<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" One of the things 30-year resident Shelley Spoeneman, 55, loves most about her city is its small-town feel. &amp;quot;St. Louis is all about neighborhoods, so even though nearly 3 million people live in the area, each part of town is unique,&amp;quot; says the former flight attendant, who moved here in 1980 after marrying her husband, Steven, a St. Louis native. &amp;quot;The downtown loft district has a trendy vibe. Historic Soulard is filled with 150-year-old row houses.&amp;quot; And that&amp;#039;s just for starters\u2014St. Louis has 79 different neighborhoods!   1. Best View of the City: Gateway Arch The St. Louis landmark, which opened in 1967, stands 630 feet tall and offers panoramic views of downtown, the Mississippi River and even Illinois. Once you enter the Arch through the underground entrance and buy a ticket, tram-style elevators take you up to a windowed observation area. Time to the top: 4 minutes. &amp;quot;Seeing the city from that height is spectacular\u2014a must for anyone visiting St. Louis,&amp;quot; says Shelley. &amp;quot;But don&amp;#039;t leave without taking a moment to appreciate the Arch itself from the outside. This beautiful stainless steel structure is a true architectural marvel.&amp;quot; ($10 adults; $5 kids ages 3\u201315)   2. A Delightful Escape: The Butterfly House: Tropical Conservatory Located in Faust Park in nearby Chesterfield, this 8,000-square-foot, climate-controlled greenhouse is home to some 2,000 tropical butterflies flying freely. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city,&amp;quot; says Shelley. &amp;quot;Walking in this quiet setting among beautiful plants and flowers as colorful butterflies flutter around you is incredibly peaceful.&amp;quot; Be warned: The conservatory is very warm (85 degrees) and humid. A cooler option? Stroll the outdoor garden filled with butterfly-attracting plants. ($6 adults; $4 kids ages 3\u201312)   3. Best Nightlife Spot: The Jive &amp;amp;amp; Wail Grab a bite, have a drink and sing at the top of your lungs. This downtown club, which serves classic fare like burgers and pizza, features two dueling piano players performing songs by Michael Jackson, Elvis and other pop icons. They even take requests. Every hour or so two new pianists hit the stage, so the show never stops for long. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s a blast,&amp;quot; says Shelley. &amp;quot;The crowd sings, claps and even dances along\u2014it&amp;#039;s pretty boisterous. Because the club is only open Thursday through Saturday, the place is always packed.&amp;quot; ($5 cover; show starts at 8 p.m.; reservations recommended)   4. Cool Neighborhood To Check Out: The Loop This funky, artsy part of town is always bustling with people, especially during the summer, thanks to its many outdoor cafes, quirky boutiques, art galleries and more. Here you&amp;#039;ll find the Midwest&amp;#039;s answer to Hollywood&amp;#039;s Walk of Fame: Delmar Boulevard. &amp;quot;Brass stars honoring famous St. Louisans like Miles Davis, Chuck Berry, Yogi Berra and Tina Turner line the sidewalk,&amp;quot; says Shelley. Also on Delmar is Blueberry Hill, a restaurant/club filled wall-to-wall with music collectibles, from old jukeboxes to &amp;#039;60s-era Beatles dolls. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s like a walk down memory lane,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;And rock-and-roll legend Chuck Berry still performs here on a regular basis.&amp;quot;   5. For a Morning Sugar Rush: Gooey Louie If you want to start your day like a local, have a piece of gooey butter cake for breakfast. This only-in\u2013St. Louis staple &amp;quot;has a cake crust topped with a sweet, sticky mixture of butter, sugar and cream cheese, dusted with powdered sugar,&amp;quot; says Shelley. &amp;quot;You can find gooey butter cakes all over town, but Louie&amp;#039;s are the best.&amp;quot; Made from scratch daily (no boxed cake mix here), these treats come in flavors ranging from traditional plain (vanilla) to Turtle Park (chocolate, caramel and kettle-glazed pecans) to key lime.   6. Best St. Louis\u2013Style Pizza: Imo&amp;#039;s Pizza  Chicago has deep-dish. California has creative toppings. But in St. Louis it&amp;#039;s all about the crisp, cracker-thin crust and the Provel, a uniquely flavored processed cheese made from Swiss, provolone and Cheddar, that&amp;#039;s used instead of mozzarella. When locals crave a square (not pie-shaped) slice, they flock to Imo&amp;#039;s, which has become so legendary in St. Louis that its pizzerias are now all over the city. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s my family&amp;#039;s go-to comfort food,&amp;quot; says Shelley.   7. Fun for Kids\u2026and Kids at Heart: City Museum Forget the Picassos and Monets. At this zany 600,000-square-foot museum, opened in 1997 by artist Bob Cassilly in a former shoe factory downtown, you&amp;#039;ll see things you&amp;#039;ve never seen before. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s an interactive playhouse with a funky twist,&amp;quot; says Shelley. &amp;quot;All sorts of repurposed stuff\u2014like building materials, factory conveyor belts, industrial-size refrigeration coils, pieces of old bridges, construction cranes, you name it\u2014have been turned into trapdoors, slides, mazes, ladders, secret tunnels and more that you can actually climb on, in, over and through.&amp;quot; Never slid down a shoe factory chute or crawled through a giant Slinky made of iron? You can here. There&amp;#039;s even a rope swing, a splash pond, a four-story Ferris wheel and other jaw-dropping attractions on the roof. ($12; extra $5 for roof admission)   8. If You Scream For Ice Cream: Ted Drewes Head to this local institution on Chippewa Street (along historic Route 66) and get the famous concrete: frozen vanilla custard blended with ingredients of your choice. &amp;quot;They&amp;#039;ll put in all kinds of goodies,&amp;quot; says Shelley. &amp;quot;My son goes for pieces of Heath Bar, my husband and daughter get butterscotch, but I love the chocolate sauce.&amp;quot; What makes a concrete so special? The incredible thickness. &amp;quot;The server always hands it to you upside down and nothing ever falls out, not even the spoon!&amp;quot; But be prepared to wait for this super-thick, rich, delicious treat. &amp;quot;Every time I go, there&amp;#039;s a long line,&amp;quot; says Shelley. &amp;quot;But it&amp;#039;s worth it.&amp;quot;   Wondering about where to stay and how to get around once you are in St. Louis? Click here to find out. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/life/travel-tips/tips/a5619/a-womans-day-in-st-louis-117781/>