed horrible things: people’s houses being set ablaze, . . . people being shot when they tried to flee, some trying to swim to the other side of the Mississippi while being shot at by white mobs with rifles, others being dragged out of street cars and beaten and hanged from street lamps.” This went on for three days.

[@nicholealderfer191]

Ryan McDonough, hundred percent am baffled why that was left out of the video. You can go online and find pictures of it, including a young black man being burnt alive. I am not from St. Louis but have lived in a historic neighborhood south of downtown for seventeen years, and also have a dual degree in History/Sociology. Racism does play a part here even if natives want to deny it.

[@fishingismydrug1]

@@nicholealderfer191 Not denying things like this happened. Roles are reversed now. Been there, several times for past jobs. Was called every anti-white name you can think of, and more. Drug deals openly happening in broad daylight, blacks chasing down whites, simply for being there. What’s that saying, about history repeats itself? White utility workers and delivery drivers being yanked out of their vehicles and beaten or killed. Because they’re white. Lest we forget, this goes “both” ways. What the narrator “forgot “ to mention, the timeframe this town went downhill, also coincides with Caucasian’s moving out.

[@naemoody8072]

Might that be Bloody Sunday? When the river ran blood? I'll have to look that one up again.

[@naemoody8072]

@Digby Dooright the victims blood has drenched the land and water. their Spirits aren't at rest.

[@fabio40]

I had to go to East St. Louis for work about 20 years ago. I will never go back there again. What a dump!

[@sharonw2475]

My parents moved to E. St. Louis in 1954 from SE Missouri, and I was 10 years old at that time. It was a beautiful exciting city then and somewhere in the '50's the city was even named an All American City. We lived at 2616 Bond Ave but now that place is just empty lots. Then things had turned so bad in just 4 years we were forced to moved to Southern Il in Sept 1958. I have many fond memories of E St Louis but if I were to tell you the main reason the city went downhill then, and is still going downhill, I would be accused of being racist.

[@garyteague4480]

Sister your exactly right if you told the truth you would be piled on as a racist but it’s never mentioned because of the same thing

[@Boogaboioringale]

Don’t let that stop you. Maybe just add more factors to it .

[@Boogaboioringale]

1 actually went to Southeast Missouri State University in 1978-1980.

[@isaiahcleary89]

Just by you saying "An All American City" reveals the truth. You really meant to say an all white city.

[@harrisre-nee3017]

Ha! Because you *are* racist. At least have the courage to take pride in your obvious biases. Smh.😒

[@D71219ONE]

I used to work construction in East St. Louis. People would just walk up and steal things from your job site without any fear. I work IT now and still have to go to ESTL a few times a month to the courthouse. Sad place.

[@irocz11]

Yea I would say a big thing too is that the st louis population has always consistently moved to the west which means all the entertainment and stores moved that way too which hurt east st louis even more

[@queenpangaea3325]

OMG, an intelligent answer! Thank you. I was beginning to lose hope.

[@krisiglehart3061]

look at the racial demographics in these towns and cities, it will speak volumes. Not saying one race is better or worse, but look at the population currently vs when the city was at it's best. That will tell you ALOT! Also look at what political party is and was is power.

[@valutiquegifts6045]

I went to Lincoln in Jefferson City in the late '60's. Went home with kids from St. Louis during breaks. The St. Louis clubs closed at 2:00am. Everyone would then cross the bridge to ESTL cuz the clubs stayed open til 4...maybe daybreak, don't remember. There was also a record shop that only sold '45's singles for $1. For $6 you could get a record and a nickel bag. Good times back then.

[@missourimongoose8858]

All the strip clubs are still in east stl right next to the new dispensary lol

[@imtrippymaine5440]

My dad was from and grew up in ESTL. I remember growing up when he was in the Navy and someone would ask him where he was from, he always specifically said “St. Louis” because he said the first time he said “East St. Louis” people tried to start fights with him on the ship cause they assumed the worst of people from ESTL

[@LR-je7nn]

East St Louis Illinois is a third world ghetto. With per capita violent crimes it is ranked as the sixth most dangerous city in the world. I cut all ties with East St Louis on December 24, 1979 when Hunter meatpacking closed.

[@kentallard8852]

It's been like this for DECADES. Escape From New York was shot there because of how it looked and that was in 1981.

[@joemomma3208]

Democrats happened to East St Louis. It’s my hometown but a true embarrassment and a sad place to live.

