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Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

St. Louis Guide2011

St. Louis Eats St. Louis Guide The University News

Nothing brings back the taste of summer like ice cream and frozen yogurt do.

Fortunately, the St. Louis area caters to ice cream lovers on a year-round basis. Here are just a few of many options.

The Flying Cow

3331 Locust St.

Price: 42 cents per ounce

With a clean shop, 30 diverse toppings and 12 different flavors, there is no cooler ice cream parlor so close to Saint Louis University than The Flying Cow.

Located on Locust Street, The Flying Cow is a five-minute walk from campus.

In addition, it is a relatively new place that opened this past summer.

“Though we are new here with business, we promise at Flying Cow you can enjoy a healthy snack that you can cus-tomize yourself,” Manager Zack Smith said.

That’s right, The Flying Cow is a unique self-serve frozen yogurt destination where the possibilities for tasty treats are endless.

Currently, The Flying Cow is offering coupons for 10 percent

off purchases for SLU students, and with every nine cups of their frozen yogurt, one cup can be purchased for free.

FroYo: Premium Frozen Yogurt

4663 Maryland Ave., within walking distance of campus

6329 Delmar Blvd., in the Delmar Loop

Price: 40 cents per ounce

FroYo’s frozen yogurt is load-ed with vitamins, minerals and active cultured probiotics.

There are 10 different flavors of low-fat frozen yogurt, offering a strong defense for those who are not yet ready to say goodbye to summer.

Armed with a bowl of colorful frozen yogurt, customers should pay attention to FroYo’s toppings bar.

Customers can choose from freshly cut fruit, nuts, cookie dough, real brownies, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and sprinkles to decorate the “base.”

Lancia

14844 Clayton Rd.

Price: 40 cents per ounce

Lancia is an ice cream shop

famous not only for its frozen yogurt, but also for its cold drinks.

The shop offers approximate-ly 40 different types of frozen yogurt, including Amaretto, Tutti Frutti, butter pecan, Dutch apple pie and many fresh fruit

By BO PENGStaff Writer

Ice cream and frozen yogurt provide year-round summer flavor

We promise at Flying Cow you can enjoy a healthy snack that you can customize yourself.

“”

-Zach Smith, manager of The Flying Cow

With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,

You’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

If you ever get hungry and need something to eat,

Head to these tasty places for a wonderful treat!

flavors. Lancia also boasts a team of

extremely friendly employees. Customers are welcome to

try sample after sample before they settle on a certain one.

The Fountain on Locust

3037 Locust St., within walk-ing distance of campus

Price: Approximately $7 per desert

The Fountain is said to be one of the most handsome ice cream spots in St. Louis City.

The restaurant’s interior dec-oration is particularly “cool,” not just because of its signature ice cream, but also because of the beautiful, hand-painted Art Deco interior.

Home of the ice cream mar-tini, every desert at the Fountain is handcrafted to look exactly like the pictures on the menu.

With homemade ice cream sauces, chocolates, ice cream martinis, champaign floats and a variety of signature cock-tails, everything asserts The Fountain’s sincerity for food.

Crown Candy Kitchen

1401 St. Louis Ave.

Price: $2.50 for a one-scoop cone/cup, $3.85 for a two-scoop cone/cup

Crown Candy has been owned by the Karandzieff family since 1913, and is now living in a charming relic.

Upon stepping in the restau-rant, the first thing that may surprise a customer might be the old-fashioned atmosphere, complete with the hand-painted wooden structure and vintage Coca-Cola trays.

Taking a sip of the inch-thick Lover’s Delight, or a strawberry-

pineapple-marshmallow-sauced French sundae, layered with toasted cashews and chocolate sprinkles, is an adventure for your taste buds.

The Crown Candy Kitchen’s turtle sundae may be the most remarkable, cloaked in silken vanilla ice cream and hot fudge, and covered with caramel sauce and buttered, toasted pecans.

Everything is served in a soda fountain glass, soaking your heart into the sweet, old-fashioned atmosphere.

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard

6726 Chippewa Ave.

Price: $5 for a concrete, $4 for a sundae

Ted Drewes offers custom-ers a different way to indulge a sweet tooth.

Since 1930, Ted Drewes has served St. Louisans with its sig-nature concrete, served upside down.

Every evening, the store will gather lines growing to the edge of Chippewa Street, but that does not mean customers cannot get custard as soon as possible.

The staff operates seven win-dows, so lines move quickly.

Ted Drewes frozen custard is also available at select local groceries.

Pappy’s Smokehouse complements its famous barbecue sandwiches with delectable sides, including sweet potato fries and coleslaw. Other side item menu favorites include baked beans, potato salad, fried corn on the cob, green beans and baked potatoes.

Mark Campos / Staff Photographer

Only at Pappy’s Smokehouse will fanatics wait in a line that extends out the back door just to sink their teeth into some good old Memphis-style barbecue.

Named as the best barbecue joint in the United States by a recent Zagat survey, Pappy’s crème de la crème meats and their out-of-the-ordinary busi-ness culture capture the hearts of both local residents and trav-elers alike.

Mike Emerson, owner of Pappy’s Smokehouse, grills with a unique mindset.

