New York Times Article about St. Louis

The NYT likes our destination wedding choice :)

June 18, 2010
36 Hours in St. Louis
By DAN SALTZSTEIN

ST. LOUIS is more than just a Gateway to the West. The famous arch, of course, is still there, along with plenty of 19th-century architecture and an eye-opening amount of green space. But St. Louis is a lively destination in its own right, full of inviting neighborhoods, some coming out of a long decline and revitalized by public art, varied night life and restaurants that draw on the bounty of surrounding farmland and rivers. Add to that a mix of Midwestern sensibility and Southern charm, and you’ve got a city looking to the future.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) STREET LIFE

See the city’s evolution in action on Cherokee Street. Once known for their concentration of antiques shops (cherokeeantiquerow.net), the street’s brick town houses are now also home to funky cafes and stores. Highlights include Apop Records (No. 2831; 314-664-6575; apoprecords.com), which carries an impressively eclectic selection of psych pop, punk, country and jazz records. The Mud House (No. 2101; 314-776-6599; themudhousestl.com) draws a young crowd with its excellent coffee. And PhD Gallery (No. 2300; 314-664-6644; phdstl.com) features nearly 2,000 square feet of space, with works from local and regional artists, including a just-opened photo exhibition, “Beyond XY,” that explores male identity.

7 p.m.
2) SOULARD SOUL

The historic neighborhood of Soulard (pronounced SOO-lard) is one of those neighborhoods experiencing a renaissance, thanks in part to several quality restaurants. Franco (1535 South Eighth Street; 314-436-2500; eatatfranco.com), an industrial-chic bistro that opened in 2007 next to the famous Soulard farmers’ market, serves soulful takes on French bistro fare, like country-fried frogs’ legs in a red wine gravy ($9) and grilled Missouri rainbow trout in a crayfish and Cognac cream sauce ($22).

10 p.m.
3) ANALOG UNDERGROUND

Frederick’s Music Lounge, a beloved dive bar, may be gone, but its legendary owner, Fred Boettcher Jr., a k a Fred Friction, reemerged last year with a new club beneath the restaurant Iron Barley. Follow signs for “FSFU” — Fred’s Six Feet Under (5510 Virginia Avenue; 314-351-4500; www.ironbarley.com). Music venues don’t get much more intimate; the band might take up a third of the total space. Drinks are cheap, and the tunes, courtesy of local bands like the Sins of the Pioneers, and their brand of New Orleans R&B, are as unpretentious as the crowd.

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) CUPCAKES AND CANVASES

In the leafy neighborhood of Shaw, stately architecture mixes with hip spots like SweetArt (2203 South 39th Street; 314-771-4278; sweetartstl.com), a mom-and-pop bakery and art studio. Reine Bayoc (mom) makes the food, which features vegan ingredients like soy-based “facon” and “un-chicken.” Cbabi Bayoc (pop), whose colorful and playful artworks line the walls, paints in the studio in the back. Don’t leave without sampling Ms. Bayoc’s light-as-air cupcakes, which come in flavors like strawberry lemonade ($1.95 each).

10:30 a.m.
5) PERSONAL LANDSCAPE

The neighborhood is named after Henry Shaw, a botanist and philanthropist whose crowning achievement is the Missouri Botanical Garden (4344 Shaw Boulevard; 314-577-5100; garden in the nation. It covers an impressive 79 acres and includes a large Japanese garden and Mr. Shaw’s original 1850 estate home, as well as his (slightly creepy) mausoleum.

1 p.m.
6) TASTE OF MEMPHIS

St. Louis-style ribs are found on menus across the country, but it’s a Memphis-style joint (think slow-smoked meats, easy on the sauce) that seems to be the consensus favorite for barbecue in town. Just survey the best-of awards that decorate the walls at Pappy’s Smokehouse (3106 Olive Street; 314-535-4340; pappyssmokehouse.com). Crowds line up for heaping plates of meat and sides, served in an unassuming space (while you wait, take a peek at the smoker parked out back on a side street). The ribs ($12.99 for a half slab) and pulled pork ($8.99 for a regular platter) are pretty good, but the winners might be the sides — bright and tangy slaw and deep-fried corn on the cob ($1.75 each).

