The New New Old Rock House

Something amazing is happening in St Louis. Within the past few months we've gone from a city that many of the hottest bands seemingly avoid at all costs, to an unfettered hotbed of scheduled live shows. Now before you start checking TicketMaster for that Color Me Badd reunion tour you've been pining for, let's set some guidelines on what constitutes a "hot" band. First of all, I must like them. I mean, if I didn't this would be the worlds second most boring post right after this actual post. Secondly, they must have some sort of Independent Music buzz - the kind of bands that sell out small to mid-range venues like the Metro in Chicago. Thirdly, they can't be Jay-Z. You see, these aren't the types of bands you'd hear on the radio. Occasionally you'll catch one on Letterman, making their television debut, but they get most of their exposure from webmag's like Pitchfork and by general word-of-mouth.

Anyway, St. Louis often gets skipped by these types of bands. Two of the reasons are that so few people live downtown where most of the venues (Off Broadway, The Firebird) are located, that it's hard to bid on a popular band fearing a low draw. And, second, much of these band's target audience live in college towns. Sure, both Wash U and SLU pull in some great shows, but not the caliber or draw power of a band like, say, Midlake. Well, suddenly, that's all changed. There is a new venue muscling it's way onto the scene and it's name is Old Rock House (ORH).

It began with We Were Promised Jetpacks (WWPJ), a band all the way from Scotland, who's debut album was a real highlight for me last year. I kept searching the computer screen for some venue name that wasn't Old Rock House, but sure enough, on March 15, that is where they are playing. I thought it was an odd choice for WWPJ, but I'd enjoy seeing a band in a different venue. After all, I'd had drinks at ORH before and I found it to be an enjoyable experience. Then came a shocker...

Frightened Rabbit! A band (also coincidentally from Scotland) that is responsible for one of my fave albums of the past 5 years was playing in St Louis. And they were playing at ORH!?!? Frightened Rabbit had, just a year ago, shut me out from two shows in Chicago which sold out almost as quickly as they went on sale and now they were playing at a place that I recently considered "just a bar." It didn't stop there. Not long after that, the aforementioned and well regarded Texas Indie band, Midlake, booked there. Suddenly I realized what I was dealing with here is a NEW Old Rock House.

And that's where my boring music rant takes an interesting turn... Apparently, this new Old Rock House is new in another way too. Yes, there was originally another and very famous Old Rock House that previously stood near what is now the stairs going up from the river to the Arch. This older Old Rock House was one of the original stone buildings in St Louis. Built in 1818 out of rubble-stone by Manuel Lisa, the Old Rock House was originally a fur trade post at the corner of Chestnut and the river levy. It's most famous, however, for being the absolute best place on the Mississippi river to get a hangover and probably a few STD's.

In 1880 Old Rock House was turned into a saloon where one could enjoy a nice Ramos Gin Fizz with anyone from the riverboat captains to Mark Twain himself. It was a favorite of millionaires and warehouse workers alike. At some point during this time a mansard roof was added which gave it, as you can see in the pictures, a very unique, dare I say, awesomely ugly design. This addition gave the owners enough room to let their patrons rent a bed for the night, presumably so as not to drink and ride horseback.

Of course, the original old neighborhood fell on hard times as Mark Twain and horses were replaced by Ryan Seacrest and trains. With city planners looking for a way to clear an area they thought was a blight, plans for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial were drafted. Land and old buildings were soon bought up for clearing and demolition. Only three buildings were to be saved - the Old Cathedral, the Old Courthouse and, yes, the Old Rock House. I assume back then the first two were just called "Cathedral" and "Courthouse," otherwise, it seems to me it would be ridiculously easy to save your building by adding "Old" to the front of the name. Interestingly, it was reported that Franklin Roosevelt himself requested that the Old Rock House be saved. I knew that guy could party.

