St Louis Shines: $8.8B Economy Boost, Empowering Beginnings, Top 10 Mansions & Events

At a glance:

🏆 Turning Endings into Beginnings: The Pivotal LinkedIn Post of 2024!

✈️ $8.8 Billion News in Downtown and Airport Development

🐉 1st ever Animals Aglow Lantern Festival at the Zoo

🐱 From Stray to Snuggles: My Cat's Journey Home

🏘 10 Most Expensive STL Mansions for Sale Now

🎡  5 Top News and Events

🏆 Turning Endings into Beginnings: The Pivotal LinkedIn Post of 2024!

Notice regarding your employment… 😨

Just one year ago, on January 20, 2023, I received an early morning email from Google that changed my life.

Its message was stark and impersonal, a corporate farewell that marked the end of my 8-year journey with the company. It read, “We are reducing our workforce...your role is impacted...we no longer have a job for you at Google.”

I was struck by its legal tone, devoid of any personal touch, signed by someone I'd never even heard of. I’ve decided to rewrite this message into something more empowering.

So here's my version:

Dear Henry

Today marks a pivotal moment in your career, and it's one you've been gearing up for over the past 8 years. It's time to embark on a new adventure, as you've outgrown what Google can offer you.

Let me explain:

From your first day at Google, you established yourself as a pioneering force, driving massive user growth. You set the team’s vision and strategy, impacting millions of users worldwide. 

It’s now your moment to step aside, making way for the next generation of engineering talent.

Take all that you've learned and experienced at Google and use it to make your mark on the world. So, go and build something incredible. Forge your own path.

As a token of gratitude for your contributions, we're offering a generous severance package.

Your impact at Google has been profound, and we're excited to see where your journey takes you next.

You're destined for great things.

Always here for guidance,

–Sundar

______

And that’s the message Google should have delivered.

For those of you in my shoes - remember that every end is a new beginning.

Onward!

Click on the link for the full post

$8.8 Billion News in Downtown and Airport Developments:

1. St. Louis currently has $3.8 billion in Downtown Development
2. St. Louis Airport’s Economic Impact Could Soar $5 Billion by 2032

• Transforming St. Louis Lambert International Airport into a world-class.
• Adds $5 billion in annual revenue and 30,000 jobs by 2032. 
• 80% of similarly sized metros are investing in new airports. 
• No state or local taxpayer dollars will be used

🐉1st ever Animals Aglow Lantern Festival at the Zoo

• Saint Louis Zoo illuminated
• Handmade by Tianyu artists
• Chinese cultural performances
• 60+ Chinese lanterns light up the zoo
• Dazzling displays of swans, peacocks, and dragons.

🐱 From Stray to Snuggles: My Cat's Journey Home

Once upon a time, in a quiet neighborhood, a little cat named Sonic got himself comfy in a car engine. Found near the woods, he wound up at the vet, and they called him Honda. Since nobody could take him, my girlfriend, a vet tech, stepped in and brought Sonic home.

He's a total chatterbox. He carries these huge soft toys – sharks, bears, and dragons – all around the place. Imagine a tiny cat with big toys having epic adventures in your living room every day!

He's got a big appetite, probably from his days as a stray. Every mealtime, he acts like he hasn't eaten in ages. It's like he's saying, "Hey, I survived out there, give me some extra."

Morning alarms? Sonic's got it down to a science. Exactly 60 seconds before the alarm's annoying beep, he's there, giving a polite reminder in the form of a gentle bite that it's breakfast time. 

Life with Sonic is like having a little ball of fur, mischief, and a lot of love rolled into one.

I accidentally took my cats meds last night...Don't ask meow.

🏘 10 Most Expensive STL Mansions for Sale Now

• Nelly's former mansion sold in 2021, allegedly bought by a cult.
• From beautiful architecture to cookie-cutter designs
• French-inspired 5 bedrooms and a 3-acre lot
• Organized from least to most pricey

🎡  5 Top News and Events

1. Washington University forms R&D company with investment firm, committing $130M
2. UMSL to begin $3M renovation of entrepreneurship center, funds 5 firms through accelerator program
3. 'The Drew Barrymore Show' highlights St. Louis' iconic dessert
4. This St. Louis area bakery ranks second in Yelp’s ‘Top 100 croissants’ list

• Yelp recently released its “Top 100 croissants” list 
• Kirkwood’s Nathaniel Reid Bakery, 2nd in US

👻 How do you know if a bakery in St. Louis is haunted? They only serve “boo-ey butter cake”

5. Housing: Bidding wars erupt as 2024 kicks off, with some listings seeing over 30 offers.

🎡 Events and Places

1. 10 places to eat healthy in St. Louis
2. Where to find nonalcoholic cocktails in St. Louis
3. New Ivy Express in lobby of Commerce Bank Tower building in Clayton.
4. Valentine's Date Night at Grants Farm

• Date: Feb 09, 2024 | Time: 6:00 pm
• Romantic dinner in historic Carriage Haus.  
• Clydesdale horse meet-and-greet with photo
• May add a carriage ride, a bottle of wine, or a Clydesdale plush.

5. Saint Charles Mardi Gras Parade in Historic Frenchtown

• 11:00 AM - Mardi Gras Parade down Second Street in Frenchtown
• 12:00–2:00 PM - After Party in the Foundry Art Centre Parking Lot, featuring:

• Live Music from the Southside Creole Playboys
• Face Painting
• Fortune Teller
• Living Statue
• Strolling Magic Table
• Food and Drinks from Local Vendors

"Home is not where you were born; home is where all your attempts to escape cease." — Naguib Mahfouz 🏡

🌐 Nominate a Local Hero:

Know someone (or business) making a difference in our community?

Nominate them as a local hero, and we'll feature their story in the next edition.