Hidden Gem: A St. Louis Lemp Style Halloween

Nothing screams "St. Louis Halloween Spooktacular"...

... like a haunted walking history tour of the Lemp complex and Cherokee Neighborhood at night?!  Last night, Steve and I gathered with some of my Coldwell Banker Gundaker coworkers for a little Halloween fun. Ack!

If you are from St. Louis, you likely know all about the legend of the Lemp family, the unfortunate Prohibition demise of one of the largest brewers in the country, and the string of "unfortunate incidents" that resulted in the old family mansion becoming one of the most notorious in the United States for alleged hauntings!

On this tour you get to hear all about the tragic history of the Lemp Family, learn the locations of the lost Lemp Neighborhood Cemeteries, and enjoy the gorgeous Cherokee Neighborhood architecture at night as they share other spooky tales of more haunted and historical locations along the tour route.

The St. Louis Paranormal Society is actually BASED in the old Lemp Brewery complex at the base of Antique Row and offer tours several nights per week.  Check out their website for more information at https://www.seeaghost.com/ or find them on Facebook HERE.

If you want to tour the Lemp mansion ITSELF, they actually offer guided tours every Monday, year round.  They also have a fabulous restaurant, offer fun mystery dinners, and have overnight accommodations for the brave at heart. Learn more at http://www.lempmansion.com/index.html

There is also an October haunted house in the complex and trust me, IT IS FRIGHTENING! 

It involves taking an old warehouse elevator down to the caverns and um, yeah. Been there, done that (thanks to the coaxing of my teenage boys) and not sure I will do it again?!  Ha ha.  Brave?  Learn more HERE.

TIP: 
Whatever you choose, make sure that you round out the evening at Ted Drewes for a "Great Pumpkin" concrete...

The best! 👻

See some of my other local "Hidden Gems" HERE.

Weekend Happening: Cinco de Mayo on Cherokee Street

This weekend is one of the city's most festive street parties...

...the 2017 Cinco de Mayo on Cherokee Street! With 15 years under their belt and drawing over 50,000 people annually, the festival is a true celebration of the culturally-rich Cherokee Street neighborhood.  Complete with a parade, live entertainment, live art demos, margaritas /cervezas, local artists, vendors, and the most delicious and authentic Mexican cuisine in all of St. Louis...this annual fiesta is an amazing time!

NITTY GRITTY...

Saturday, May 6 from 11:00AM- 10:00 PM

DIRECTIONS...

From highways 40 or 44 exit at Jefferson and go South (Right). Continue South on Jefferson about 1-2 miles to Cherokee. To go towards the Festival Area make a right on Cherokee. The festival area starts at Iowa and Cherokee.

FOR MORE INFO...

Web:  http://cincodemayostl.com/

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/CincodeMayoSTL

Hidden Gem: The Mud House on Cherokee

Located at #2101 Cherokee Street, in a stunning 19th century brick building in the heart of the Cherokee Lemp Historic District...

 
... sits The Mud House.

 

My friends on Foursquare have been checking into The MH left and right with photos of delectable coffee creations and artesian eats.  I have had it on my "to-do" list for awhile, and was excited to finally pop in!  Simply, The Mud House has been listed as one of St. Louis's Best Coffee Houses for a reason! 

 

 

 The space is eclectic yet cozy...

 

The fare, much of which is grown in their restaurant garden, is casual though not simplistic...

 

My favorite, however? 

THE COFFEE. 

Not only do they serve up lovely presentation, though their small batch hand-crafted creations are made with house made simple syrups like lavender and rosemary.  As an herb lover, I was in latte heaven.  My rosemary latte was possibly one of the best I have ever had.  EVER.  Phenomenal.

If in South City, please stop by the Mud House for a quick bite and coffee.  You will not be sorry!!  Check out the menu HERE.  Fantastic.

NITTY GRITTY...


The Mud House
2101 Cherokee St, St Louis, MO 63118
(314) 776-6599

Monday - Friday:  7:00am - 5:30pm
Saturday & Sunday:  8:00am - 5:30pm

Web:  http://themudhousestl.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mud-House/144297319088

See more of my "Hidden Gems" HERE. 

Connect with m on Foursquare HERE.

Hidden Gem: Stl STyLehouse on Cherokee

Another Hidden Gem alert, St. Louis!   

So the buzz, buzz, buzz has been prevalent for years and you literally can't go anywhere in the Lou without spotting one of their goodies.    While I have perused their website/FB page for a long time, I finally made my way down to the STyLehouse on Cherokee Street and couldn't wait to share!

Located downtown at #3159 Cherokee...