It wasn't until 1947 that submissions were taken for what the memorial itself would be. All the committee members agreed that Eero Saarinen, indeed, had the coolest name and should be awarded first place. Luckily, he had designed what we now know as the Arch. "But wait a second... I've been to St Louis and seen the Old Courthouse and Old Cathedral, but there is no Old Rock House on the Arch grounds." Yeah, well that's not the only thing that was supposed to be on the Arch Grounds... See Saarinen's 2nd draft below.

There are all sorts of things on this drawing that aren't on the Arch grounds; Frontier Village, Tea Pavilion, restaurants, even a TJ Maxx if I'm reading that map right. And what's that? Yep, the original design called for the Old Rock House to be the entrance into the Arch. Pretty sweet if you ask me. Unfortunately, as plans to begin construction edged closer, another issue appeared - Old Man Railroad (not be confused with buildings starting with "Old" referenced earlier in this post). At the time the country still relied heavily on railroads and the Old Rock House stood right in the path of least resistance. Congress refused to grant the building funds until the issue was resolved and boom went the dynamite.

Well, not literally. Actually the Old Rock House was dismantled with the promise of rebuilding at another site. The public, satisfied with getting a brand new shiny Arch, never questioned it and, slowly, it's memory faded. In 1965 an article ran reporting that more than half of the presumably stored Old Rock House was missing. Project leaders thought that only the original parts of the building were worth saving so they discarded anything that was added on in subsequent years. Pile on the fact that reconstruction was never budgeted and you have a recipe for Old Rock House failure.

As for where pieces of the Old Rock House now rest, there are apparently a few stones stored openly in the Old Courthouse, but after that there isn't much to go on. It's likely lost forever. Or is it???

Well, yes, it is. But now there's the New Old Rock House. Or, wait, the New New Old Rock House (NNORH). While I'm sure the owners of the NNORH probably use the name as a tribute to St Louis' drinking establishment past, I'm surprised not to find any history on their website about the original bar. I think that's bullshit... Ahhh, who am I kidding. I can't stay mad at you NNORH. You're making my band seeing dreams come true and I couldn't be happier to be seeing them in a place I'll try to pretend has a bed I can't rent upstairs.

Before this post ends, I'd like to to touch on all the historic building stock St Louis lost to the Arch grounds. Block upon block was razed with the Eads Bridge the only thing saving Laclede's Landing from a similar fate. Imagine a whole riverfront neighborhood with original cobblestone streets like the Landing. I imagine it would remind people a bit of the French Quarter in New Orleans. While the Arch may define us as a city, I can't help but consider the cost. Check out these sites for pictures and information about the Old Rock House and this lost part of the city. I gathered all of my info there.

Coincidentally, this year marks an impasse for the monument. Poor original design of the interstate system has cut downtown off from the Arch and Mississippi River for decades and the park surrounding the Arch is rarely used. After years of public input there is a new competition taking place to design a new park around the base of the monument that matches the Arch's grandeur. As designs are being slowly whittled down, there has been no word yet on what the best include, but most interested community members are hoping for a connection with downtown again. Completion of the project is due in 2015. Damn it, I hate when my posts get all serious.

EMERGENCY POST!

beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. This is an emergency post from the Arch Observer emergency weird beard shaving broadcasting system. This is, in fact, a real emergency. In the event there wasn't one you'd wonder why they make this drag on and then before it's finally over do one more long, loud beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. Luckily, as I said before, this is a real emergency and since I've never heard what a real one sounds like, I'll just assume a dude comes on and says, "Look, we're all gonna die. Here are the secrets we, the government, have been keeping from you. Secret #1: There is no Delaware - We made it up. Secret #2: Benjamin Franklin invented casual Friday's so we could figure out who the weirdos in the office were. Secret #3..." And on and on.

Anyway, sorry about the emergency. I had a work-related picture taking today and I needed to shave for it. Since I have no time left today to write a proper Arch Observer post, I'm going to use my short time to put out a missing water containers report.

