52nd City: Miscellaneous & Uncategorizable

Photo Fun @ St. Louis Centre!

Our colleague in the STL Syndicate, Tom Lampe of STL Pretty War, recently ran into some unpleasant issues regarding his photography of St. Louis Centre. The flap drew a huge response in the discussion rooms of the archcitychronicle.com and even made Deb Peterson's column this morning.

Since it appears that the Centre is set on no internal photography, we at 52nd City wish to join Tom on Friday, December 23, with a noontime "photo walk" near the Centre. Let's say we meet at Washington and 6th Streets at 12 sharp and see what... er, develops. Perhaps we can post some of the best pics of this urban landmark.

And remember: word has it that some parts of St. Louis Centre are still commercially functioning, so get some holiday shopping done, while engaging in a bit of civic friskiness!

Your in urban impishness,
52nd City

Westward Expansion

I used to think I had itchy feet until I moved to St. Louis. When I lived in Salt Lake City, I found myself on an airplane out of town at least three or four times a year. Denver, New York, Connecticut, San Francisco ... it didn't really matter. At least I was out of Utah. I once had a friend who continually tried to move out of Salt Lake, but something always foiled his plans at the last minute. He compared Utah to God's toilet bowl: As soon as you got to the rim, God flushed. And you were swept down again, never to escape.

Holiday Fluff

All of my holiday shopping is complete. Yes, every last gift has been wrapped and shipped or stuffed in the appropriate stocking. All my cards are in the mail. While I’d like to sit back and coast through the remainder of the year…I can’t. We’re launching a major new application at work and I’m the project manager. My mind is like marshmallow fluff and peanut butter, clogged with all kinds of unrelated thing, good and bad. Here are some.

j.marie purses, crafted by J. Marie Bannerot-McInerney, are precious little beauties—I’m telling you. They were at the Independent Art Market last weekend. There were so many I wanted that I couldn’t decide, which was a good thing since this is not the time of year I like to spend money on myself—but I hope you did. If not, I think you can find her items at The Time on the corner of Manchester and Marshall in Maplewood.

Tiny Showcase offers high quality limited edition teeny tiny prints at teeny tiny prices. A new artist is showcased each week, but they always sell out before I can get one. So I really shouldn’t be letting you all in on my secret, but the idea is too great not to share. I think they are out of Rhode Island.

Rob Stewart, a Rod Stewart tribute act, will be performing at the Casino Queen on New Year’s Eve. I can’t decide if this is hilarious or depressing, but I’m leaning towards depressing. I almost want to go for the people watching. I mean, who rings in the New Year this way? Who?

And finally, rejection letters. I have to write them for Mad Art Gallery. We get submissions from university professors who have shown all over the world along with untrained watercolorists specializing in unicorns high jumping over planets—no lie. I take the time to write something personal to everyone and it is very difficult. I once received a very nasty letter from an acquaintance after spending an inordinate amount of time on a letter that I thought was encouraging, even though we couldn’t show his work in the near term. After that, I found this great article about rejection letters on Picklebird.

Like I said…all sort of unrelated, but things that I’ve been wanting to spill.

Bye-bye Avalon?

Having become obsessed with my new camera over the last week, I've been revisiting an old interest of mine, namely the dead, demolished and readapted movie houses around St. Louis City and near-County. Earlier this afternoon, a bright, breezy Sunday, I stopped by the Avalon, at Kingshighway and Chippewa. After snapping a couple pictures of the south exterior wall, I was amazed to see a head pop over the roofline.

After asking what I was doing, he confessed to being the owner of the building, though "it (won't) be here long now." According to a very informal and unofficial "interview," the fella, still peering out over a small jut in the roof, said that a Sam's Club was going to be built across the street, on the site of the old Kriegshauser Mortuary and the Mary Magdalen sports field, along with a couple of other plots, including a gas station. He said that "it turned out the land was worth a bit of money... it's a busy intersection."

