Is it worth a risk to drive through East St. Louis? (Washington: real estate, 2014)
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ESTL is a lovely town. Certain people want to make it sound like it's a bad place for some reason. Not sure why. Anyway, you should have no problem whatsoever driving around ESTL any time day or night. As far as driving through in a expensive looking car, again, no problem. But I'd recommend once you get into the heart of ESTL to get out of your car and walk around on foot. Meet the local residents. They are very open and friendly.
As a white female who owns property in ESL and also enjoys doing urban decay photography throughout the city, agreed. Don't be so g*d* scared. In fact, the only confrontation I've ever had in ESL was with one of the city's like 200 white residents, who insisted that walking down a public street was trespassing. Whatever. I will admit that just about every time I'm there, someone new will proposition me for paid sex. Yeah, no.
I mean, don't get me wrong, there's really not a lot to do in ESL unless you're there for its, umm, revolting night life at places like Club Illusion. But the residents generally aren't the ruthless, lawless animals the media make them out to be.
When I go to ESL, I go without a car, and deliberately travel on foot or via public transit. For one, their roads will eat your car up if you're not familiar with the pothole layout or paying dangerously close attention to the pavement rather than the cars and life in front of you. Furthermore, it's a lot easier while on foot to pay attention to your surroundings without looking nosey and getting yourself in trouble, whereas, imho, while driving it's a lot more suspicious to see someone looking around and quite likely going below the speed limit and looking out of place. I say that as someone who grew up in Detroit.
Are you living, or are you just existing? Go. Check it out.
I've lived in the Metro East (Albers in Clinton County specifically) for nearly 15 years from grade school to college. As a family, we drove on the interstate through ESTL hundreds of times. We've also driven through all of the run-down Metro East cities like Washington Park, Cahokia, Brooklyn, Sauget (for concerts), Venice, etc. Never in these 15 years and numerous trips through these cities have we ever been threatened, asked to buy anything (sex or drugs), or even had any road rage or something minor like that. In fact, we are often surprised by the amount of nice cars and seemingly normal people driving around. They are likely heading to the Casino Queen or just passing through.
I think the reasoning behind our safe travels is the fact that these places are pretty much ghost towns. There's often no one around, and if you're driving through downtown ESTL, the police station is located pretty much in the heart of the downtown area.
However, I used to go to school at SIUE, and we went to a couple of concerts at The Pageant on Delmar. The drive from Edwardsville, IL to Delmar is pretty sketchy. Typically, the GPS tells you to take the first exit off I-270 and go south on Riverview Dr. This road goes through populated, impoverished, crime-ridden neighborhoods. I remember one time seeing a guy trying to break into a BMW in the middle of the day.
So in my opinion, ESTL is relatively safe. Like others have said, I wouldn't drive down the side streets into neighborhoods looking nosey because who knows how people will handle that? I feel bad about being nosey in nice neighborhoods because I am a little worried someone will confront me. Personally, I think northern parts of STL are much more dangerous, due to population, than ESTL.
While you're in ESTL, I'd recommend checking out the Malcolm Martin Memorial Park. It's directly opposite the Arch and has stunning views of the skyline with a tall overlook. It also has a fountain that shoots every 3 hours (9, 12, 3, etc I think) that, on a clear day, is supposedly able to shoot as high as the arch (around 600 ft, second largest fountain in the world I think).
Crime is overrated. I've spent many hours driving around ESL on numerous occasions over the past 15 years. There have only been three or so occasions that something remotely sketchy has happened. One time a guy in line at a general store waved me over. I didn't stop, nothing came of it. The other two times were in Emerson Park on or near a street that I read years later was known as hooker alley or something like that. Some guy turned around and followed me in his car waving his arms, and another time a pedestrian tried to approach me. They obviously didn't try very hard because I just drove off. At the time I just thought there was a high concentration of mental health patients in Emerson Park, but now after reading more I believe they were trying to sell drugs.
