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STL Playbook:  Click for details

Match:  Man vs. The Wild City

RECORD:  1-1

Subject:  Parking at / around loft (not in garage)

Verdict:  Close Loss

Where do I start and how did I get into the daily chaos of sifting through dimes in my console like a crack head to get an extra 7 minutes at the meter or making sure I carry a wad of $5’s to pay the parking attendant who usually doesn’t have change, but makes sure he has a dozen of wings to go to town on.  Well see it’s a little complicated.  My loft came with with an underground parking garage.  What a great perk!  Well not with this guy and his full bed Ford F-150.  To get in that garage you have to have a ”SMART” car or at least a 2 door.  Really any size car that can fit in the bed of my truck.  So here I am parking on the street or the parking lot which severely threatens my 2 months break-in free track record.

Parking on the streets with a meter is free after 6:00 P.M. and on weekends.  This usually works out on Monday and Tuesday because it is usually quiet.  Even the active need a few days downtime.  When there isn’t a spot there is where things start to piss you off.  There is a lot full of glass (1 flat tire) in the back that is $5.00 a night and $10 on main events.  A few situations:

• Parking lot attendant doesn’t have change for a $20 (Yes he is eating chicken wings again), but then says “Do you have anything smaller.  Can you just give me $10 and come back later for change?”  He then says “you can’t park unless you make change.”  What parking attendant doesn’t have change for a $20?  After thinking more I probably am just buying his next order of wings or helping with a down payment on his next dentist appointment for his toof. 
• The parking lot attendant is not always there every night and they expect you to roll up a $5 and place in the rusted aluminum container for the spot your on.  You can then stop by St. Louis Urgent Care on your way in for a tetanus shot.  If you don’t follow these steps you will have a ticket the next morning that says “see attendant”.  Sometimes you can just leave the old ones in there and fake them if they don’t read it.  I think after 4 or 5 that say “see attendant” they pick up that I am dodging them.
• Don’t get me started on no in/out priveleges and charging $10 because of an NCAA event.  $20 for the day to park in front of my loft.

Now one can argue that I should buck up and pay $80 a month for a parking permit or follow the rules for $5 parking.  I personally don’t blame the attendants for doing their job or having public parking.  This is a valuable revenue maker and a place to park for visitors to St. Louis.  The reason that I am taking this one negative is that it still seems that the city doesn’t do anything to attract residents and provide benefits of paying a St. Louis City Tax.  They can care less if you live there and care less if you don’t have change apparently. 

Note:  This loss could change in the future when I buy a car that will fit in the underground garage.  Or maybe it will be a scooter or motorcycle.  After that I can care less about parking.

Hours of Operation

Monday through Thursday: 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Early and Late Night Happy Hours

Monday through Friday: 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Monday through Thursday: 9:00 p.m. – close

Friday and Saturday: 10:00 p.m. – close

1/2 off select draft beer
1/2 off mango margaritas
$16 pitchers of sangria
$5.00 select wine by the glass

Location:

Close

Overview

Living in St. Louis Downtown, Tuesday nights can be a little slow when it comes to entertainment.  This is the perfect time to get out and explore some of the new and unique restaurants that are offered in the city.  On this night the choice was Mango Restaurant.  It’s menu is a Peruvian Cuisine blending spices and flavors from Spanish, Incan, African, and Asian cultures.  It’s menu has a wide variety of beef, chicken, shrimp, fish and vegan menu options that cater to everyone.

The restaurant itself sits off to the side of Washington Ave on Lucas Ave.  As you walk past the draped entrance you get an instant whiff of this fusion food and instantly want to check out what’s smelling so good.   The restaurant decor is contemporary, but comfortable.  There is a full service bar that will mix up any normal drink or maybe one of their house specialties such as the Mango Margarita or Sangria.  Below is the first visit meal:

Drinks

We went with “Nori’s Sangria”.   A glass was $7.50 and a pitcher was $24.00 which served 4 to 6 glass.  Naturally I justified getting the pitcher.  It was probably one of the best Sangria’s I have had.  This got the night started and the likely reason I thought it was such a great idea to visit the vodka bar “SHIVER” after dinner.