[@lucianprescott8357]

The problem with STL and ESTL is a result of the people have become institutionalized. STL hasn’t had a republican mayor since 1948. It is a democrat run and controlled cabal that has an interest in running it down. There have been a few conservative young, highly intelligent republicans who are black who ran for office and they couldn’t break that barrier. If Tim Scott, a black conservative senator from South Carolina came to STL, they wouldn’t give him the time of day. The only way to change any of this is a cultural revolution….not a mere shift, a revolution.

[@cinnanyan]

It takes a sustained, patient and good faith effort to build local parties to win in cities like this, not attacking the voters. Politics is about relationships.

[@TheTechnicalRecruiter]

In a nutshell, the whites moved away.

[@chickenalaking1319]

Neighborhoods and cities are like limbs and extremities, when they die, they turn black.

[@shayfontezforee7956]

The whole East Side is for sale and if you all were smart you’d start buying. On the other hand everyone I meet from Saint Louis tells me how hard it is to own property in Saint Louis When I look at impoverished area’s I tend to see opportunities Example: Washington Park has 5000 people, 8 strip clubs 7 liquor stores and a churches chicken. No tire shop No laundrymat No barbershop etc.

[@michaelcraig9449]

Sometimes if enough good useful businesses come into a town it can help turn it around. It has happened in different places.

[@mikusoxlongius]

@@michaelcraig9449 sometimes you get shot up and burned out.

[@joerapo]

So you're saying they need a ninth strip club?

[@zgdafzgdaf4264]

Couple notable events, there were racial tensions in early 1900s with black migration from the south.. a lot more detail the documentation could go into. Also more recent decades, the city hall deed was awarded by a judge to someone when ESL wouldn’t pay a judgement esl lost. When driving thru esl watch out for missing manhole covers that were stolen and sold for scrap metal… speaking of which, prior to the great flood of 93, someone did the same with the flood gate.. and the flood gate was really needed in 1993.

[@CanoeToNewOrleans]

I visited the area and it gives the vibe that it reached its peak in the 1960s. Lots of people warned me not go to East St. Louis.

[@Hammster69official]

The area around the casino boat is a good place to take a photo of St Louis across the river, because there is nothing immediately around it (or at least there wasn't twenty years ago). But between there and I-70, don't stop, and keep your doors locked.

[@citadelgrad87]

East St. Louis is and has been so jacked up for so long, Carpenter used it, WITHOUT MODIFICATION, as a stand in for post apocalyptic New York, in "Escape from New York." Let that sink in. That was 1981.

[@nigelkemp5189]

Businesses don’t want to move to east St. Louis? I personally know millionaires complaining about the strong hold the government has on east St. Louis. They just wont build it back up while its 99.9% black owned and operated. It’s the politicians. It’s the best empty plot of land in the country commercially.

[@swaggy3987]

You have to be blind or naive to not understand what the real problem is. Take one walk through the city and it’s obvious. Of course, it’s no surprise that it’s not addressed in this video.

[@redpilledpatriot6868]

I wonder which race was committing all them crimes in East STL.🤣

[@chickenalaking1319]

Colin Flaherty used to refer to them as "fellas & lovely ladies".

[@patbateman6729]

Such a crime free beautiful community.

[@sandraelsmaterialoblivion7201]

I grew up in Belleville in the 70s and 80s - I could quickly and accurately sum up what happened but you all would not like it

[@armaniburton8661]

Let’s hear it

[@williamstuart4155]

Black ppl?

[@ednowalk4538]

I grew up down the "hill" from Belleville.Off State St. in Parkside subdivision in the 60's.I seen it all fall apart.I blame the politicians mostly for the cities demise.They catered to anyone race, whichever one was needed, only for the votes.

[@sandraelsmaterialoblivion7201]

@@ednowalk4538 Exactly

[@timothymoroney9100]

The Illinois state government will only concern itself with one city…Chicago. Thus, East St. Louis fate was cemented.

[@eyalrephaeli6833]

Just like how the New York state government only concerns itself with New York City. New Jersey should be part of New York while Indiana should be part of Illinois.

[@edwardofgreene]

People in other parts of Illinois: The Metro East? Thats St. Louis. What do we care? People on the Missouri side of greater St. Louis: Thats Illinois. What do we care? Unless you actually live there no one wants to think of it as "part of us". From news coverage to chain stores to industry Greater St. Louis wants to ignore the Illinois side. Politics and state agencies in Illinois want to ignore the St. Louis area. Edit: Some day I may see a new Ted Drewes next to a freshly paved road in Granite City or Cahokia, but I doubt it.

[@jimmyherring4349]

Violence and crime is what moves good people out of good neighbor hood's. Its like the devil moving in someone's heart and life. Nothing but down fall

[@sledzeppelin]

All of IL is in such massive debt that I really don't know how they can possibly come out of it.

