Visit to St. Louis/Gateway Arch = Miserable Experience (Chesterfield, University City: transplants, home)

[Phil from Daytona]

Hello,


We are hardcore Cardinals fans from Florida and are visiting a relative in Overland (ugh). We are looking forward to going to Monday night's game versus Atlanta at the beautiful new ballpark.

Having said that....

My wife, our four-year-old and I had the most MISERABLE experience visiting the Gateway Arch today. The elevators were down for three hours. Every single person we encountered was rude and indifferent. And we were all wearing Cardinals paraphernailia, so it's not like we looked like tourists (although we aren't porky, so that might give us away as non-Midwesterners).

Then we went to the Magic House, and I guess in St. Louis if you don't get to a tourist attraction right when it opens, you're treated like crap for the duration of your visit? We witnessed horrific treatment of children by the staff today, we almost called Social Services. As my wife and I are both teachers, here is a little piece of advice - if you are going to work in location that involves extensive interaction with children, then make sure you are mentally, emotionally and physically capable of dealing with children.

Finally, we went to Cunettos and had a great meal - after three hours or waiting. Even our relatives in Overland said "we're a bit slower here." It didn't take the FBI that long to catch Dillinger.

Well, we're still looking forward to Monday Night's Cardinals game but for God's sake, St. Louis - Step It Up A Bit!!! If you want Tourist $$$$, act like you care!

[billiken]

Yeah, Cunettos regularly has a ridiculous wait like that on the weekends. We always go before the peak dinner rush starts. The service there always seems pretty quick, it's always just packed.

[CarrieNeno]

Ooooh nooooo =(. The Arch wait is never pretty, but 3 hours down is bad. Bad experience at Magic House? Never heard that! Nor would I wait for 3 hours at Cunnettos?! Sorry for the bad experience. Not the norm, obviously... =(

[Marksman84]

Dude,

I am a native, and your relative in Overland is dead on - St. Louis is an extremely slow-paced city. The term "urgency" is foreign here. Most of the folks here would not make it larger, fast-paced cities (I travelled for 15 years serving my country, I can attest to this).

And yes, the Arch is an overrated, lame attraction. You go up, you look out a window and hope it's one of the 20 percent days of sunshine, and you go down.

Having said that - do you want some cool, free things to take your child too (we're parents as well)?

The Zoo is great and free to non-residents. The Science Center is great. Forest Park (where the Zoo/Science Center are housed) is probably one of the nicest parks in the U.S. Our little girl loves running around the park.

Do you want a cool place where the whole family can eat? Here's a good link, but make sure to call ahead and verify that the establishment is smoke free. Avoid Incredible Pizza - it's Chuck E Cheese on steroids:

Kid Friendly Restaurants - St. Louis | Urbanspoon

Have fun at the game Monday night, I hope it eradicates the moronic behavior you've encountered thus far.

[ktCakes]

bummer. It doesn't help that the weather is going to be crappy all weekend.
And to be fair, the Arch is run by the National Parks Service. But, the elevators are as old as the arch. I hope you at least enjoy the ballgame!

[goat314]

Originally Posted by Phil from Daytona

Hello,


We are hardcore Cardinals fans from Florida and are visiting a relative in Overland (ugh). We are looking forward to going to Monday night's game versus Atlanta at the beautiful new ballpark.

Having said that....

My wife, our four-year-old and I had the most MISERABLE experience visiting the Gateway Arch today. The elevators were down for three hours. Every single person we encountered was rude and indifferent. And we were all wearing Cardinals paraphernailia, so it's not like we looked like tourists (although we aren't porky, so that might give us away as non-Midwesterners).

Then we went to the Magic House, and I guess in St. Louis if you don't get to a tourist attraction right when it opens, you're treated like crap for the duration of your visit? We witnessed horrific treatment of children by the staff today, we almost called Social Services. As my wife and I are both teachers, here is a little piece of advice - if you are going to work in location that involves extensive interaction with children, then make sure you are mentally, emotionally and physically capable of dealing with children.

Finally, we went to Cunettos and had a great meal - after three hours or waiting. Even our relatives in Overland said "we're a bit slower here." It didn't take the FBI that long to catch Dillinger.