His slogan, “We’ve got noth-ing to hide, so the sauce is on the side,” accurately describes why Pappy’s ribs and beef bris-ket spends anywhere between four and 14 hours in the smoker, above apple or cherry wood.

It is left up to the customer to choose which of the three home-made sauces to devour.

The simple, but delicious, sides, including sweet potato fries, baked beans and more, are nothing short of extraordinary.

Pappy’s just celebrated their third birthday this year.

In such a short time, Emerson and his staff have had their share in the scope from critics across the nation. Pappy’s has been featured on the Food Network and other related tele-vision channels.

Famous critic Adam Richman, from the TV series “Man Versus

Food,” made a pit stop in St. Louis to film an episode.

Richman was pinned up against the $35 dollar “Big Ben” meal on his trip to the Gateway City.

Emerson invented the “Adam” bomb, which then became planted on the full-time menu in his honor.

Seasoned customers under-stand to head to the smoke-

house early because Pappy’s is officially closed once the last bits of brisket are scarfed down.

Arriving early is a must, even though the visitors sometimes arrive before the doors are offi-cially opened for the day.

If an early trip is out of the question, Pappy’s encourag-es customers to call ahead of time and order for pickup, at 314-535-4340.

What students say...

By MATT EMODIStaff Writer

Pappy’s brings taste of Memphis to St. Louis

Pi Pizzeria, presidentially-approved food and fare

The deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza served at Pi Pizzeria has captured the hearts and taste buds of critics and food maga-zines alike.

The restaurant gained popu-larity when President Obama visited St. Louis and ordered pizzas for his staff, prompting the opening of a new location in Washington, D.C. this fall.

With four permanent loca-tions in the St. Louis metro area, including Kirkwood, the Delmar Loop, the Central West End and

By MATT EMODIStaff Writer

one on wheels, the Pi Truck, there is no need to stress about getting that needed pizza fix.

The prices for either a thin crust or deep dish pizza may be a bit steep, but signs show these conceptions have failed to deter people from swinging by for a hearty meal and a drink or two.

A pizza, thick or thin, can cost anywhere from $11 to $20, dep-pending on the topping selec-tion.

“The deep dish pizza caught me totally off guard,” said junior John Kozlik. “It only took two slices to fill me up.”

To accommodate the upper-

end prices are much larger slic-es of pizza, as many Chicago-style pizzas live up to.

Drinks, on the other end, have people calling Pi’s “Green Hour” one of the best happy hours in the city. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, Pi offers varying drink specials at every location, not to mention their lengthy list of draft beers.

Not only has this restaurant become a hot spot for happy hour fiends, but they serve breakfast every day starting at 6 a.m.

Their “almost famous” break-fast pizza is popular among

many hot and cold breakfast items, such as waffles, biscuits and scones.

Pi has become a staple to St. Louis dining.

One might crave a simple sit-down meal with friends, or be found using Twitter to locate the official Pi Truck (@PiTruckSTL) that could be sta-tioned anywhere in St. Louis.

This pizzeria is unlike many in the industry, with trendy happy hour specials and hours of operation that are not com-mon. Like a typical college stu-dent, Pi believes that pizza is good at anytime of the day.

The Central West End Pi location includes a full-service, wrap-around bar for patrons.

Minghao Gao / Staff Photographer

Restaurant’s Chicago-style pizza attracts food lovers nationwide

“It’s the only place I’ll go and wait more than an hour for food.” -Matt Johns, graduate student

“After going to school in Kansas City, Mo. for a year, I didn’t think I could have better BBQ. Then I went to Pappy’s and my tastebuds were blown away.” -Andrew Shipp, senior

unewsonline.com St. Louis Guide 3

St. Louis Movies St. Louis Guide The University News

The Tivoli Theatre’s marquee and neon lighting are a stand-out feature of the Delmar Loop.

Allison Smith / Staff Photographer

With a three-story tall red neon sign looming over the Walk of Fame, it’s hard to miss the Tivoli Theatre, a centerpiece of the St. Louis Delmar Loop.

The Tivoli takes a pass on major box office hits, instead deciding to focus on indie and foreign films that most large movie theaters would not offer.

The theater was opened in 1925, but suffered a decline until its closure in 1994.

In 1995, Joe Edwards, owner of Blueberry Hill and a major figure in the success of The Loop, spent $2 million for reno-vations at the historical land-mark, aiming for a return to its original 1920’s form.

Visitors can feel the age of the theater by simply walking up to it. The distinct “Tivoli” sign is clearly not of the modern era, and the marquee, surrounded by large yellow light bulbs, is still maintained with manually set letters.

Double doors abound, the entrance has the feel of walk-ing into an old cinema to watch newsreels and cartoons.

The ushers, as well as their outfits, actually fit with the image, unlike most modern theaters where an employee in a vest and beret seems to be dressed for the wrong party.

The hallways are lined with

old movie posters, many of them fan favorites and B-movie horror flicks.

There is only a need for one concession stand, and it is a small one at that, but stacked with all of the city favorites, including Ted Drewes frozen custard and various beverages from Fitz’s Rootbeer and Schlafly, among others.