So yes something could happen to you but the risk is still very low even though it's the most dangerous city in the country. My apologies if saying this is politically incorrect, but look out for groups of young males. Individuals alone probably won't mess with you and neither will the females and neither will the old people. I've also explored old buildings downtown ESL many times, and as out-of-place white people who obviously weren't from the area, we were never bothered. But downtown has no residents. As with other cities, you'll run into trouble where the residents are, which in ESL is out in the neighborhoods.
What I can't speak to is whether your expensive car would make a difference. I've always driven cheap, small cars, and half the time my car looks beat up from all the bad roads I take it on in places like the Black Hills. Could be part of why they ignore me.
I drove through East St. Louis, and I will write a blog post like comment for those that are interested.
It was yesterday evening and as you guys know it was a pretty muggy day, it was in between downpours that I was there. I crossed the I-70/I-55/I-64 bridge into Illinois and I thought about just going home because it was a long and tiresome day, but I really wanted to see what East. St. Louis was like. I got off of I-70 at Illinois 230 and then took a right at Collinsville Road. As soon as I passed under the Railroad tracks, I saw the urban decay right away, and that was actually an area with full blocks compared to the other parts of the town I drove through. I got stared at like many of you said I would, but It was only from groups of people. The individuals I passed by didn't stare me down. I had sunglasses on so nobody could see where my eyes were looking at, but some groups gave me a real hardcore stare down from when they noticed me until I drove out of site as I looked in my rear view mirrors. I'm guessing they were liking my car. Anyways I continued on 9th street, the road wasn't full of potholes but many of the streets were dis formed, and you couldn't tell until you drove over the spots of rough pavement. I passed a school, and a large abandoned building, and a few other buildings that appeared to be abandoned but had really nice architecture, and vacant lots were about everywhere else. There was an intersection that had traffic lights but they weren't turned on, or they weren't working anymore and stop signs were there in place of the traffic lights that weren't on. The buildings in downtown looked so wrecked, and there was a stop sign that I saw that had a bunch of teddy bears wrapped around it, I wonder what that was about. Anyway I turned left on old missouri and when I got away from downtown is when I saw some stare downs. It looks like old missouri is the main thoroughfare in the city. I saw some big apartment complexes and several blocks that had most of their homes left, but still a lot of abandonment and vacancy. Lets just say though that Old missouri is not somewhere that I would take my daughter for a walk, if I had a daughter. Eventually I turned around and headed back to downtown on Old Missouri and saw the abandoned mini skyscrapers that downtown East St. Louis has, and then I looked down Collinsville Avenue both ways before I got back on the interstate and that was the only street I saw that was full and lively, somewhat anyways.
Overall I'm glad I saw it first hand. I'm an extremely adventerous person and I want to see as much of the US via roadway as I can, I enjoy road trips more than anyone I know. So if you're like me, then I will say that it's a lot different to see a place in person than it is to look at it on Google earth as some on this thread have suggested that I do. Don't listen to that bull crap if you want to see this place in person you go do it. You won't get killed, and you wont get followed. Just don't turn your head and stare down groups of people back, and if you park your car in the city, don't leave to far away from it. Just trust your instincts while your there and it will all be good in the hood. Pun intended.
You never know how much longer East St. Louis will be around before they decommission the city and tear everything down, so might as well see the museum of ruins now before it's all empty and boring.
there was a stop sign that I saw that had a bunch of teddy bears wrapped around it, I wonder what that was about.
I was under the impression that this usually means a child was shot and killed there. Similar to the flowery crosses you see on the side of the road sometimes. Is that correct or am I just making stuff up?
Since I have never been there/will be there is it banger vs banger for drug turf like most areas or something different? From reading and hearing you would think all of it is 80's Beirut, but some YT vids show folks just doing everyday stuff while the crime element is close by.
I drove through East St. Louis, and I will write a blog post like comment for those that are interested.
