Comments on: What's cool to do in St. Louis?

Question: What's cool to do in St. Louis?

matildaben — Sat, 19 Feb 2005 22:00:26 -0800

A friend of mine here in Seattle is going to be traveling to St. Louis on business in a couple of weeks and would like recommendations for cool stuff to do there for a couple of days. He's a 30-something urban hipster-geek with the usual tastes that entails. He specifically asks if there's good live jazz.

By: melissa may

melissa may — Sat, 19 Feb 2005 22:29:52 -0800

The Delmar loop is the Washington U area, filled with lots of good little clubs and restaurants (especially Saleem's, which has a neon sign in the window proclaiming "where garlic is king" and is it ever). The neighborhood also contains the St. Louis Art Museum, which I think is very fine.

Here's an upcoming jazz calendar from the local alternative weekly. I hope something there coincides with his visit.

Personally, I like the Arch. It's really very beautiful up close. And it's fun to go to the top with all the German tourists.

By: nitsuj

nitsuj — Sat, 19 Feb 2005 22:40:28 -0800

I can't stress the coolness of the City Museum enough. Seriously, tell your friend that he MUST check out the City Museum. Don't let the term "museum" scare him off. It's one of the coolest places I've ever been to, no joke.

Tell him to go at night, though. It's open to 1 AM, and there are two bars in the museum. There aren't many kids around, and it turns into a more adult atmosphere.

He will not be dissapointed, mark my words.

By: nitsuj

nitsuj — Sat, 19 Feb 2005 22:42:51 -0800

More on the City Museum, from Wired.

Imagine what could happen if you free a museum's staff from endless legal red tape, stuffy attitudes about what is and isn't art, and fear of what visitors might do when confronted by dark chasms, scary slides or a puking pig.

Imagine instead a museum staff comprising engineer-artists, free to create whatever they want, be spontaneous, take risks and play. And imagine a museum that figures people won't mind getting really dirty or rather wet during their visits, and you have St. Louis' City Museum.

City Museum dares visitors to test their limits, to take a chance and climb five stories through a giant steel slinky suspended in midair, or eschew the stairs in favor of sliding several stories down a chute instead. Screams of fear are heard here almost as often as shrieks of delight.

Check out the article.

By: Vidiot

Vidiot — Sat, 19 Feb 2005 23:31:57 -0800

damn, nitsuj, now I want to plan a trip to St. Louis just so I can go. That looks awesome.

By: LarryC

LarryC — Sun, 20 Feb 2005 07:24:43 -0800

Definitely not hipster, but he should get a car and go out to Cahokia Mounds anyway. It is a powerful place.

By: jacobm

jacobm — Sun, 20 Feb 2005 08:12:17 -0800

I've been to the City Museum three or four times and can attest to its being totally awesome. Consider it a 'must-see'. Also the arch is fun to go up, and the Budweiser brewery is nice to visit.

By: user92371

user92371 — Sun, 20 Feb 2005 08:51:26 -0800

Ted Drewe's for amazing frozen custard (there's one on Grand, and one on Chippewa); Rigazzi's on The Hill; Forest Park; Crown Candy for homemade candy and authentic 50s ice cream parlour experience; Cherokee Street for antiques and junque; Soulard Farmer's Market... ...just drive around South St. Louis and look at the fabulous brick buildings and the neon signs! The great thing about St. Louis is that nobody gives it a second thought -- very little gentrification, thrift stores are still cheap, lots of authentic St. Louis-specific experiences. If the weather didn't suck, I'd live there in a minute.

By: mexican

mexican — Sun, 20 Feb 2005 19:17:25 -0800

If you are going to try for the City Museum, call ahead and check the schedule. I was there over winter break this year and they were on a shortened winter schedule (ie not open 'til 1am and always full of little kids). I went and had a good time anyway.

Also: Llywelyn's, Rossino's, Dressel's, Duff's, Blueberry Hill. And it's not the Delmar loop, it's the U-City Loop.

By: mexican

mexican — Sun, 20 Feb 2005 19:19:26 -0800

U-City Loop!

By: mexican

mexican — Sun, 20 Feb 2005 19:20:56 -0800

Also forgot Jazz at the Bistro