A few pieces of STL fun (15, to be exact)

5 Fun Facts

• St. Louis City vs. St. Louis County: St Louis City seceded from the county in the 1870s, becoming an independent city. Outside of Virginia (where the state constitution incorporates all cities as independent cities), only three independent cities existed as of 1990: St. Louis, Baltimore, Md., and Carson City, Nev.
• Where’d you go to high school?: With lots of private Catholic school sprinkled around the region and various neighborhood schools, St. Louisans tend to ask this question when meeting someone for the first time. (Even if they’re 40 years past their teenage glory days.)
• St. Louis accent: It might not be as obvious as hearing a Chicago, New York or South Carolina accent, but some St. Louisans have a noticeable lilt. Words to listen for: “farty” (as in Highway 40), “warsh” (as in washing the dishes) and “fark” (that utensil you eat with).
• Breweries everywhere: St. Louis was once crammed with breweries — and it still has quite a few! Some historians estimate the city had 40 to 50 breweries at one point in the mid-19th century. For example, in 1889, 18 St. Louis breweries merged to form the St. Louis Brewing Association. Today, St. Louis’ most famous brewery is Anheuser-Busch. But it supports a number of microbreweries as well. (Perhaps you’ll have some time to appreciate the beer culture while you’re in town?)
• A neighborly state: Missouri is tied with Tennessee for the U.S. state bordering the most other states. (Each shares lines with eight.) Missouri borders: Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa.

5 People to Know

• Nelly: If you’ve heard Nelly’s songs, you probably know he’s from the Lou (and he’s proud). He formed the St. Lunatics while in high school here (University City High School, that is). Nelly once owned a bar, Skybox, on Laclede’s Landing. It has since closed, but he announced recently that he is teaming up with Vatterott College to open a music recording school in the space.
• Jon Hamm: Yep, Don Draper himself grew up in St. Louis (and went to John Burroughs High School).
• Chuck Berry: The Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll was also born in St. Louis. With hits such as “Johnny B. Goode,” “Roll Over, Beethoven” and “Memphis,” Berry still plays at Blueberry Hill (on the Loop) once a month. (Berry’s next gig there is on Oct. 12.) He is honored along the St. Louis Walk of Fame in that neighborhood, along with more than 100 others who were born or spent formative or creative time in the area, including Maya Angelou, Jack Buck, T.S. Eliot and Albert Hirschfeld.
• Jack Dorsey: Yep, Dorsey (this one — not SND President Steve Dorsey, though we know he could do it) founded Twitter AND grew up in STL. (He went to Bishop DuBourg High School.)
• “The Office” actresses: NBC’s “The Office” is chock full of St. Louisans. Pam, Phyllis and Erin are all from the area. Jenna Fischer (Pam) was raised in St. Louis and went to Nerinx Hall High School, an all-girls Catholic school in the suburb of Webster Groves. Phyllis Smith (Phyllis) went to Cleveland High School (which no longer exists) in St. Louis. She is a former St. Louis Cardinals cheerleader. Ellie Kemper (Erin) is another St. Louisan and went to John Burroughs High School.

5 Things to Do

• Mardi Gras: OK, maybe not during this trip. But if you want to come back, do it Feb. 18, 2012, when the Mardi Gras festivities will take over the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis. The celebration is recognized as one of the biggest in the country.
• The Hill: This Italian neighborhood is home to many Italian grocers, bakeries and restaurants. Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola Sr. both grew up in this neighborhood.
• Ted Drewes: This frozen custard stand has been serving the cold treat in St. Louis since 1930. If you have time, swing by and order a concrete.
• Fox Theatre: This elaborate theater opened in 1929 as a silent theater and live performance space. Through the years, many famous acts, ranging from Nat King Cole to Frank Zappa, performed here. “The Addams Family” musical is current playing. Upcoming shows include Chris Tucker and Tony Bennett.
• Peabody Opera House: The venue, formerly the Kiel Opera House, was just remodeled and will hold its grand opening Oct. 1, headlined by Aretha Franklin and Jay Leno. Wilco will play a sold-out show on Oct. 4.