Blogged

Local losses

Things that used to be part of Gatewayville, and apparently ain’t no more:

The St. Louis County Fair and Air Show.

The popular Labor Day weekend tradition that has drawn crowds to the Chesterfield Valley has been squeezed out by development near Spirit of St. Louis Airport, according to a source close to the nonprofit board that runs the fair and air show.

Fair organizers reached on Wednesday would not confirm that a decision had been reached, but rumors of the fair’s demise had been swirling in the last several days.

Balaban’s.

Developer Pete Rothschild lost more than a tenant when Balaban’s restaurant closed suddenly after dinner service Sunday night, possibly ending a run of more than 35 years. [...]

When Herb Balaban opened the restaurant in 1972, the Central West End’s mansions were interspersed with boarding houses, and the area had a bohemian feel. Balaban and his restaurant at 405 North Euclid Avenue served as galvanizing factors in the neighborhood’s revitalization.

I’ve been to the air show exactly once, and nicknamed it “the St. Louis County War Show,” what with all the military craft and the freakin’ loud Harrier (which was pretty cool, actually). In 2006 the event couldn’t quite break even, but it was insanely popular and certainly seemed like a family activity for the holiday. I wouldn’t want to own a house anywhere near it, but the fair’s passing still seems a shame.

I used to live above Balaban’s for a while, smack between Left Bank Books (where I worked) and Dressel’s Pub (where I drank). Balaban’s was always too expensive a place for me - dined there on four occasions, each time on someone else’s dime - but it really was an anchor for the Central West End North. Hoping that something substantial takes its place.

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