The Dutchtown Community Improvement District introduced new sidewalk furniture along Meramec Street on Tuesday during the Shades of Summer rollout event. The vividly colored tables, chairs, and umbrellas bring a splash of color to Downtown Dutchtown.

Participating shop owners will set up the furniture when they open and take it down when they close. Having the furniture out will draw attention, encourage pedestrian traffic, and announce that Dutchtown is open for business.

Attendees at the Shades of Summer event also got to sample treats from Juanita’s Creole Soul Cafe, Pies & Surprise, and Perfectly Pastry, three of the new tenants in the Urban Eats Food Hall. Juanita’s Creole Soul Cafe and Pies & Surprise will hold their grand opening on Saturday, August 1st. Perfectly Pastry plans to officially open in the fall.

Visitors also got to see a revamped storefront at the Tawakal Halal Store at 3308 Meramec. With help from the Dutchtown CID and designers Sara Schipkowski, Michael Jones, and Vanessa McBride, the store has been updated with a new sign, window displays, and a new door. The CID plans to assist with additional storefront updates throughout the district.

It’s an exciting time in Downtown Dutchtown! New businesses and new concepts are coming to Meramec Street. The UrbanMain Initiative, a collaboration between DT2 • Downtown Dutchtown and Missouri Main Street Connection, continues to pursue a brighter future for the neighborhood. We continue to urge you to come for a visit and see what’s happening in Downtown Dutchtown!

The Dutchtown Community Improvement District is bringing vibrancy to Downtown Dutchtown this summer! On Tuesday, July 28th, join us as we roll out colorful new tables, chairs, and umbrellas along Meramec Street. Come have a seat and take our new furniture for a test drive!

The sidewalk furniture will add a splash of color to the district and create a more inviting atmosphere for neighbors and passers-by. We hope this leads to increased foot traffic, engaged neighbors and visitors, and ultimately greater occupancy in the district.

In addition to the furniture, the revamped Urban Eats Food Hall will be introducing three of its new resident vendors — Juanita’s Creole Soul Café, Perfectly Pastry, and Pies and Surprise — plus bartenders from the Original Crusoe’s slinging drinks. Come get a taste of the new flavors coming soon to Dutchtown!

The introduction goes on from 5:30pm to 7pm. Visit the Facebook event page to let us know you’re coming and to share with your neighbors.

The next Dutchtown Movie Night is coming up on Saturday, July 25th! This time around, we’ll be showing the animated adventure Spies in Disguise featuring the voice of Will Smith.

The event begins at 7:30pm. Arrive promptly to claim your spot on the hill! We’ll also have food trucks, community activities, and more.

The movie will be projected on the inflatable 22 foot big screen on the hill in front of the Field House. Bring a chair or a blanket to sit on. Once it gets dark (around 8:30pm), we’ll start the movie.

Tell your family and friends and neighbors about this fun, family-friendly event! Go to the Facebook event page to share and invite people. For info about more movie nights this summer, go to dutchtownstl.org/movienight or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The 2020 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.

Last Friday, the Dutchtown Movie Night series got off to a unique start in the parking lot of Habitat for Humanity. Dozens of Dutchtown neighbors gathered for the ’90s summer classic Independence Day.

While last year’s summer series was entirely in Marquette Park, doing a drive-in movie in June allowed for better social distancing while the city still has limitations on outdoor events.

Dutchtown Movie Night will return to Marquette Park outside the Field House on Saturday, June 25th. More details on the movie night will be released next week. Watch this spot.

Marquette Park Planning Project

If you were at the drive-in movie, you may have seen the engagement display from PGAV Planners. PGAV will be working with Dutchtown South Community Corporation this summer on a planning document to guide the future of investment in Marquette Park.

Interested in getting involved with the Marquette Park planning project?  Take the survey to let the planners know what you would like to see next at Marquette Park. You can also learn more about Allies of Marquette Park and join them to build a stronger future for Marquette Park.

Order your Dutchtown Proud sign here:

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Welcome to Dutchtown, a neighborhood that bears the weight of our city’s past and stands tall in the truth of who we are today. We are St. Louis’s most populous and densest neighborhood. We are a neighborhood that has experienced growth, contraction, and growth again. We are Dutchtown Proud.

Some of us have been in Dutchtown forever. Over a hundred years ago, our families built the brick buildings, churches, and streets which have withstood the test of time in south St. Louis. We have seen some friends move away, seen the businesses come and go, and seen the faces of our neighbors change. We wouldn’t live anywhere else.

Some of us moved to Dutchtown for new opportunities. We may have been economically displaced or simply come looking for affordable housing. Our presence stabilized Dutchtown’s population and created a great community for future residents. Unity is the best community.

Some of us are immigrants. We are from all over the world and have been here 25 years or just a day. Like the very first Dutchtown immigrants, we brought new flavors, clothes, customs, and ways of living creating a vibrant neighborhood.

All of us are Dutchtown Proud. Proud to be a part of one of the most diverse, gritty, and forward thinking neighborhoods in St. Louis. Proud to look for prosperity here. Proud to tell the doubters why we call Dutchtown home.

We call Dutchtown home by choice. We choose to come together and build community with neighbors who may not look or live their lives exactly the same. We respect our neighbors’ right to choose Dutchtown, regardless of who they are, who they love, what they look like, what they do for a living, or what circumstances brought them here.

If you want to join us we are excited to have you. But be warned: We are conscious of our history and weary of making the same mistakes twice. We shun speculators, quick fixers, or worse, anyone not willing to embrace their neighbor and embrace change.

Our path forward is a common one and we see it stretched before us far into the future. So roll up your sleeves and become a member of the Dutchtown Proud as we recognize our past, celebrate our present, and prepare for our future together.

Looking to show off your Dutchtown pride? Order your Dutchtown Proud yard sign today. Name your price.

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