Side Tracked

I spend a lot of time thinking, reading and wondering about American culture. More specifically, about how it has drastically changed over my life time. I know you can't stop progress, but I'm not talking progress here. All 12 definitions for the word "progress" found on dictionary.com allude to some kind of forward motion. When we use this word there is an assumption that this forward motion results in an improvement upon the prior state. I take issue with this assumption.

I went out on my bike in search of new sights yesterday. I wanted to explore the famous Tower Groves Park region of south central St. Louis. It is know to be a hip,popular and progressive place to live for young urbanites. A lot of money has been spent to revitalize this historic district. However, I got a little side tracked on my way there.

On the way to my original destination I had to ride through an area known as The Hill. The Hill is mostly an Italian American neighborhood. Its name is due to its proximity to the the highest point in St. Louis. Italians from northern Italy immigrated and settled the area in the late 19th century. The heritage remains evident today. I read that approximately 3/4 of the residents are Italian American. As I was riding by a construction sight a couple of the men who were around my age were shouting at each other in Italian. From every street I could smell a mingling of garlic, prosciutto, bread and tomatoes.

The characteristic that struck me as most discernible about the area is its lack of outside influence from corporate America. There are numerous locally owned businesses of the kind that vanished from other communities decades ago: hardware and kitchen supply stores, pharmacy, bakeries, tailor, salami curing factory and numerous amazing eateries. Barely a franchise to be found. As well, there are neat, well maintained and modest brick, single story homes and duplexes, circa early 1900s, lining every street. No subdivisions. None, I searched.

How did they manage this? Was it a conscientious decision by the town council with support by its constituents? Luck? Divine intervention? Have they had to fight to maintain of way of life they cherish? These are all unanswered questions. I can only surmise. This place is a community, in every sense of the definition. If you have any doubts, show up at Adrianna's Restaurant at high noon and you will be convinced. It has a shared heritage and culture that is valued and maintained by its residents. Is that what it takes? Am I out of luck not being an Italian, doomed to a life of subdivisions and strip malls and progress?