“One woman is crowned the Queen of Love and Beauty.”
Dear Donna,
I get it. With all the paperwork you’ve got to get through, you haven’t been able to visit. No biggie. So for you, and our like-minded friends across the pond, here is my St. Louis 101: “The Pitch To Get People To Visit By Listing Things Young Urban Creatives Like And Can Find In St. Louis” (shorter suggestions welcome).
Young Urban Creatives Like #CraftBeer
St. Louis has a big booze heritage as the home of the old Budweiser and Anheuser Busch breweries. So, if you like Instagrammable labels, semi-industrial settings, and the ability to takeaway pints using an on-site canning machine, look no further than the second generation craft breweries of St. Louis.
If you don’t drink beer, either fork up or fork off, as wine is surprisingly expensive. And if you’re after caffeine, there’s good coffee, but not a café culture. Despite this, Alex had the best coffee he’s ever had here.
#girlfriendsofinstagram
A pint for a pint-sized person, please.
The spooky Lemp Brewery.
Apparently the family mansion is haunted.
Young Urban Creatives Like #FreshProduce
We regularly go to the farmers market because fruit and veg is cheap and you can buy baked goods from an Amish family. It’s a lot more cost-effective than a casual ten quid on homemade ginger cordial or raclette cheese in Camberwell Farmer’s Market.
Aside from its reputation for BBQ, St. Louis likes to think of itself as a ‘foodie’ city. You can perch on an uncomfortable stool in refurbished settings that, at times, remind me of a more spacious Soho. Food is good, but we’ve been spoilt in London. We’ve had much more success in the authentic international spots, of which there’s unexpected variety; Afghani to Ugandan, Ethiopian to Vietnamese.
Soulard Farmers Market.
Eating at the speed of light.
Café Osage
Young Urban Creatives Like #Culture
Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse, Giacometti, Basquiat, Lichtenstein, Warhol (and loads more) can be found in the three free art museums. I was so caught off guard when I saw Monet’s Charing Cross Bridge, I shed ACTUAL tears at the sight of home. Fortunately, the only possible witnesses were a gaggle of very loud pensioners. Diving nose deep into the artwork, they could barely see the brushstrokes, let alone my leaky eyes. It was my lucky day.
Music is a big deal. Miles Davis and Chuck Berry are from the area. Musicians travelling up the Mississippi from New Orleans to Chicago would stop off in town, leaving behind a big blues scene. Then you have all the literary St. Louisan’s; T.S. Eliot, Maya Angelou, William S. Burroughs, Mark Twain and Jonathan Franzen. Most significantly of all, some of The Office (U.S.) cast have their roots here too.
St. Louis Art Museum aka THE SLAM.
One of three great independent cinemas.
The Pulitzer Arts Foundation.
Young Urban Creatives Like #GettingBackToNature
In a typically Midwestern way, St. Louisan’s make the most of being on the Mississippi by driving two hours away, putting some booze on a boat and drifting all the way back down again. It is called a ‘float trip’. And we really want to do one. Alternatively, you could be in the Mark Twain National Forest in the same amount of time.
Much like Central Park, Forest Park (which is 500 acres bigger #burn) is cushioned by the rest of the city and even has a free zoo in it. Alongside the Botanical Gardens, the park hosts free events, like open air concerts and cinema screenings. The city always turns out and it’s quite special to see.
Johnson Shut Ins.
Forest Park.
Missouri Botanical Gardens.
The Great Forest Park Balloon Race.
Young Urban Creatives Like #JackKerouac
Route 66 goes through St. Louis. It’s just like a normal road.
Young Urban Creatives Like #ArchitectureAndInteriors
You could go mainstream and journey up the Gateway Arch. Or pop into the Basilica round the corner from our flat. But why not go off the beaten track and spot the Greek revival pillars and superfluous turrets on a McMansion walking tour?
The Basilica is good though. You step through the doors and feel like you’ve landed in Rome. Apparently its got the largest mosaic collection of any building in the Western Hemisphere. Jus’ sayin’.
St. Louis’ best hidden secret is its second hand furniture scene. Unassuming warehouses hide the most eclectic furniture. The prices are so reasonable and the pieces so good, that we’ve convinced ourselves the most cost effective option is to spend the difference on shipping it all back home. That sounds sensible right? RIGHT?!
Can’t wait for Christmas carols in here.
The Contemporary Arts Museum aka THE CAM.
Mid Century Modern is our fave shop.