Last Saturday I was at another sellout Arch Rival Roller Girls bout. It was at this M-80's vs Smashinista's bout (full disclosure: I bench coach for the Smashies) when I lost my dear 3-year-old, white Sigg water bottle. I only set it down for a moment and then, poof, it was gone like Kaiser Soze. Well, needless to say I feel like I've lost a part of me. Specifically, the part of me I drink out of.

Here's a picture from Kaboodle that suspiciously looks exactly like *my* Sigg bottle. Interestingly, if you go to that page and click to buy, the item is not found. There is something very strange going on and it's got Kaboodle written all over it. I wonder if -

AMBER ALERT: Reported abduction of a Sigg bottle. Last seen sitting atop the M-80's bench. The bottle is white, has multiple large dents and is called, but will not respond to the name Dolton. If you see this bottle please contact ArchObserver.com immediately.

Seriously. I'm drinking out a glass here...

Missouri Mails You Things

This isn't one of those fun, care-free, sterilized for your protection type posts you're used to from Arch Observer. No, this one poison-tipped. How does one poison-tip a blog post? Dip a corner of the computer you're typing on in whatever large vat of poison you have lying around the house. What's the point? I don't really know. It seemed very vindictive at the time. I wouldn't recommend trying it though. All it did was make it so I can't type the "^" symbol (the real symbol I can't use was replaced by this one for safety's sake) and the contact with my computer has ruined a perfectly good vat of poison. I should have just written this to "Every Rose Has It's Thorn." Anyway, this hastily sorta-poisoned post is aimed towards you, Missouri Department Of Revenue!

Purchasing a new car can be a stressful situation for many people. Not so for me. Doing a ton of homework before a big decision is sort of "my thing." I go in knowing as much as there is to know and there was no exception when I decided on ditching my older, larger, nicer car for more of a city-optimal small car. When all was said and done I chose to go with a Volkswagen Rabbit. It fit all of my pre-purchase needs; It needed to be small, a good value, have an auxiliary jack for the iPod and drive reasonably well. It even came with a bonus Donnie Darko inspired nickname: Frank. Well, it didn't come with it. I added it on.

All my mindless research and back and forth with dealerships led me to Sunset Ford out on Gravois Rd in St Louis County. The used VW Rabbit they had on the lot completely fit all my categories of want and even looked like a Frank. I was helped by an excellent representative by the name of Derrick Wood. Derrick is the internet sales manager and could not have been any nicer or straight forward. We worked out a price over email and the phone before I even saw the car.

It was seriously the finest car buying experience I've had and I can go on and on, but that not at all what this post is about. Buying the car was what led me to discovering a slightly strange fact about Missouri law. Before we get into this let's hop in my Delorean time machine (I don't use it as a day-to-day car), punch in one year ago this month, get this baby up to 88 mph, and get in line with 1-year-younger me at the St Louis BMV. That was where a very nice lady handed me a letter and instructed me to send it to the lien holder for my car. The letter instructed my lien holder, GMAC, to kindly send the title of the car to the Missouri Department of Revenue. I found this strange considering that every other state I've lived in doesn't ask for this. Feeling a little off about it, I asked her to clarify. Yes, in the state of Missouri the lien holder does not get to keep the title. Satisfied with the answer, I left it at that. I send the letter... GMAC sends them the title... Whatever.

Oh no! It's 10:03 pm! Quick - get back in the Delorean!

Back to 2010. Or "the Future." I go to see the finance guy at the dealership to finish up the paperwork. He asks me for the Saab's title. I say the state of Missouri has it. I know this because GMAC sent me letter saying they had sent it to them. "Yeah," he says, "they should have then sent it to you." I never received a car title I assured him, but he insisted that they should have sent it to me. He makes a few phone calls and the state gives him a date that they apparently sent it. This was now proof enough that I lost it. I agree, blaming the mail is a huge cliche, but in my building they screw up the mail all the time. I'm not surprised at all.

