It’s TOO HOT FOR SEPTEMBER!!! And hitting the 90’s every day for another solid week??? TT

I didnt see anyone talking about this, ik its been a couple days since the event but, I wanted to address the... for lack of a better term... slop venders that were rampent.

This was my first time going to the event so I'm wondering. Is it always like this? Do they always let in tiktok shop slop resellers? I loved the performances and stuff like that and was looking forward to seeing the local artists of different backgrounds having their setups... but thats not what was here. I dont think i saw a SINGLE real artist or crafter.

Ik the focus for vendors is more on the food (tho... most had AI signs so that kinda ruined my appetite...) but come on... if there rlly was no artists that applied then why have venders to begin with? Just stick with the food and official merch.

I've gone to a few events and the Tower grove farmers market a lot and have never seen it as bad as Festival of Nations had. Most other events and the farmers market seem to curate their vendors better. Even if they arent always local at least theyre not selling slop thats contributing to the climate crisis?

Is it always like this? Should I simply skip even walking around the vendors next time?

I’m relatively young (20), and grew up in the metro-east suburbs but spent much of my childhood in and around the city. I’ve now lived in the city for the past year in the Southwest Garden neighborhood. I adore my neighborhood’s tree-lined, walkable streets. I love the brick and plaster townhouses that line our streets from Old North, to Lafayette Square, to Soulard, to Dutchtown. They all remind me of the history and foundation of our city.

They also remind me of what has been lost, how St. Louis has been gutted and destroyed. All of our historic downtown was cleared to make way for the Arch, with many of our oldest buildings being demolished. Nearly 500 acres of Mill Creek Valley, a neighborhood of over 5,000 residences housing 20k+ people, was destroyed to ‘remove blight,’ which really resulted in making way for SLU and HSSU to expand their campuses and I-64 to expand. Downtown, Dutchtown, Bohemian Hill, the Hill, Soulard, Benton Park, Forest Park South, Old North, our entire riverfront. Divided or entirely destroyed to make way for interstate highways that don’t even primarily serve the people displaced and separated by them.

I know so many people living here who love this city as much as I do. I know many more who are surrounded by blight—beautiful but rotting houses, dozens of acres of empty lots. Still more (including myself) are divided from their neighbors by massive, ugly highways.

I’m not just making this post to complain, I do actually have a question: Is there hope? Should I bother investing in building my life in this city? I love it here but the trends make it seem like it will only continue to get worse. The city hasn’t seen population or jobs growth at all in 20 years, but hasn’t seen substantial growth in nearly 70 years. Our population is less than a third of what it was in the 50s. The population now is less than it was in the 1880s. Will people investing in the city now just see their investment go to waste?

If the mayor in the 1950s had the power and funding to destroy 500 acres of dense housing, can someone now do the reverse? If I had the money and power, I would do massive housing infill in the most blighted areas, protect the beautiful architecture we have remaining, remove the highways that divide us, invest in massive public transportation projects to rival those of the cities that were once our peers. But, of course, I can’t do that. So will St. Louis ever turn around? or will it continue to decline?

Pic 1-3 Downtown Destruction, Pic 4-6 Mill Creek Valley Destruction

This is an extremely niche topic, so I hope it's okay to post on this subreddit. I know board games are a big thing in STL and I'm sure there's lots of warhammer/dnd players, but I was wondering if there is much a of mini painting community here? Are there any mini painting influencers or events to follow/attend?

“Things have changed for us in the last year and a half,” Lewis tells SLM's George Mahe. “The year started out strong, then sales slowed down little by little, while cost of labor and goods continued to increase."

https://www.stlmag.com/dining/grace-meat-three-closing-september-13-in-the-grove/?utm_campaign=St.%20Louis%20Daily&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=436312177&utm_content=436312177&utm_source=hs_email

Spending in the Grove is down 3% in Q1 (Q2 should be out in the next week or so)

Where do you think he's going to inevitably move them? Orlando?

Finally made it into the reopened Scottish Arms on Wednesday evening.

I only tried the bangers and mash, but it was absolutely delicious. I kind of wish the beer menu leaned a little more Scottish/British, but that’s just my preference.

Anyway, not many customers in the place at 8 PM. I hope that’s not how it’s going for them because I’d love to see that place make it go of it.