[@stairman3151]

I live close to East saint Louis. I could tell you exactly what happened to East st. Louis but you liberals won't like it. They also have the highest tax rate in the state. This is what voting Democrat gets you! Take note!!!!!!!

[@scaryhobbit211]

Democrats really do cry that Trump is Hitler because he makes mean tweets and *smiled* at Putin... ...then they install a mental patient who shits himself in front of the Pope and then wonder why America is declining and everyone hates them.

[@nelsonmcatee3721]

@@scaryhobbit211 and the black unemployment rate was the lowest ever under Trump. Plus he appointed a black brain surgeon to his cabinet. There aren't any brain surgeons on Biden's cabinet. Just hack tokens for the sake of diversity 🙄.

[@mm6461]

@@nelsonmcatee3721 1989: In a controversial case that’s been characterized as a modern-day lynching, four Black teenagers and one Latino teenager - the “Central Park Five” - were accused of attacking and raping a jogger in New York City. Trump immediately took charge in the case, running an ad in local papers demanding, “BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!” The teens’ convictions were later vacated after they spent seven to 13 years in prison, and the city paid $41 million in a settlement to the teens. But Trump in October 2016 said he still believes they’re guilty, despite the DNA evidence to the contrary. 1991: A book by John O’Donnell, former president of Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, quoted Trump’s criticism of a Black accountant: “Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day. … I think that the guy is lazy. And it’s probably not his fault, because laziness is a trait in blacks. It really is, I believe that. It’s not anything they can control.” Trump later said in a 1997 Playboy interview that “the stuff O’Donnell wrote about me is probably true.” 1992: The Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino had to pay a $200,000 fine because it transferred Black and women dealers off tables to accommodate a big-time gambler’s prejudices.

[@mm6461]

an investigation the bureau conducted in the 1970s into alleged racial discrimination in the rental of apartments from President Donald Trump's real estate company. The files detail dozens of interviews the bureau conducted with Trump building tenants, management and employees, seeking indications that minority tenants were steered away from housing complexes. The records recount the stories of black rental applicants who said they were told no apartments were available, while whites sent to check on the same apartments were offered leases.

[@scaryhobbit211]

@@mm6461 "EvErYOnE I dOnt lIkE iS liTerAlLY PuTiN!!!" Though funny you say I'm a communist. I thought you love Communism.

[@CityOfChampionsTV]

Why come folks never ask what happened to white towns that folded up when their main industry left. The reason you can speak about East St Louis is because they persevered. Why not ask why has East St Louis persevered even though other towns facing must less has folded up.

[@jayroc3337]

I blame our politicians. It was once great and now literally in ruins

[@JRPetruk]

Blaming politicians is easy. Telling the truth is hard. ESL was doomed by the advent and subsequent domination of freeways and cars as the nation's major mode of travel and freighting. It never had a chance.

[@kimmcdaniel2111]

I live in St. Louis-as other commenters have stated it’s not the safest area. I’ve driven through East St. Louis and their Main Street is amazing with beautiful architecture. If things could get renovated in someway-could be a nice place to live once more. However, I’m sure the nearby strip clubs don’t help with the cause.

[@nelsonmcatee3721]

The strip clubs are in Washington Park, a completely different city. They aren't allowed in East Side.

[@djtrankilo231]

Not strip clubs, but the Casino Queen

[@Ani_ny]

I feel like its safer than st louis

[@jackson5116]

it's fine during the day, it's the night off main street where you need to drive to see the real East St Louis! By the way, when you hear the gunshots, duck!

[@mattschmitt9924]

The strip clubs are one of the very few reasons MO residents even consider going over there.

[@IntellectuallyAstute]

My Hometown! Born & Raised!! 😏

[@jackjames3190]

