On Oct. 25, 1997, the City Museum opened its doors in a former downtown shoe factory, relying mostly on repurposed industrial equipment and architecture.
You would think that when someone asks, What s your favorite attraction? this would be an impossible question to answer – almost like asking a parent to name their favorite child. Not for me. My answer always comes quickly and is always the same – City Museum.
The Hill
St. Louis and I have a love/hate relationship. I am a die-hard Cubs fan, so the Cardinals are a team I am not fond of and haven t been for decades. That s the hate part.
The love part is those special quarters of this truly unique city. One of those neighborhoods that I am especially fond of is the Italian bastion of food, faith and community called simply, The Hill.
Credit: WTHR/Steve Rhodes
The neighborhood s Italian flavor began, in this small area west of downtown St. Louis, early in the 20th century. Immigrants from Sicily, Ireland and Germany also settled here, but it s the Italian bakeries, restaurants and shops that make this place a must-stop for any tourist. A few short years ago, my niece, Katie, her husband, Matt, and I had a delightful lunch at a Hill restaurant, and I insisted our Chuck’s Big Adventure team stop here while in the city.