What I am surprised at is that the State sends title in the mail and doesn't, at least, certify them! I mean, it's a car title. A pretty important document if you ask me. If I had known that Missouri actually sends these to people I might have called and inquired to where mine was at. I never considered they'd send me a title to a car that I didn't outright own. I had assumed it was safe and warm in the belly of some concrete building in Jeff City sitting next to government conspiracy documents. Surely I'd need Nicholas Cage to acquire such important paperwork. Nope, they send it to you. Presumably wrapped in newspaper.

Not knowing that the state does such a thing cost me an extra $50 so that Sunset Ford could get a new copy of the title. Nevermind that it only costs $11 through the Missouri Department of Revenue. Apparently this puts Sunset Ford out so the extra cash is to recover... I don't know... Styrofoam coffee cups and rubber key chains. Luckily, my experience here didn't ruin the whole car purchase for me. It was a short and annoying inconvenience that I thought they were being a bit ridiculous on, but I still drove away happy that I had made a good decision.

And let's get this straight. It was only $50. Certainly a small pittance compared to the cost of the vehicle. Plus, it's still true that the title was my responsibility even though I had no knowledge that it should be. Still, I could have used that money on a sweet french fry holder.

There you go Missouri Department of Revenue. This post just totally nailed you. Literally dozens of people will hear about this. And just think if a link to this falls into the wrong hands... I imagine those "wrong hands" might send a sternly written but poorly worded email about this to completely the wrong department. Again, that's if. Consider this your warning. In the meantime I'll likely just raise my eyebrows a little whenever I get mail from you. Visually, most won't notice, but inside I'll mocking you. Perhaps my first chance will be if and when I get the title for Frank. Wouldn't it be a delicious update if I don't end up getting that one too. Eh... I'm actually sort of over it already. Apparently blogging is cathartic. Instead I'll just update the Facebook status. Segue!

That's right! In case you haven't noticed ArchObserver.com has joined Facebook. Check over to the right of the screen and click on the "become a fan" button if you're interested in day-to-day observering. I'll be doing things like updating my beard status as well as live updating from different St Louis events and such. Plus, it's a great chance to publicly judge me and discuss topics with other fans. Wow! It's like we're from the future!

A Day With Metro St Louis *Slash* I Rode A Bus!

Full disclosure: I actually have ridden a bus. The title to this wasn't supposed to throw you off, but I can see how it could. Quite the contrary, busses and I have a long and heated history going all the way back to 1st grade. That was the year I saw a 12 year old boy hit a 10 year old girl in the head with a lunch box. Keep in mind this was 1983 and lunch boxes were built like cars and weighed 7 pounds. I mean, seriously... Did the 80's not have the best built lunch boxes of any decade? Why did I need steel and iron to protect my cheese and mustard sandwich? Yes, I often had cheese and mustard sandwiches when I was a child. Try trading that... Anyway, yeah, one of my earliest memories of the bus was a girl bleeding from the head and the bus driver having no idea what to do.

Cut to 25 years later and where do I find myself? Riding with Ms. Courtney Sloger down Broadway past the Farmers Market in just such a contraption. My life had come full circle! There she was bleeding, and I with my metal He-man lunchbox... Woah... Flashback... Luckily for Courtney, that actually didn't happen. However, I had an uneasy feeling as I climbed the steps on my first bus ride in quite a long time. As it turned out, my school bus flashback was probably the most dangerous thing on that bus. Well, other than my dance moves.

I hadn't ridden a bus since 1993. And that was a school bus. True story. In all honesty, I had no idea how to ride a public transportation bus, nor did I want to. I always assumed they weren't a safe way to travel. After all, that's what all the scoundrels, kidnappers and identity thieves used when they wanted to look for their next victim. So, when Courtney from Metro asked me to go for a ride on a few of the downtown bus routes to get my opinion on St Louis public transportation, I had no idea what I would think about it, but I assumed the worst. I mean, it's the bus! Right?!