What I find astonishing about this and many videos like it, is how no one in America - not one in the town planning departments or city chambers or zoning law offices etc - not one person has noticed that this kind of urban decline seems to be unique to america and is seen nowhere else but there. I’m not talking about a nice area going rough after a riot - we have those in British cities but they’re still over populated and chockablock full of people and buildings. In Britain we have had more industrial decline than america has had so far - the decline of industry and the atomisation of what remained has seen whole towns lose their soul provider of jobs over night - such as the old welsh mining towns where the coal pit was the main job provider - even in wales we don’t have any towns that look like this - some had new tech industries move in - others never recovered - they got poor but they’re stoill there - you just wouldn’t see the amount of abandonment or empty lots that you see in this clip. I think many Americans just assume that britain is such a small country and so we don’t get these kind of wastelands because our population density is so much higher - but that’s actually NOT the reason why. For example - in 2024 London has a population almost identical to New York’s - 8 million - yet the landmass it covers is nearly twice the size - from space London is physically twice as stretched out as New York - surprisingly Londons expanse has more in common with Los Angeles than it’s sister city of New York. So in this instance Londoners are in a rare example of living in twice as much land space city limits as their American cousins - when usually it’s the opposite. The reason you just don’t see and will not see urban decline and abandonment in Britain that resembles the vast empty street after street of abandonment that are typical of Detroit, east Saint Louis, Philadelphia and so on it because of the green belt laws that were introduced after the fir at world war. When America had a terrible depression in the 1930s the British economy recovered quite quickly and strongly after the shock of 1929 and that’s mainly because of a huge housing boom that was a direct response to the homes for heros pledge after the horrors of the First World War. Social change and improvement meant that Cramped tenements of poverty were no longer acceptable and a new code of what was acceptable for human habitation came into laws - hygiene, toilets, more space and outside areas for gardening were now considered to be available for all the classes not just the rich. Whole swaths of countryside around the main British cities were turned from farmland to ever ending urban sprawl and because a lot of the land around our cities are areas of outstanding natural beauty people from all classes of society were concerned about its destruction. And the governments response is why you won’t ever see empty neighbourhoods like this in Britain. The green belt London's Green Belt prevents any further urban sprawl, the perimeters of the city are set and cannot be developed further out from the enter if the city. This driving the reuse and intensification of previously developed land and brown field sites. Old neglected previously industrial wastelands. So whilst many people in the USA simply moved to new suburbes in the outskirts of a city after the roits of the 59s and 60s the British could only move to a different part of the city if they no longer liked where they were. After the Brixton Riots of the 1979s and early 80s there was a population de line and many store closed but they were minimal by comparison and so those areas recovered eventually because they couldn’t just build bigger better somewhere else - you had ti improve what was there already. What’s realIy sad about this video is all the beautiful Victorian architecture that’s being lost - it reminds me of Victorian splendour of Saint Louis and Detroit that’s been lost - the suburbs nearest the centre of any American city are the oldest pets of the city and so when these places declined so fast because everyone was moving to the bright new suburbs those city blocks of stunning homes were lost - wee houses at DONT build like that any more and it saddens me more because London is presently full of Americans paying a lot of money to come and visits and walk around neighbourhoods of beautiful Victorian lined streets - when you had streets almost identical to ours and they weee abandoned and demolished because it was to easy to just move to a brand new building somewhere else. Now that the post war novelty of new build has worn off and we realise we could just renovate the beautiful old Victorian neighbourhoods and homes - so many have already been lost for ever. That’s also why you have so many dead malls They have been affected by internet shopping - but more than that - at the moment - MOST dead and abandoned malls that I’m aware of in the United States only became struggling and then dead after another brand new mall opened just down the road that’s bigger cooler newer. It’s irresponsible town planning and a waste of money to the cities to allow that in the long run.

[@peternagy-im4be]

They seem to be filling up the UK with unlimited mass immigration. What the heck is all that about? Y'all have plenty of indigenous English people to fill workforces. It just looks utterly unnecessary. Within ten years the population of England alone will stand at 100M plus. The critical infrastructure will collapse and I'm also told many don't learn the language so you will have large areas of cities with no proper integration. The people have the power but a people's revolution will never happen and it doesn't matter who you vote for.

[@Just_A_Gun_Guy]

I lived in Fairview Heights most my life right off the edge of East Saint. I can tell you the poverty and crime has been consistently creeping out of there and into neighboring towns as the years have passed. I'm glad I moved away from there and into MO. I used to work for Home City Ice delivering ice bags to all the gas stations and shops in ESTL, it was a terrible job and the people were terrible. Being white in ESTL instantly makes you an outcast and I had 2 situations of people trying to rob ice from our truck because they had no AC in the summer.

[@DJ-px1ds]

I grew up in west county, now living in Shiloh. We have ESL. You guys have North County and all the towns around the airport. Not much difference, imho.

[@MalachiHealey]

"Being white in ESTL" And that's the real thread to the actual answer to "What happened to East St Louis".

[@jackson5116]

That's nothing, Cahokia's zip code IS East St Louis! Look up the 62206 zip code, it's Cahokia's, but will come up as East St Louis! I grew up in Cahokia, and we literally border East St Louis. Now, Cahokia has become a little East St Louis.

