gaslight square

Gaslight Square was an entertainment district in St. Louis that thrived from the mid-1950s through the '60s. Over three dozen establishments in the area around Olive and Boyle Streets were home to the bohemian culture of the time. The area featured Dixieland jazz, ragtime and cabaret. Some of the legendary performers that made their way through Gaslight Square include Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen, The Smothers Brothers, George Carlin, Miles Davis and Barbra Streisand among others.

Someone told me about this when I lived in St. Louis ten years ago, and I had a hard time believing anything of the sort existed where at the time there were just decrepit, abandoned buildings and vacant lots. I think very little of the original architecture still exists, but development has picked up in the area and there are now condos and residential houses.