A Surprising Hipster

I had no idea when I woke up at 5AM on Saturday morning (after falling asleep at 2AM) that I would be starting off one of the most fun weekends of my life (so far).  

I had no idea that a 30 minute bus ride to Union Station, where a very grumpy bus driver came close to ruining my morning, would be the beginning to the most euphoric 3 days that lied ahead of me. 

I had no idea an uncomfortable 5 hour Amtrak train ride where people decided to have conversations over me, talk on their cell phones and ignore their crying babies, would lead into the best moments of my summer so far. 

So after 5 hours, one nasty coffee and a mini carton of Goldfish consumed, I arrived in downtown St. Louis with bags in tow. Now of course I was excited for a weekend with my brother, his girlfriend, Peter and a music festival.  But for some reason the fact that the music fest was in St. Louis didn’t excite me too much.  See, growing up in Kansas City, a trip with the family to St. Louis wasn’t as glamorous as say going on a trip to New York City. Lets face it, a trip anywhere with your family isn’t the same as a trip solo or with friends.

I guess you could say I sold my trip a little short in the beginning. I knew the music fest would be a blast, but I had no idea how cool the city of St. Louis would actually be.  I guess as a kid, I was never exposed to the cool, artsy neighborhood streets lined with record stores, vintage stores, and craft breweries.  The St. Louis that I knew as a kid was definitely NOT the city I just left a day ago. It is definitely a hipsters paradise.

Read on for my reasons as to why St. Louis is truly amazing.

Top 5 Reasons why St. Louis rocks now:

1. Craft beer.  I can’t express enough how much I love local beers.  Call me a beer snob, but I prefer knowing where my beer comes from and St. Louis is at the top of their game with some very yummy, craft beers.  Every bar we went to had almost all craft beer on draft which was the biggest and most exciting surprise of the weekend.  If you ever have a chance to drink Schlafly beer, go for it.  The coffee ale is crisp and energizing!

2. Local, organic and slow food galore!  

I never in a million years would think St. Louis would be on the slow food bandwagon and also have a ton of food trucks.  One place we dined at got all their food products from within 150 miles of the place!

3.  The local music scene rocks.  

4.  The festivals!!! LouFest, a music festival that features 2 days of eclectic music like Cat Power, Questlove and Tv on the Radio, wins as the cleanliest, most eco-friendly, and delicious festival I have attended.  I have never been to a music fest that elevated their food and service so much.  Free Chipotle chips and guac?  A rock wall to climb?  A Beer garden and Smoking lounge?  How about a Bahn Mi sandwich?  Yes, Lou Fest had all this and much more!  I was shocked to see a Vietnamese staple like Bahn Mi at a festival, which is like a fancy hotdog but instead filled with goose liver pate, ham, pickled vegetables with a chili oil all in a French baguette.

Questlove spinning and me having a 1 hour dance party by myself.

Tv on the Radio

Ms. Cat Power

4. The Moonrise Hotel. 

The Moonrise Hotel located in the Delmar Loop district is the most fun and exciting hotel I have ever stayed in.  With a solar system theme, the Moonrise has a rooftop bar overlooking the city with amazing cocktails and scenic views.  I got a fabulous deal on Groupon for a 1-night stay here and I wish I bought more. The staff was super friendly. The environment was quirky.  The establishment was classy.  We received a free breakfast and much to my surprise it wasn’t continental.  In fact they gave us $40 to spend on food! I highly recommend giving the Moonrise a shot when/if you go to St. Louis.  The Sirachi bloody mary is entirely worth the trip here.

5. The pizza.

Now I love St. Louis style pizza.  For those unfamiliar, it is a very thin crust, topped with a mixture of cheese including the secret cheese- Provel.  However, while here we were taken to a place called Pi that featured thin and deep dish pizza.  Apparently, President Obama fell in love so much with this pizza, they are building one in D.C.—instant cool points for that one!  The restaurant is very fun, features fun toppings and has some of the best sangria I have ever drank.

Need more proof why St. Louis is the newest hipster on the block and why it should be on your vacation bucket list?

martini street art.

just a carrot outside a local and organic cafe.

The Tin Car bar with a wall of canned beers.

late night comfort food.

Patty Melt, Onion Rings and 1950′s Jukebox music.

The oldest Amoco sign which resides over a BP gas station now.

Oldest theater in Missouri with $5 movies, cheap beers and cheap popcorn.

The Arch.

This was a 4 day weekend that pretty much ruled my summer.

Now I am off to do some yoga because it has been too long and have a dinner date with my hipster GF, Miss Y Lime.

xoxo,

Lo