While in St. Louis, Missouri for the NRA show, I decided to avoid the lavish parties – mostly because I wasn’t invited to them – and take a stroll across the river in order to photograph East St. Louis, Illinois.
My cab driver (a very proudly naturalized US Citizen formerly of Nigeria who was studying for the ASVAB in order to join the Army) who brought me to my hotel on the first night described it as “Deathtown.” He also said “everyone that lives there is an animal.” For those that are not familiar with the town’s reputation, its murder rate is twenty times the national average, and twice that of Gary, Indiana, which has the next highest rate.
I took photographs on two separate nights. The first night, Friday the 13th, a thunderstorm moved through, and I was essentially the only person on the street. The next night was clear and there were more people out – but not a whole lot.
I’ve uploaded the photographs to my newly created Flickr account. Here’s a sample. Yes, they’re all black and white (so far – I may upload some of the color ones with lightning from the first night).
Oh, here’s a question. Would you have walked through this tunnel? And do you think I did? Answer below.
It was just a homeless guy picking up cigarette butts. I said hi as I walked by him.
As the visual shows, well lit no visible threats, I would and I think you did.
Hey, don’t leave us out! Your just as likely to be murdered, robbed, shot or raped in St. Louis. In fact, some years ago someone tried to rob me about a block from the America’s Center, the venue of the NRA show.
By the way, I almost literally ran into you on Saturday. I turned around and there you were. You looked to be in a hurry so I didn’t bother you.
In a hurry? Odd. I really had no set schedule and wouldn’t have minded talking to someone who actually recognized me. I had enough people pretend to recognize me…and I’m not even anyone in the industry.
I think it would be fine to walk through. Honestly, a little extra situational awareness would be involved, but we can’t go through life expecting the boogeyman to jump out from every corner. Sure, the homeless guy may be mentally ill or desperate enough to shank you with a screwdriver, but in every life, a little rain must fall.
FWIW, if someone walked through that tunnel and was mugged, I would state with perfect hindsight that they should have known better.
There are tunnels in Chicago, between the lakefront path and the nicest part of the city (Streeterville), which are smaller, darker, and scarier.
Looked at the photos on flickr. Nice work! Very interesting to see. I have to ask though – are those photos deliberately the nicest buildings and scenes you could find? Very ordinary parts of Detroit – not nearly the worst parts – look far, far worse than the photos you currently have up.
No, I just didn’t get too far into town, because I was on foot, and limited by time.
BTW, is that tunnel the one under the interstate, along the route to the Casino Queen?
Yes, it is. I thought it was a wonderful place to take photos. I loved that light.
The thunderstorm gave you a certain advantage. Alot of predators don’t like rain. Anyway, the photos look great. Keep on keeping on.
The only ones on the streets in the rain were the crazies and myself – I mean to say, the crazies. 😉
I’m not trying to be melodramatic here, but you really were placing your life in jeopardy walking the streets of ESL after dark. I live a few miles down the interstate, and most locals try to avoid trips there even in daylight. There are shootings in ESL weekly, sometimes daily. Granted, most such incidents take place around closing time near one of the local “clubs”, but generally speaking, it is a “no-go” zone for anyone not in an armored vehicle, especially as concealed carry is forbidden in the People’s Republic of Illinois. And to Zach, I would say that the photos certainly do not capture the overall dilapidated and decaying state of most of ESL. Burned out, derelict structures and weed-filled lots are very prevalent. I won’t even get into the sorry state of local governance (corruption, incompetence, etc.).
I just have to make one observation here, Jason. St. Louis is in Missouri, not Illinois. Missouri recognize all issued CWPs.
Err, no, East St. Louis is in Illinois.
And encompasses East Alton IL, which is another wonder of the world.
East St. Louis lies across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, on the eastern bank. It is in St.Clair County Illinois. There are, additionally, several smaller communities near or adjacent to ESL that are equally moribund and dangerous, such as Venice, Brooklyn, Madison, Alorton, Washington Heights, and Centreville. The North Side of St. Louis, on the Missouri side of the river, is also home to some regular gun play.
Dudes on cell phones were watching me and ducking into the shadows after I was there for a few hours – after a while it became simply stupid to remain there any longer. This is why I was only able to get a few miles into ESL. However, I think I showed how that part of ESL looks. I have a few photos that show what you’re describing (weed-filled lots and abandoned structures), but they weren’t very good artistically, so I didn’t post them. Similar photos are in the set, I believe…
When reading the question without photo context, I had answered “no, I’d find another route.” Too many risky variables to save a few minutes of walking.
After seeing the photo’s context, yes, I would walk through and, as you had done, giving a smiling nod of acknowledgement to the homeless guy wearing a hoodie. Something simple as an acknowledgement to a possible sociopath, letting him know that you are aware of him, lowers the chances he’ll sucker punch you for your wallet.
Nice pics, btw!
I’ve been through ESL a few times, enough to know it has nothing I want. Funny scene from National Lampoon’s ‘Family Vacation’ set there though.
Great photos! There’s a lot of very beautiful architecture/architectural remnants in that area.
Its not the urban part of ESL that you worry about. There are plenty of respectable lower income families and elderly folks inhabiting the area. Its getting lost in what’s left of some of the neighborhoods especially if you’ve got something someone else wants that puts you in danger. As always, being in the wrong place at the wrong time is key and as another person commented a good portion of the violence is targeted between rivals of one sort or another.
The surrounding area is also the type of place where if something were to happen, its not likely anyone would find, or report it if they did find, your body.
That said, I’m a cyclist and I ride thru ESL and Venice to get from STL to Madison County on occasion and I feel safe enough morning to evening with at least one other person (a little less so in Venice).
In 1960, East St. Louis won the All-American City award. It was considered a desirable place to live. If my brother-in-law is correct, it was the 3rd most desirable place to live in the US for that year.
And look at it now – an abandoned shell of a city. The population dropped from almost 90,000 in 1960 to about 30,000 or so nowadays.
I go to O’Fallon (lL) a few times a year to visit family. It is about 10 miles east of ESL and it might as well be another world. And frankly, I avoid ESL like the plague.
No way would I have walked through there. In fact, I wouldn’t have put myself into the position of even thinking about walking through an area like that. I don’t carry a gun just so I can go to unsafe places. My overall personal security plan doesn’t include pushing my luck. The overall plan is multi-dimensional: situational awareness, planning ahead, etc. The last resort is to rely on my gun.
I carry for the attacks I DON’T see coming – no need to create bad situations for myself.
Well, there’s a difference between a high-murder area and a high-mug area. That people living there like to kill each other doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get mugged when you walk the streets. Lived in Moscow for years and there’s all kind of nasty stuff going on but I was never once mugged. Is there a “mug-ranking” for the U.S.?
Oh, and for me it’s not about the odds of something bad happening. It’s about the stakes: my life, my children’s lives, etc.
Too lazy to fact check, but when “Escape From New York” was released, heard shortly thereafter than it was filmed in East St. Louis. Having been there, I can well believe it. Police cars travel in pairs, as they are frequently shot at and even stolen or vandalized when officers are forced to leave them. The place looked incredibly grim when I was there in the 70’s and early 80’s, and looked not much better in the latter half of the last decade when I was there last.
In about the 2003/2004 timeframe, the crime was so bad that the feral dogs in ESL would be seen trotting down the street with human remains in their mouths. I poop you not.