[@jackson5116]

@@DJ-px1ds north St Louis has more murders than East St Louis, but because it's in a city of 300,000 versus 30,000 for East St Louis, EStL gets the higher murder rate.

[@damicaodom9064]

If you’re racist, just say that 🤡

[@BigSkyCurmudgeon]

"the BLUE NOTE" featuring Leo's 5. loved that place

[@tommyhearns840]

The blue note? Off bond?

[@trwhitford65]

Yep, spent a few evenings there in the 60's.

[@chrisadams416]

Perhaps the demographics play a large role in this city’s diminshment. Mmmmmmmm??!

[@drewdederer8965]

This place has been a dive just as long as I can remember. The most basic reason things got bad there and dived even harder is the same thing that happened to Gary, and Windsor. You had a suburb (and a "working class" one at that) on the wrong side of a state line. This means that when things start to go bad, the "wrong" side can't pull revenue from the "successful" side (they are easy to cut off) AND they aren't tied into their "own" state. ESL is FAR from any Illinois population center (the cross-river parts of Cincinnati for example can lean a bit on Louisville) that they are likely to have little political influence. River towns have been in decline for decades. Some are really bad (Cairo is in dire shape) others are at least treading water so to speak (Quincy is an hour or two up-river, and while it isn't thriving, it's reasonably safe). BTW, where exactly does "St Louis Metro" end? that's a LOT of people for not all that much city.

[@davidcox3076]

With all the power and influence locked up in Chicago, IL has little time for places downstate like ESL and Cairo. I drove through Cairo on the way back to STL last year. Hadn't been through in about 20 years. Hard to believe the decay.

[@advantageous111]

The metro cam technically extend out as far as 20 to 30 miles outside the city, east to west and north to south. St. Louis has a very widely spread population base.

[@drewdederer8965]

@@advantageous111 I think they count even further than 30 miles. Here in Ohio, that's about enough to bump into the next metro area. What IS the next metro round St. Louis? Columbia (doubtful), Springfield (Il, again doubtful). I went to school in Kirksville a long time back, and once you clear St. Louis, the density drops to tiny levels. (Unlike Ohio say when you start entering the next city zone).

[@TheBigboy453]

@@drewdederer8965 the nearest metro near st louis would either be Kansas City, Chicago, or Memphis

[@edwardofgreene]

"ESL is FAR from any Illinois population center" This common misconception bothers me. The Metro East is the second largest population center in the state of Illinois. (After greater Chicago of course). 700,000 according to the 2010 census. Being all suburbs though, with the focal point in a different state, it somehow goes unnoticed. Somewhat ignored by state politics and funding. When I worked for the Illinois DOT the roads in the Metro East were practically ignored in spite of probably having the greatest need for repair and upkeep.

[@gman9035]

I think we all know what happened to east st louis

[@queenpangaea3325]

Do we all know what happened? I guess we do if we watched the video. I also watched a documentary where I learned that Capitalists from the Eastern United States built the city to promote their railroads and make money from stockyards, and then left when they made all the money they could. Since they didn't live in East St. Louis, they didn't care that their plants and factories toxins and wastes hindered future business investments. So, times changed, highways pushed aside railroads, and it became convenient to blame bad management on race because it's a quick and easy "solution" to blame all of our social problems on one thing instead of reading about true history and learning about all the factors that change over time...so much easier to just blame one thing and feel superior. If you want blame it all on one race, why don't you just say it?

[@user-10.10.]

@@queenpangaea3325 >you can't blame what happened on one thing >it's the capitalists fault

[@presidentjayhawk9214]

Man estl not even that bad as folks make it seem. I am a 19 yr old college student who is from estl and currently living in estl. If you going spread some information about estl make sure you do some research next time and look up the estl massacre. Stop looking outside the city and chill with the people of estl

[@johngoldsworthy7135]

Sounds like a suicide mission

[@nelsonmcatee3721]

You're right. There are a lot of nice people there. I drive 60 miles to shop for clothes at the Boutique on State Street. Then I take my girlfriend to Rainbow. We're an interracial couple and nobody bothers us. We'd probably be in more danger in Richland County or Clay County. East Side can still get families with athletes to move there because the Flyers are one of the best football teams in the country.

[@michaelterrell2108]

That city is a death trap. No thanks.

[@presidentjayhawk9214]

@@michaelterrell2108 like I said stop looking from the outside

[@calonstanni]

GOOD FOR YOU! People are so fucking blind and scared that they won't bother to see another side. I live in St. Louis but occasionally take the metro to ESTL to walk around at various stops. I see the desolation but Im not convinced that it's ALL that way, or that it can't be changed, and I've loved every person I've come across. Talking bad about a place buries it. Spreading hope keeps it alive. Keep on spreading hope.

