The Hill

After living close to the St. Louis area my entire life, this was surprisingly my first visit to The Hill. I'll definitely be coming back in the future to taste some of the Italian cuisine and explore more of the area. I thought this was an interesting shot because it captures the writing on the street along with one of the Italian, family-owned businesses in the background. Montagna is the Italian word for mountain or mount, which fits perfectly with our nickname for this area: The Hill.

The Hill is filled with several small, family-owned businesses, like the one pictured to the right. I think my favorite part about this picture is the fact that this business has been up and running since 1902. It just goes to show how committed and passionate this community is about their work and heritage.

Pictured to the left is a close up of the main entrance doors of St. Ambrose Catholic Church on the Hill. You can't see it in this picture, but the church was proudly displaying both the American flag along with the Italian flag. Although this Italian community is situated close to the heart of St. Louis, they still stay close to their heritage and culture. The phrase pictured above the door translates to "To God Optimum." This just goes to show how important the Catholic faith is to this community.

I really like this photo because it brings in so many different elements. I'm a huge Cardinals fan (aren't we all?), so I was immediately drawn to capture the decorated Arch with the Budweiser sign displayed behind it. You can also see one of the St. Louis 250th Anniversary cakes towards the right in the photo.

One of my favorite parts about the Hill was seeing the Italian color scheme everywhere and anywhere. The awnings on the businesses, yard decorations, and even the fire hydrants proudly represent the colors of Italy. This is just another way for the community to show off their culture and how much it means to them.