Historical June 1980 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
The removal of the Art Fair snow fencing and the appearance of the cheshire-like smiles on the faces of teachers both serve notice that summer is really on its way. (I used to think of the beginning of baseball season as an indicator; these days, however, it seems that they’re in court all year.) Anyway, with the advent of summer and its concomitant vacations, I thought it might be fitting to provide you with some activities to generate a little excitement during the next few months.
This won’t be a traditional list. “Visitor” lists are available from Hertz, tourist agencies, and the Junior League. After all, while the Arch, Grant’s Farm, the Planetarium, and the Zoo are pleasant enough attractions, we’re all very familiar with them. I mean, how many times can you visit the Arch before you start looking for a giant croquet player across the river?
No, drawing upon my south St. Louis heritage (you thought all my white socks were just for jogging?), here’s a partial list of south St. Louis MUSTS. Visiting south St. Louis is a little like opening a time capsule: all kinds of gems and treasures dazzle the beholder. Some are valuable because of what they are; some are valuable for what they’ve become. Enough philosophy; here are some places you must visit: (1) Any alley in south St. Louis. Pristine is the word that comes to mind when traversing a south St. Louis alley. Cleveland High’s mascot isn’t the Dutchman (as in “scrubby dutch”) for nothing.
These alleys aren’t clean, they’re meticulous.
When driving through them, one almost feels that the houses must really be empty, or at least inhabited by androids who neither eat nor consume any kind of product.
While almost all of south’ St. Louis has good, clean alleys (does that sound like Steve Mizerany’s “decent, honest boys”?), be sure to visit the areas around Compton and Potomac or Alaska and Delor Streets. Oh yes, don’t litter! (2) California Donuts.
On your return from your south St. Louis sojourn you can stop here and grab some nourishment (along with a few calories, cavities, and cholesterol).
If these aren’t the best donuts in town, they’re awfully close and by far the best in south St. Louis.
If you’re going to make a pit stop here (2924 Jefferson, just north of Benton Park), try to do so in the wee hours. They’re open around the clock, but the donuts are freshest then. (3) Thurmer’s Bar. “Bar” doesn’t do justice to Norb Thurmer’s place. It’s been aptly termed “the capitol of south St. Louis” and everybody who’s anybody shows up here sooner or later. Thurmer’s (Cherokee and Compton) still offers a full steak dinner for under $5.00.
The beer is cold, the atmosphere crowded, and the sports talk continuous. Thurmer’s has long been a popular watering hole and it seems the “younger generation” (ah, it hurts to say that) is also making Thurmer’s the place to be. It’s worth the drive just to hear “Hiya Babe” from Norb as he tends the bar in his bermuda shorts, white shirt, and smokes his omnipresent cigar. (If you tell them that you know Fred Wessels, a legendary Thurmer’s figure, you won’t need a passport.) (4) St. Anthony’s Church.
This turn-ofthe-century church (well, it looks that old, anyway), located at 3140 Meramec just west of Grand, is reputed to be on the highest elevation in the City of St. Louis (excluding the Arch, that is). From here you can get a beautiful view of the Arch, Marquette Park, Al Smith’s Restaurant, and, numerous clean alleys. (5) Bellerive Park.
This little park with its circular driveway overlooks the Mississippi.
While there are two entrances to the park, the best one crosses a bridge over Broadway (near Bates Avenue).
The park is awfully small, but the view is great and it has some playground equipment for kids.
If you’re lucky enough to visit when it’s not crowded, you’re in for a real treat. You can close your eyes and hear the steamboats a-churning! (You can open your eyes and see the city-owned shoreline being leased far too cheaply, but that’s another story.) (6) Compton Heights. Interested in architecture and housing? It’s definitely worth your time to devote an afternoon to driving around the Compton Heights area.
While the core of this magnificent area has never lost its grace, some of the surrounding areas (“buffers,” I think the urbanologists call ’em) have gone through the blight stages and are now on their way back. Start at Grand and Longfellow (about a mile south of highway 44) and meander through the streets.
If you drive down Flora Place, look for the Mayor. (He lives there when he’s not fighting with the comptroller or visiting a Sister City.) Although Compton Heights boundaries are rather discreet, if you travel south (both east and west of Grand) or east, you’ll also see lots of good things happening. (It’s encouraging to know that Skinker-DeBaliviere doesn’t have all of the neat folks in town!) Well, that should keep you busy.
If you’ve still more time on your hands (and are obviously either independently wealthy, a vagrant, or an educator), try visiting the original Ted Drewe’s on south Grand, Mio Puebleto on Gravois, or the three very interesting houses on Jefferson one block north of Chippewa. Polish your car, say you want to wash your hands in the zink, and drink a Bud; they’ll never even know you’re an alien.
Originally published in The Paper, June 1980.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1980_06.pdf, printed page(s) 11; PDF page(s) 11.
