Interview with a resident of: Louderman Lofts

» What loft development are you a resident of?

Louderman Lofts

» Is your development mostly owner occupied or rental units?

21 condominiums

» The term 'loft' has changed over the years. It used to resurrect images of a wide-open industrial warehouse with unfinished floors and exposed utilities, but has since been refined. There are now a lot of pseudo-loft spaces and loft-style apartments and condos coming online. What is your definition of a loft?

Any space can really be a loft. It just depends upon how it is treated. Some characteristics that are common in lofts are lots of windows and light, higher ceilings, hard surfaces such as floors and ceilings, a limited number of walls, with the walls that exist often not going all the way to the ceiling, unconventional designs with columns highlighted, curved or angled walls.

» How long have you lived in your loft?

I have lived in 3 different lofts. I moved into a 4,000 square-foot loft at 1312 Washington with a roommate about 4.5 years ago. Really cool loft - 175 feet deep, 14-foot ceilings, heavy timber building with wood floors, wood ceilings and brick walls. Poor sound insulation and crummy finishes. About a year ago I moved to the Elder Shirt Lofts into a 2,000 square-foot loft, also heavy timber with 12 foot ceilings, very nice finishes and great parking. About 4 months ago, I moved to the Louderman Lofts, which I intend to live in for the next 5+ years.

» Can you describe living at the Louderman Lofts?

I have loved it here. The unique aspect of the building is that I have windows (14 of them) on three of the four sides with enormous amounts of light. I really need to get some window treatments. The finishes are different than my other lofts - drywall exterior walls, engineered new hardwood floors, and 10-foot ceilings, but it is perfect for me. Maintenance is essentially nothing. Getting up in the morning is a joy (2 windows in the master bath).

» How long did you consider buying your loft before actually making it a reality?

I thought about moving Downtown for probably 2 or 3 years before I actually did it, which also involved a change in profession. I leased for about 3 years before deciding my Downtown life was a permanent thing, at least into the foreseeable future, and deciding to buy.

» Would you have considered living Downtown 10 years ago? If you knew at that time that this would be your home, would you have believed it?

No, but I was a suburban type of person until about 5 years ago. I had inklings about the urban thing, but was still caught up in the whole car driven lifestyle of my youth. No, I would not have believed that this would be where I would be. If I had thought I would be living Downtown, it would have been Downtown Chicago.

» What is it like living in Downtown St. Louis?

Living Downtown is fabulous. The architecture and planning are unlike anything you can find in the suburbs. Downtown was designed for people, not cars. It is interesting and stimulating every time you go out on the streets. I can't imagine starting my day with a commute ever again.

I have a 2-block walk to work, 6-block walk to the gym. I walk to restaurants and bars. I often go 6 days without getting in my car! Yes, I have to drive to get to the supercenter grocery store. I do it on the way home from somewhere else, like my parents or Forest Park. It is incredibly convenient, and a small urban grocery is opening this spring at 10th and Olive, one block from home and work. Progress is palpable. It is exciting being part of something like what is happening.

» Do you have any thoughts or predictions on how the area might evolve in the next 10 years?

You will not even recognize Downtown in 10 years. Retailing will take off in earnest in 2 or 3 years. New construction, highrises will start appearing in 3 to 5 years. Surface parking lots will start getting converted to building sites. Vacant lots surrounding Downtown will shortly start sprouting townhouses. The conversion of buildings to residential, and hence retailing, will make Downtown a more attractive place for businesses, conventions, and tourism. Things are going to change fast, and it will be a lot of fun to be part of it.

» Are there any specific projects or rumors of certain developments that are exciting to you? What would you like to see in the immediate vicinity of your loft?

Retailing, the activation of the street, is the key to changing the perceptions of people about Downtown. The exciting rumors to me are about retail. Craig Heller is opening an urban grocery at 10th and Olive in the Bell Lofts. It looks like a contemporary furniture store currently located in Ballwin is going to move into Craig’s Lofts at 315 this summer, as soon as they sublease their space in Ballwin. Leejays (a clothing store from the Central West End) is moving in to the Merchandise Mart. These are the signs that starting with a residential base is really working.

» Do you feel living in a loft Downtown is a reflection of your personality and lifestyle?

Yes, I like a lack of clutter, clean lines, an absence of stuff, an absence of stuff to be mowed, cut, trimmed etc... The last thing in the world I want is the American dream, a single-family home with a yard and a dog. I want maintenance free (not a fixer upper), a place where cleaning means 5 minutes with the industrial sweeper killing dust bunnies, a place I can leave to travel for 2 weeks with no thought but turning down the thermostat. Did I mention I hate to drive in traffic? Did I mention I hate to dust? Neither is an issue here.

» Is loft-style, urban living here to stay?

Absolutely, urban living is here to stay. Urbanization is a national trend. More and more people are moving back into the urban cores of cities around the country: baby boomers who don’t want the 4,000 square-foot six bedroom house with the kids gone, couples who want to travel, young singles just out of college who can’t imagine exile in St. Charles, straight and gay couples who don’t have to worry about schools, transplants from other cities who have no concept except living Downtown for the 2 years their job keeps them here.