[@OnePieceatatimeranch]

Anybody that's ever been there knows exactly why it's in the shape it's in even if they don't want to say it

[@pika62221]

I will, damn nigga blacks overran everything! If they were just black, then fine, but when they're the stupid crime-ridden black (the ones who keep calling themselves niggas), then you're going to fail.

[@davidstough302]

I remember going through there with my Dad on one of his business trips in the 60s. Big street fair going on. We didn’t get out of the car. For years I drove around it because I-70 was under construction and it would dump you off in the middle of the hood

[@SadSackGaming]

The only reason St. Louis itself hasn’t completely imploded similarly is because there are still jobs. The place is essentially a few major companies leaving before it all rolls downhill and slams into the ground. What’s weird is when the Cardinals were working on getting their new stadium deal, they threatened to build it in east St. Louis and I swear I cannot believe they even said it. TF I’m going to east St. Louis to watch a game. I wouldn’t have a car by the 7th inning stretch. It was the stupidest bluff ever.

[@johnnyboy55]

7th inning stretch? Before the first pitch 😊

[@X862go]

I left in 2007 and it was crazy poor no jobs anywhere lived right down from the metrolink and church's chicken left at the drive through liquor store. All we did was sell caps and chill nothing else to do really anyone from east st louis will know what i am saying .

[@bobdanis9040]

You didn't bother to mention it's demographics problem which is probably it's biggest problem.

[@chickenalaking1319]

Next stop, Johannesburg👍

[@wskinn]

This short vid missed the largest cause of ESL's demise. Many of large local factories outside ESL incorporated their properties into their own "towns". Once this happened, the businesses in those sham townships were protected from being incorporated or annexed into ESL's city limits. This meant ESL could not collect the taxes or impact fees needed for services like fire and police departments, health departments, trash collection, or school districts. Private business concerns benefitted from the presence of a workforce but avoided funding the services required to sustain that workforce. Some of the blame for this falls on local and state regulators that allowed the sham incorporations to happen in the first place. ESL is a textbook example of what happens when private business interests are allowed to operate with no obligation to sustain the conditions that allow them to thrive in the first place, and government won’t or can’t step in to correct the situation.

[@Steve-lp4zg]

It's the bad ones living there..I used to deliver to local stores and gas stations.. you'd walk thru the front door and be walled off from the store you had to point to what you wanted and the worker would slide it to you thru a drawer after you paid. Every owner had a gun right by their side... crime.. homes with steel bars around windows and their ac units..I delivered to multiple surrounding communities.. east st. Louis was the worse..

[@1940limited]

I understand St.Louis also has problems. As soon as you deindustrialize, there goes the economy and blight sets in.

[@karlmiller6885]

Even not considering the crime, what company in their right mind would want to build where they have to pay Illiniois tax rates when they could be right over the border with Missouri tax rates?

[@HotTripod78]

it seems like it used to be such a beautiful city.. As someone who lives 20ish miles from ESTL I wish something could be done to make it beautiful again..

[@mark-1901]

Crime took over, business owners pulled out. They went to St. Charles, O'Fallon to start over. This happens when you don't have severe punishment for wrongful behavior.

[@sharonw2475]

You don't know what you're talking about, not even close to the real truth!

[@mark-1901]

@@sharonw2475 no... thats exactly it....

[@mark-1901]

@@sharonw2475 we are all waiting on your response. Why is the city like it is if I was wrong.......

[@sameilerman717]

We all know what you're trying to say just say it

[@mark-1901]

@@sameilerman717 that's pretty much it. You understood it.

[@billgrandone3552]

In 1960 it was a award winning community but under the control of mob boss Buster Workman. Since then it has declined to the point of being almost unlivable. Murders are common and the city looks like a war zone. I used to commute to St. Louis University from Lebanon Il and when the highway was diverted through E. St Louis for construction, I made sure my doors were locked and made "Hollywood Stops"' at intersections just so noone could hijack my car. The city needs tobe torn down and redeveloped. St. Louis is also becoming a hell hole of crime. I used to go there 10 or 12 times a year as a kid and lived there for eight years while in college and law school. Now I only go to the hospital for care and refuse to stay for anything else.

[@JohnRohanShield]

Not a single mention of how drastically the racial demographics of the city changed in its history.

[@JRPetruk]

There seldom is. Racial demographics is THE dominant reason for urban decline. Everywhere. Europe is having the same problem. But Whitey has become too afraid of offending blacks by pointing the fact out. So it never is mentioned.

