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The Precinct Paddy Wagon (owned by The Precinct restaurant at 1900 Locust), one of several shuttles running to and from Busch Stadium for Cardinals games.
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Even though it has St. Louis roots, we don't advise breaking into "The Trolley Song" while aboard a Cardinals shuttle.
A friend turned me on to the Cardinals shuttle at Trueman's Place in Benton Park several years ago, and I was amazed by its frequency and ease: I went into the bar, bought a beer, boarded the van out front, and was dropped off across from Busch 10 minutes later.
The advantages to such a service are numerous—you don't have to pay to park, you can drink a couple more beers, you don't have to sit in traffic, you meet people on the way—but it's not until you exit the game among the throngs of people fighting their way to their cars and watch them wait in lines to exit the top floors of parking garages that you realize how fantastic they really are.
So with the upcoming playoff games on Monday and Tuesday, we thought we'd highlight a few of the key shuttles around town that will safely get you to and from the game, hassle free.
Benton Park was recently named the Best Restaurant Neighborhood in St. Louis so grab a bite at Peacemaker or Yemanja before hopping on the van with your cup of beer. And don't forget to tip the driver. He's a good one.
2) Casino Queen
While their entire webpage will go into details, just know that parking is free and abundant, and the shuttle runs every 15 minutes, starting 90 minutes before the game until an hour after. For you East Side folks, that's a tempting offer.
They start their free runs in a large airport shuttle-type vehicle an hour before game time, and start picking up at the 7th inning. They can usually fit about 24 people per trip, but they do a couple runs, so enjoy a Stag and some Southtown Atomic Turds if you have to wait your turn.
4) The Precinct
There's always plenty of parking around this Locust Street location, so just feed the meter a few quarters to get you to 7pm, after which it's free. Have a beer at the bar then hop on the Paddy Wagon to get to the game.
5) Soulard
This neighborhood requires its own section, as the Soulard shuttles take up the entire strip for pick-up and drop-off on Spruce between Broadway and 4th. Many of them require you to grab a beer (in a plastic cup, of course) before you board the shuttle, but with the price of beer at the stadium, I'm more than obliged to pre-game. (It's only 1.3 miles to the stadium from Soulard, so chug it quick.)
Big Daddy's (The "Mean Machine")
Llewelyn's (A legitimate trolley)
Joanie's (Transported by "expert shuttle driver, Howard")