2:30 p.m.
7) OUTSIDE ART

The new jewel of downtown St. Louis is Citygarden (citygardenstl.org), a sculpture park the city opened last summer, framed by the old courthouse on one side and the arch on the other. The oversize public art, by boldface names like Mark di Suvero and Keith Haring, are terrific, but the real genius of the garden’s layout is that it reflects the landscape of the St. Louis area: an arcing wall of local limestone, for instance, echoes the bends of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

4 p.m.
8) GREEN DAY

St. Louis boasts 105 city-run parks, but none rivals Forest Park (stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/parks/forestpark), which covers more than 1,200 acres smack in the heart of the city. It opened in 1876, but it was the 1904 World’s Fair that made it a world-class public space, spawning comely buildings like the Palace of Fine Art, which now houses the Saint Louis Art Museum. In 2002, a $3.5 million renovation of the Jewel Box, a towering, contemporary-looking greenhouse dating back to 1936, gave it an extra sheen. Rent a bike from the visitor’s center (314-367-7275; weekends only, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; $30 per person per day) and just meander.

8 p.m.
9) MIDWEST BOUNTY

Locavore fever has hit St. Louis. Leading the pack may be Local Harvest Cafe and Catering (3137 Morgan Ford Road; 314-772-8815; localharvestcafe.com), a mellow spot in the Tower Grove neighborhood that’s a spinoff of an organic grocery store across the street. A chalkboard menu lists all the local products featured that day, including items like honey and peanut butter. On Saturday nights, Clara Moore, the chef, creates a four-course menu ($48) based on what’s fresh at the farms and markets that morning. The menu recently included a light vegetarian cassoulet, with beer pairings from local producers like Tin Mill Brewery.

10 p.m.
10) ROYALE TREATMENT

Tower Grove is also home to a handful of fine watering holes, including the Royale (3132 South Kingshighway; 314-772-3600; theroyale.com), where an Art Deco-style bar of blond wood and glass is accompanied by old photos of political leaders (John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., the late Missouri governor Mel Carnahan). But it’s the extensive cocktail list, with drinks named after city neighborhoods like the Carondelet Sazerac ($8), and a backyard patio that keep the aficionados coming.

Sunday

10 a.m.
11) THE HOME TEAM

Take a number for one of the small, worn wooden tables at Winslow’s Home (7211 Delmar Boulevard; 314-725-7559; winslowshome.com). It’s more than just a pleasant place for brunch; it doubles as a general store that carries groceries, dry goods and kitchen items like stainless steel olive oil dispensers ($16). When it’s time to order, try the brioche French toast with caramelized bananas ($4). It’s worth the wait.

Noon
12) ART CLASS

Washington University gets high marks for its academics. But the campus, with its rolling green hills and grand halls, is also home to terrific contemporary art. The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum (1 Brookings Drive; 314-935-4523; kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu; free admission), designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki, is charmingly cramped and vaguely organized by theme — so you’ll find a Jackson Pollock cheek by jowl with a 19th-century portrait of Daniel Boone. You’ll also find ambitious contemporary art exhibitions curated by Wash U faculty. Like much of St. Louis, the Kemper may not be flashy, but it’s full of gems.

IF YOU GO

American Airlines flies nonstop from La Guardia to Lambert International Airport in St. Louis. A recent online search found round-trip fares in July starting at about $300. The city has a fairly extensive public transportation system (metrostlouis.org), though a car is recommended for more out-of-the-way destinations.

Part of the rejuvenated Delmar Loop, the Moonrise Hotel (6177 Delmar Boulevard; 314-721-1111; moonrisehotel.com) offers a pleasant boutique vibe and a central location. Service is friendly, rooms are comfortable, and parking is plentiful. There’s also a restaurant, Eclipse, and a rooftop bar. Standard rooms start at about $170.

