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A Tale of Two Cities:
St. Louis & Kansas City
By Ed Boitano
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry,
and narrow mindedness
and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts."
Mark Twain - Native Missourian
he
Gateway Arch towers over the mighty Mississippi. Built in 1963, it is
today the symbol of St. Louis. Blues music fills the night, and St.
Louisans sit at sidewalk cafes in the historic Soulard neighborhood
in front of tables of toasted ravioli, paper-thin square-cut pizza and
frosted mugs of Bud, the beer here that is still king
At 630 feet, the St. Louis Gateway Arch is
the tallest
national monument in
the United States
Photo credit: Deb Roskamp
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Four hours west down the road, a fountain glistens in
the Kansas City twilight. The city has 200 of them, more than any city
outside of Rome. From the Blue Room, a club in the iconic 18th &
Vine Historic Jazz District, a jazz quartet is warming up for their
evening set, while the fragrance of hickory smoked barbecue is still
in the air.
Greetings from the heart of the Heartland. Throw a dart
at the dead center of a map of the Continental US and you will hit a
highway in Missouri called I-70. This highway links two world-class
cities, St. Louis and Kansas City, each situated on opposite ends of
Missouri. I am happy to report that many of the stereotypes that Coastlanders
have of the Midwest are true: the people are warm and hospitably; fiercely
proud about their cities, but not pretentious about it. The food is
good and the portions are, well, huge. But this is only where the accolades
begin. Linked by the 250-miles of pavement, the cities have much in
common, but still are very different from one another, each offering
their own unique charms.
Photo credit:
Deb Roskamp
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ST.
LOUIS: THE MOST WESTERN CITY OF THE EAST
POPULATION: 353,837
MONIKERS: "Gateway to the West" | "Mound
City"
ICONIC SYMBOL: At 630 ft., The Gateway
Arch is the nation's tallest man-made monument. Take the tram
ride to the top for stunning view of downtown St. Louis and the
muddy Mississippi.
FAMOUS ST. LOUISANS: Chuck Berry, T. S.
Eliot, William Burroughs, Miles Davis, Tennessee Williams, Yogi
Berra.
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BACK STORY: Located on the western banks of the
Mississippi River, St. Louis' first inhabitants were the Mississippians,
Indian mound builders. As many as 40,000 people lived in what was then
the largest city north of Mexico. By 1300 AD, the civilization mysteriously
disappeared, and the French arrived in 1698, establishing a mission
and a thriving trading port. The US flag was raised in 1803 when Thomas
Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory, making it part of his plan
for a Continental United States. The 1904 St. Louis World's Fair gave
the city international recognition. It is known today for manufacturing,
medicine, biotechnology, and other sciences.
THE VIBE: St. Louis is renowned for its historic
neighborhoods of red brick and expansive parks. Like most eastern cities,
it is a pedestrian town with a great transit system. Soulard is a former
French neighborhood, lined with bars and pubs, while the chic Central
West End offers sidewalk cafes, boutiques and antique stores. Forest
Park, home of the World's Fair, features 1,300 acres of lakes, walking
paths and an array of free cultural institutions. The Hill is the Italian
neighborhood, while the The Loop is the hot spot for concerts.
CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS: Experience the Saint Louis
Art Museum, the Missouri Botanical Gardens and the Saint Louis Zoological
Park. See a stage show at the famous Fox Theater, tour the Anheuser-Busch
Brewery and visit the Lewis & Clark exhibit at the Gateway Arch
Riverfront.
EATS: Thanks to the Hill, there's toasted ravioli
and St. Louis-style pizza, super-thin crusted, made with Provel process
cheese. Other delights include Gooey Butter Cake and shoulder-cut St.
Louis Pork Steak. With a large German population, beer has always been
essential and Budweiser dominates the market, but upcoming micro-brews
like Schlafly Beer are starting to gain attention.
BLUES: Due to its location the on banks of the
Mississippi, St. Louis blues music is a tantalizing hybrid of Mississippi
Delta and Chicago blues. The city boasts more working blues musicians
than other city in the world.

The fountain has long been the symbol of Kansas City.
Photo credit: Deb Roskamp
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KANSAS
CITY: THE MOST EASTERN CITY OF THE WEST
POPULATION: 447,305
MONIKERS: "The Fountain City" | "Paris on
the Plains"
ICONIC SYMBOL: With respect to the 200
fountains, the National World War I Museum gets my vote. It is
the only national museum in the US dedicated to The Great War,
and an experience that will touch your soul.
NOTABLE KANSAS CITIANS: Charlie Parker,
Robert Altman, Joan Crawford, Walter Cronkite, Wallace Beery,
Walt Disney.
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BACK STORY: Originally a homestead settlement,
Kansas City is located at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas
rivers. It became an important site for America's westward expansion,
with the Santa Fe, California and Oregon Trails all originating in the
area. The location of a number of Civil War battles, Kansas City was
incorporated in its present form in 1850. It gained national attention
when the stockyards were established in 1871, the second largest in
the country. Kansas Citian's love affair with beef began, and it became
acclaimed for its barbecue. Today Kansas City is headquarters to three
Fortune 500 companies and numerous agriculture companies.

Kansas City's National World War I Museum is the
only national museum in the US dedicated to The Great War.
Photo credit: Deb Roskamp
THE
VIBE: Kansas City is distinguished for its spacious boulevards,
numerous parks and over 200 fountains. This is a western-style town
and a car is required to get around. Designed in 1922, The Country Club
Plaza is 14-square-block outdoor shopping and entertainment district
with Spanish-Moorish architecture. The 18th & Vine Historic Jazz
District is a swinging hot spot and the place to learn about Kansas
City jazz. The Crossroads Arts District is a growing arts community,
while the downtown River Market features the Midwest's largest farmers
market.
CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS: Visit the Nelson-Atkins
Museum of Art and the archectural wonder, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary
Art. The American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
both share the same building, and the Arabia Steamboat Museum is located
in the River Market.
EATS: Barbecue is synonymous with Kansas City
and today over 100 establishments feature hickory or pecan smoked ribs,
brisket and burnt-end ribs. Each restaurant seems to offer its own secret
sauce. Other delicacies include Kansas City Strip Steak and Chicken
Spiedini. For beer you can do little better than the micro-brew, Boulevard.
JAZZ: Kansas City became celebrated for its jazz
clubs when political boss Tom Pendergrast ignored prohibition and allowed
alcohol to flow into the 12th District. Displaced musicians poured in
just as fast, inventing swing jazz and new late night sensation called
the jam session
Explore StLouis.com
* VisitKC.com
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