Maybe it’s those Sterling K. Brown commercials. Maybe it was Kennedy Holmes’ rousing performance with Jennifer Hudson. Or maybe it’s because of the odd obsession with meeting in St. Louis on Broad City’s finale. (Ilana Glazer is, after all, coming to The Pageant this month.
Whatever the reason, St. Louis seems to be having a moment. Suddenly, we’re getting more ink and airtime than usual, with everyone weighing in about our essentials.
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Forbes and Food & Wine recently toasted our evolving culinary scene, highlighting Imo’s and Eat-Rite Diner, Vicia and Tony’s. Vogue assembled an aesthete’s road map, noting such stylish spots as projects + gallery and Bar Les Feres. (Impressed, the fashion bible went on to profile restaurateur Zoe Robinson.) And this April, The New York Times’ “36 Hours In” series returned to the Gateway City, just a year after the NYT published a budget-friendly tour of the city.
Last time the popular NYT series covered STL, it called out Mud House and SweetArt, Fred’s Six Feet Under and the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum. This time, it mostly stuck to the central corridor and more famous institutions (with a few welcome exceptions, including Renegade Tours and Balkan Treat Box).
Others quickly weighed in about what the Times had missed. Readers, Reddit posters, and local media showed appreciation for the limelight—and shared other recs.
“There’s not a thing on this list to do after 10 p.m., much less anything the Chamber of Commerce couldn’t have told you about,” the Riverfront Times lamented, suggesting more hidden gems more suitable for late-night fun: Side Project Cellar and St. Liborius Church, Improv Shop, and Oaked.
NYT commenters noted the article’s lack of barbecue and the symphony, the Loop and Lafayette Square, Jazz St. Louis and the World Chess Hall of Fame, Bellefontaine Cemetery and the Basilica, Crown Candy and Ted Drewes.
Reddit posters listed myriad other microbreweries—and applauded “the part about how it didn’t mention stupid things like T-rav, Ted Drewes, Imo’s, and which high school you attended.”
Ted Drewes and Imo’s aside, we welcomed the national coverage and, more so, the ardent suggestions from so many people who care so deeply about our fair city. The truth is you can’t possibly squeeze all of the metro area’s noteworthy destinations—under-the-radar or otherwise—into 36 hours.
This month, we offer up a few more itineraries, memorable ways to spend the summer. The feature’s by no means exhaustive—it’s just one more way to encourage St. Louisans and out-of-towners alike to explore the region. You might rediscover the familiar spots: Learn about Forest Park’s past, or visit Tom Huck’s Evil Prints before taking in a ballgame. You might crave an outdoor adventure: Paddleboard at Simpson Lake, or take a JetSki out on the river. You might prefer a low-key day with the kiddos: Order Mickey–shaped pan- cakes at Allin’s Diner in St. Charles, or catch fireflies at the Butterfly House. Or you might put a premium on relax- ation: Sip a Perennial ale at Chandler Hill, or meditate at the Mid-America Buddhist Association.
Whatever your mood, we have options to get you started. You’ll even find Ted Drewes—or, if you prefer, Baked Bear.