There’s even a small section

of tables and chairs, so patrons can relax and enjoy their food in between movies. The terrazzo floor and ornate wall decorations further separate the Tivoli from most modern theaters.

The actual theaters are a major part of what makes the Tivoli a St. Louis favorite. There are only three screens in the entire venue.

The main screen room is

beautiful by all standards. Pushed behind a stage, the screen is covered by giant red curtains. The vaulted ceiling is complemented with recessed domes, and everything has been beautifully painted and set.

The chairs are worn and com-fortable, and the decline of the room is subtle, but effective, so audience members can always see past the person in front of

them. It feels a lot like a refined live theater.

Another major pull of the the-ater is the wide-ranging movie selection. The Tivoli is well known for showing movies that have a cult following.

“The Room,” for instance, a movie often accused of being one of the worst pieces of film ever made, has developed a major following in American culture, purely because of how bad it is. And, due to the under-ground’s appreciation for hor-rific cinema, “The Room” has a welcomed home in the Tivoli’s projection rooms.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is also played frequent-ly. Released in 1975, “Rocky Horror” has become a beloved piece of strangeness among many circles.

The usual way to watch it is dressed up as one of the char-acters from the movie, perhaps the transsexual Transylvanian played by Tim Robbins, and singing along with every musi-cal score available. People some-times jump on stage and throw things at the screen. The show-ing becomes a big party for a bunch of misfits and music lov-ers.

It’s because of that fact that audiences can find this sort of fun and love of film at the Tivoli Theatre that it is so adored by the people of St. Louis and the Delmar community.

By WOLF HOWARDStaff Writer

Tivoli Theatre evokes vintage appeal, quirky charm

You’ll be on your way up,

You’ll be seeing great sights.

At these St. Louis theaters,

You’ll have some great nights!

The Moolah Theater and Lounge, located across the street from SLU’s Frost Campus, is known for its ornate, Moorish features. The iconic building was restored in 2002 after a period of disarray.

Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Photo Editor

Since its opening in 2005, the Moolah Theater and Lounge has been enchanting St. Louis mov-iegoers with its blend of Old World charm and unique, mod-ern amenities.

As one of the last single-screen movie theaters in the country, the Moolah offers a rare alternative to the imper-sonal multiplex.

Located in Midtown next to the Saint Louis University campus at 3821 Lindell Blvd., the Moolah is known especially for its quirky architecture and design.

The Moolah Temple’s walls are decked in vibrant pink, green and gold. Intricate motif and architectural flourishes mark its Moorish influences. A breathtaking high-vaulted ceil-ing graces the main theater.

According to the website for St. Louis Cinemas, the chain of movie theaters that includes the Moolah, the building has under-gone a $17.2 million restoration in order to achieve its historic charm.

First erected by the Shrine Masons in 1913, the Moolah Temple building was vacated during the mid-1980s and fell into deep disrepair.

Fortunately, in 2002 a rede-velopment company built the theater within the temple and restored the building to its origi-nal glory.

Nowadays, the Moolah draws a varied crowd of single adults, families and students from all over the city.

This may be because of all that the Moolah has to offer.

The theater’s 390 seats con-sist of plush, leather couches and balcony seating. Feature films are shown on a massive 20-by-45-feet screen in the main theater.

At the Moolah Lanes, cus-tomers can take their same-day ticket stubs and receive a free bowling shoe rental or a free game of bowling.

Also at the Moolah Theater is the Mini-Moolah Lounge, a smaller version of the main the-ater, furnished with the same leather love seats.

On Monday nights, visitors can patronize the concession stand and watch themed double features in the “Mini Moo.”

“We play television shows in [the Mini-Moolah Lounge] throughout the week, plus

By KATHRYN GRUNDYStaff Writer

Food, bowling and movies at The Moolah unewsonline.com St. Louis Guide 5

the Oscars, Rams games, and ‘Breaking Bad’ on Sundays,” Landon Burris, assistant man-ager, said.

Burris explained the unique-ness of the Moolah and the Mini-Moolah Lounge.

“[The Mini-Moolah Lounge] shows how special Moolah is, that people can come here and buy a concession and see a movie free,” Burris said.

The price is special at the Moolah in many ways.

With student ticket prices of $7 and weekly events like $5 Wacky Wednesdays, the Moolah is an affordable way to experi-ence the movies.

Quality over quantity is a philosophy that rarely exists in a cinema multiplex, but at the Moolah it is reflected in the busi-ness model.

This is partly because the Moolah caters to an audience that more closely resembles an unconventional, artistic movie crowd than that of a popular, box office hit.

“You won’t find mainstream action or horror movies here, but really good movies of a high-er quality,” Burris said.

Burris said the owner of the Moolah, Harman Moseley, likes to take risks on smaller movies.

In the lobby of the Moolah, visitors will find a sign adver-tising the theater’s support for other businesses native to St. Louis.

The concession stand carries local products, like Ted Drewes frozen custard, Billy Goat Chips, Dogtown Pizza and Lake Forest Confections.

Starting this fall, the Moolah Theater will extend this St. Louis support to local filmmakers.

Every Thursday, the Moolah will accept submissions from local, amateur filmmakers to be shown in the Mini-Moolah Lounge.

