Historical February–March 2009 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Have you found Velocity?
The cafe/bike rental shop on DeBaliviere, adjacent to the MetroLink station by the History Museum is worth looking forchecking out! We, teachers at neighboring Crossroads College Prep. School, have identified our new faculty lounge-cafeteria, and flocking to the warm, quiet respite for hot, healthy sandwiches and decadent lattes. Many of our students were among the crowds taking advantage of bottomless cups of coffee and free wi-fi the weeks before and during winter exams.
My own children beg for Velocity; Immanuel (4) calls for “more melty cookies,” Peter (9) says “their eggs are the best,” Cosima (10) dreams of peach smoothies, Oscar (12) likes his “goat without tomatoes,” and Tristan (15) goes for grilled cheese with pesto dipped in tomato basil soup. Nora, our temporary child who is living with us here as an exchange student from Germany, knows each of the fun, friendly baristas by name and is the only one of us, so far, to put the bike repair aspect to work.
The bike repair and rental aspect was the beginning of the dream for Susan Gyorog, Velocity’s founding mother. Susan returned energized from her Peace Corps adventure, where she teaching English in the Ukraine, energized.
She looked around the CWE and wondered what she could do to contribute positively to her community at home.
A long believer in green living and a bike enthusiast, Susan focused on what she knew.
After over a year of blood, sweat and tears shed working over a space you would not recognize had you seen it in its former state (seriously, wow!) the storefront at the corner of DeBaliviere and Pershing is an urban oasis of cool. Susan, her children, grandchildren, and extended friend family visited resale shops and attics to assemble a crisp cafe decor from found objects, used furniture, and innovative creations like the stools that a local artist made from used bicycles by a local artist, and the signature Parisian-cyclery poster art decoupage on the tables. Everything about Velocity is a mix of traditional cafe intellectual and completely unique St. Louis funky.
The bathrooms beat any I’ve seen; they boast with a candy bowl sink of blown glass created by a 3rd Degree Glass Factory artist, as well and as bike tire mirrors. Velocity is just beginning to make a presence – and and a difference – in in St. Louis. Susan has joined the Women’s Bicycle Club in St. Louis, making Velocity a proud sponsor of Team Revolution in this year’s Frostbite Rides. Bikes on display around the store also tell a story of local concerns and connections. Many come from Bicycle Works, a program that enables neighborhood children to refurbish/build their own bikes.
There is something for everyone at Velocity.
With winter specials on the bicycle labor menu, the already far below -competition prices on basic tune-up, safety checks, and general repairs are a steal.
On the occasionally balmy winter day, when Forest Park is the perfect venue for much needed winter exercise and vitamin D, renting bikes for the family at Velocity costs less than a tank of gas. Renting a tandem, a tag-a-long for tikes or one of the amazingly comfortable Cruiser bikes ten times a year makes more sense than buying them. And on Sundays, Velocity now offers a delicious seasonal brunch. For the Skinker-DeBaliviere set, a mocha and a bike ride is just a stroll away. For everyone else, Velocity was kind enough to connect to MetroLink!! VELOCITY CAFE AND CYCLERY 286 DEBALIVIERE, ST. LOUIS, MO 63112 HOURS: MONDAY-SUNDAY 7AM – 9PM CHECK OUT THE VELOCITY BIKE BLOG HTTP://VELOCITYCYCLERYBLOG. BLOGSPOT.COM/
Original photograph caption
Velocity Cafe and Cyclery interior.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February–March 2009.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Original visibly contains editing artifacts forchecking out, repeated energized, by a local artist, and and and in in; preserve source wording for editorial review rather than silently treating artifacts as verified polished copy.
Original source: SD_Times2009_02.pdf, printed page(s) 4; PDF page(s) 4.
