Summertime St. Louis 2011

Comments (0) Thursday, May 26 2011

It's a classic American pastime, right up there with baseball, quilting and overeating — everybody loves to complain that their weather is the worst.

Jennifer Silverberg

Model: Megan DeGonia

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If you live in Minneapolis, you've got 100 words for snow, none of them complimentary. Call Phoenix your home, and you're sure to complain incessantly about those July days when the mercury hits 120 — never mind that you have the mildest winter in America. And if you're a resident of St. Louis, well, we're sure "humidity" is one of your not-so-magnificent obsessions. We've heard you, time after time: "It's too hot out!" "It's soooo muggy!"

Our advice to you? Shut up already. Sure, we may not have the balmy breezes of San Diego, but summertime in St. Louis is pretty damn good. Where else are there so many lovely patios for languid afternoon drinking? Where else can you see so many good musicals — for free — in a twilight sylvan setting? What other city turns this gloriously green?

In this year's summer guide, we've got some great writers giving you plenty of things about St. Louis to celebrate. Katie Moulton explains how to take that flying leap you've been fantasizing about. Julia Gabbert will tell you how to take your best shot. If you're interested in getting filthy, Elizabeth Ortmann has the hookup.

And that's not all. We've got five awesome walkable neighborhoods perfect for daytrippers — all within a 30-minute drive of downtown. We've got a roundup of truly local breweries and a guide to all the events you don't want to miss. We've even got a guide to pissing off Cubs fans and a guide to escaping the heat (if, you know, you refuse to believe us on that whole it's-not-so-bad thing.)

Let's face it: We're lucky to live here. Let this be the summer you stop complaining and dive right in.