Going to a Game?

[chy1127]

This may be the year I finally get to St. Louis. I was hoping the Blues would play the Flyers on a Rams home weekend but that isn't going to happen. Problem is convincing my wife to go to St. Louis vs. Florida, Italy, etc. Where to stay and what to do will be primary challenges. So, those St. Louis guys, I drove through 1 time on way to Law School, can maybe tell me where I should stay for a game and what else to do. We are planning Friday-Monday. Thanks in advance.

 

[Smart]

Here's a copy and paste of my post from a St. Louis travel thread earlier this year. I have some more tips now (and I actually disagree with some of the stuff I typed), but I am too tired/congested to amend it tonight. Let me know if you have any specific preferences (food, leisure, etc.), and i'll expand tomorrow:

Alright, St. Louis is really three cities in one. The city is entirely segregated. North of Delmar is the Black part of town, and it is scary. DO NOT GO HERE. South of Highway 64 is the bad White part of town. Once again, DO NOT GO HERE, with the possible exception of Soulard.

The nice part of St. Louis can be found by drawing a map straight west of Downtown. The cool areas in St. Louis are Downtown, Midtown, Central West End, Forest Park, The Delmar Loop, and Clayton.

The hip Downtown area is Washington Avenue, which is full of a bunch of bars and is probably the nightlife capital of the city. As people here know, I tend to hate nightlife and I rarely hang out Downtown. The City Museum in Downtown West a really cool place. It's name is misleading, as it is more of a huge playground than a museum. I wouldn't recommend it on a Romantic Weekend, but it is probably my #1 pick for family activities in the city. The rest of Downtown is more or less dead. Union Station is a beautiful structure, but is surrounded by homeless hotels that limit the appeal. The area by the river has a ton of hotels and some good restaurant, but is pretty crappy as Downtowns go. Busch Stadium is a must see during baseball season. The Jefferson Memorial and the Arch are something you should see in the city, definitely and River cruises are nice in the summer. On the whole, it isn;t a great Downtown.

Midtown is the location of SLU, and is also home to the Symphony Orchestra (one of the best in the country) and the Fabulous Fox Theater, the nicest in the city. If you like Symphony Orchestra or Theater, these should be seen. Pappy's, the most famous and respected BBQ restaurant in the city is here, and is worth every bit of the 30+ minute wait which is there.

CWE is where the big hospitals are, and Euclid Street is the see and be seen street for the city. Braisserie by Niche is the "it" restaurant in the city, and will run you much less than the elite restaurants in other cities. Chi Sushi Sake, Kampai Sushi, Little Saigon Cafe, and Thai 202 are all good Asian restaurants. Also, the Coffee Cartel (open 24-7) and Pi Pizza (Barack's favorite pizza place) are insanely popular for good reason. The only reason to leave Euclid Street in the CWE is to go to the Cathedral Basilica, which is one of the most beautiful and largest churches in the United States.

Forest Park is a huge park just west of the Central West End, home to a ton of museums. I've been to SLAM (art museum), which is extremely solid. The Zoo is right behind it, and is as nice of a free zoo as you'll find anywhere. I haven't been to the History Museum, which is also there or the Science Center, but i've heard good things about both. The Park itself, though, is a better attraction than any museum. It is almost twice as big as Central Park, and has gorgeous areas throughout such as the Grand Basin, Muny, and other areas. I personally don't think a trip to St. Louis is complete without a trip to Forest Park. It's really the gem of the city, and is the best urban park I have seen (nicer than Central Park in NY or Millennium/Grant Park in my hometown Chicago). Also, just North of the park is Lindell Boulevard, which is lined with beautiful old money houses, and is probably the nicest drive in the city.

Just west of the park is Wash U and The Loop. I'm biased, but I really think our campus is among the most beautiful in the country and is worth a walk. The buildings are a tiny bit monotonous for my taste, but it is the closest thing to walking through an old English university in the US. The Delmar Loop is the commercial stretch just north of there. It's home to a lot of funky shops (Vintage Vinyl and the like), and has a bunch of good collegey restaurants. Blueberry Hill (home of Chuck Berry) and Fitz's (Home of Root Beer) are two solid tourist trap restaurants. Cicero's, with its giant beer selection and solid St. Louis style pizzas, is my go-to restaurant here and they have a nice concert venue. Hookah bars are also really popular, though my conservative self hates that. It's a little dingy, but this seven or eight block stretch is pretty awesome.

Clayton is the suburb just west of the city, which is really turning into the city's main Downtown. It is very safe and is a nice place to stay. There are some business restaurants (read: Steakhouses), but the major reason to go here is that it is a safe place to stay at a decent price, with the rest of the city accessible.

