This is a sad, sad day, and not from any sense of nostalgia or sense of loss – after the first 18 very good years, having lived in Chicago, London and then Brooklyn and now Queens, I’m pretty comfortable with the thought that I’ve “moved on”. But it was – it IS – a good home. And it disgusts me that the Recession has plunged this housing crisis so far into the abyss that there’s no sign of return – and this domicile which should easily sell in the $300k range is now available for a steal (it’s like they’re paying you) for $175k, half of what it should sell for. Meanwhile there’s a $90mil apartment up for sale on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Of course I understand that it’s all about “location location location” – and St. Louis’s Tower Grove East neighborhood is not East 80th Street (the way my blog isn’t Curbed). But taking into account the initial cost of the house, and adjusting for inflation over 32 years, along with factoring in the money invested in maintaining this house (which is one of the oldest on the block and in the neighborhood at large) – just the sheer hours alone keeping the place “modern” – a price tag of $175k is gutting. Just heartbreaking really. As if in the end you’re paid $5k and told, “Thanks for the memories, Now Get Out!”

I mean just take a look at this place and tell me it isn’t awesome!

Here’s the listing proper.

This wonderful woodwork greets you as you walk in the front door:

The living room has a built-in bookcase and absolutely giant mirror:


The kitchen is old, sure, but there’s a whole another side that isn’t even pictured:

The master bedroom – this is where my parents made me! – has an attached room (through the curtains) that is as big as the smallest bedroom:

This was my first bedroom as a kid:


Then I upgraded to this room:

And finally the top floor. These rooms are HUGE. The two-tone tiles are 1′ square, so do the math. For several years of my life I had both of these rooms to enjoy:

And there’s a basement! Also not pictured. A giant room which leads directly to the back yard. And the trees out front produce these wonderful red berries that local birds love. And to top it all off, there are some hidden compartments in the house, and I embedded some time capsules in my time there too – those alone are worth the $175k exploration price-tag! Who knows, maybe me blogging this will lead to a sale, but in all likelihood this will stay on the market for a little longer and then simply fade into obscurity.

…

America has a housing problem.

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