East St Louis

Perhaps no other city exemplifies the modern ghost town more than East St Louis, Illinois.

Just across the river from St Louis, the shattered remains of this city are a testament to the effect white flight, racial tension, disinvestment and rampant crime have had on rust-belt cities of the American Midwest.

From a peak population of 82,000, the remaining 27,000 residents are faced with a city unable to sustain itself. Lacking a tax base, ESL is unable to support an effective police force, leading to some of the highest (if not the highest) per-capita murder rate in the country, almost 20x the national average.

The historic commercial strip is scary derelict, mostly boarded up and abandoned.

Google Earth images:

The urban prairie effect is evident here, with large, empty blocks flanked by the vast St Louis freeway network. The commercial strip appears blackened and abandoned, even from the air.

Ornate architectural details can be seen here

Boarded up storefronts create a sense of lack of safety at street level.

The Spivey Building, the tallest in ESL. Abandoned.

The urban prairie.

Cairo

Cairo, Illinois.

Located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, this city has seen a population decline from it's peak population of over 15,000 to its present population of 2800. The result of such population loss and the diminishing importance as a river city has led to abandonment of it's downtown area. 

A tour through Google Streetview shows clearly the abandonment of the city's buildings. Cobbled streets and ornate architecture provide a glimpse into what must have been a thriving town. Interestingly, some buildings seemed to have collapsed, the rubble left in place. Perhaps the city doesn't have the resources to clear the fallen bricks and mortar. 

Here are some images from Google. I'm looking forward to exploring this forgotten downtown up close, hopefully gathering some information and photographs of the city as it once was.

The Gates of the City. Fortunately, several blocks of Downtown Cairo are listed on the NRHP.

The GEM theatre. Status unknown. Old theatres are, however, fascinating.

Modern ghost town

Rubble spills out into the streets.

Interesting architecture.