Just a few more notes:

- Soulard is a very nice neighborhood south of Downtown, which I unfortunately don't know enough about. The market is great. There are some excellent bars and great restaurants. As someone who lacks a car and has only been here 3-4 times, i'm not sure what else I can say.

- The Hill is an area south of the park which is the city's Little Italy. Go for a meal if you like Italian food, as it is great. Beyond that, there isn't much to see here.

- The most famous brewery tours in the city are Budweiser's and Schlafly's. I haven't done either, but both are supposedly nice.

- Public transit in St. Louis is pretty bad. The Metrolink will get you to any of the areas west of Downtown. It is safer than it's reputation, but still will have some shady figures, particularly on the Red Line.

- Once again, St. Louis is NOT a wandering city. Do NOT leave these areas. The city does a good job of patrolling the nice areas, but if you leave them by a few blocks, you can be in legitimately awful areas. If you find yourself alone, you want to go back to the beaten path.

If you need anything else, just ask.

 

[chy1127]

I have seen Rams 3 times in Philly. Best 2001 20-17 OT win. Worst 38-31 loss when Kurt, Ike, Marshall, Holt etc. played 1 series as the best record was sealed. Only game in Eagles history where fans showed class as Vermeil cheered. Every one else, including Santa, booed. I was almost killed at the 1999 game as ! was dumb enough to wear a Rams pin on my coat. 1 very lage drunk fan was about to beat me to a pulp when his wife stepped in. She was smacking him around for giving me shit for wear a tiny pin that was barely exposed. Dude had no idea what to do as everyone was laughing at him. Needless to say, I di not get my ass beat that day! I do go to 2-3 Eagles games as they are our local team. My 17 year old step son is a Giants fan so I would consider a game there if it happens.

 

[mutigers1fan]

Pappy's Smokehouse. I don't care what you do that's the place you HAVE to go. It's a dry rub, but they're the best ribs I've ever had. Also get Italian somewhere, there's a plethora of places that are all excellent. Pretty much just look around on the hill and see what catches your eye. One of my personal favorites is Cunetto House of Pasta, the Cannelloni Bianco great as is the calamari. Make sure to get toasted raviolis while you're in town too. If you'd like a little glimpse at the life of South County kids like myself(which I'd suggest) Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard is sworn by the majority of the SoCo population. It's not far from downtown either and is a great dessert.

I agree with what Smart said about Forrest Park, its a great attraction that the wife will love especially. It just might be the selling point you need to convince her. The arch is the tallest man-made memorial in the country(somehow Mt Rushmore doesn't count) and is cool to go up, the arch ground is really pretty so I'd suggest swinging by. Smart also mentioned the City Museum and he's right, there's not much museum to it, it's really cool though. The Zoo is really nice too, especially considering its 100% funded by tax dollars.

I also have never done the tour of the Budweiser brewery, but it's the largest brewery in the nation(1 line packages 1950 12oz and 1650 16oz cans per minute). Best of all you get 2 free beers at the end of it! The Fitz's Rootbeer factory/restaurant is also a local favorite. I would also make sure to check out the statue's of the Cardinal Hall of Famer's outside Busch Stadium III.

My suggestion is to rent a car while you're here as you'll want to drive around. It's not really a walking city. It's pretty spread out and as long as you are in a car and it's moving you're safe. The city really isn't dangerous as long as you know the specific places not to go. If you accidentally find yourself crossing the river turn around and come back. You do not want to be on the Illinois side, its much more dangerous than anything on our side. I'd also suggest staying at the Millenium Hotel. It's the giant circular building, the top floor is a revolving restaurant which is pretty cool. If not the Millenium the 2nd choice would probably be the Hilton at the Ballpark, its obviously really nice. It has a bar/restaurant on the main floor that I've walked through dozens of times but never actually eaten at. I can't say anything about it other than it has some really cool murals of Stan the Man. It also has an Imo's Pizza on that floor which is a local favorite, it uses provel cheese which Ed Imo actually invented for his pizza.

If you have any other questions let me know. There's a lot to do there and a lot of hidden gems.

 

[chy1127]

So far so good, Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[zeke2829]

I have seen Rams 3 times in Philly. Worst 38-31 loss when Kurt, Ike, Marshall, Holt etc. played 1 series as the best record was sealed. Only game in Eagles history where fans showed class as Vermeil cheered. Every one else, including Santa, booed. I was almost killed at the 1999 game as ! was dumb enough to wear a Rams pin on my coat.

wow.....I was at that game as well. and yes I wore a RAM jersey. They were throwing coins at me and chanting "azz hooooole.....azz hoooooole" every time I got up. Pretty scary. The only that saved me was a cop that kept looking our direction everytime the crowd got crazy. Those fans are RUthless. If I remember correctly that was the year Donovan McNabb was a rookie.

