Yeah I like Seinfeld. I like Kramer. I know there is a real guy in NYC that Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David crafted the Kramer character after. The "real Kramer" does bus tours of the legendary Seinfeld sites in NYC.
I work in the burbs. Unfortunately. Most (~90%) of the people I work with live in the sub and exurbs. Most don't know STL at all. They know the city mainly as legend. An interesting yet scary place best left alone.
They just don't get it. They have no idea what St. Louis is like. Yet, they usually claim her namesake as home.
Is there a market to give reality tours of the STL I know and love? Would suburbanites be willing to pay money to see the real STL? Many of these people I work with are not from the metropolitan area. They see pictures I have of STL in my office and they'll ask "is that NYC?". Or, "wow, that beautiful where's that." I reply, that is STL, a city 25 miles from here. And you're right, it's beautiful.
Most county suburbanites have no clue what STL is about. Maybe we should reach out to them and spoon feed em and drive them around and show them what they are missing. Maybe we should show them the neighborhoods and local establishments that the vast majority of people don't know about.....Or, maybe they don't deserve to know. ...After all, Red Robin is acceptable cuisine to some of these folks.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Carondelet Rec Plex and Mayor Slay moving to Boulevard Heights
Today the Post Dispatch has an article on the new rec plex being built in Carondelet Park.
I am very optimistic on this deal. I think this will add to the quality of life and add to the property values of the area. But, this is St. Louis....there are going to be naysayers on this deal. Believe me. Let's break down the story in the Post, my comments are in bold italics:
'Bulldozers are making way for a $20.8 million recreation center in Carondelet Park that is designed to give city residents a suburban-style place to heft weights and zip down a water slide.'
Some will complain about the loss of trees. High winds and lightning take out old-growth trees too, at least we get some progress on the loss of these old beauties. Remember, trees are a renewable resource.
Suburban-style? What does that mean?
The Southside Community Center, within view of Interstate 55, will have indoor and outdoor swimming and water park features. Its two-story building will include two basketball courts, weight and exercise rooms, an overhead jogging track and general meeting rooms.
This is great. The Southside needs an option for swimming. The indoor pool at the Carondelet YMCA is very small, but serves it's purpose. There currently is no outdoor pool. There is a pool at the Concordia Turner building though. I would imagine they will find it even harder to compete when this opens.
The YMCA of Greater St. Louis is in line to manage the gym and swim parts through membership fees, but the general meeting areas will be open to all residents.
"We're trying to provide some of the amenities that people have in St. Louis County, and make city living that much more attractive," said Alderman Fred Wessels.
Agreed. Loughborough Common also did that, for better or worse.
Scheduled for groundbreaking this fall is a similar center in O'Fallon Park, on the city's north side. Both are being built through a one-eighth-cent sales tax that city voters adopted in 2006.
Will the YMCA run the North Side center? Will their prices be the same. Will there facility be comparable? I certainly hope so.
Mayor Francis Slay, who is moving soon to a new home just south of Carondelet Park, plans to be among the center's first members, a spokesman said. Slay said city residents will be getting "high quality" recreation complexes.
Now this is the big story of the article in my opinion. Let me first say that I am not criticizing where a man chooses to live. I too live in the 12th ward where Slay is moving to. I believe he is moving to the Boulevard Heights new housing development. This kind of confirms was other bloggers say....Slay is a wanna be suburbanite. He could live anywhere in the city he wanted. He did not choose a uniquely St. Louis neighborhood like Downtown, Compton Heights, CWE, TGS, you name it. Instead he chose the most conservative, suburban like neighborhood in the city. I am not criticizing his personal choice. I kind of like the condos in this dev. as I've stated in previous posts.
Politically, this is kind of strange to me. He chose the furthest south reaches of the city. He chose a new housing development that mimics suburban designs. He chose the only GOP led district (Heitert's the only Republican alderman).
