Did the early 1990's bar scene nurture my love of the 2nd Empire mansard roof?

It's been a while since I've featured a pretty mansard. This cute house a reminder of what a proper mansard roof should look like. J'adore wrought iron cresting and thus I've always had a crush on this house. I remember it from when me and my party people would come to McGurks during college breaks. We'd look for parking and I'd always say, "I love that house." Of course, now I live a few blocks from this house. Coincidence? Or destiny?

I've added a new tag: pretty 2nd Empire houses near bars where I went 20 or so years ago.

this house---Soulard---McGurks

houses on Park Ave----Lafayette Square---Killabrews

houses on Sidney Street----Benton Park----Cats Meow and Sidney Street

Un autre duo

These are some big mama mansards on Park Avenue in Lafayette Square. The folks that built these houses in the 1880's had beaucoup bucks.

Note the center hall plan with the wrapping mansard. These are not shot gun style homes that are so prevalent in Lafayette. You can walk in the front door and go left OR right. (in case you'd never thought of it, in most of the 2nd Empires, you walk in the house and access each room in a straight line)

Which one do you like better? I prefer the bleu. There is no wrong answer. Both of these houses are terrific and their owners have done a wonderful job with upkeep, paint, landscaping and mansard-ing.

petit. GRAND!

Little and big 2nd Empire neighbors in Benton Park.

Sidney Street shout-out

Sometimes a mansard gets it right. This house on Sidney gets it so right that it deserves a special, "if you re-do your mansard, do it like this." The mansard was recently redone and it looks wonderful- tile colors, pattern, paint. This house is wedged between my friend Annie K. and Niche Restaurant.

I love Sidney Street, which straddles Soulard and Benton Park. It's a culinary destination- Niche, Sidney Street Cafe and Trueman's. Ok, I've never had the food at Trueman's but it attracts a lot of cops which means it probably has good food. I've been told Niche, SSC and Trueman's are all well-behaved neighbors and they keep the Sidney lively. On the Soulard side, there's Big Daddy's and Cat's Meow, which are slightly more boisterous.

Sidney is also historically relevant as the original corridor of numerous breweries and beer baron houses, many of which include an subterranean root cellar under actual Sidney Street. In case you're wondering about my house and beer/root cellar, I don't live on Sidney but I'm very close.

One of my first city hang-outs, circa 1988, was an apartment on Sidney very close to Sidney Street Cafe (SSC). My high school friend Joe D. lived on his own at age 17. Needless to say, it became a haven for underaged drinking. In retrospect, wow, how lucky were we to have our own boozy flophouse as high school seniors.

The street was very unpolished at the time; SSC was one of the few highlights. The street had a few pioneers working to rehab their places, but it was very early for budding Benton Park. Fast forward 21 years: I push my stroller down Sidney and chuckle at the progress the neighborhood and I have made together as a team. Just like I don't sneak into bars, get drunk and pass out in apartments anymore, Sidney is respectable, mature and a responsible drinker.

Brewers and Mansards

This is a good picture. My 3 yo son G. is in the forefront pulling a sled. That's a serious mansard behind him, the home of Max Feuerbacher, proprietor of the Green Tree Brewery. The smoke in the background is steam from the Anheuser-Busch brewery. Learn more about Feuerbacher and his brewery here.