“If it becomes a big enough film, they will play it in the main theater,” Burris said. “We want to do more stuff like that.”

On Oct. 6, the independent St. Louis film “A. (Anonymous)” will be the first of its kind played in the main theater.

The special screening is scheduled for one night only, and a live band will be present for the event. Currently, Steven Soderbergh’s action-thriller “Contagion” is playing at the Moolah.

For more information, visit the Moolah’s website at www.stlouiscinemas.com/Moolah.

A haven for food- and music-lovers, Blueberry Hill is located in the main drag of the Delmar Loop.

Candra Johnson / Staff Photographer

By WOLF HOWARDStaff Writer

St. Louis Concerts St. Louis Guide The University News

Blueberry Hill is one of the seminal attractions of the Delmar Loop district in St. Louis, and the restaurant has become strongly intertwined with all things pop culture in America.

A holographic image of Blueberry Hill’s owner Joe Edwards, with “Welcome” writ-ten across it, is a strong hint as to how the restaurant will feel – that is, like a welcoming stroll across America.

The walls are lined with portraits or pictures of famous musicians and actors, not to be outdone by the entirely random, but overwhelming, assortment of giant fish plaques, dinosaur statuettes and trophy heads that take up every bare surface they legally can cover.

“The Simpsons,” “Star Wars” and figures of the St. Louis native Chuck Berry are just a few of the centerpieces available. The cases are full of memorabilia.

“The Simpsons” shrine, for instance, has a full cast of char-acters in the form of action fig-ures, with the back of the case lined with comic books and an other thing relating to the brand of the iconic television show.

The menu offers a strong variety of choices, from burgers to Trout Almondine. One of the dishes offered in the special-ties section is the Chili Mac, a

plate of macaroni topped with a heap of chili and then covered in cheddar cheese.

The burgers are a staple of the restaurant (“Voted No. 1 Burgers,” the menu boasts), and come thick and juicy. Toasted ravioli, a beloved St. Louis appe-tizer, is offered, and for some, is eaten as an entrée. Root beer floats are also available, made with the local favorite Fitz’s Root Beer.

The food is well-priced and well-presented, and the staff is

friendly and fun, not to mention fashionable.

For those of the drinkng age, the bar has an impressive array of liquor selections and a rotat-ing guest beer every week.

Breakfast options are also available and served all day.

Food is served until midnight every day except Sunday. After 9 p.m. the restaurant becomes a bar, and allows only drinking age adults inside.

Aside from a delicious menu, the restaurant offers a variety of

entertainment, from games to live music. A full-scale dart room is located on the east side of the half-block long building, along with a few other games. Large pictures of past dart champions are placed high on a wall.

Anyone making a trip to use the restroom will come across a hallway completely lined with snapshots of Edwards and vari-ous celebrities that have visited the Blueberry Hill.

Here, the restaurant shares with the patrons all the fame that

Blueberry Hill: Celebrating American pop culture

You’ll find the bright places,

Where Boom Bands are playing.

Clap your hands to the beat,

Do you get what we’re saying?

has touched Blueberry’s floors. The star power ranges from

worldwide to cult status, and moves across years of influence. Everyone, from Bo Diddley and Keith Richards to The Strokes and Harry Caray, has taken a photo with Edwards.

The display shows that America is as in love with Blueberry Hill as Edwards is in love with America.

A very strong draw of Blueberry Hill is its connec-tion to Chuck Berry, a St. Louis native. The national rock and roll legend, who has shaped the future sound of countless rock bands since 1955, plays a month-ly show at in The Duck Room, a venue located in the restau-rant that has become a standard name in the St. Louis area.

Berry’s star on the Walk of Fame, located on the side-walks of The Loop, is fitting-ly placed directly outside the entrance, and his shows sell out almost immediately after being announced.

The Duck Room is host to many other local acts and can hold up to 300 people.

Along with The Elvis Room, a 200-person venue, Blueberry Hill does its part to provide authentic local music. Private parties are welcome to buy a room out for a night.

Nearly all shows are for ages 21-and-older, but the experience comes highly recommended.

The Pageant has a maximum capacity of 2,300 people, and, as their website notes, “There isn’t a bad seat in the house.”

By DAVID MOONEYStaff Writer

Mumford & Sons, Fleet Foxes, Lauryn Hill, Phoenix, Bon Iver and Matisyahu.

What do all of these award-winning artists and bands have in common? They have all played at The Pageant.

The Place

Located at 6161 Delmar Blvd. in the St. Louis Delmar Loop, The Pageant is a premier club venue that shakes its fists and says “nay” to the thought that live music in this city is a thing of the past.

While celebrating its 10th anniversary and getting ready to step into its 11th in October, this stronghold for the music scene is also joyously beating the drum of better times than ever.

In fact, in Pollstar’s Top 100 Club Venues in the World for 2010, The Pageant took fourth, just behind venues in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Brussels, Belgium.

The Pageant was constructed with the music lover in mind. The capacity for this venue ranges from approximately 1,000 to 2,300 people, depending on which show is playing. No matter where listeners sit- the furthest from the stage is 75 feet away -“There isn’t a bad seat in

the house,” the venue boasts on its website.