Yeah, it is the bus. It's not glamorous and you're always on their schedule, but they weren't like I assumed. First of all, they weren't dirty or falling apart. Second, they're kind of fun! Did you know you can control the bus!?!? Yeah, there's a cord you can pull on that makes the driver stop! I thought they only had those in the movies. Actually, it's a bit embarrassing that I didn't know that. I guess I thought it worked like the train... Fine, I thought it was still like the school bus. They stop everywhere. That would be impractical for buses. Make sure you're paying attention when you're getting close to your destination. They'll pass it by if no one is standing there or you don't notify the driver that it's your stop.

Currently, that's the most fun part of bus riding... A few negatives for me: At least on some buses, you need exact change. As a guy who rarely carries cash (apparently Brunswick Zone "fun dollars" don't work anywhere) it would be much more convenient for me to pay with debit. Unfortunately, the cost of installing a system like that on Metro's buses would be well beyond current public funding. Also, I think there is a sharp learning curve to hopping on the taking-the-bus wagon. I just don't know the routes. Very few stops post the times or the routes the bus will be taking. Multiple bus lines stop at the same location. I just think it's too easy for a new rider to get lost in all of this. I would imagine that it becomes routine after a few rides, but it's a big jump for me.

That said, there's one route Courtney took me on that I could really see as useful to the quickly thriving downtown-living community. The 99... Or the Downtown Circular (PDF). This route seems like a great opportunity for Metro to cash in on the late night crowd that hops bar to bar down Washington Ave, not to mention post-Cards and Blues games. Also, for those nights that parking around Washington Avenue is impossible, a park and ride seems like a pretty smart idea. If your friends think it's weird just tell them you're doing your part to save the earth. They shouldn't mock you for that, but if they note that driving to the city and then taking the bus for a mile doesn't really help save the earth, just remind them that they paid $10 for parking. And that wearing a fedora is douchy - it's 2010 for God's sake. Of course, you could have just taken the Metrolink in and saved your friends from themselves.

I have taken the Metrolink before... I actually find it quite enjoyable and would take it often if given the opportunity. Therein lies the problem... The Metrolink light rail system in St Louis is simply inadequate. Living anywhere north or south of the city you really don't have any easy access to it. Sure, I could drive to it, but why not drive a few miles more to my destination... I could bus it, but now we're talking a serious increase in travel time. Public transportation thrives on being convenient and St Louis' simply isn't. Take a look at Chicago's L map. It's like the veins of the city. Just like off ramps on an expressway, businesses thrive around L stops. Now take a look at Metrolink's map.

View MetroLink Stations, St. Louis, MO in a larger map

What we're missing here is a convergence. A hand, of sorts, stretching throughout the city. I'd take the train quite often if one came through Soulard. Unfortunately, this is not a likely scenario anytime soon. There's a vote coming up in April on a small tax increase to support St Louis transit. Now, I've heard rumors that no one likes tax increases... That may or may not be true, but before you pass judgement, do a little research. Check out the www.MoreMetrlink.com for more detail on exactly what the small increase would be and what St Louis could gain from it. Also, hit up this explanation of the possibilities from the St Louis Post-Dispatch where you can find some maps on proposed expansion. After all that reading, if you're so inclined, join the Facebook Group, "Vote Yes For Public Transit in St Louis," that's dedicated to supporting the issue. Even if you're against it, it might be fun to go Troll it out over there. Start with, "you suck." That always works.

As for my time on the buses with Courtney, I'm happy to say both of us made it out without any serious head-wounds. You can find Courtney blogging over at www.NextStopSTL.org and on twitter at @STLTransit. Thanks for the fun ride Courtney! I wish I could remember how to safely secure my bike to the front of the bus... To Arch Observer video!

How Do You Wake Up A Sleeping City? Yelp!

It's not like I'm constantly thinking about how St Louis can improve, but I do think about it a lot. Case in point: As you know, one of the most important discussions you can have at work (besides the validity of Mark Wahlberg as an "actor") is what is everyone having for lunch. During a one those deep discussions last week a co-worker was wondering what he can get in the downtown vicinity fast. Then it hit me. I sat back in my seat in complete and utter shock. My jaw figuratively fell to the floor. My brows literally furrowed in a way that makes my forehead wrinkle so strangely that it can only be compared weird-wise to the likes of my Weird Beard. Yes, I'm exaggerating. Well, not about the forehead.