The St. Louis Office of Sustainability announced its participation in an exciting program called “Switch Together,” which allows homeowners to register their interest in switching to solar energy, then the program organizes a “reverse auction” with vetted installers to obtain the best prices via the group buying model, between 15-20% lower than standard market costs. I didn’t see this posted anywhere on r/StLouis, but thought there may be people interested in learning more or participating.

From the website:

“How does it work?
1. Register
Register your interest on our website. When full registration opens, we will email you to remind you that you can complete the form to find out if your roof is suitable. Your details will only be transferred to the installer if and when you choose to accept an offer. You will not receive any sales calls, nor will your information be shared with third parties.

2. Auction
We organize a reverse auction with qualified installers. The best bid wins the auction. The more people that have registered, the greater the discount will be. Once the auction has taken place, we meet with the installer and begin preparing your personal recommendations.

3. Personal recommendation
You will receive an email informing you that your personal recommendation is ready. This will include all the details of the winning products. Your personal recommendation will be based on your registration details. It will include your estimated costs, savings, and expected electricity generation.

4. You decide
You will have a little more than a month to decide if you want to accept the offer or not. During this period, additional webinars will be available to help you understand your offer and ask more detailed questions. There is no obligation to accept your personal recommendation.

5. Installation
If you accept your recommendation, we will transfer your information to the winning installer who will contact you for a survey and set an installation date. The survey process will verify your roof's suitability, and result in a final offer. If the survey deems your roof unsuitable, you can cancel the process.

How does Switch Together help you?
Switching to sustainable solutions such as solar can feel intimidating. Switch Together makes the process easier by simplifying the process and securing better value. Free virtual and in-person information sessions are also available to help you understand solar and feel confident in your decision.

- Save time: we handle the research, comparisons and installer selection for you.
- Peace of mind: all installers go through a rigorous vetting process, so you can move forward with confidence.
- Better pricing: when many households register interest, installers can offer pricing that’s lower than standard market rates.

What will be the discount compared to the market price?
Vetted solar installers in your area will bid their best price in a reverse auction. The winning price and installer are announced once the reverse auction has taken place.

The more the merrier!
The more residents that sign up, the better the winning rates will be. Invite your family, friends, and neighbors to register so we can get a better deal, together!”

Read more about Switch Together here: https://switchtogether.com/en/solar/stlouis/info/how-does-switch-together-work

🎉 Come make some new friends with us!

Nice to Meet You is back at Handlebar on Friday, September 4th! If meeting new people as an adult feels harder than it should, that's exactly what these events are for. We give you an easy, low-pressure way to sit down, have some conversations, and hopefully leave knowing a few more people than when you arrived.

Whether you've been coming to NTMY for years or have never walked through the door before, we'd love to have you.

🗓️ When: Friday, September 4th

⏰ Time: 6 - 8pm

📍 Where: Handlebar - 4127 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110

How the night works:

👥 We'll put everyone into small groups of 4 - 6 people

🔄 Every 30 minutes, we'll mix up the groups so you get to meet different people throughout the evening

💬 Each table has optional conversation prompts if you need a little help getting things started

And, of course, the perks:

🍕 Free pizza!

🥂 Arrive by 6:30pm for a free welcome shot! We take our headcount at 6:30 so the bar knows how many to prepare. Around 6:45, we'll get everyone together for a quick group toast to new friends and a great night. The bar chooses the shot, and a non-alcoholic option is always available.

A few things to know:

🔞 21+ only

🌈 Inclusive and welcoming to all identities

🤝 We're here to make friends! NTMY is a platonic social event, not a dating event.

Don't know anyone yet? That's kind of the point! 😄 We'll get you into a group and help get the conversations started.

We keep attendance around 30 people so the groups stay comfortable and everyone has plenty of opportunities to talk. Getting there a little early is always a good idea.

NTMY officially ends at 8pm, but there's no need to rush out the door. People often stick around afterward to keep chatting and hanging out with the new people they've met.

📅 Can't make this one? Our next NTMY will be Wednesday, September 16th. We're at Handlebar every first Friday and third Wednesday of the month.

Come say hi, grab some pizza, and meet some people you might not have crossed paths with otherwise. 😄

Check out our Partiful event link for more details and let us know if you can make it!

