One of the most unique and fascinating parts of the great city of St. Louis, Missouri is the wonderful variety of its neighborhoods, and how they have survived the ages. People have written a great deal of the history of the neighborhoods in St. Louis, and plenty of photographic accounts remain in-tact, but the Community Development Agency has taken a full account of each neighborhood and its exciting history in detail. When you get a chance, I suggest you read the full history by Norbury Wayman in the 1970's.

I'm not going to explain each one here, but I will make the point that the 27 historical neighborhoods in St. Louis make the city one of the most historically and architecturally exciting cities in the United States. These 27 neighborhoods get their distinction due to their geographical location, ethnic makeup, and style of architecture. Main thoroughfares are considered the boundaries from one neighborhood to the next.

Not only do the neighborhoods of St. Louis clearly demonstrate St. Louis? diversity and exceptional historical and architectural interest, but the people of St. Louis are incredibly enthusiastic about this history and the background of their own neighborhood. This is the best way to preserve history: with enthusiasm! It's no wonder that so many historical and beautiful buildings still are maintained.

For me, one of the most exciting neighborhoods in St. Louis is Grand Center. Grand Center, like the other neighborhoods in St. Louis, has its own rich and exciting history. Grand Center Inc. was established in 1987 to overlook the revival of Grand Center, and the arts, entertainment, and education district truly came to life. With the years some tremendous improvements were made to the infrastructure, improving the lighting, sidewalks, and parking facilities. Buildings were restored and 25 arts and education organizations became the mainstay of Grand Center. It's no wonder that today Grand Center is the 12th largest attraction of St. Louis.

Today Grand Center is a fantastic place for personal and private investment, and continues to grow with each passing year. The educational and artistic achievements include great architecture, with buildings of various styles and types. Thomas P. Barnett's great Spanish Mission style art deco building is definitely a highlight at 3207 Washington Ave.

T.P. Barnett is son of George I. Barnett, another famous architect in St. Louis. The T.P. Barnett building is particularly interesting because it also has Art Deco influences, making it one of the most unique buildings in the Grand Center region of St. Louis. Certainly the next time you're in St. Louis, you need to visit this Spanish Revival building on Washington Avenue.