Anyway, you're likely asking why you're still reading about me describing my shock. Relax, I'm trying to build drama. Here comes the payoff... While my co-worker wondered where he can pick up food quick, I realized that there isn't a McDonald's downtown! How is that possible? They're everywhere! I think there was one in my basement when I was a kid. Actually, I should clarify that there *are* McDonald's in "downtown" St Louis. There's one pretty far south on Jefferson and Google maps (The Mickey D's listed on there are incorrect) tells me there's one on Tucker a few blocks north of Washington Ave, but I wouldn't count either of those walkable to the everyday downtown worker. Not that this is a bad thing.

It's not like not having a McDonald's is a huge loss. I, personally, don't even eat fast food. It's just weird to imagine a major downtown area without one! Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago it's hard not to find two McDonald's within a mile of each other. And in downtown Chicago, if it's not McDonald's it's something else. No matter which way you swing a love handle there will likely be a fast food restaurant begging you to try their new "premium" something. Try that in downtown St Louis and you'll quickly notice that your stomach will be pointing at almost anything other than a fast food joint.

And that's where it gets even weirder. There really isn't a lot of chain restaurants downtown. Going even further, there aren't very main chains of anything! There are very few stores you'll recognize when traveling in the core of the business district. Where am I going with all this? Well, what you *will* see is a downtown stocked with locally owned small businesses.

Yes! Another thing that makes downtown St Louis awesome! It hasn't been destroyed by Walmart-like corporate invasion. I realize some of this wouldn't hurt. Hell, I'd be crazy excited for a downtown Apple store. What we have now, though, is a local business heaven and we need to preserve it.

It's no secret many downtown restaurants are struggling. There's just not enough people here to fill all of them all the time. But it's getting there. I foresee a time not so far away where every empty storefront is bustling with customers... Where it will be difficult to get a table on a Tuesday night at Jade... Where El Borracho will need to kick a full bar of people out at closing... Where we'll all be driving flying cars... Here's the cool part. I'm not the only one.

Perhaps the most telling sign that downtown St Louis is about to explode is that the local business-centric website, Yelp, has begun investing in making a presence here. Yelp is huge in most of the major US cities and they've recently installed a St Louis Community Manager (the person in charge of sponsorships and organizing Yelpers) who'll be expanding their operations in the coming months. What this means for local businesses is that they'll be getting support not only from a large online community, but free promotion. That is, if they want it. Too often small businesses ignore what people are saying about them online. A smart business owner will take advantage of what Yelp brings them - direct discussion with their customers that potential customers will very likely see. This city is on gigantic opportunity and we need to take advantage of any help others are willing to give us.

So there. We don't need McDonald's if we've already got great local businesses that offer good food fast. Oh, you don't know where to go or if you'll like it? Hmm... Try Yelp. And feel free to contribute. We'll only get out of it what we put in it. I think I'll end this with a Yelp review I wrote for the aforementioned Jade. Too bad Yelp doesn't accept reviews of Mark Wahlberg... It wouldn't be pretty.

Jade Restaurant and Lounge
910 Olive St.
St Louis, MO 63101


The first thing you'll notice about Jade is exactly what you won't notice... A large, well placed sign. It's a bit hard to find - especially on a dark rainy night.

The great news is that everything else about it is delightful! From the decor, to the cleanliness, to the excellent and accommodating staff, I was pleasantly surprised on my visit to Jade Restaurant and Lounge.

The food? Another win. If you judge your asian food on the deliciousness of the crab rangoon like so many St Louisans do, you'll be very happy you chose to dine there. It's hand made, crisp and not too greasy. Pretty much everything you want in a rangoon.

