Monday, October 16, 2006

Wilmore Park revisited

Lately I have been sorting my old photos from south St. Louis, home of richly beautiful streets where my love for the city was first kindled over a decade ago.

It is with some amusement that I noticed how many photographs I took in Wilmore Park, which was a favorite biking destination of mine in college. I spent many sunny afternoons wandering its grassy fields and curving ponds, and apparently I found quite a bit of aesthetic interest in its trees, fields and waters.

I look at them now and my reaction is: jeez, it's just a park, isn't it? It's pretty ordinary compared to Tower Grove, Carondelet, Francis...

But it says a lot about where I was coming from. Before coming to St. Louis, I'd never been in such a lovely park, such a delightful and relaxing place. Yet by the standards of St. Louis, it's ordinary!

I wonder how many natives of the city realize what a collection of gems they have in their midst?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i LOVE YOUR SITE, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAD ANY PICTURES OF SOUTH ST.LOUIS, I GREW UP AROUND ST.LOUIS HILLS AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME OLD PICTURES OF THE NEIGHBOORHOOD.

THANKS

Anonymous said...

I just found your site by looking up "Wilmore Park" at maps.google.com.

I agree that this park is "ordinary" by St. Louis standards, but I was driving by just the other day and was in awe of the saturated greens of the recent rain and overcast day. I stopped to take some pictures, and my daughter apparently also felt the same thing as she was dancing down the walkways.

The photography session made me late for an appointment, but it was a great moment with my daughter, and a wonderful spring feeling.

I was looking for a map to make sure I had the name right, now I know I must write about it tomorrow!

I'm looking forward to exploring your site further!