{"product_id":"renaissance-a-history-of-the-central-west-end-9781681061245","title":"Renaissance: A History of the Central West End","description":"\u003cp\u003eJust as stately trees in Forest Park were coming down to make way for the 1904 Worlds Fair  elegant homes  designed by the citys best architects and occupied by its elite were springing up on surrounding streets  as a vast building boom began. And that was the start of the St. Louis neighborhood called the Central West End  which quickly grew from a sleepy rural outpost to an address for fashionable people and shops  fine cultural institutions and congregations  high-class hotels and hospitals. That halcyon period did not last  however. Through the years  various factors  the growth of the suburbs  white flight  the cost of maintaining huge homes  the rise of rooming houses  the disheartening effect of smoke and urban smells  drove some of the well-to-do farther west  and the Central West End foundered. Though residents  religious groups  and some politicians tried to stop the slide  fine homes disappeared and hospitals fled. At this point  the Washington University Medical Center also faced a choice: stay or go? They decided to hold their ground and mounted a revitalization effort that succeeded  with the support of the resilient community. Today  the Central West End is again undergoing a boom as condominiums go up  businesses come to life  and historic streets find new vitality. To the east  an exciting biotechnology district  Cortex Innovation Community  is building upon its success. Renaissance: A History of the Central West End traces the Central West Ends cycle over the past century and more: from its stylish start through its dangerous days to its present strength  an urban renewal significant enough that it has earned the name renaissance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67622357991477,"sku":"ByrdShop_1681061244","price":46.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781681061245.jpg?v=1791308252","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/renaissance-a-history-of-the-central-west-end-9781681061245","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}