I am very optimistic on this deal. I think this will add to the quality of life and add to the property values of the area. But, this is St. Louis....there are going to be naysayers on this deal. Believe me. Let's break down the story in the Post, my comments are in bold italics:
'Bulldozers are making way for a $20.8 million recreation center in Carondelet Park that is designed to give city residents a suburban-style place to heft weights and zip down a water slide.'
Some will complain about the loss of trees. High winds and lightning take out old-growth trees too, at least we get some progress on the loss of these old beauties. Remember, trees are a renewable resource.
Suburban-style? What does that mean?
The Southside Community Center, within view of Interstate 55, will have indoor and outdoor swimming and water park features. Its two-story building will include two basketball courts, weight and exercise rooms, an overhead jogging track and general meeting rooms.
This is great. The Southside needs an option for swimming. The indoor pool at the Carondelet YMCA is very small, but serves it's purpose. There currently is no outdoor pool. There is a pool at the Concordia Turner building though. I would imagine they will find it even harder to compete when this opens.
The YMCA of Greater St. Louis is in line to manage the gym and swim parts through membership fees, but the general meeting areas will be open to all residents.
"We're trying to provide some of the amenities that people have in St. Louis County, and make city living that much more attractive," said Alderman Fred Wessels.
Agreed. Loughborough Common also did that, for better or worse.
Scheduled for groundbreaking this fall is a similar center in O'Fallon Park, on the city's north side. Both are being built through a one-eighth-cent sales tax that city voters adopted in 2006.
Will the YMCA run the North Side center? Will their prices be the same. Will there facility be comparable? I certainly hope so.
Mayor Francis Slay, who is moving soon to a new home just south of Carondelet Park, plans to be among the center's first members, a spokesman said. Slay said city residents will be getting "high quality" recreation complexes.
Now this is the big story of the article in my opinion. Let me first say that I am not criticizing where a man chooses to live. I too live in the 12th ward where Slay is moving to. I believe he is moving to the Boulevard Heights new housing development. This kind of confirms was other bloggers say....Slay is a wanna be suburbanite. He could live anywhere in the city he wanted. He did not choose a uniquely St. Louis neighborhood like Downtown, Compton Heights, CWE, TGS, you name it. Instead he chose the most conservative, suburban like neighborhood in the city. I am not criticizing his personal choice. I kind of like the condos in this dev. as I've stated in previous posts.
Politically, this is kind of strange to me. He chose the furthest south reaches of the city. He chose a new housing development that mimics suburban designs. He chose the only GOP led district (Heitert's the only Republican alderman).
Does anyone else think that's a little strange? At least from a political standpoint?
Friday, March 14, 2008
Good Family Vibes in St. Louis
I know I'm in the minority when it comes to my beliefs and tastes regarding the City. This probably goes against the popular metropolitan region opinion, but I think St. Louis is a great place to raise a family. One of St. Louis' primary hurdles has to be retaining young families with school-age children.
I don't want to get into the school issues. I'd rather keep it on the bright side. Having 3 little ones 6 and under, we've recently discovered the following gems in the city. Here's why St. Louis kicks the suburb's and exurb's ass when it comes to kid friendly vibes:
The Tower Grove park wading pool and farmer's market: This is the place to take your kids on a Saturday morning in the summertime. Parents can shop for some tasty, locally grown produce and goods, get a smoothie, crepe or coffee from Hartford's stand. Then you can walk over to the beautiful wading pool directly adjacent to the market. There is usually live music playing at the bandstand. Many people are walking to the park from surrounding neighborhoods. Other's drive there. It gives you a really good feel for just how diverse the city is when it comes to different races, ethnicity's, economic situations, etc. It's a really nice scene with a good feel. Kind of like the Sesame Street episodes with little kids playing, shot in 1970's New York boroughs. I really love this place.
Forest Park streams near the Muny: Much like my last discovery, another place to get the kids cooled off in the summertime. There is a man-made stone based stream near the Muny. There is a surprising amount of water life (frogs, minnows, etc) and birds ranging from ducks to hawks to waders. There are plenty of trees for shade, and it is almost never crowded. The kids can take of their shoes, roll up their plant legs, and wade through the stream, crossing the shallow waters that flow over the huge, tiered stone structures. Definitely a great place to enjoy nature in a serene environment right in the middle of the city.
