Friday, March 28, 2008

See the City...

I have had to spend some time in St. Louis the last two days visiting people for my job doing collegiate ministry for the Missouri Baptist Convention.
I had lunch in O'Fallon on the far western part of the metro area (called the West Plex) that has developed significantly since I lived in STL in the early 90s.
Spent time at UMSL/Ferguson (North County).
Had dinner in Hazelwood (also North County).
Spent the night in Soulard (in the city, not too far from Downtown, down the street from Busch Stadium).
Visited my alma mater, Saint Louis University in the midtown area. (Notice how I spelled out Saint Louis, that is the proper way to do it). My college has changed alot since I graduated (1988). It is very nice. I would venture that it is one of the coolest urban college campuses in the midwest.
Had lunch in Clayton, this was after a drive through my old neighborhood Dogtown. It is funny about Dogtown. It is becoming a chic neighborhood, a lot of "hipsters" are moving in and building lofts and townhouses. My old block is comprised of old dilapidated houses and $300,000 townhomes. Dogtown used to be a rough, lower middle class neighborhood. It had and still has a lot of character. Fun place to be from. Everybody knows where it is now, but they didn't 25 years ago.
Drove past some old stomping grounds in southtown (Dutchtown).
I now type this from a coffee house on The Hill, and old Italian neighborhood that has more Italian restaurants per capita than anyplace in the world except Italy.
I am heading to South County later and will end up back in Hazelwood. St. Louis is a very diverse town that is spread out all over the place.
And again, it is not in Missour-ah, it is in Missour-ee.
And please, natives, quit calling it "the Loo." To the British that means the toilet (although there are parts of town...)

1 comment:

The MAN Fan Club said...

You were in that bank converted into a coffee house. Right down the street from Rigazzis and Ameghettis. Mmmm, The Hill.

I like the 1904 World's Fair and the Dogtown connection.