In the early 1970’s the Italian Community of St. Louis “The Hill” had a slogan “Pride Builds”. Neighborhoods around The Hill had problems of decay. People were fleeing the city for bigger and more convenient homes in St. Louis County. The Hill created a neighborhood association (Hill 2000) and a plan to encourage residents to keep the Hill looking good. They encouraged and helped residents maintain their homes, keeping the grass cut and trimmed and streets and walkways clean. The association added trees and landscaping to beautify the neighborhood. Fire hydrants were painted in the colors of the Italian Flag: Green, White and Red. It was not enough to just keep the area looking good if residents wre going to stay. So another slogan used was “Don’t Move, Improve”. Another reason why “The Hill’ remains America’s Last Little Italy.