Christy Park Pedestrian Trail: Starting at Holly Hills Blvd and Christy in Boulevard Heights, you can travel south to Germania, then east to Morgan Ford, or west all the way to the Shrewsbury Metrolink stop. Again, almost never crowded, you can enjoy a leisurely pace with kids in tow. Also a great place let the kids practice on skateboards, scooters and bikes. There are hundreds of new trees that are starting to root and take shape. The cross walks at Loughborough and Germania benefit the ped, and stop traffic within seconds. It is well marked, lit and safe. I look forward to witnessing the extension from Morgan Ford east toward I-55.
Youth Bocce League at the Italian-American Bocce Club: This private club on the Hill opens their fabulously maintained bocce courts to the public for an 8-week children's league. This is a great way to get the kids out of the house on our grey winter Sundays. The games are only an hour, so no big commitment. They even have free shirts for the kids and throw a pizza party on the final week. These people are gracious and generous, and simply ask in return that the kids "work" a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for the bocce club. Very good scene.
I didn't even include the obvious choices and benefits of St. Louis like the Zoo, Arch, Science Center, City Museum, etc. Those are all great too, but almost don't require further mention.
Am I missing others?
I don't want to get into the school issues. I'd rather keep it on the bright side. Having 3 little ones 6 and under, we've recently discovered the following gems in the city. Here's why St. Louis kicks the suburb's and exurb's ass when it comes to kid friendly vibes:
The Tower Grove park wading pool and farmer's market: This is the place to take your kids on a Saturday morning in the summertime. Parents can shop for some tasty, locally grown produce and goods, get a smoothie, crepe or coffee from Hartford's stand. Then you can walk over to the beautiful wading pool directly adjacent to the market. There is usually live music playing at the bandstand. Many people are walking to the park from surrounding neighborhoods. Other's drive there. It gives you a really good feel for just how diverse the city is when it comes to different races, ethnicity's, economic situations, etc. It's a really nice scene with a good feel. Kind of like the Sesame Street episodes with little kids playing, shot in 1970's New York boroughs. I really love this place.
Forest Park streams near the Muny: Much like my last discovery, another place to get the kids cooled off in the summertime. There is a man-made stone based stream near the Muny. There is a surprising amount of water life (frogs, minnows, etc) and birds ranging from ducks to hawks to waders. There are plenty of trees for shade, and it is almost never crowded. The kids can take of their shoes, roll up their plant legs, and wade through the stream, crossing the shallow waters that flow over the huge, tiered stone structures. Definitely a great place to enjoy nature in a serene environment right in the middle of the city.
Christy Park Pedestrian Trail: Starting at Holly Hills Blvd and Christy in Boulevard Heights, you can travel south to Germania, then east to Morgan Ford, or west all the way to the Shrewsbury Metrolink stop. Again, almost never crowded, you can enjoy a leisurely pace with kids in tow. Also a great place let the kids practice on skateboards, scooters and bikes. There are hundreds of new trees that are starting to root and take shape. The cross walks at Loughborough and Germania benefit the ped, and stop traffic within seconds. It is well marked, lit and safe. I look forward to witnessing the extension from Morgan Ford east toward I-55.
Youth Bocce League at the Italian-American Bocce Club: This private club on the Hill opens their fabulously maintained bocce courts to the public for an 8-week children's league. This is a great way to get the kids out of the house on our grey winter Sundays. The games are only an hour, so no big commitment. They even have free shirts for the kids and throw a pizza party on the final week. These people are gracious and generous, and simply ask in return that the kids "work" a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for the bocce club. Very good scene.
I didn't even include the obvious choices and benefits of St. Louis like the Zoo, Arch, Science Center, City Museum, etc. Those are all great too, but almost don't require further mention.
