The Arch isn’t the only thing that the city has to offer. There
are numerous activities to be pursued in the downtown area.

Laclede’s Landing is a favorite late-night spot. Bars are
the major tenants of the 19th-century buildings north of the Arch
grounds. Most of the bars have either live music or local bands
every night of the week. Morgan Street Brewery (721 N.
Second, 231-9970), Banana Joe’s (118 Morgan, 231-3200),
The Trainwreck Saloon (720 N. First, 436-1006),
Boomer’s (707 Clamorgan Alley, 621-8155), Fat
Tuesday’s (700 N. Second, 241-2008) and Elsher’s are a couple
of places located in the Landing. The Old Spaghetti Factory
(727 N. First, 621-0276) has been an old favorite on the Landing
for years, serving some of the best pasta in St. Louis. Jake’s
Steaks entices your pallate with delicious steaks.

Mississippi Nights (914 N. First, 421-3853) is St. Louis’
best music club. National acts often stop by the club to get that
small club feel while still playing like they’re at an upscale
venue. A major act plays there nearly every week so check The
University News for the latest concert schedule.

St. Louisans definitely love their sports teams, as the city was
recently voted by The Sporting News as the best sports city in
America. And St. Louisans also enjoy a luxury that some cities
don’t have: all three of the team’s stadiums are located downtown.
Busch Stadium (421-2400), home of the St. Louis Cardinals,
is the place where Redbird Nation worships.

For every home game, thousands of Cards fans dress up in red to
support the Cardinals. A night at the old ballyard is definitely
something that everyone enjoys; it could be a fun activity with
residence hall neighbors. But get tickets soon because the Cards
are in the pennant chase and tickets go fast.

The world champion St. Louis Rams battle NFL foes eight times a
year at the Trans World Dome (342-5201). Don’t bother to try
and get tickets though; every home game is sold out. But the
Missouri state high school football championships are held at the
dome every year. So if you miss the excitement of the high school
football scene check out the action over Thanksgiving weekend.

Savvis Center (622-5435) is home to our very own Billiken
basketball squad, the 2000 Conference USA Tournament champions and
NCAA participant last year. Coach Brad Soderberg guides the
Billikens, who are always tough at home.

The NHL St. Louis Blues also play at the Kiel. The Blues hold 42
contests at the arena every year. While most of the tickets are too
much for a college student on a budget, the Blues do offer a couple
thousand $15 seats in the last rows of the upper decks.

But the seats are just as good as the front row because you can
see all of the action. Going to a Blues game is also a great floor
activity, especially on Saturday nights. Just make sure you get
tickets early in the year, because once Blues fans get playoff
fever, every game sells out.

Union Station used to be one of the busiest train
stations in the country in the early 1900s. But after the rise of
air travel, the station was forced to close. In 1985, the city
reopened the facility as a mall full of shops and restaurants.

Today, Union Station still flourishes with over 10 restaurants,
plenty of knick-knack shops and some of your regular mall stores.
Hard Rock Cafe (621-7625) Landry’s (231-4040),
Houlihan’s (436-0844) and Casa Gallardo (421-6766) are a few
establishments to dine at. And don’t forget to visit The
Fudgery (231-1901). Those guys know how to entertain.

The Hyatt Regency (231-1234) is an upscale hotel that is
located in the station. If your parents are in from out-of-town and
want to style and profile for a few days, have them look into
staying at this hotel. It’s only about a mile and a half from
campus.

Kiener Plaza holds a few events from time to time. On the
weekends, it’s a good place to take a load off, buy a hot brat from
a street vendor and enjoy the scenery.

The bar scene downtown caters mostly to after-work crowds and
pre-game and post-game crowds. BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups
(700 South Broadway, 436-5222) and The Broadway Oyster Bar
(736 South Broadway, 621-8811) are about three blocks from Busch
Stadium. Before and after the baseball games, both bars are packed,
especially on the weekends. Pitchers (421-1776) is located
directly across from Stan Musial’s statue on Broadway in the
Marriott Hotel. The corner of Walnut and Broadway is always hopping
on a game day.

J.P. Santagelo’s (231-8300) is the bar closest to the
Trans World Dome. It’s on street level in the Drury Inn. Other bars
that dot downtown are Mickey’s, Jack Patrick’s, Dooley’s and
Maurizio’s.

Maurizio’s (1107 Olive, 621-1997) has something that no
college kid can pass up. First of all, the place is open from 8
a.m. to 4 a.m. Second, it serves good pizza.

Third, on the weekends, Maurizio’s has a $7
all-you-can-eat pizza buffet from 11 p.m. to the morning, with the
bar open to 3 a.m.

And we mustn’t forget about the Arch (425-4465). The
steel structure, completed in 1965, has an underground museum that
contains various artifacts from the period of the United States’
western expansion. And for a small fee, you can travel up the
Arch’s legs in elevators and gaze from the windows more than 600
feet in the air.

The Washington Avenue District has become a popular
gathering place for St. Louisans in recent years. Many artists and
young businessmen and women have moved into the numerous loft
apartments that dot the street.

Below many of these lofts at street level are clubs restaurants
and clubs. Tangerine (1405 Washington, 621-7335) and The
Galaxy (1227 Washington, 231-6968) provide dance music and a
little bit more for patrons.