St. Louis the Awesome

The past couple of years St. Louis has been ranked #1 for being the most dangerous city. Granted, like all statistics, this label was a little unfair. It was mostly unfair because they calculated crime within the actual city limits of St. Louis, which really isn't all that huge. (79 neighborhoods in all) Instead they should have looked at the entire metropolitan area and given us a more fair shake. I guess I should mention that St. Louis has dropped to #4 on the list, but that would give meaning to a list that is questionable in the first place.

I have lived other places, and I have to say there is no place like the 'Lou. Maybe I'm a little biased because I spent my childhood here, but I have to say that people are usually pleasantly surprised when they pay us a visit.

Here is my humble list of why St. Louis is the best place on the planet (in no particular order):

1. The St. Louis Cardinals: Okay so maybe this is number 1 for a reason. I've been to other cities for games--including a Yankees game--and there really is no comparison. We are baseball's greatest fans for a reason. We know the game and love the game to the core. Where else would the home crowd applaud an opposing team for making an outstanding play? (except maybe if it was the Cubs) Here is two words for you: "Pu" and "jols"

2. St. Louis food and beverage: This topic is so fantastic that it needs its own post.
A. St. Louis style pizza: thin crust with provel and provolone cheese, with a mound of toppings. Better than Chicago or New York any day. My personal favorite is Cecil Whittaker's, but in close second is Pyronne's, then Imo's.
B. Porksteaks: If you don't live here, you may be wondering "What the heck is a porksteak?" Shame on you. It's only the most delectable hunk of meat ever barbecued.
C. Toasted Ravioli: Last time I checked you could only buy toasted ravioli in the St. Louis area, but I heard that Olive Garden put this treasure on their menu. heaven + marinara sauce = toasted ravioli
D. Foods invented/introduced at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis: Crab rangoon, waffle cones, Dr. Pepper, iced tea, hot dogs, hamburgers, peanut butter, and cotton candy. I'll just go ahead and say, "You're welcome."
E. Frozen custard: this is NOT ice cream. It is more smooth and creamy, and overall just more delicious. My personal favorites: Fritz's, then Ted Drewe's.
F. Root Beer: No one bottles a better root beer than Fitz's. Made from real cane sugar and brewed right here.
G. Beer: Okay, so right now this topic is a little bitter to all St. Louisans at the moment. We treasure our Anheuser-Busch history, but now that the Belgians have taken over and cut many community ties we're upset. Now most of our support goes to our local microbreweries.

3. The weather: we have the best of 4 worlds! (Most often experienced in the span of 24 hours) What you will hear on the street: "it's not the heat, it's the humidity!" I think I actually used a knife to cut the air once.

4. Hardcore music scene: I have not personally experienced this, but stories are legendary amongst my friends. Apparently during a show in Chicago the floor cleared for my husband and his friends when rumor had it they were from St. Louis. Maybe the whole "most dangerous city" thing caught on.

5. St. Louis Zoo: one of the few free zoos left in the country, and reknown for high quality. We love our zoo!! It's nice to have a free place to go on a whim.

6. Higher Education: I am humbled to say that Robbie's cancer treatment took place at the Washington University Center for Advanced Medicine. Not to discount the many other top-notch universities in the area, but WashU is an incredible place where advances in science and technology are astounding.

7. Conservation and Nature: Missouri is proud of our geography and natural resources, and we invest a lot of time and money to preserve it. We love our caves, rivers, lakes, prairies, woodlands, and every creature in them.

8. Friendliness: we don't boast "southern hospitality" (which I've yet to experience in my many adventures to the south, sorry). Need directions? Want to know the best place to eat? Want to know what the Loop is? Just ask and we'll show ya a good time.

This post is feeling more and more like a paid advertisement from the Missouri division of tourism. So I'll stop there.

I just wanted to let the world know that St. Louis is awesome.