Am I missing others?
Friday, March 7, 2008
Urban Foot Soldiers
It's great to have Steve Patterson back in town and blogging once again. I really missed his presence while he was recovering from a stroke. It made me think once again about the need for a network of like-minded people located in various neighborhoods that could cover and fight for just causes in the city.
This group could have common goals, say smart development, citizen involvement in govt. decisions, pedestrian access, safety, etc. You could do it by ward, by neighborhood, aldermanic precinct, etc.
This group could have common goals, say smart development, citizen involvement in govt. decisions, pedestrian access, safety, etc. You could do it by ward, by neighborhood, aldermanic precinct, etc.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Chicago elitists and the underdog complex
I love the underdog. That's why I get my pets from the pound. That's why I like March Madness. That's why I like independent music. That's why I don't go to chain restaurants (when given a choice). I could go on and on and on.
I like St. Louis because it's an underdog city. Many people from the metropolitan suburbs and exurbs trash talk about or openly hate the city, yet claim her namesake, cultural institutions, sports teams, nightlife and parks. I hear this all the time. People who have lived in or around St. Louis who make the decision to leave for greener pastures love to let you know why St. Louis sucks when they leave. You'll hear them say: 'Chicago is this, the East Coast is that, this place is a cow town, it's a joke, you're all a bunch of rubes, you deserve what you get'. All things I've heard or read when people who leave STL, and once probably even loved STL, say to make them feel more validated in their decision to abandon or wash their hands of STL. If I were to leave STL, I would mourn. I would openly and unabashedly mourn. I would pray for her well being and future, although I'd have no part of it in my new digs. I would never, even with all the obvious faults (lame ass govt, suburban strip malls, messed up schools, racist tension, etc) say how happy I am to leave all that shit behind. But then again, I don't like to kick a dog when it's down. I am not an elitist, and again, I like and will bet on the potential of the underdog. Even when I lose, it's more fun to bet on the underdog.
I went to undergraduate university at Southern Illinois-Carbondale in the mid-1990's Many, many people attending that Univ. are from Chicago, or more accurately ChicagoLand (sub and exurbs). I had many, many arguments with friends and acquaintances about which city was better. They always won (in their minds). But there was one point that would at least make them sway from their elitist arguments. It'd come down to Smashing Pumpkins (Chicago band) vs. Uncle Tupelo (St. Louis band). I always won (in my mind), but it was tough because no one had heard of Uncle Tupelo and Smashing Pumpkins were extremely popular at the time. But once they heard how cool and different Uncle Tupelo was, they had to at least acknowledge my argument that St. Louis was cool and more underground than the behemoth that is the Windy City.
Chicagoans are elitists. No doubt about it. They love snubbing other Midwestern cities. They think they are somehow better than us. Just talk to a Cubs fan. Delusional at best. They love comparing St. Louis and Chicago. They hammer us on vibrancy, downtown nightlife, density, culture, architecture, investment, coolness, pizza, you name it. Chicagoans love bragging about how they're better than the "cow town" to the south. I get it.
Please bare with the music fanatic while I digress: I can make an argument about how the Rolling Stones are way fucking better than a small unheard of band. As an example, let's use Pavement, one of my favorite defunct bands that 90% of the people I've met have never heard of.
Chicagoan = Rolling Stones
St. Louisian = Pavement
Chicagoan argument: "The Stones are the best band of all time after the Beatles (NYC) and maybe the Zep (Los Angeles). The best, dude! Sticky Fingers (the Loop), Gimme Shelter (the Blues), Some Girls (Second City), Beggar's Banquet (the Lake). Enough said. You can't even compare them to Pavement (STL)."
But here's the deal, and what they don't seem to understand: The Rolling Stones are fucking great. Pavement fans get it. But Pavement is more special to those that love their music. It's a more intimate and personal relationship. You are part of a club if you are a Pavement fan. If I saw someone with a Pavement shirt, I would walk across the room and make a comment about the shirt, ask them what their favorite album is and ask if they bought the new Jicks record. If I saw someone in a Stones shirt, I probably wouldn't feel compelled to strike up a conversation. After all, everyone loves the Stones, right? Can't you get a stones shirt at Target?
