Cherokee Street Directory 2024

4 2024-2025 | CHEROKEE STREET Community Directory Welcome To Cherokee Street! There is something about the identity of Cherokee Street that many try to put into words, but few can pinpoint what it is. This roughly mile-long stretch of pavement has been shaped by decades of progress, decline, reinvention and revival, along with the residents of multicultural backgrounds who have etched their own mark on the personality of the street. The Cherokee Street Business District, one of the oldest in the country, had its beginning in the 1890s, with the incorporation of streetcar lines that connected railroad passengers to the region and which cut straight through Cherokee Street. This made it a destination for many business owners, including some notable ones, such as the first corporate headquarters of Wehrenberg Theatre, and Woolworth Co. In the 1940s and ‘50s, population decline in the city brought along a decline in both residents and businesses on Cherokee. In the late 1980s, Hispanic and other immigrant business owners began filling the empty storefronts marking the start of the Cherokee Street renaissance. In 2017, Hispanic business owners were recognized for their contributions to the revival of the street with a resolution by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen designating Cherokee Street “Calle Cherokee” (its name in Spanish) and officially baptizing it a Hispanic Cultural District. Today, with more than 200 businesses and organizations, Cherokee Street is home to the largest concentration of Hispanic/ Latino-owned and operated businesses in the city of St. Louis. You’ll find a wide range of services, antique shops, bars, bakeries, coffee shops, craft breweries, and art galleries, as well as the most authentic Mexican restaurants in the city. The neighborhoods immediately surrounding Cherokee have collectively seen a steady increase in the Hispanic population from 438 Hispanic residents in 1990, to more than 2,000 in 2015–a 357 percent increase—and growth continues. This, on top of numerous festivals—