Over the years, I'd heard various people daydream about turning the place into a readapted theatre, especially, a "brew-and-view," popular in other cities as a place to drink and watch campy films. Those idle musings seem to be out the window now, if this quick conversation's to be believed. Meanwhile, mid-City could be seeing more construction, though of the new, chain-style variety. Though not specific about how his aged building would fit in, one would assume that the building wouldn't be remodelled, but would be razed and the plot built anew.

Shame to see the old landmark go, but considering the current, crumbling shape and the continued suburbanization of Southwest City, I wouldn't bet on it being a part of landscape too much longer.

The funniest thing about the meeting, for me, was the fact that I'd tried to reach the owner of the Avalon multiple times, for stories over the years. Could this have been the infamous Greg Tsevis, up there checking the bricks, making sure they weren't going to fall on a passerby? Seems that instead of using the phone, I should've just pointed a camera at the building.

City Shopping: Porn, Redd Foxx, Bongs

When you happen to find yourself in need of a certain combination of products, don't go anywhere else: shop Spectrum's, at 2701.5 (yes, there's a half-digit) Cherokee. For example, you're holiday shopping and you need a t-shirt with the likeness of Redd Foxx, for wacky Uncle Ted. They got it. Meanwhile, Brother Joe likes a bit of blue cinema. Spectrum's has pornographic DVDs available, in a (vaguely) covered shoebox, right there behind the counter. And your Kid Cousin Roger wants a bong that's attached to a gas mask. Clearly, you don't need to make a seperate trip, since Spectrum's has this product available and for-sale.

A combination headshop and urban fashion emporium, Spectrum's has a stranger selection of wares, in one place, than I ever thought possible.

OJ Simpson retro jerseys. Shoelaces. Guyana national soccer team warm-ups in size 5X. Incense. Baby-doll tees. Cardinal caps in red, blue, white, black and green. Bandanas in these colors and more. Crazy sneakers and boots, in all stripes and brands.

I'd not found Spectrum's until earlier this afternoon, happening into the store thanks to the wonderful window display, proudly featuring those Redd Foxx tees. (A bargain at $10 per.)

Can Cherokee Street be any wackier?

Inside, Outside, All Sides Now

Soon, we'll be on the other side of Halloween. Once the rubber skeletons and fiberglass spiderwebs come down, the sparkle lights and pine sprigs go up. If you live in a Victorian mansion, chances are your Xmas decorating scheme is much more elaborate; which is why All Saint's Day marks the start of house and parlor tour season. I haven't actually gone on any house tours in St. Louis yet, though I almost made a valiant effort to make it to the Soulard Holiday Parlor Tour one year.

Part of the reason I haven't been more enthusiastic about going on house tours is that I'm afraid I'll end up with musculoskeletal injuries from the physical stress of being around so many expensive, breakable things. Being near-sighted and clumsy, I always imagine I'lll accidentally stick my elbow through someone's china cabinet window or trip on a rug and take down a whole dining-room table, with many pretty, breakable things on its surface. This is why I feel more comfortable around people who collect rocks, vs. rare china patterns.

Here's my kind of house tour, though, and it's tomorrow: Heartland Renewable Energy Society is throwing a "2005 Sustainable Homes Tour." It's just one house, but it's quite a house: it's solar, with cellulose insulation, landscaped with native wildflowers, trees and grasses. Inside, they've used nontoxic paints, carpets made from recycled soda bottles and bamboo floors. It also has a bat house in the yard, which is my favorite touch. The addy is 744 Ballwin Road, and the house is open from 10am-4pm tomorrow (it's free, too, even better).

Closer to home but no less important is the Market Street 2005 Charrette on October 21-23, sponsored by the St. Louis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. A Charrette is "a collaborative planning process that combines design professionals with interested citizens." You do have to register, but the form is online and it's only ten bucks. A small price to pay to have some input into one of downtown's major stretches of road, yes?

Haunted by Hardy Mums

Although I received a very healthy pot of mums last year as a house-warming present (and planted them in the yard, where they are now aggresively trying squeeze the lavender out for plot space) it doesn't seem to me that St. Louis was quite as mum-crazy last year. I know they're in season, but...really, it's out of control!

