The days of thinking there’s nothing to see in St. Louis besides the Arch and the Anheuser-Busch brewery are over. And while the Loop, the Central West End, and other places within the Wash. U. shuttle limits offer hours of exploration and cultural “edutainment” (educational entertainment), the sprawling city is home to areas like Midtown and Tower Grove Park, to which the MetroLink and Metrobuses can accommodate adventurous transportation. St. Louis is teeming with inventive, underground, and eclectic concert venues, restaurants, parks, theatres, museums and activities waiting to be discovered and experienced.
Eldorado Cruise
If cheesy Mississippi riverfront cruises and mass bus tours aren’t your bag, why not try sight-seeing that’s more in tune with one’s grassroot inclinations? For those not wary of “stranger danger” (or those willing travel with at least one friend and a cell phone with 911 pre-dialed and a thumb hovering over the “talk” button), a more informal tour of the city may be in order. Imagine cruising the streets of St. Louis in a white 1972 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible while local celebrity Steven Fitzpatrick Smith perches behind the wheel recounting stories about the city’s music scene, historic neighborhoods, and even its seedier underbelly. Relish the thought? Well imagine no more, because all of these quirky details come included with the unique service Smith endearingly termed the River City Lowlife Tours. The tours are personalized and tailored to the interests of the customers. Call Steven at (314) 680-3955 or e-mail [email protected] for rates and times.
Spend-thrift
While titles such as the International Bowling Museum or a local wax museum may seem too kitschy to be fun, you may find yourself swept away into a whole day of amusement or edutainment for a student discount price, or even for free at some museums. Art galleries and artist bazaars produce some of the best free sights and sounds in several areas like the downtown Washington Ave. Also check out Cherokee St., fondly referred to as “antique row” by locals, where you can spot a gigantic wooden statue on the corner of Jefferson Ave. while thrifting at vintage stores for hand-knit treasures or bargaining with a store owner to lower the price on that bright orange rotary phone you simply cannot leave without.
Glass Factory
From 6-10 p.m. on every third Friday of every month, the Third Degree Glass Blowing Factory, founded by Wash. U. alum Jim McKelvey, provides free glass blowing demonstrations and live music in their spacious warehouse filled with colorful one of a kind glass pieces by professional and student artists alike. Located at 5200 Delmar Blvd., the Factory is open from 10 am to 5 pm Mondays through Saturdays and offers evening classes. For more details visit www.stlglass.com or call (314) 367-4527.
Dine-in
After a long day of combing the secret crevices of the Gateway to the West, head to the all night South City Diner on S. Grand for some decent food at decent prices and 1950s ambience. Be prepared for an impromptu dance party, as the patrons tend to have more energy at 3 a.m. than most St. Louisans. After spending time in the diner, you’re well on the way to becoming one of them.
Music Mania
The concert enthusiast in you may be looking for a place to listen to a couple of bands without having to deal with the stadium crowds and ticket prices of larger venues like the Savis Center. If you see a middle-aged man with dark, floppy hair, you may have spotted Beatle Bob, another local celebrity, who makes it his priority to attend independent concerts on an almost nightly basis. Venues like the Rocket Bar, the Creepy Crawl, and Mississippi Nights offer low-key settings with lesser-known, but much beloved bands. St. Louis also boasts a rich musical history, producing some of the first and finest blues, jazz, and rock artists of the 20th century. Scott Joplin’s house doubles as a historic landmark and music museum.
Other places to check out
Laumeier Sculpture Park
www.laumeier.com
– consists of wide meadows with a collection over 80 internationally created sculpture with indoor galleries and an indoor museum shop
– admission: free
International Bowling Museum and Baseball Hall of Fame
www.bowlingmuseum.com
– admission: $7.50
Black World History Wax Museum
– collection of murals and 16 wax exhibits that tell a story about the history of African Americans
– admission: $5 adults
Art Loft Theatre
www.geocities.com/artlofttheatre