 

[chy1127]

I have seen Rams 3 times in Philly. Worst 38-31 loss when Kurt, Ike, Marshall, Holt etc. played 1 series as the best record was sealed. Only game in Eagles history where fans showed class as Vermeil cheered. Every one else, including Santa, booed. I was almost killed at the 1999 game as ! was dumb enough to wear a Rams pin on my coat.

wow.....I was at that game as well. and yes I wore a RAM jersey. They were throwing coins at me and chanting "azz hooooole.....azz hoooooole" every time I got up. Pretty scary. The only that saved me was a cop that kept looking our direction everytime the crowd got crazy. Those fans are RUthless. If I remember correctly that was the year Donovan McNabb was a rookie.

Any opponents jersey in Philly, I am impressed. You must be either
1. A big guy that can handle himself
2. A crazy guy
3. A big and crazy guy

 

[bluepigpen]

Hey guys, I have never been to St Louis, but reading this will make me make that trip. I going to make the plans for next season. My sister is on the river in Kansas so it takes care of two stops.

 

[Retroram52]

Blue we should plan on going to the Rams-Cards game on December 8 here in Phoenix like we have been talking about for the last umpteen years. I know there are a couple other posters here in Phoenix that we could make a pretty good splash at the game.

 

[UnrealTerm04]

Pappy's Smokehouse. I don't care what you do that's the place you HAVE to go. It's a dry rub, but they're the best ribs I've ever had. Also get Italian somewhere, there's a plethora of places that are all excellent. Pretty much just look around on the hill and see what catches your eye. One of my personal favorites is Cunetto House of Pasta, the Cannelloni Bianco great as is the calamari. Make sure to get toasted raviolis while you're in town too. If you'd like a little glimpse at the life of South County kids like myself(which I'd suggest) Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard is sworn by the majority of the SoCo population. It's not far from downtown either and is a great dessert.

I agree with what Smart said about Forrest Park, its a great attraction that the wife will love especially. It just might be the selling point you need to convince her. The arch is the tallest man-made memorial in the country(somehow Mt Rushmore doesn't count) and is cool to go up, the arch ground is really pretty so I'd suggest swinging by. Smart also mentioned the City Museum and he's right, there's not much museum to it, it's really cool though. The Zoo is really nice too, especially considering its 100% funded by tax dollars.

I also have never done the tour of the Budweiser brewery, but it's the largest brewery in the nation(1 line packages 1950 12oz and 1650 16oz cans per minute). Best of all you get 2 free beers at the end of it! The Fitz's Rootbeer factory/restaurant is also a local favorite. I would also make sure to check out the statue's of the Cardinal Hall of Famer's outside Busch Stadium III.

My suggestion is to rent a car while you're here as you'll want to drive around. It's not really a walking city. It's pretty spread out and as long as you are in a car and it's moving you're safe. The city really isn't dangerous as long as you know the specific places not to go. If you accidentally find yourself crossing the river turn around and come back. You do not want to be on the Illinois side, its much more dangerous than anything on our side. I'd also suggest staying at the Millenium Hotel. It's the giant circular building, the top floor is a revolving restaurant which is pretty cool. If not the Millenium the 2nd choice would probably be the Hilton at the Ballpark, its obviously really nice. It has a bar/restaurant on the main floor that I've walked through dozens of times but never actually eaten at. I can't say anything about it other than it has some really cool murals of Stan the Man. It also has an Imo's Pizza on that floor which is a local favorite, it uses provel cheese which Ed Imo actually invented for his pizza.

If you have any other questions let me know. There's a lot to do there and a lot of hidden gems.

Pappys? Really!!! Gawd that place is terrible! Real BBQ, go to Route66 in Brentwood or down south to The Branding Iron. I hate Pappy's.

Hodak's is also a good place to eat and so is The Best Steakhouse across from the Fox theater. There is also a great mexican restaurant in Soulard that is delicious.

I've never been to the brewery... which is a shame because I live in the area. I'd recommend going to the Arch grounds and definitely take the tram to the top and gaze upon the city of St. Louis which truly is the Gateway to the west.. the best city in the country! Also, schedule a ride on the Becky Thatcher which sails up and down the Mississippi.

 

[mutigers1fan]

Shane, I would say if you're looking for a smokehouse it has to be Pappy's or Bogart's.

 

[UnrealTerm04]

Shane, I would say if you're looking for a smokehouse it has to be Pappy's or Bogart's.

I like Bogarts. Pappys, not so much.