SoSiouxMe's Blog

SoSiouxMe

I’ve lived in St. Louis for 47 years. That means before the Arch, before the “old” Busch Stadium, before the PSB. Let’s put it in perspective – before the Beatles. I remember when the St. Louis sky was grey all winter from the coal burning furnaces, when there were newspaper stands on the busy street corners, and the paperboys (and girls) rolled their wooden boxes down the streets calling out, “Post and Globe Papers!” I remember the produce trucks going up and down the streets selling their wares, when the man that sharpened knives came through the neighborhood with the familiar clang of his contraption. I remember when children walked to school in their own neighborhoods, and you could walk home for lunch. I remember when the school picnics were held at the Highlands, and when the park “accidentally” burned down to make way for the community college. I remember riding the bus downtown at Christmastime just to see the animated window displays, and the bus driver telling people to go to the back of the bus. I remember the Three Stooges and the Police Circus performing at Sportsman’s Park, and Captain Eleven and Cookie on the steamboat ride down the Muddy Mississloppy. I’m a third generation St. Louisan, a product of the St. Louis Public Schools, and proud of our history and heritage. I love this city for many reasons, not all of them nostalgic. For a city this size, we are the best-kept secret in the world of tourism. There’s a lot of things to do here, many of which are free: our world class zoo, muny opera, art museum, science center, history museum, not to mention the Anheuser-Busch and Grant’s Farm tours with free beer. Viva St. Louis!