[@Neon_Nyanian]

My parents lived north of the city. When they bought a house, the bankers asked what their racial background was. The bankers approved, and said, "Good, good. You can get the loan. We're selective about who we allow this far north. We like to keep them down there." I'll note my mom described the whole transaction as being a lot more direct and openly racist, but I think you can get what I mean. This was, notably, around the start of the decline. Shove a bunch of people you don't like in a place, take away their opportunities and jobs, provide no future prospects in home value (give that to everyone else), and raise their taxes. Perfect recipe for crime.

[@biglove195]

It is the saddest city I've ever seen.

[@Boogaboioringale]

I saw the rebuild in my hometown (66 years) St Louis. BJC(Barnes Hospital) bought property to the southeast that was a terrible neighborhood (like East St Louis). It’s now more expansion of BJC, the Tower Grove (I think southeast) neighborhood with art and restaurants, several businesses. Meanwhile, The huge St Louis University complex bought additional land to expand (the grand center (Fabulous Fox). They demolished Laclede Town which wasn’t necessarily a bad area, and continued their expansion. The former Harris Teachers College is now an HBCU. Immediately to the east is Downtown St Louis. You have the revamped Union Station with the Ferris wheel, the aquarium and the new soccer stadium is on the way. This rebuild started 30 years ago in the 90’s so it will be a while (20 years) before East St Louis gets to the point where you won’t even recognize it.

[@SlowedByCinnamxn]

East St. Louis, Gary, and Camden can be friends

[@mikeschueler1285]

Amusing in the video it said that St Louis was a functioning city. Barely. The St Louis and immediate Illinois metro area is basically Thunder Dome mixed with Escape From New York, ironically, was filmed in east st Louis. The grand experiment of the U S city is a failure. Modern transportation helped the populations move out of the inner cities,but politicians selling out our manufacturing to places like China and others was the biggest death nail to many cities.

[@RyDawg084]

Great Video! Thanks

[@Handelson]

Raising property taxes was like the nail in the coffin. Illinois has high property taxes , especially compared to Missouri. Between Chicago and East St. Louis, Illinois has pattern of once great cities that have turned for the worse.

[@jms5c8]

Taxes are a scam

[@carrieannwilliams4628]

My dad grew up in ESL but bought his first home with my mom in Olivette. Sad to see what happened to this once amazing city. I believe at one point is was named the All American City, beautiful homes, shopping, great placed to eat. I live just outside of St. Louis and it makes me so sad to hear the negative comments. I don't know if ESL can be saved, but St. Louis is an amazing city with museums, a world class zoo, fine dinging, grate Italian on the Hill. Like any big city you just have to know what areas to steer clear from (North side mostly)

[@EvilLeprechuan]

My household was one of the few white (passing) families that still lived there ( N 16th street, near the Henrietta cross street) until about 84, my cousin lived near the old Ventures store, can't remember the name anymore. Drove through there not long ago going back to visit family in the area and didn't even recognize it, most the homes I knew, including my own, are gone, nothing in its spot, just empty land.

[@jackson5116]

What your "sources" won't tell you is that the Eads Bridge connecting East St Louis to St Louis helped it thrive early on.

[@darealberrygarcia]

Do the history if Webster Groves next... There is almost no good documentary out there and it is one of the richest stories of St. Louis.

[@zgdafzgdaf4264]

Correct, and would like to see this. Especially the history of Webster high being a designated school for blacks in all of St. Louis county. One of the reasons forced bussing in the 80s occurred.

[@chadking4928]

@@zgdafzgdaf4264 blacks were bussed all around the nice county schools. They went all the way to jeffco border, any area that’s not recked by black people the government and cops make sure they take blacks people there. Just like the first school desegregation was done at gun point by police and the guard.

[@zgdafzgdaf4264]

@@chadking4928 correct. But the reason why there was desegregation settlement was the history of taking any black student in the county and making them go to Webster high school.

[@lindatridigo9650]

Was lost many people,moving out as blacks moved in i seen it myself.i grew up there.

[@jimbrentar]

Don't forget race. Racism played a role in the decline.

[@durandjohnson1321]

Don't forget Greed and Corruption!

[@powertuber4.068]

Don't forget racial evolution and IQ.

[@chadking4928]

Your right, we can’t live together and you can’t live in any society.

[@moonie406]

@@chadking4928 it's not that simple unfortunately

[@chickenalaking1319]

@@chadking4928 My rabbi said that multiculturalism is the only way.