The Four Seasons in downtown St. Louis (999 North 2nd Street; 314-881-5800; fourseasons.com/stlouis) opened in 2008, part of a striking riverside complex that also includes the Lumière Place casino and hotel. Standard rooms start at $280; expect to pay more for views of the arch.

Logistics for the wedding

Our invitations will be mailed out soon, but just in case you are wondering.

-Wedding will be at 6pm on Sunday evening at the City Museum.

The address is:
701 North 15th St.
St. Louis, MO 63103

- Jason and I will be providing transportation from the hotels to the wedding venue and back to make it easier for all of you on Sunday (please see my post from May about hotels with wedding blocks).

- There will also be festivities on Saturday night to be determined soon so please plan to join us on Saturday too!

Registries

Hi friends and family,

Your presence on our wedding day is all we care about, but we have been asked about where we are registered, so I thought I would write a post about that too.

We are currently in the process of renovating our new house, which we will be moving into next month (yes we are crazy). That may explain some of the items on our registries and may lead to a registry at Home Depot, where we are spending a LOT of time these days.

We have registries at:

Bed, Bath and Beyond

Williams Sonoma

What to do in St. Louis

St. Louis (my birthplace) is the hot, new wedding destination. Okay maybe not. Since sending out the Save the Date cards, I have discovered that many of you have never been to St. Louis or even the state of Missouri. After getting over the initial shock, I realized that it might be helpful to give you some ideas of things to do while in St. Louis for our wedding.

Even though I only lived in St. Louis for my first 7 months, my parents faithfully took my sisters and me back to their hometown every summer and every holiday season for weeks at a time. I realized that I've actually spent quite a lot of time in the city, so here are my recommendations of things to do.

Forest Park Attractions:

Forest Park is right next to the Chase Park Plaza and Parkway hotels.
Forest Park is a 112 acre park in St. Louis (close to the Chase Park Plaza and Parkway hotels). It was the site of the 1904 World Fair and some of the attractions built for the fair are still there today. The World's Fair Pavillon is still there.

The park is also a great place for exercise with lots of trails for walking and running. It also has a golf course, basketball courts etc.

St. Louis Zoo: The St. Louis zoo is free to the public. It is one hundred years old this year and is definitely my favorite zoo and also the one I have visited the most times.

St. Louis Art Museum: The St. Louis Art Museum is also very old and free to the public, aside from the special exhibitions. http://www.slam.org/

St. Louis History Musuem: I don't know much about this but it is free and in the park.

Muny Opera: This oudoor venue has performances in the summer and offers $9 bleacher (i think) seats for perfomances. It looks like Footloose will be the performace the week of our wedding.

Boathouse: The Boathouse has a popular restaurant and a nice view of the park. It has rental paddle boats.

Downtown Attractions:

Arch: The arch is downtown right on the Mississippi riverfront. You can ride up to the top of the arch and look out the windows at the top. You can actually feel it swaying at the top (not good for those of you afraid of heights). Expect to wait in line to get to the top. The movie about the construction of the arch is also very cool if slightly dated. There is also a history museum at the base of the arch.

Busch Stadium: The Cardinals are not in town but I think you can still go to Busch stadium to see it if you want.

City Garden: I haven't been here yet, but I've heard great things about this new children's sculpture garden downtown. It includes a water play area so bring your suits!

The Loop:

University City has a section called the Loop that has 140 shops and restaurants in a six block area.

Fitz's Rootbeer Bottling Company is a fun restaurant in the Loop. The food is pretty good and it is really fun to see them making the delicious rootbeer, cream soda and other soda flavors. The rootbeer floats are a treat!

Things to do with school aged kids:

Science Center: The Science Center is very cool and general admission is free. They have an IMAX theater and lots of neat exhibits.

Magic House: The Magic House is another great place for kids in St. Louis. You do have to pay $8.75 admission to this museum.

Grant's Farm: Grant's Farm, a property of the Busch family, and formerly the farm of President Grant has over 1000 animals representing over 100 species. Admission to Grant's Farm is free.

