The University of Missouri Extension and Missouri Small Business Development Center offer a variety of free and low-cost training and events for business owners and start-ups. The webinars cover a wide range of topics including how to write a business plan, learning Quickbooks, and securing government contracts.

Of particular interest for many small businesses, October 7th will feature a PPP Loan repayment webinar.

Check out their full October schedule and be sure to bookmark the page for easy access to these great resources!

Have you come across a great resource that could help Dutchtown small businesses? Let us know about it by emailing info@dutchtownstl.org.

Top photo: Pies and Surprise located at the Urban Eats Neighborhood Food Hall in Downtown Dutchtown. Support your Dutchtown small businesses!

Join DT2 • Downtown Dutchtown at the Neighborhood Innovation Center on Saturday, September 26th for the next Dutchtown Movie Night!

This month we’ll be showing 42, the story of Jackie Robinson as portrayed by Chadwick Boseman. This is an outdoor event, and we’ll project the movie on the side of the building next door. Bring a chair and set yourself up in the parking lot. The movie will start at dark.

If you’re hungry, head a couple doors down to the Urban Eats Neighborhood FoodHall and grab some Juanita’s Creole Soul Cafe, Pies and Surprise, or Tacos La Jefa. They’ll be open until 7:30pm. You’re also welcome to bring your own snacks and drinks.

Let us know you’re coming on the Facebook event page, and make sure to share with your friends and neighbors!

The movie is rated PG-13. Some content may not be suitable for all audiences. Social distancing measures will be in place and masks are required when away from your seat.

The next DT2 After Hours is at Diana’s Boutique on Wednesday, September 16th beginning at 5:30pm. DT2 hosts a monthly (pandemic-permitting) happy hour that focuses on Dutchtown businesses.

Diana’s Boutique just recently relocated to 3316 Meramec Street from a location a little further east on Meramec. Come by to check out the new, larger space and enjoy beer, wine, and soft drinks on the house! Diana’s will also be offering 25% off purchases during After Hours.

Meet Diana

Diana Quezada, the owner of Diana’s Boutique, sits on the UrbanMain Steering Committee that is working to plan the future of Downtown Dutchtown. Diana and her family came to America from Mexico City 15 years ago.

“I wanted to open my retail store because it’s been my dream since I was little to be involved with fashion,” says Diana. She opened her shop four years ago and is excited about her new, bigger location. Diana prides herself on carrying a diverse selection of clothing in all colors, sizes, and styles, with unique items you won’t find anywhere else.

“I love the area and people around here. I dream and I would love to grow my business and inspire other people and offer jobs in the future.” Away from the shop, Diana likes to spend time with her family and travel, visiting beaches, hiking, and getting to know new places.

After Hours + UrbanMain

In addition to the regular After Hours festivities, Downtown Dutchtown is also hosting representatives from Missouri Main Street Connection. Main Street is working with DT2, the Dutchtown CID, and other neighborhood stakeholders on the UrbanMain initiative in Downtown Dutchtown.

The Main Street representatives will be at the Neighborhood Innovation Center, just a block down the street from Diana’s, and they’re looking for feedback from the neighbors. Stop by and tell them what you’d like to see for the future of Downtown Dutchtown. If you can’t attend Wednesday evening, there are three other input sessions during the week.

Social Distancing: Spread Out on Meramec

While we hope to see a lot of you on Wednesday, we also want to make sure we’re taking precautions to protect your health during the pandemic. We’re asking that you take some time to stroll down Meramec to help maintain social distancing and to see what else is going on in Downtown Dutchtown.

Neighborhood Innovation Center

Along with our guests from Missouri Main Street, the NIC will also have representatives from DT2 and other neighborhood organizations to share community resources (and more drinks). After you share your input on the UrbanMain program, come see what else your Dutchtown neighborhood organizations have been up to.

Urban Eats Neighborhood FoodHall

Between Diana’s and the NIC, you can stop into the Urban Eats Neighborhood FoodHall to grab a bite to eat. Visit Juanita’s Creole Soul Cafe for dinner or Pies and Surprise for a sweet treat.

The Missouri UrbanMain Pilot Program is a joint effort between Downtown Dutchtown (DT2), the City of St. Louis, the Missouri Department of Economic Development, and Missouri Main Street Connection.

Join us in Marquette Park on Saturday, August 22nd for the final Dutchtown Movie Night of the summer! This time around we’ll be showing Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse on the 22-foot inflatable big screen! We’ll open up at 7:30pm, and the movie will start at dark.

If you haven’t seen Into the Spiderverse already, check out the trailer below:

We’ll be out on the hill in front of the Marquette Park Field House. Bring your chairs and blankets. You’re welcome to bring snacks of your own, but we’ll also have food trucks on hand on the lower lot next to the Field House.

Come out a little bit before dark to visit with some of our community organizations. Get registered to vote. Find information about block organizing from DT2 • Downtown Dutchtown and the Dutchtown CID, along with the Urban League’s Federation of Block Units. Dutchtown South Community Corporation will be there to tell you about their textile recycling program.

We also ask that you wear a mask and practice safe social distancing when away from your seat. We will have hand sanitizer and extra masks available if you need them.

Dutchtown Movie Nights are sponsored by AB InBev, DT2 • Downtown Dutchtown, Dutchtown Community Improvement District, Dutchtown South Community Corporation, Gene Slay’s Girls and Boys Club of St. Louis, Habitat for Humanity St. Louis, Lutheran Development Group, Original Crusoe’s Restaurant, St. Anthony of Padua, Thomas Dunn Learning Center, and Tower Grove Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation.

On Friday, August 7th, residents and business owners from the 4300 and 4400 blocks of Virginia Avenue will meet at Starz Salon, 4445 Virginia in the backyard. These neighbors want to begin forming an organized and cohesive block club. You’re welcome to join from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Meet the neighbors, along with residents from other nearby and recently organized blocks, plus representatives from DT2 • Downtown Dutchtown and the Dutchtown Community Improvement District.

How Block Organizing Starts

A growing group of neighbors on Virginia began talking about issues on their blocks — trash on the street and in the alleys, crime, and other nuisance activities nearby. What started with an informal plan for a neighborhood cleanup evolved into a desire to create an organized and permanent coalition for neighbors to strengthen and improve their corner of Dutchtown.

They’re not the first blocks in Dutchtown to organize. It usually starts organically. A few neighbors on each others’ porches discussing experiences and some loose ideas will turn into a few more neighbors cleaning up the alley. Then they’ll plan a block party that gets everyone onto the street, meeting and mingling, often for their neighbors for the first time. They exchange phone numbers and emails. They talk more and look out for each other. The momentum grows.

What Happens Next

This is how things started on the 4200 block of Louisiana, the 3500 block of Kingsland Court, and certainly others over the years throughout Greater Dutchtown. What started as a few neighbors casually interacting became a tight network of residents who communicate, plan, and protect each other.

Planning the Future of Block Organizing

DT2 • Downtown Dutchtown and DutchtownSTL.org seek to strengthen these nascent block organizations, facilitate communication, and build a template for other blocks to follow. With the experience of neighbors already involved, we hope to create a straightforward model that helps interested blocks quickly get organized.

Does your block already have an organization that fits the bill? Would you like it to? Get in touch with us and help to plan for the future of block organizing in Dutchtown.

You can also meet us tonight at Starz Salon for refreshments and discussion about how your block can get involved. Make sure to be safe and bring your mask along with your ideas and questions!

Top photo by Paul Sableman.