I, however, judge almost solely on the spicy tuna roll. And let me tell you... it was the best I've had in St Louis. That's no joke. Perhaps it was just a good night for the Sushi chef, but I haven't had better here. The tuna was fresh, the rice perfectly cooked and the spiciness was just right. I'll be a patron of Jade again sometime soon just to make sure it's as good as I had the first time. Until then, 4 stars!

One caveat - when I was there it was mostly empty similar to other reviews here. Being a new restaurant I hope people give it a chance. If the problem is that you can't find it, just go to the corner that Culinaria is on and walk west. When you smell crab rangoon take a left and enter the door. You're either in an Asian restaurant at that point or somebody's apartment building. If you're in an Asian restaurant, you're probably at Jade! Sit down and order some saki. If you're in an apartment building, look at the resident listing like you're pretending to visit someone. Then feign a cell phone call and say out loud, "Oh, you're at Jade? I'll be right there!" This saves embarrassment. Now leave and start over from Culinaria.

P.S. Since this review was written Jade's business has considerably picked up. I'm happy to say you'll now find it much busier! Also, here's some of my other reviews to peruse.

A Year In St Louis... (Plus My Top Five Moments)

So, I guess I can't call myself "the new guy" anymore, can I? This Saturday it'll have been a year since I packed up the rental truck and made the long trek down to St Louis from Chicago on January 2nd. In anticipation of the move, I started ArchObserver.com on December 18th 2008 with this post, so I suppose the One year anniversary of the blog has already past. It's so funny looking back at that post because it reminds me of just how much of a crazy thing it was to move here on such short notice. This resonates - "I'm doing this alone and I have no idea what I'm doing." That sentence is dead on. But then again, I'm not sure I ever really know what I'm doing. Hell, the same could be said about this blog (the story of which can be found in this post about the newspaper article from back in July). The good news is that, even after a year I find something I love about St Louis everyday.

Keep in mind I could never say that about anywhere I've ever lived. From the way Soulard looks in the morning (I think it's at it's most historic around 7:36 A.M.), to the my recent fascination with the old streetcar system, there are so many forgotten layers to this city that I don't think I'll ever get bored seeking them all out. Of course, St Louis wouldn't be worth anything without the people. Congratulations on being super nice, STL! That said, my top five St Louis moments/places/things this year...

5 _ Going to ridiculous amounts of Cardinals games

I could probably pick a top five moments that just involve being at a baseball game, but I'm particularly fond of the game that, I think, went 15 innings. By the time it got to the 11th inning I was able to get right up behind the Cards dugout and watch the game from there. Pujols won it at 1 A.M. on a double to center. Good times.

4 _ Training for the Marathon in Forest Park

You have no idea how many hours I spent running that 5.6 mile circle. I know it like the back of my hand - which incidentally I'm not sure I could pick out of a lineup of hand backs. For blogging purposes let's just go with it as a figure of speech. Anyway, there is nothing that equals this park in terms of sheer and audacious usefulness. To give you an idea how much other cities should wish they had a park like this, let's do a little comparison skit I'll just type off the top of my head. Okay, so pretend you're crazy thirsty. Because this is just fiction let's really go for it and say you've been looting sporting goods stores all day and you're parched. Now, you have this tree in your backyard, but all it does is grow stupid leaves. Well, it just so happens your neighbor has a tree too, but all it does is grow delicious water. You'd want that water right? Of course you would. And, somehow, I've lost my point here... Anyway, it's awesome. Yeah, that's what Forest Park is like.

3 _ Mardi Gras St Louis

As fully reported in this early Arch Observer post, this was likely the most fun I've had all year and that's saying something. I doubt this year will be able to live up to last, but I'm certainly willing to give it a try.