My point is, the underdog is sometimes way cooler than the obvious elitist or populace choice.
St. Louis lovers are definitely part of a club. And it is not a high-falootin' club. It's a humble one, like the love for a mutt.
I like St. Louis because it's an underdog city. Many people from the metropolitan suburbs and exurbs trash talk about or openly hate the city, yet claim her namesake, cultural institutions, sports teams, nightlife and parks. I hear this all the time. People who have lived in or around St. Louis who make the decision to leave for greener pastures love to let you know why St. Louis sucks when they leave. You'll hear them say: 'Chicago is this, the East Coast is that, this place is a cow town, it's a joke, you're all a bunch of rubes, you deserve what you get'. All things I've heard or read when people who leave STL, and once probably even loved STL, say to make them feel more validated in their decision to abandon or wash their hands of STL. If I were to leave STL, I would mourn. I would openly and unabashedly mourn. I would pray for her well being and future, although I'd have no part of it in my new digs. I would never, even with all the obvious faults (lame ass govt, suburban strip malls, messed up schools, racist tension, etc) say how happy I am to leave all that shit behind. But then again, I don't like to kick a dog when it's down. I am not an elitist, and again, I like and will bet on the potential of the underdog. Even when I lose, it's more fun to bet on the underdog.
I went to undergraduate university at Southern Illinois-Carbondale in the mid-1990's Many, many people attending that Univ. are from Chicago, or more accurately ChicagoLand (sub and exurbs). I had many, many arguments with friends and acquaintances about which city was better. They always won (in their minds). But there was one point that would at least make them sway from their elitist arguments. It'd come down to Smashing Pumpkins (Chicago band) vs. Uncle Tupelo (St. Louis band). I always won (in my mind), but it was tough because no one had heard of Uncle Tupelo and Smashing Pumpkins were extremely popular at the time. But once they heard how cool and different Uncle Tupelo was, they had to at least acknowledge my argument that St. Louis was cool and more underground than the behemoth that is the Windy City.
Chicagoans are elitists. No doubt about it. They love snubbing other Midwestern cities. They think they are somehow better than us. Just talk to a Cubs fan. Delusional at best. They love comparing St. Louis and Chicago. They hammer us on vibrancy, downtown nightlife, density, culture, architecture, investment, coolness, pizza, you name it. Chicagoans love bragging about how they're better than the "cow town" to the south. I get it.
Please bare with the music fanatic while I digress: I can make an argument about how the Rolling Stones are way fucking better than a small unheard of band. As an example, let's use Pavement, one of my favorite defunct bands that 90% of the people I've met have never heard of.
Chicagoan = Rolling Stones
St. Louisian = Pavement
Chicagoan argument: "The Stones are the best band of all time after the Beatles (NYC) and maybe the Zep (Los Angeles). The best, dude! Sticky Fingers (the Loop), Gimme Shelter (the Blues), Some Girls (Second City), Beggar's Banquet (the Lake). Enough said. You can't even compare them to Pavement (STL)."
But here's the deal, and what they don't seem to understand: The Rolling Stones are fucking great. Pavement fans get it. But Pavement is more special to those that love their music. It's a more intimate and personal relationship. You are part of a club if you are a Pavement fan. If I saw someone with a Pavement shirt, I would walk across the room and make a comment about the shirt, ask them what their favorite album is and ask if they bought the new Jicks record. If I saw someone in a Stones shirt, I probably wouldn't feel compelled to strike up a conversation. After all, everyone loves the Stones, right? Can't you get a stones shirt at Target?
My point is, the underdog is sometimes way cooler than the obvious elitist or populace choice.
St. Louis lovers are definitely part of a club. And it is not a high-falootin' club. It's a humble one, like the love for a mutt.
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