The building houses a dance floor, balcony seating for folks ages 21 and older, comfort-able seating surrounding the dance floor and standing area just about everywhere else. The venue culminates to create the perfect environment to see live music the way it ought to be seen.

The Music The Pageant is continually

bringing great music to the ears of St. Louisans, anywhere from Grammy Award-winners and nominees, all the way to local artists getting their foot in the door of the music industry.

If music lovers ever were to get a fever for some live tunes, The Pageant has got the pre-scription. On any given week, the venue offers three or more

shows for an affordable price. And, speaking of shows, The Pageant has got a plethora of tal-ent coming our way in the next several months.

When the temperatures drop in October, The Pageant heats up. Death Cab for Cutie, Arctic Monkeys, Beirut, Lucinda Williams, Brett Dennen, Matt Nathanson, Chromeo, Mayer Hawthorne and the Drive-By Truckers will all be stopping by this fall.

If none of these names catch attention, there is an act for that. The Pageant plays hip-hop, jazz, indie rock, dubstep, folk, country and R&B.

The Extra

Besides being a great place for live music, The Pageant also features The Halo Bar and Suite 100. For those looking solely to get their groove on, the Halo Bar has disc jockeys that spin

on a year-round basis on nights when no shows are scheduled.

Suite 100, the merchandise shop where bands set up after the show, is a “sweet” place to stop by and support the artists after their performances.

So, if you are desiring afford-able shows from amazing musi-cians at a venue so intimate that the sweat from the lead singer’s brow will most likely fall upon the crowd, then head to The Pageant.

Delmar Loop holds world-ranked concert venue The Pageant concludes 10th anniversary celebration, begins new performance season

In Pollstar’s Top 100 Club Venues in the World for 2010, The Pageant took fourth.

“”

By MATT EMODIStaff Writer

The Firebird takes a chance on local, up-and-coming artists

To earn a profit, bands must not rely solely on CD sales, but touring as well. The Firebird has succeeded as a live concert venue and haven for traveling and local musicians since 2007.

Located east of Saint Louis University’s campus at 2706 Olive St., the venue was for-merly known as The Bluebird, until local musician and talent buyer Mike Cracchiolo and friends bought the building and renamed it The Firebird in 2009.

The Firebird books local and up-and-coming musical groups for performances, as well as comedians and veteran artists spanning across the map.

“We still manage to book the occasional unknown bands, just

because we like their sound,” Cracchiolo said. “A lot of times, those bands go on to be a lot more successful.”

Despite occupancy limita-tions, fans and bands have grown to love the dimly lit, well-separat-ed bar-venue combination.

The bar, selling cheap PBR tall boys and all sorts of concoc-tions over ice, is tucked in the far corner.

Adjacent to the bar are booths where the bands can often be caught preparing for their stage takeover or enjoying a cold, dis-counted beverage. The venue also has a wall adjacent to the stage dedicated to a perform-ing group’s merchandise table, not to mention the great acous-tics and lighting options that are available to the musicians.

Kevin Griffin, lead sing-

er for local reggae-rock band Dreadnot, said he enjoys per-forming at The Firebird as much as any fan loves to observe.

“We particularly like The Firebird because they have a great atmosphere there,” Griffin said of the management’s pro-fessionalism with the bands and the venue’s open floor plan.

The crowd demographics typically will deviate based upon the artist that has been booked.

“There are plenty of clubs in town that cater to an older crowd, but based simply on our taste in booking, most of our acts draw in college kids up through folks in their late 30s,” Cracchiolo said.

The schedule is always full of performances. In terms of genre, Cracchiolo said artists who perform at the Firebird typ-

ically will range from rock, indie, punk, metal, electro and hip-hop genres.

“We try to keep it diverse and eclectic so that there is always something for everyone,” Cracchiolo said.

Cracchiolo said he has a niche for determining who will and will not show up for any Friday night or weekday performance. He has been a local musician for nearly 10 years, and he has also served as a bouncer for The Pageant in the Delmar Loop.

This background in the St. Louis music industry unfolded into multiple talent manage-ment jobs within the local scene. Cracchiolo said he believes that college-aged clientele are the most passionate music support-ers, and that they make up a notable fraction of the audience

Candra Johnson / Staff Photographer

unewsonline.com St. Louis Guide 7

at The Firebird. Despite the near proxim-

ity to SLU’s campus, Cracchiolo said that SLU and Washington University students have been particularly tough to draw away from campus.

“As our reputation has grown, students are realizing that we’re in safe spot, and located fairly close to campus,” Cracchiolo said.

Cracchiolo said he has noticed more students in atten-dance, and hopes that this trend will continue. At a very friendly location, The Firebird continues to be a favorite amongst local art-ists and musicians from around the nation. For those looking to replace full house headlining tours with an intimate one-room performance, The Firebird is the place to go.

St. Louis Parks St. Louis Guide The University News

Forest Park, covering nearly 1,300 acres of land, is commonly referred to as “The Heart of St. Louis.” The park is home to the St. Louis Zoo, the Missouri History Museum and much more.