Well, we're still looking forward to Monday Night's Cardinals game but for God's sake, St. Louis - Step It Up A Bit!!! If you want Tourist $$$$, act like you care!

I lived in Tampa for a couple years. I can attest that Florida has its fair share of porky people. Actually more than its fair share.

[goat314]

Originally Posted by Marksman84

Dude,

I am a native, and your relative in Overland is dead on - St. Louis is an extremely slow-paced city. The term "urgency" is foreign here. Most of the folks here would not make it larger, fast-paced cities (I travelled for 15 years serving my country, I can attest to this).

And yes, the Arch is an overrated, lame attraction. You go up, you look out a window and hope it's one of the 20 percent days of sunshine, and you go down.

Having said that - do you want some cool, free things to take your child too (we're parents as well)?

The Zoo is great and free to non-residents. The Science Center is great. Forest Park (where the Zoo/Science Center are housed) is probably one of the nicest parks in the U.S. Our little girl loves running around the park.

Do you want a cool place where the whole family can eat? Here's a good link, but make sure to call ahead and verify that the establishment is smoke free. Avoid Incredible Pizza - it's Chuck E Cheese on steroids:

Kid Friendly Restaurants - St. Louis | Urbanspoon

Have fun at the game Monday night, I hope it eradicates the moronic behavior you've encountered thus far.

Most St. Louisans wouldn't make it in a "larger, fast paced city". You are about as laughable as Dinsdale.

Like I said before, tough people will adapt to whatever environment they are put in. Maybe a soft, sheltered, suburban kid from Chesterfield would buckle in Manhattan, but the people I grew up around in University City could make it anywhere.

St. Louis has a very LARGE urban culture that most people living in the suburbs don't know about. In fact St. Louis feels a lot bigger and faster than a lot of cities of comparable size.

As far as rude people, St. Louis is not even close to being the king in the category. Spend one weekend in Miami, Philadelphia, or Los Angeles and you will think St. Louis is full of sweethearts. St. Louis is in no way a cake walk town, but St. Louisans are not cold people by any means.

[Pacm39960]

I agree with you Goat. Depends on what area you were bred in. I grew up in the City of St Louis and never felt like I couldnt make it anywhere else.

It is laughable to talk down on a city. My girlfriend is from Harlem. Yes Harlem and she loves STL. OF course its not fast like most East Coast Cities or some larger cities like Chicago, LA, SF. Which I have been to all of the mention cities. I work in a company...Wells Fargo that has many East Coast transplants. THey like it here. THe problem is, people try to make St Louis like other cities, but St Louis is great in its own right. If a girl from 159th and Amsterdam can enjoy a city like St Louis, I know most of us can. I work with people from Oakland, RIchmond,VA, Charlotte, NJ, NYC, Philly, San Diego...they have no problem with it. Of course t he midwest is slower than the coast, but its not just a STL thing. NOt everybody can be Chicago. Guess what? WHat city people talk about in the midwest behind CHicago? St Louis. WHen I was in LA last month, I told people where I was from, they wanted to talk about St Louis. Met a couple from NC there, they told me about the fun they had in STL. The Movie Star and home tour guide bus driver kept asking about St Louis. I went out to a bar in Inglewood, met some people from NY who comes through STL EVERY month. In Hollywood, one of the guys dressed up like Spiderman seen my Cardinals shirt and told me how he used to go to ST Louis every month when he stayed in Chicago and had great times.

Of Course everybody is not going to like every city. So people, just because somebody doesnt like it, dont take it to heart, there are many many people, West coast and East, who loves St Louis.


St Louis is behind, of course, but if you look everyday at the news, St Louis is creeping back up.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

I'm sorry you had such a bad time, Phil. I don't think I've ever been treated that badly at St. Louis attractions, but I haven't been to them all. I have had bad experiences at other places, though.

Hopefully if you visit again things will be different.

[stlcitygirl]

Sorry you had a bad experience at the Arch, I've been several times with no wait at all. Today check out City Museum (downtown), the Zoo (Forest Park), or the Science Center (Forest Park). There are a ton of wonderful restaurants around the city, no need to wait more than an hour for anything. About the weight comment, I used to live in Florida, don't act like it's some oasis of health. I saw more obese people there than living here.