[@MrAdriancooke]

As I understand it St Louis itself is one of the most dangerous cities in America

[@LobsterLover530]

👏🏻 great job. Sadly, East Stl will prob never recover.

[@ModedeScode]

Waterfront property? Next to a ‘prospering’ city?? Wrong wrong

[@peternagy-im4be]

Sewer front property

[@IvyLyons]

It's the wiki reference for me, y'all. East St. Louis most definitely saw an uptick in crime and an unwillingness to populate the space, but we have to contextualize it with an entire race riot in the early 20th century (right before that mid-20th century downturn that was discussed in the video) and substantial redlining from downtown through to easternmost East St. Louis. Moreover, the historical context of that city's loss is reflected in the existence of the Delmar Divide in St. Louis and the increasing suburbanization of surrounding areas. Things like race riots and the departure of a white community alongside severe redlining can help gangs metastasize and, moreover, could speak to the criminalization of a community rather than a criminal action. (We have to ask what outside of gang-related crimes is being considered when we discuss crimes. Do we trust the wiki recollection?) That community, in earnest, lost its ability to sustain wealth and growth through disruption of its economic infrastructure as white people in Jim Crow-era to segregationist America flocked away from the city, taking wealth along with them. The sustained, systemic impact is the long-term disruption that you see in dilapidated buildings and crumbling infrastructure, which could always be returned to its higher status with the integration of resources from local and state governments, continued taxation, and a variety of other political actions. TLDR; no need to Debbie downer a town with a significant Black population. It's part of the narrative of areas like Washington D.C.'s Anacostia region "Chocolate City" to become seemingly uninhabitable and destitute when the projection is missing a key portion of the narrative. They tend to come back or thrive on their own away from bright, white lights.

[@kennedys1796]

Thank you for giving more insight to people. I live in Saint Louis too and this video didn’t tell the whole story.

[@mikusoxlongius]

Must be nice to always have someone to blame.

[@moonie406]

@@mikusoxlongius its less of "someone to blame" and it's more of multiple events in history to blame. it may seem like an "anti-white" rhetoric but feeling victimized in modern day won't dispute the history

[@chrismechanic6164]

I knew a guy who was taking his family on vacation in their brand new station wagon and they accidentally got lost in East St.louis. When he stopped to ask for directions they stole the hubcaps off his brand new car! They should make a movie with that scene in it.🤣😎

[@pika62221]

no, they thought it was East St Louis, but since they crossed the river, they were actually in Missouri. They were in an area known as north St Louis.

[@DSH1LL]

Nice video. Sad but true. Illinois could be amazing from North to South with it's resources. The whole State is becoming E. St. Louis.

[@boogitybear2283]

Cairo, Illinois. Ever been there?😳😳

[@jackson5116]

@@boogitybear2283 South Chicago! The only reason it's a low rate is because 3 million people live in Chicago's city limits.

[@vegaslimoguy2376]

Wrong! Ever hear of the suburbs of Chicago? I live there, Naperville is the number one city in the country to live and raise a family and very low crime, and there are other suburban towns that surround it as well that are very low in crime and have such a better quality of life. Now the far west side of Chicago and Southside are totally different LOL

[@pika62221]

blame tubby, fatass keeps raising taxes to make up for the missing funds, instead of cutting costs. Make the taxpayers pay for their massive spending instead of cutting massive spending, and you'll start losing more than you gain! Hey, wait a minute, that's what's happening!

[@josephw2905]

East St Louis isn't near as dangerous as it used to be. I walk there a lot and everyone's friendly, and I almost never hear of any news from there.

[@tommyhearns840]

It’s da scared people if u look n act scared they gonna get you that simple white black don’t matter but you can be white or other ethnic group n if you act like you blend in they will respect you rather if you a nerd hand yet wateva

[@libertarianted2077]

can you do "what happened to Pittsburgh"? a Niagara Falls video would be great as well

[@jimmywalsh6208]

Hey Ted the burg is doing really well. High tech jobs new housing is booming. Take a visit sounds like it's been a long time

[@timothymoroney9100]

Niagara Falls in Ontario is very successful…New York just shows the state’s incompetence.

[@libertarianted2077]

@@jimmywalsh6208 oh I'm not from America, I always had the impression that Pittsburgh was a typical rust belt city. I mean, it lost half of its population since the 50s. But glad to know it's not doing bad

[@seeingeyesseelies9545]

Also Newark, Camden, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Oakland, Salisbury, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Memphis, Houston, New Orleans, Little Rock...

[@seeingeyesseelies9545]

Nobody says the burg. Ew.

[@TheIcypancakes81]

Great video! Please do one on Philadelphia