Last Saturday, Soulard, I heard some vendor endlessly hollering "HARDY MUMS...HARDY MUMS...HARDY MUMS!" no matter what building I happened to be in. On Sunday, at the Best of Missouri Market, all the ladies with wheelie shopping carts weren't picking up exotic varieties of dwarf Japanese cherry trees; they were crazy for mums, mums and more mums. Overheard conversations, two or three times, enthusing about mums.

And today, at the Schnuck's in Clayton, I saw a veritable psychedelia garden planted near the front door; of course it was all hardy mums, as out of control as ever, deep purply red and bright white ones, planted in alternating stripes. They were so fluffy and brightly-colored, they didn't look like mums at all. Inside, near the shopping carts, there were dozens and dozens of hardy mums, exploding out of their pots like flowery mushroom clouds. There were some that were large enough I'd worry about fitting them into the back seat of my car.

I'm used to hardy mums that look, well, hardy. Like they have been scrapping it out in an alley somewhere. The yellow ones always look to me like they are coated in three days' worth of car exhaust. They're city flowers, like geraniums and petunias and marigolds. Not that pretty, but they survive the tailpipe fumes and peeing dogs. I'm like most people in that I avoid more delicate plants, at least in the front of the house, and go for the coarse, urban flora, like the humble and hardy Christanthemum. But I'm confused: is this mum love a bit of St. Louis city culture I have totally missed up until now - or is it something new?

SabaH, or Sunrise

While driving aimlessly around Bevo last Sunday, chewing gum and listening to Dr. Zorba on the radio, I spotted a large, colorful poster in a shop window for SabaH. The name means "Sunrise" in Bosnian, and apparently it's one of the largest Balkan papers in the U.S.; they have subscribers all over this country, and in Canada too. The paper was started in New York City in the late '90s, but they're relocating their main offices to St. Louis. It's partly because there's a huge Bosnian population here, but it's also because of the quality of life. Said founder Sukrija Dzidzovic in a South Side Journal piece of a few weeks ago: "Whoever from St. Louis has a dream to go to New York, there's no need for it."

As a non-native (albeit one who came from not quite so far away), I couldn't agree more. Cheers to that, with a big glass of sparkling water & pomegranate juice.

Back To Nature

I don’t know if any one out there has ever worked a Bar Mitzvah, but it isn’t for the weak of heart. Saturday’s party at Mad Art paled in comparison only to last fall’s sorority formal in terms of strangle-factor. I can’t help but find it disturbing to witness 13-year-old children grind against each other while a DJ plays Sir Mix-A-Lot’s Baby Got Back. Call me old fashioned. Or just call me old. By night’s end I was spent.

So on Sunday, in spite of all the festivals, I was determined to flee the city. Lindsey and I jumped in the car and in a mere 35 minutes, we were walking wooded trails, listening to bugs and birds, and basically enjoying ourselves way more than I imagined, at Shaw Nature Reserve. This was only my second visit to SNR and I am so in love with it. There are many lovely spots for quiet contemplation tucked along the trails. Next time I am bringing a little pillow and plan to nap on the bench near the water feature in the wildflower garden…or in the crude gazebo next the frog-filled pond. I’ve yet to decide.

I was sorely disappointed to realize I will be out of town for the Harvest Festival taking place at Shaw Nature Reserve on Sunday, October 9th. This looks like it is going to be a great event—music, farmer’s market, and food from St. Louis restaurants. I encourage you to check it out, especially if you haven’t been.

The Secret Life of Sinks

I was driving down Manchester tonight, and passed a salvage yard (Bill-Jac?) and saw a mound of stainless-steel sinks that could be seen over the top of the fence. A mountain of ripped-out sinks, higher than my house. Where do all these sinks come from? I thought the point of a stainless steel sink was that it was stainless -- and therefore aesthetically pleasing for years after its initial installation!

Ah, but fashions change; this year (I'm sad to report I actually know this) the big trend is the "waterfall sink," which sports a giant, flat, amoeba-shaped basin that, um, waterfalls the H2O when it comes out of the tap. (Sound of me scratching my head). So the plain old two-bowl sinks of yore go to the scrap heap, even though they've always been great for washing dishes or small dogs.

