bernardi suggested east st louis illinois because it was filled with old buildings "that exist in new york now and [that] have that seedy run-down quality" that the team was looking for east st louis sitting across the mississippi river from the more prosperous st louis missouri had entire neighborhoods burned out in  during a massive urban fire hill said in an interview "block after block was burnt-out rubble in some places there was absolutely nothing so that you could see three and four blocks away" as well alves found an old bridge to double for the "th st bridge" the filmmaker purchased the old chain of rocks bridge for one dollar from the government and then gave it back to them for the same amount once production was completed "so that they wouldnt have any liability" hill remembers locations across the river in st louis missouri were used including union station and the fox theatre both of which have since been renovated as well as the building which would eventually become the schlafly tap room microbrewery