Ryan Doan / Staff Photographer

As summer winds down and the St. Louis weather cools, there is nowhere more enjoy-able to be than the outdoors.

Forest Park is a natural escape set deep into urban St. Louis, and upon entering, it’s as if the entire city disappears into the skyline.

Saint Louis University stu-dents and St. Louisans alike can enjoy the sheer beauty of 1,293 green acres set aside purely for their entertainment.

Founded in 1876 on the cen-tennial of the nation, Forest Park was the site for the 1904 World’s Fair and holds many lingering jewels from that time.

There are various trails for bikers, joggers and aimless walkers that encompass the whole park. If a different mode of transportation is preferred, there are beautiful water chan-nels available for boating when the weather is favorable.

The various water channels, lakes and lagoons are teeming with wild life, and fishing is per-mitted in many areas.

Various pavilions, barbecue grills and picnic tables are pro-vided at every turn to rest, eat and enjoy the scenery.

The park has a sports com-plex, including racketball, ten-nis, basketball and handball courts. There are also fields for

rugby, football, softball, base-ball, cricket and lacrosse.

For golfers, there is a 36-hole golf course, where it is rumored that the 264-foot Ferris wheel from the World’s Fair is buried.

Forest Park is not just a pretty face - it is also a major historical and cultural center for St. Louis, offering many free amenities open to the public.

A major attraction is the St. Louis Zoo, which is highly rated by many travel guides.

The Missouri History Museum is a stop worth mak-ing, as exhibits include Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of the World’s Fair and the National Bicentennial Exhibition of Lewis and Clark.

The St. Louis Art Museum sits high on the park’s histor-ic Art Hill and, as one of the last pieces of architecture left from the World’s Fair, is a piece of art in itself. The museum

is divided into sections of time period, world location and style. It is easy to breeze through each floor and follow time as art and the world change.

If history and art are not your idea of a good time, the St. Louis Science Center (SLSC) is full of fun and interesting things to do, especially for kids and kids-at-heart. Along with its exhib-its, the center has an Omnimax theater, a discovery room and a planetarium.The SLSC is inter-

active, allowing patrons to touch and control features for further fun and understanding.

The park is close enough to SLU’s campus that students can easily drive down Forest Park Avenue, hop on the MetroLink on Grand and get off at the Forest Park stop, or even walk.

Forest Park is not easily expe-rienced in one day, so there is always something new to dis-cover.

By T.K. SMITHStaff Writer

‘Heart of St. Louis’ larger than New York’s Central Park

You have brains in your head, You have feet in your shoes.

Go out and explore St. Louis parks and zoos!

“Forest Park is nice because there are things to do, like go to the zoo, but you can also just go there to hang out and toss a football.” -John Malloy, senior

What students say...

“Forest Park is nice because there are things to do, like go to the zoo, but you can also just go there to hang out and toss a football.” -John Malloy, senior

“Forest Park has a ton to offer for all age groups. From physical activity to a relaxing atmosphere, you will find something for everyone.” -Mary Ellen Eifel, senior

Home to more than 18,000 animals, the St. Louis Zoo is one of the area’s most beloved free attractions, for tourists and natives alike.

Fangyu Wu / Staff Photographer

Arguably the greatest free attraction in the city, The St. Louis Zoo is not only renowned for its elaborate exhibits, but also for a continuing focus on diversity.

Located in the heart of Forest Park, the sprawling Zoo con-tains more than 18,000 animals and 700 species.

“I love going to the Zoo,” senior Hannah Beaty said. “It’s the perfect place to ride my bike to and spend an afternoon.”

The most recent addition to the Zoo is Caribbean Cove, a sting-ray exhibit built in 2009 where, in addition to petting sting-rays, visitors can also see small, shy sharks that the Zoo said are not a danger to humans.

Another popular attraction is a massive, multi-million dollar penguin exhibit that, despite its polar temperatures, is not only impressive, but about as up-close-and-personal that one can get with arctic creatures in the center of the Midwest.

If penguins aren’t the key to happiness, though, River’s Edge will bring visitors to the desert to see everything from leop-ards to elephants, including the Asian elephant Raja, the first elephant to be born at the Zoo.

Raja has since fathered three other elephants, the most recent of whom, Kenzi, was born this past summer.

Historic Hill holds another

Zoo favorite, with a primate exhibit that has long held a place in St. Louis’ heart, and continues to attract visitors of all ages. Recently celebrating the ‘Zootennial,’ or its 100-year-

anniversary, the Zoo is steeped in St. Louis tradition.

“Anytime I have visitors in the area, I bring them to the Zoo,” senior Brianne Keller said. “It is an iconic location for the

city of St. Louis, and the fact that it’s free is one of the best selling points.”

Based around a Flight Cage purchased from the 1904 World’s Fair, the Zoo has found itself to

be as equally prized an asset of the city as the great Fair itself.

With more than 3 million visi-tors a year, the appeal of the Zoo and value to the city can’t be missed.

By STEPHANIE MUELLERStaff Writer

Free attractions: The St. Louis Zoo

By T.K. SMITHStaff Writer

Tower Grove Park serves as ‘Victorian ideal’ for community

Amy Vermeersch / Staff Photographer

Founded in 1868, Tower Grove Park is known for its beautiful Victorian Pavilions and its lush greenery.