StL STyLehouse is a mecca of cool St. Louis pride-themed apparel and posters.

Their sayings/mottos/logos are smart, snarky, and frankly... brilliant for locals with a healthy sense of humor.  My relo clients always remark about how deeply rooted St. Louis is.  It is incredibly true!  Our city most definitely has his own unique set of customs and quirks- it is a St. Louis thing, you just don't understand.  This shop captures that perfectly.

So, how does it work?  While they have pre made items for sale in the store, you also have the option to customize.  You choose the shirt/item, you choose the logo, they print it on the spot!  It is that simple.  They have every style, size, and color imaginable.  Per logo, they have so many hysterical choices...

... it is incredibly difficult to choose just one?!

“My Way or Kingshighway”, "Get Your Thrills in St. Louis Hills", "Midtown- Ain't it Grand", "Where'd You Go To High School"... all perfectly St. Louis.

I left with a new Forest Park tee and another with our good ol' buddy Saint Louis (who sits at the top of Art Hill in front of the St. Louis Art Museum)...

... tagging area code "314". 

Brilliant.  Love it!

If you have a chance, make your way down to the shop.  If not, I encourage a visit to their website which is super easy to navigate and shop.

The Nitty...

STyLehouse
3159 Cherokee St.
St. Louis, MO 63118
Tel 1: (314) 494-7763
Tel 2: (314) 761-4469

Store Hours
Tue-Fri: 10am-5pm
Sat: 11am-5pm
Sun: 12pm-4pm
Online: 24/7

Web: http://stl-style.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/STyLehouseSTL
Twitter: http://stl-style.com/

EYE love Peat Wollaeger...

You can hardly go anywhere in St. Louis without seeing the whimsical touch of local graffiti stencil artist, Peat Wollaeger! He is livening up St. Louis, one piece and "EYE" at a time.

While his work is starting to pop up all over the country, it is super widespread in St. Louis...

This piece is my personal favorite, as it brought healing to the heart of a city suffering a horribly tragic loss.  Peat perfectly captured the magic of the beloved Bob Cassilly, creative genius of the St. Louis City Museum and numerous other local treasures like Turtle Park.

Peat even has real estate on the walls of MY house =)... 

If you have never seen Peat work, it is pretty amazing!  A perfect ode to St. Louis, I present to you Peat's St. Louis Breakdown...


NITTY:

Blog: http://stensoul.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Peat-Wollaeger-stenSOULcom/157354443109
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/stensoul
Online Store: http://buyart.stensoul.com/

Hidden Gem: Elder's on Cherokee

I realized last night that it has been awhile since my last Hidden Gem post.  I love antique shops.  I love antiques.  Over the years, I have picked up some interesting items.  I honestly should do a post some day with a few of our unique finds (like the vintage steel "R" and "P" that I recently picked up from a local antique mall for the boys' rooms for $5 each )...  it would be fun.  Regardless, knowing my affinity towards these items, several clients/friends/city newcomers have asked my advice for the best local resource for antique furniture over the years . 

As I have said before on numerous occasions on the blog, I love old things. While my house is NOT a dusty old antique store by any means,  I like a mix of old and new.  

I grew up in a household loaded with old mahogany furniture, neat artifacts, and family heirlooms. I grew up the daughter of parents who loved auctions and old things, as well.  I appreciate classic craftsmanship.  I am drawn to handsome quality wood.  I prefer traditional design and lines. I boast a classic style, with an eclectic twist.

We have a decent mix of antiques in our house. Some things that we inherited, others that we have accumulated over the years.  I am a firm believer in that items just come into your life, often times when you are not looking for them.  Particularly with antiques, it seems when you seek... you rarely find.  Regardless, in a city of wonderful treasures including an entire neighborhood dedicated to the goodies of yesteryear...  I DO have a local favorite for furniture.

At the corner of Missouri and Cherokee, in the center of the infamous Antique Row...

Sits Elder's...

The nitty-gritty...

It is 3 full floors of antique goodness...

While they do offer collectibles and the occasional architectural artifact...

Elder's is unique among other antique stores, particularly on the Row, as they have an emphasis on furniture and boast an ENORMOUS amount of square footage to maintain a sizable inventory...

In fact, their inventory is HUGE and constantly changing. 

Elder's has an incredible price point range and while items are not as affordable as you would find at an estate sale or on Craigslist, they are still priced reasonably to sell quickly...

Simply, I can't resist a pop into Elder's when downtown.

On this particular trip, I sought unique bedside tables. While I didn't find what I was looking for on this trip, I look forward to returning soon to give it another try...