Be sure to follow our socials below to keep up with everything we’ve got going on! Alongside our regular Handlebar meetups, we also plan extra group outings throughout the month that are more activity-focused and casual. Over the years we’ve done everything from Mardi Gras and Pride meetups to picnics, museum trips, the Zoo, Botanical Gardens, City Museum, Main Event, The Festival of Nations, and more. We also host board game nights every other month at Pieces Board Game Bar & Café in Soulard. There’s always something new popping up, and we love giving people different ways to connect outside of the usual meetup format.

NTMY LinkTree to our Socials

Click here to join the NTMY Discord Server!

Hope to see you on Friday! 😄

Found a Green Parakeet or Lovebird (?) near Gravois Road in Afton near SFP Landscaping. It later flew to Extra Space Storage. Seemed pretty social as it let me walk right up to it and even moved closer to me to investigate.

Anyone missing a bird?

I drive past Love Bank Park on Cherokee multiple times a week, and really quickly it's gone from a pretty busy kids' play area with regular events, to a homeless encampment. They have a TV and multiple sound systems, I saw the other night, so it doesn't feel like a temporary thing. I get that it's not anyone's first choice, but...

Benton Park West spent / raised a lot of money to improve Love Bank Park, and there are businesses right next door that presumably are losing money as people don't want to run the gauntlet just to go and have a good time. Also, it's a residential area. Not sure I'd be thrilled at, on the very lowest level, the hygiene thing (it looks absolutely disgusting every time, like no-one is cleaning up after themselves), if I lived round there.

Although it's not exactly my back yard, I don't want to be accused of being a not-in-my-back-yard type. Are the city's homelessness programs non-existent now? Have the people who spent so much time improving Love Bank Park just given up? Should I presume our local authorities already know about it and aren't doing anything, or is it worth asking them to direct some resources or time there to help the people there?

I'm not expecting anyone to have a magic wand, and if I drove down a different street and never saw it, I don't know if I'd even be aware of it. Maybe it's just the new normal for the city.

Perhaps I should do more. Any volunteer organizations to recommend that work in this area?

Hey everyone - my partner is celebrating her 40th this weekend and is pretty down about it. She doesn't see the point, and I wanted to do something a little different. She loves puppies and cuddling them up. We have 2 huskies and they are not the biggest cuddlers - much to her disappointment.

Anyone have any suggestions or a pile of puppies for her to visit?

We want to do most of the actual remodel work ourselves, but we seriously need input from a professional about layout, colors, use of space, etc. Thanks.

My ex and I recently broke up and we have an apartment together. The lease is up a year from today, however it’s a 2 bedroom and not justifiable for me to be paying on it as I don’t have a roommate; none of the people I know already are looking for a place to live and I have many hinderances with asking a random person to rent the room. I already reached out to my landlord and asked him about the potential about breaking the lease, my ex and I are well aware that it will cost money but we’re both moving back home to no rent and will be able to save up the money we spent on the lease break from our savings. My grandma read the lease and thinks I need a lawyer to try and break it, has anyone done this before or dealt with breaking a lease and if you have do you have a lawyer you recommend? I’d rather pay out of pocket now than spend more money in the long run on rent (and having to keep talking to my ex lol) TIA!

Hi everyone! I’m 29F and have been back in St. Louis for nearly 2 years. I’ve had the hardest time finding actual good friends. I am very socially awkward so I have a hard time making friends. So I’m putting myself out there in hopes I’ll make friends! A bit about myself: I live right outside of Downtown near Soulard. I’m an Interior Designer and work for a flooring and remodeling company. I’m in school full time for construction management. I love reading, shopping, antiquing, magic the gathering, Pilates/working out, concerts, painting/drawing, baseball, escape rooms, and traveling. I have quite the collection of bones and angel figurines. Once I’m comfortable with you, I become quite the yapper and listener. What I’m looking from you: you also enjoy some of the activities I do, and would like to do those with me. You also like wine and charcuterie nights at one of our apartments with spooky movies. You like to yap a lot, and have a lot of information to share. I love learning new things and being able to share my knowledge. You love to laugh, and try new things. If any of this interests you, feel free to DM. I’m tired of being lonely❤️