With 289 acres, it is the sec-ond largest park in St. Louis and a truly beautiful sight in the spring.

“When you live in a city, you get consumed from all the concrete around you,” junior Aravinth Karunanandaa said. “Tower Grove is a good place to get out of that funk, and go somewhere where green is everywhere.”

Tower Grove, located south of Saint Louis University’s Health Sciences Campus at 4256

Magnolia Ave., has various spe-cies of trees and shrubs from around the world, and is a refuge for several species of birds.

Tower Grove has many areas designated for picnics and rec-reation, tennis courts, ball fields and a playground for kids.

The park also offers horse-drawn carriage rides, and the stone horse stable, built in 1870 before the park was publicly established, is the oldest struc-ture in Tower Grove.

The Piper Palm Green House is also quite old, constructed in 1878. It is the oldest greenhouse west of the Mississippi River, and has become a popular spot for wedding ceremonies.

The park also features many built-in structures, the most

popular including the fountain pond surrounded by the ruins of the Lindell Hotel, which burned down in 1867.

Tower Grove Park is held to a Victorian ideal, standing on the principle of an older, forgotten time.

The park is usually over-looked due to the attention of Forest Park, and is so-called “one of St. Louis’s best-kept secrets.”

The park is located in the Shaw neighborhood. For SLU students, it is a short trip down Grand Blvd.

Tower Grove is a must-see for those visiting St. Louis - if not for recreation, then for the sheer beauty and antiquity of the clas-sic, well-kept park.

Tower Grove Park is a scenic escape from the hustle and bustle of larger, tourist-dense areas, such as Forest Park and the Zoo.

unewsonline.com St. Louis Guide 9

Powell Hall serves as home to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, currently in its 132nd season.Ryan Doan / Staff Photographer

St. Louis Theater St. Louis Guide The University News

St. Louis Symphony’s Powell Hall is known for its tremen-dous acoustics, beautiful foyer and dramatic performances.

This fall season, Powell Hall, located north of campus at 718 Grand Blvd., is offering a large variety of shows, aiming to com-bine music as well as dance.

In 1925, when the theater first opened, it was known as the St. Louis Theatre. It underwent a $2 million renovation and reopened on Jan. 24, 1968.

The name was then changed to Powell Symphony Hall, which has been the name ever since.

Powell Hall has a total of 2,689 seats since its renovation.

During the Hall’s renovation, architectural and acoustical spe-cialists focused specifically on how to improve exits, service facilities and the setup of the hall.

Powell Hall aims to portray European elegance. The renova-tors modeled the red, gold and cream color scheme after the Royal Chapel at Versailles.

The stained glass windows in the front of the Hall show images of Saint Louis IX, the King of France.

In the 1980s, some of the major theaters around Powell Hall underwent renovations of their own.

These changes eventually evolved into the Grand Center Redevelopment Project, a multi-million-dollar effort to improve the arts area of the city.

During this time, Powell Hall was used as a model for the other renovations in the neigh-borhood. Powell Hall entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) was founded in 1880, and it is currently in its 132nd season.

The Symphony aims to capti-vate audiences with their music,

believing that great music should be available to everyone.

The SLSO has completed many outreach programs for the community.

Each year, the musicians take part in nearly 250 free events and performances to bring their music to a wider audience.

One of the programs includes the E. Desmond Lee Fine Arts Education Collaborative, a part-nership with the University of Missouri- St. Louis, Opera Theatre of St. Louis and the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts.

The Symphony also helped

out many schools in surround-ing areas, and puts effort into making sure schools have inter-action with musicians and art-ists. The SLSO offers student tickets for only $10 in advance.

Some orchestral performanc-es coming up include Maurice Ravel’s “Daphnis and Chloe” on Nov. 4 and 5.

Powell Hall does not just offer orchestral shows, though.

This season, they are present-ing the “Live at Powell” series, where the SLSO plays music ranging from Bugs Bunny to collaboration with singer-song-

writer Ben Folds on Nov. 9, to music from John Williams on Dec. 29 and 30.

When Powell Hall schedules concerts, it makes sure the performances are appealing to a large range of audiences, so everyone will feel welcome and find a show that they want to come check out.

To find out more informa-tion about Powell Hall or SLSO, visit http://stlsymphony.org/students.

What students say...

By AMY VERMEERSCHStaff Writer

Oh the places you’ll go- there is fun to be done!

There are points to be scored, there are games to be won.

For more entertainment, check out these great spaces,

The Peabody and the Fox- just two of the places!

Powell Hall: Home of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

“It’s really beautiful. I feel like there should be a bet-ter adjective than great... it’s phenomenal! My family and I used to go there often when I was younger.” - Sophie Fisher, sophomore

“It has nice acoustics for orchestra and singing. I per-formed there when I was in elementary and middle school.” - Liz Hornsey, sophomore

Peabody offers blast from the past

By DAVID MOONEYStaff Writer

The historically rich doors of the Peabody Opera House will be opening for the first time in 20 years this October.

After receiving $78.7 million in restoration, the Opera House is sure to be more magnificent than ever.

