Another gem in the heart of the urban core!! This place has truly transformed since the late 80s...I'll give you an example.
See the glass building in the background? That was the former site of the Old Chelsea Porn Theater, which finally closed in 2000. I couldn't find any pics of the structure, but you get the gist.
The River Market area was also formerly called the River Quay, and was the area of quite a bit of mob activity, including car bombings and shootings.
If you get a chance, go to the Steamboat Arabia Museum. It was a steamboat that was excavated from a cornfield near the Missouri River. It sank back in the 1850s, and shortly afterwards, the river changed course. It was discovered back in the late 1980s, and instead of selling off the contents, it was decided to turn the findings into a museum instead!!