Phelps Grove: Springfield, MO

Learn in a College Town
“We called this the student ghetto,” says Andy Faucett, co-owner of Bambino’s, a cafe in Phelps Grove near Missouri State University. Couches on rooftops, weekend parties, and student rental houses made the area near the university seem more frat house than family-friendly. Those in the community for the long haul fought against blight―not with conflict, but with a neighborhood plan that lifted the pride of student renters and homeowners alike. “Everyone is beginning to take responsibility for the neighborhood,” says homeowner and neighborhood association president Terry Rowland. “It’s about quality of life. After 27 years, we’re back to knowing it’s all about the people and the porches.”

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