The Peabody Opera House (formerly the Kiel Opera House) at 1400 Market St. is located in the heart of Downtown St. Louis.

This historic landmark offers the community a vivacious place to catch a show in timeless fash-ion.

Not just restricted to music, The Peabody promises guests entertainment on all levels.

Whether it is theater, spe-cial family events, comedians or even holiday happenings, some-thing will always be going on at The Peabody.

What makes The Peabody so unique, like St. Louis itself, is the treasure chest of history that lies within it.

This history goes all the way back to 1934, when the Opera House, known then as The Municipal Auditorium, was con-structed.

A name change in 1943 gave the opera house the more famil-iar title of the Kiel Opera House, named after a former mayor of St. Louis.

In a time of success in the years that followed, the Opera House attracted some of the big-gest names in music history to ever take the stage.

Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, David Bowie, Duke Ellington and Bruce Springsteen are just a sample of the great-ness that has taken place within the elaborate walls of the Opera House.

But the time came in 1991 when the decision was made to close down the Kiel Opera House - and all the memories within it.

A slew of slumping years and the construction of the Scottrade Center in 1994 was the main cause for such action.

Through the years of its vacancy, however, many attempts were made to bring the great wonder back to life.

Although they were unsuc-cessful, the final attempt made in June of 2010 was, and is, a triumph.

The owner, SCP Worldwide, which also owns the St. Louis Blues and the Scottrade Center, has put in the funds necessary to restore the old Opera House back to the breathtaking land-mark it once was.

With the grand reopening of the Opera House this fall, The Peabody will hold its opening night, featuring comedian Jay Leno and Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, on Oct. 1.

The event is fittingly titled as “An encore 77 years in the making.”

Leno and Franklin will come together to make a memorable

night for the city of St. Louis. Plenty of other special guests

will be making the stage to cel-ebrate the past, present and future of the Opera House.

With its rebirth, The Peabody establishes itself as one of the primary sources of art and cul-ture in St. Louis, and it puts St. Louis on the map for quality live entertainment.

In this day and age, The Peabody offers an experience that most could only read about and dream of.

“So, grab a top hat, a white tie, and your tails,” and come stepping out to The Peabody this fall.

For more info and a schedule of upcoming events, visit pea-bodyoperahouse.com

‘Fabulous’ theater strives to be student-friendly

By KRISTIN McGUIREStaff Writer

Located just one block away from Saint Louis University’s Frost Campus, the Fabulous Fox Theatre has been entertaining audiences since its opening in 1929.

This historic theater produc-es shows year round, includ-ing touring plays and musicals, comedians, musicians and dance groups. Students can even enjoy these performances for a dis-counted price.

“I love going to the Fox,” the-atre major Jessica Canfield said. “With the theater being so close to campus, and the fact that they do student rush tickets, it’s real-ly easy to see the shows there.”

Student rush tickets are often available the day of a show for a discounted price, usually between $10 to $15.

If students are interested in working for free tickets, they might consider signing up as a volunteer usher.

The Fox Theatre is one of five Fox Theatres built by William Fox. The original theater boast-ed of the second largest audi-torium in the U.S. at the time, with more than 5,000 seats. It showed movies as well as elabo-rate stage shows.

When the stock markets crashed in 1929, William Fox lost his fortunes. His theater hardly fared better. Competing with neighboring theaters in a failing economy, the Fox Theatre was leased to multiple owners in the 1930’s.

Finally in March of 1978, the

Fox Theatre was shut down. The landmark seemed to have been closed forever after less than 50 years of business.

However, in 1981, Leon and Mary Strauss explored the aban-doned theatre and instantly fell in love.

They, along with Fox Associates, bought back the prized theatre. It cost $3 million to restore the theatre, while it had cost $6 million to build it in 1929. They wanted to replicate the theater to its original state on its opening night in 1929.

The Fox Theatre has been serving St. Louis for years, pro-viding an eclectic assortment of arts and entertainment. It has provided venues for stars such as Bob Hope, who sold 80,000 tickets in one week in 1940, Nat “King” Cole, Pearl Bailey and John Wayne. Archbishop Joseph Ritter even condemned the the-ater as a “place of sin” when they displayed an 80-foot cut-out of actress Jane Russell in 1953.

For the 25th anniversary since the renovation, Mary Strauss and other members of the staff put together a dis-play to commemorate the past 1,500 performers and shows that have entertained at the Fox since 1982. This display, called Peacock Alley, is located on the fourth floor and is free to visit.

Whether students are inter-ested in touring a historical building near campus or see-ing a favorite comedian take the stage, visitors should check out the Fabulous Fox Theatre.

For more information, visit http://www.fabulousfox.com.

The Fabulous Fox Theatre is just one of the many artistic attrac-tions that can be enjoyed in the Midtown neighborhood.

Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Photo Editor

Inside the newly-renovated Peabody Opera House, $78.7 million was given to restore the old building to its former condition. The Peabody will officially reopen on Oct. 1.

Courtesy of Mark Buckner / Peabody Opera House

unewsonline.com St. Louis Guide 11

Iconic opera house reopens in former glory

Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Photo Editor

The University News