I suppose a mound of sinks would be more depressing if it were casting a shadow over my yard from the back alley, because they'd be headed for the landfill. But where will Bill-Jac take his mountain of sinks?

If anyone can answer this question for geeks like me, it's the intrepid Jean Ponzi, host of Earthworms on KDHX and organizer of the Earthways Home Energy & Recycling Festival, which takes place on September 17 and 18. I plan on being there, if only to overcome my fear of vermiculture bins (I caused the premature death of many, many ants when I accidentally knocked my ant farm off a dresser in 6th grade. I have been reticent about overseeing colonies of creatures since then).

According to the website, there will be plenty of fun widgety stuff on hand (low-watt lightbulbs, hydrogen power demos, kids zipping around in solar cars) but the focus this year is geared towards the humble task of recycling. Recommended reading to inspire you before you go to this event: "Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash," by Elizabeth Royte. That's strong medicine, though, so the weak of stomach might want to opt for Eliot's The Waste Land instead.

BoardLinkStL

I attended a Readiness to Serve workshop presented by BoardLinkStL this week. This pilot program seeks to invigorate St. Louis area nonprofit boards by enhancing governance through innovative recruitment, matching, and education services. We were able to access the beta site where potential board members can create a pretty extensive profile in an effort to be matched with a non-profit organization. Kind of like match.com for do-gooders. Users pay a small fee granting access for one year, giving them plenty of time to find the perfect fit. Non-profit fees are based on a sliding scale. Designed by Bravo:Smart, the beta site was pretty impressive. The fully functioning version is scheduled to launch in mid-September.

I was amazed to learn there are over 9000 non-profit organizations in the St. Louis metropolitan region. The limited exposure I’ve had dealing with non-profit boards hasn’t been that positive, so I am very excited to see some real effort being made at educating both sides. Participating non-profits are required to attend training and the program is being evaluated on the length of the relationships made, not just the initial match. The program is being developed and supported by a variety of institutions including UMSL, Washington University, Focus St. Louis, United Way, RAC, Nonprofit Services Consortium, etc.

I highly recommend this program to anyone interested in taking community involvement a step further. I know so many bright and resourceful people who are already making a positive impact on the city through a variety of informal and formal efforts. Board membership at a non-profit seems like a logical, and fulfilling, next step.

Visit www.BoardLinkStL.org for more information.

Wrestling at the Chase

To listen to sports talk radio is to often hear: overcaffeinated hosts, shouting over one another and the callers; endless pitches for car stereo outlets and cell phone vendors; and round-and-round recitations of the latest transaction. To actually get a long-form, intelligent conversation on any topic is to hope against hope, even as the genre should be loaded with potential for in-depth interviewing.

Today, the midday "R&R" show on KFNS 590 am offered a fabulously entertaining, four-segment interview with Larry Matysik, the longtime voice of Channel 11's legendary "Wrestling at the Chase." Now, some might roll their eyes at the notion of a wrestling interview as being anything other than a campy collection of anecdotes and yarns. And, sure, there were some of those served up by Matysik, as co-hosts Bob Ramsey and Jay Randolph, and fan callers, tossed enthusiastic softballs to Matysik.

But as any St. Louisan of a certain age knows (especially if they're a guy), "Wrestling at the Chase" was a cultural touchstone for St. Louis, first a Satruday night, then a Sunday morning tradition for thousands of weekly viewers. In a day-and-age of regional wrestling federations, few towns enjoyed as active and robust a wrestling scene as St. Louis, where the Kiel Auditorium and the Arena/Checkerdome were regularly filled for matches, each of them smartly previewed and built-up by the weekly TV show.

Matysik's new book, wisely and simply titled "Wrestling at the Chase," will be offered at a signing at Left Bank Books on Thursday, August 11 at 7 p.m. Can't wait to read it and looking forward to more radio chat with Matysik, a great natural storyteller and pitchman.