» What do you think makes lofts so desirable? Will the momentum continue?

Lofts are desirable for different people for many different reasons. Some of them are as follows: 1) they are not suburbia; 2) they are clean, convenient and easy; 3) they are part of a real community in which people like to be with other people, not other cars; 4) they are really cool, different than what most people think of as a good place to live; 5) they are a connection to the past, but in a way that is interesting, eclectic and fun; 6) they are a great place to throw a party; 7) they are the type of places that people live in when living in Downtown, itself the ultimate objective; 8) they typically are in areas of high density and good urban planning, which are usually the places that are interesting, eclectic and fun.

» What were you looking for in a loft? What attracted you to Downtown?

Living Downtown was first and foremost to me. Having spaces as cool as lofts is just a bonus. I was drawn to Downtown for the sense of community, the opportunity to participate in change, for the ability to walk (I drive less than 5,000 miles per year), for the built environment, the buildings, streets, parks etc... Also, I can't imagine myself living in the suburbs, which I largely dislike. Downtown is as not St. Charles as you can get.

» What is your advice to new arrivals or prospective residents to Downtown? What would you tell them to expect?

First, I would tell them that they should make sure they like people. You spend a lot of time interacting with people, and if you don't like people, you probably shouldn't be Downtown. One of my first pieces of advice is to get to know all of the businesses that you can patronize. You can get everything you need to live in the City. You just need to recreate your shopping pattern, and you will be amazed by the convenience. Another piece of advice is don't feel unsafe. There is almost no person-to-person crime Downtown. Sure, there are things that make you feel unsafe, strangers at night, homeless men, or a lack of people around late at night. Don't let this freak you out. You are not at serious risk. People driving their SUV's out in the western burb's have a much greater chance of getting injured or killed (this is absolutely true). One of the safest things you can do with your life is move Downtown.

» How did you prepare for the move? Were there any unforeseen experiences?

I moved into a different loft 4 years ago. The biggest thing that I didn't expect is how involved I have gotten in the community. For the first year or so, I wasn't that aware of what was going on around me. However, once I started becoming more aware, I started finding things that I could help change. Once I knew that things needed to change, I was irresistibly drawn in the process of change. I knew I wanted to be involved when I moved down here, but I didn't know how much one person could do.

» How was purchasing a loft different from purchasing a home?

It is a lot easier. While there are quite a number of projects Downtown, there are a limited number of good loft condo buildings. It is a process of finding out what are the good buildings. Some buildings do extremely limited rehabs, so are gutted. You want a building that was gut rehabbed, with all new systems, new roof. Do the research.

Most of the rest of the process is just like buying a single-family home. In some buildings, the owner is offering 10-year tax abatement, such that your tax bill is limited to $100 or so a year for 10 years.

» What is your favorite loft feature or most appealing amenity?

Walk to work. I don't think I will ever again drive to work. I hate to start the day thinking everyone in the world in an idiot. When you walk to work, these thoughts rarely cross your mind.

» Loft Dwellers are perceived as young childless professionals and empty nesters. Is that an accurate depiction of you or your neighbors?

When people ask me who is living Downtown, I tell them everyone. Sure, certain groups are represented in greater numbers, but pretty much all demographic groups are down here. We have a budding group of stay at home moms who seem to be starting a stroller gang. We have an amazing number of doctors. We have retired couples that travel half the year. We have starving artists. Gay, straight, black, white, clubber, homebody, couples, singles, we've got them all.

» What are loft owners not telling everyone else? Is there a disadvantage to living Downtown?

Sure, there are issues to Downtown living. Probably the biggest concern to loft dwellers is car clouting (when a criminal spots something valuable in a car and breaks a window to get it). It is something all urban areas (and suburban areas) deal with, but we have quite a few, which is why almost all the condos down here come with indoor parking. It is not that big of a deal.

The way I look at it is this. When I had to park outside for two years (in an apartment), I was clouted twice, as I parked on an alley that is probably the worst place Downtown for it. Sure, it cost me probably $400 to get things fixed, and that took 3 hours of my life, but I walk to work and drive fewer than 5,000 miles per year. I save probably an hour a day in driving, not to mention the stress. I also save probably $3,000 a year in auto costs.

Other issues: car insurance costs are higher, yes, sometimes the homeless guys annoy you, but they are not a threat. One problem we were discussing at our neighborhood association meeting today is dog doo. Some new buildings have 30-50 dogs. The dog owners are not yet very good at picking up after their dogs, and we have a lot of doo around. We are going to do a dog park at 13th and Locust. Hopefully, that will help restore doggy order.

» Are there any myths about living in a loft Downtown that you would like to dispel?

The grocery store issue, which is always at the top of everyone's list, is a non-issue. No, we don't have a super-Schnucks down here. Yes, I have to drive, don't you? I just hit Schnucks on the way home from somewhere else, usually Forest Park or my parents' house. As long as I plan just a little, it is much more convenient that when I lived in U. City. Also, we are getting a 6,000 square-foot urban market one block from my loft.