2 _ The Mississippi River

Sure, she's a nasty beast. Floods, murder, general grossness and a dark shade of mud aside, she's still what made St. Louis what it is today. I've been lucky enough to drive along side of her and the Arch on the way to work for the past month, and although there's that big shiny symbol of St Louis on my left, I'm mostly drawn to looking out over the water on my right. The strange thing is that I don't know why I'm so drawn to it in the first place. I suppose it's the raw and natural power of it. The fact that it's such a symbol of America and an important natural resource might have something do with it, but I have a feeling it has a lot to do with it being a natural boundary. Almost like it's protecting us... And I don't mean from East St Louis.

1 _ Supporting Downtown

I think what I love most about St Louis is the opportunity. We have this downtown full of historic and interesting buildings (many of which stand empty) that have so much potential. I've loved being a part of and supporting the new life that's popping up all over town. There's such opportunity for this city to reinvent itself and I want in. I was just speaking with someone who is also not originally from St Louis about living here and they mentioned that this is a city where you can make what you want of yourself. There aren't very many obstacles. That's true on many levels and the same could be said of downtown. This infrastructure is a clay that can be molded into a true 21st century city. We have all the pieces - all we need is some people who want get dirty. (You'll see some of them in the blogroll - check them out.)

Yeah, I know, this post got a little deep. It's hard to not be reflective at the New Year, though. I feel compelled to thank all of St Louis for such a great year. I've never felt more welcomed into a community. I'd also like to thank you, the readers, for sending me recommendations and the nice emails. And also, perhaps most of all, for sticking with me through the slow blogging times. I know that's annoying, but the good news is the beard thing is working! It's been 9 days since I blogged and my face looks like it's being attacked by ants.

Have a safe New Year, everyone. Mardi Gras is right around the corner!

This Water Is Delicious. Seriously, Try Some Of This Water... Right?!?!

Seeing that this is the shortest day of the year I couldn't find a reason for not making this the longest article title of the year. Actually, I just making that up. I've been looking for a fake reason to make a long title like that and this is as good a fake reason as any. Oh, and look at that - less than a week since I wrote a post. My non-shaving plan is working out splendidly. I probably wouldn't have chosen today as a great day to write, but my beard is itchy.

Man oh man, is St Louis proud of it's water. And to be completely honest, they should be. As someone who was germophobically opposed to drinking from the tap, as soon as I drank St. Louis water, I was hooked. I'm seemingly not the only one who agrees. I saw a recent tweet from Mayor Slay (who does do his own tweets!) that claimed that St Louis water ranks as one of the tops in the country for cleanliness and taste.

You know what's hard about being Mayor? Everyone wants to prove you wrong, me included. Can we get an answer from the Google machine? *pointing to the top right of my screen* Google machine: "bleep bloop blop beep" Well, look at what we have here. Saint Louis ranks as having the 9th best water in the entire US of A for 2009.

Yes, I realize this doesn't make sense. We get our water from the Mississippi River - the garbage disposal of Chicago. Look, I don't make the rules here. It's states plainly on the Environmental Working Group's website that they are indeed "scientists," and if I know one thing about scientists it's that they specialize in science. Don't fight it. It makes you seem like the crazy one.

Now for the tricky one. Who cares how clean your water is if it tastes like a sewer? Plus, scientists can't prove that something tastes better than something else (actually they can - they're scientists and can do anything). Well, here's an idea. Get hundreds of the country's Mayors together, have them all rate tap waters, tabulate the results, get yourself a winner, and pray that nothing important happens the weekend of the year where no town has a mayor. Oh, it's happened? And St Louis wins! Wow, we really are in water heaven.

I've saved thousands, perhaps millions, of dollars on bottled water since I've moved here and it's all thanks to you, City of St Louis Water Division. I have no idea how you can take Chicago's sewage and somehow turn it into better water than the stuff they drink up there, but hats off to you. And from the looks of your website, I'd say you guys are still busy. The latest news is a rate hike in 2008 that was right on the heels of your win for best tasting water. I'm going to pretend you're working with scientists to make it even better. Think about it! New and improved water! I'd gladly pay more gents. For dramatic emphasis I think I'd like to write that again. I'd gladly pay more.

Immediately going to shave.