Hopefully this is helpful. Let me know if you have any questions!

Where to stay in St. Louis

Hi friends and family. I wanted to share information about where to stay in St. Louis. We have set up wedding blocks at 3 different hotels in St. Louis to give you plenty of options. Two of the hotels are a few blocks apart in the Central West End of St. Louis near Forest Park, and one is located downtown near the Convention Center. I'll try to describe each of them in a bit more detail to help you make your decision.

1. Chase Park Plaza

http://www.chaseparkplaza.com/

Jason and I will be staying here.

Hotel and Neighborhood: This is a historic hotel in the Central West End of St. Louis. It is right next to Forest Park, which is almost 1300 acres (500 acres larger than NYC's Central Park). Forest Park offers lots to do inlcuding: the zoo, the art museum, the history museum, a public golf course, running trails and many other attractions (stay tuned for a post of things to do in St. Louis). The Central West End has lots shops and restaurants, and Straub’s, a gourmet grocery store, is right next door. This hotel is not within walking distance of the City Museum (wedding venue) but is about a ten minute drive. It has a nice outdoor pool, an exercise facility and a salon/spa. It also has its own five screen movie theater.

Reservations and Rates: The Chase has a wedding block under Wurth-Bulluck. You can call 1-877-587-2427 or 314-633-3000 and ask for group reservations to make your reservation here. The special rates are $139 for a standard room and $159 for a one bedroom suite, which has a pull out couch. Please note that you must make your reservation here before July 8, 2010.

Transportation: St. Louis has a light rail called the Metrolink, which runs from both terminals of Lambert Airport. The metrolink stop closest to the Chase Park Plaza is called Central West End. The Central West End station is about 0.5 miles from the Chase. To get from the Central West End station to the Chase, walk North on Euclid toward Children’s Pl. and then turn left on Lindell. The hotel is on the corner of Lindell and Kingshighway. The address is 212 North Kingshighway Boulevard.

2. The Parkway Hotel

http://www.theparkwayhotel.com/

Hotel and Neighborhood: The Parkway is also located in the Central West End just a few blocks from the Chase Park Plaza. It is also located near Forest Park and many shops and restaurants (see description of neighborhood in the description of the Chase). It has a gym. The hotel does NOT have a pool. It is not walking distance to the City Museum, but is only a 10 minute drive.

Reservations and Rates: The Parkway also has a wedding block under Wurth-Bulluck. You can call 314-256-7777 to make a reservation. The block rate at this hotel is $115 and this includes a hot breakfast. To get the block rate here, reservations must be made by July 3, 2010.

Transportation: The Parkway has a free shuttle that runs from 6:00 am to 9:30 pm within five miles of the hotel. You can schedule use of the shuttle or walk up and use it on the half hour.The Parkway is only two blocks from the Central West End Metro. To get to the hotel from the metrolink station, head north on Euclid to Forest Park and turn right. The Parkway is located at 4550 Forest Park Avenue.

3. Marriott Renaissance

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/stldt-renaissance-st-louis-grand-and-suites-hotel

This historic hotel is in downtown St. Louis, close to the Convention Center. It is about 8 city blocks from the City Museum (wedding venue) but a ten minute drive to the Chase Park Plaza and Parkway hotesl, so it is less central to the other festivities. The Mississippi River, the Arch, Busch Stadium, the sculpture park and many other downtown attractions are all closer to this hotel. This hotel has a gym and a small indoor pool. There are shops and restaurants in the area around this hotel.

Reservations and Rates: The wedding block rate at this hotel is $129. They do not have any suites at this hotel. Call 314-621-9600 to make reservations. The block rate will be available until July 16, 2010.

Transportation: The metrolink runs from both terminals of Lambert Airport to the Convention Center station. This hotel is about two blocks from the Convention Center Metrolink Station. To walk from the station to the hotel, head west on Washington Ave. from 6th St. to 8th St. You will see the Renaissance to your left. The address is 800 Washington Avenue.