The early, bustling years of St. Louis are a stark contrast to the city’s current state.
By the 1890s, St. Louis was the fourth-largest city in the country. During the Great Migration between the two World Wars, thousands of African Americans moved to the city, bringing its population to a peak of 850,000 in 1950. By 1965, the iconic Gateway Arch was under construction, boasting the city's position as "the gateway to the West."
In the second half of the 20th century, though, mass suburbanization and the collapse of industry during the “Era of Revitalization” completely transformed the city. Today, the city’s population is under 300,000 people, an over 60 percent decrease from its heyday. Vacancy rates for apartment rentals topped in 2009. In 2023, St. Louis had the second-highest homicide rates of all major U.S. cities.
A few years ago, for VICE TV’s Abandoned, host Rick McCrank visited St. Louis to…
