On a sign at the corner of 16th Street and Genessee, the disembodied heads of an angry-looking steer, a jaded sheep and a sullen pig float against a green background above the words "Stockyards District." That sign sums up the new visual identity for what everyone knows as the West Bottoms, the neighborhood between Interstate 670 and Kemper Arena. This historic agribusiness flood plain is now being repopulated with a growing number of restaurants, galleries and offices for creative startups. The effort to reimagine a wide swath of old rail-and-cattle turf —spearheaded by the father-son development team of Bill Haw and Bill Haw Jr., along with Dolphin Gallery owner John O'Brien — reminds us of the Crossroads District's transformation into an arts hub. It's not there yet, but the additional white gallery walls and white tablecloths are exciting to see. Pretty soon, there'll be no more looking down on the Bottoms.