Appetizer

ANTICUCHOS DE CARNE – $9

Two marinated beef skewers with dipping sauce.  It also came with a couple of golden potatoes, a “green sauce” that had a pesto taste and some white cornish(?) pieces.  Didn’t care for those, but the beef was very tender and had a good spice to it.

House Salad $4
Mix of field greens, roasted red peppers, fresh mango and cilantro, tossed in light olive oil and lemon dressing. 

Dinner

POLLO A LA PARILLA – $12

“Chicken breast marinated in white wine and garlic, grilled and served with golden potato and oregano infused tomatoes”.   Overall this dish was average.  There was a little confusion in that white wine and garlic is more a marinade versus a sauce.  The chicken could have used another garnish and was a little on the dry side.

PESCADO A LA CHORRILLANA – $16
“Sauteed tilapia, onions and tomatoes garnished with Peruvian black olives, sliced egg, fried toast served with white rice and golden potato.”  This was our waitress Desi’s favorite dish.  It is now my favorite dish.  The rice served with it was very good and had a chicken broth taste mixed in.  The talapia was cooked perfect with plenty of onions, tomatoes and olives.  The hilarious part was the “fried toast” was about 1″ long and 1/2″ wide and the sliced egg was the sice of a nickel.

Overall 

Overall this restaurant will go on the list of restaurants to visit again.  The drinks were great, the service was very helpful and honest.  The waitress would help recommend dishes to us that were in the range of what our tastes were and also showcased some favorite authentic dishes.  The food was interesting and something I hadn’t had before, but loved most of it.  The prices were about average for a fusion restaurant where entrees ranged from $10 to $18 with a few up to $25.

Dinner for 2:  $70 (Drinks, appetizer, 1 salad and 2 entrees)

First Month Break-in Free

Official Time:  1 Month, 13 Days, 17 Hours, 46 Minutes

So what is all this talk about crime in the city?  Here’s to a murder free month of February.  One month down and the worst crime I have had to date is someone keeps putting flyers on my vehicle right before the rain.  No I won’te be seeing  Divas of the Lou  this year even after the 10th flyer.  I am sure Ebony Eyez, Chocolate Tai and Unladylike are off the hook though.  Or is it off the chain?

I found some interesting stats on crime over the last month.  I am not sure what everyone is so worried about.  I think this “crime rating” is a little overrated.  I mean there was only 1 stolen car, 33 thefts, 9 assaults, 7 burglaries and 3 drug busts in the Downtown area.  I think a couple of those thefts were reported by me after having to pay $6.00 for a Guiness on St. Patrick’s Day! 

STL Crime Map (02/06/2010 – 03/15/2010)

So yes I am back in the city after leaving behind the easy life in Dardenne Prairie.  Where I trade in dumpster pickups for the dumpster diving.  Instead of watching Rachel drive her 4 wheel Barbie car around the cul de sac it’s Leroy working the locust dog park with a shopping cart.  Out with the lawn service and in with the street sweepers.  PTO conferences, family outings, church picnics, neighborhood socials and irritated and nosey neighbors are all out (for now). 

And to sum up what everyone has been saying about my transition they ask “Why the city?  Are you crazy?”

Well I may be a little crazy, but that’s besides the point.  I say “Why not?”

My name is Scott and this is my blog.

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 (CUBS – Completely Useless by Summer)

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Yes I have decided to finally clean out the remaining items from my garage.  Some of the final steps of cashing in country for city (for now).  Although it would make for a good story I am not too sure you will see me walking a lawnmower down Washington Ave. or fertilizing the sidewalk grass although my canopy tent may be of use.

All items below are for sale and negotiable.  Email me from facebook if interested or would like to see a picture.

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An early kitchen view of the loft.