 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
A Tale of Two Cities:
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
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.
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.
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 |
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
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.|
I think you outdid yourself with the "Two Cities" article. I'm ashamed to admit that I knew so little about these two cities. I learned so much. Your article was jampacked with very interesting trivia. Surprised the Jazz greats and Walt Disney came from practically the same area. And those pictures --- especially the WWI museum --- what an incredible shot --- almost like out of somebody's Satyricon dream. Bravo! --- Rod, Glendale, CA
What a great article! --- Michelle, Torrance, California
Ed, The photos are spectacular. I can envision many a romantic novel inspired
by these majestic sceneries. Makes me want to do a little more research
on Norway. John Lenon must have been one of the converts when he wrote
"Norwegian Woods." * * * * Peter, Thanks for the kind words and taking the time to write. Indeed, Norway
was paradise on earth, and I dream of returning again and again. You
had a funny line about John Lennon being so inspired by the beauty of
Norway that he composed the song, "Norwegian Wood." If I'm
not mistaken, his reference to "Norwegian Wood" is just that:
an inexpensive pine wood from Norway that was becoming popular in the
UK. I did read somewhere, though, that "I Want to Hold Your Hand"
was inspired by Norwegian fjord trek. Ed
Ed, Reading Peter's implication that "Norwegian Wood" was based on a trip that John Lennon took to Norway led me to do some research. According to Paul McCartney at a press conference in Los Angeles: 'Peter Asher [brother of McCartney's then-girlfriend Jane Asher] had just done his room out in wood, and a lot of people were decorating their places in wood. Norwegian wood. It was pine, really, just cheap pine. But it's not as good a title, is it, "Cheap Pine"? It was a little parody, really, on those kind of girls who, when you'd get back to their flat, there would be a lot of Norwegian wood. It was completely imaginary from my point of view, but not from John's. It was based on an affair he had. She made him sleep in the bath and then, finally, in the last verse, I had this idea to set the Norwegian wood on fire as a revenge. She led him on and said, "You'd better sleep in the bath." And in our world, that meant the guy having some sort of revenge, so it meant burning the place down....' Of course, just cause it's on the 'net doesn't mean it's true.
Weird piece on Copenhagen (Cosy in Copenhaggen). Do you think now that
Keefer’s in the slammer in Glendale for DWI he’s experiencing
any hygge? I bet some of those jailbirds would like to see how touch
he is. --- Adam S., Glendale CA
I loved your intro and the way you set up the article. It immediately set the tone of an action-paced adventure. I imagined Annette as a spy in a trenchcoat feeding you top secret information. I'm surprised you didn't get lost. Do they speak English over there? Are the street signs in English? Does a GPS work over there? I never heard of "hygge" but, like you, I think I've felt that sensation everytime the cold wind blows here in South Pasadena, CA. When I sit beside a warm fire, sipping my hot chocolate, I will remember this article. Thanks! --- Peter Paul, South Pasadena, CA
|
Stay tuned.
This site is designed and maintained by WYNK Marketing. Send all technical issues to: support@wynkmarketing.com
|
|