It was yesterday evening and as you guys know it was a pretty muggy day, it was in between downpours that I was there. I crossed the I-70/I-55/I-64 bridge into Illinois and I thought about just going home because it was a long and tiresome day, but I really wanted to see what East. St. Louis was like. I got off of I-70 at Illinois 230 and then took a right at Collinsville Road. As soon as I passed under the Railroad tracks, I saw the urban decay right away, and that was actually an area with full blocks compared to the other parts of the town I drove through. I got stared at like many of you said I would, but It was only from groups of people. The individuals I passed by didn't stare me down. I had sunglasses on so nobody could see where my eyes were looking at, but some groups gave me a real hardcore stare down from when they noticed me until I drove out of site as I looked in my rear view mirrors. I'm guessing they were liking my car. Anyways I continued on 9th street, the road wasn't full of potholes but many of the streets were dis formed, and you couldn't tell until you drove over the spots of rough pavement. I passed a school, and a large abandoned building, and a few other buildings that appeared to be abandoned but had really nice architecture, and vacant lots were about everywhere else. There was an intersection that had traffic lights but they weren't turned on, or they weren't working anymore and stop signs were there in place of the traffic lights that weren't on. The buildings in downtown looked so wrecked, and there was a stop sign that I saw that had a bunch of teddy bears wrapped around it, I wonder what that was about. Anyway I turned left on old missouri and when I got away from downtown is when I saw some stare downs. It looks like old missouri is the main thoroughfare in the city. I saw some big apartment complexes and several blocks that had most of their homes left, but still a lot of abandonment and vacancy. Lets just say though that Old missouri is not somewhere that I would take my daughter for a walk, if I had a daughter. Eventually I turned around and headed back to downtown on Old Missouri and saw the abandoned mini skyscrapers that downtown East St. Louis has, and then I looked down Collinsville Avenue both ways before I got back on the interstate and that was the only street I saw that was full and lively, somewhat anyways.
Overall I'm glad I saw it first hand. I'm an extremely adventerous person and I want to see as much of the US via roadway as I can, I enjoy road trips more than anyone I know. So if you're like me, then I will say that it's a lot different to see a place in person than it is to look at it on Google earth as some on this thread have suggested that I do. Don't listen to that bull crap if you want to see this place in person you go do it. You won't get killed, and you wont get followed. Just don't turn your head and stare down groups of people back, and if you park your car in the city, don't leave to far away from it. Just trust your instincts while your there and it will all be good in the hood. Pun intended.
You never know how much longer East St. Louis will be around before they decommission the city and tear everything down, so might as well see the museum of ruins now before it's all empty and boring.
: Eek:: Eek:: Eek:: Eek:: Eek:: Eek:
Seriously, I said it before (and your eventual conclusion kind of sides with it), but you guys are being cartoonishly ridiculous to the point where I feel embarrassed for you... No wonder the US is so pathetically out of touch with itself... The trouble in East St. Louis, like most of the US, generally just happens to those already involved in it; the rest is mostly normal people... and neither of the two groups could care less about your laughably ignorant/suburban hypocritical/couldn't care less self who wants to see what the big fuss is about till you return from your "scary urban adventure" to the safety of your couch. People live there you know, you guys are getting sick and sad.
Seriously, I said it before (and your eventual conclusion kind of sides with it), but you guys are being cartoonishly ridiculous to the point where I feel embarrassed for you... No wonder the US is so pathetically out of touch with itself... The trouble in East St. Louis, like most of the US, generally just happens to those already involved in it; the rest is mostly normal people... and neither of the two groups could care less about your laughably ignorant/suburban hypocritical/couldn't care less self who wants to see what the big fuss is about till you return from your "scary urban adventure" to the safety of your couch. People live there you know, you guys are getting sick and sad.
Since I have never been there/will be there is it banger vs banger for drug turf like most areas or something different? From reading and hearing you would think all of it is 80's Beirut, but some YT vids show folks just doing everyday stuff while the crime element is close by.
I would say it's different mainly because it's not a "big" city and never was. Only a few thoroughfares and a smaller downtown area. It's just a city that has some rough history and has a lot of ruins that date back to when it was thriving. The citizens didn't scare me but like other posters have said just don't go looking for trouble because you'll probably find yourself in some trouble if you do.
Best news......from 2000-2012 the population declined 15%. If that rate of decline can be maintained, in 80 years the crime ridden cesspool known as East St Lois will no longer exist.
population decline in ESL doesn't mean the scumbags, punks and criminals are dying. Many are simply moving out of the place for greener pastures and spread their filth.
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