Nicki's Central West End Guide

RFT's 2012 St. Louis Web Awards

The good news? The St. Louis online community is alive and well. The bad news? There's so much great content out there, it's extremely difficult to come up with a list of the best of the best. But, hey, this is the Internet. People love them some lists. We'd hate to disappoint. 

So, then, the list (below) of finalists in this year's RFT St. Louis Web Awards appears in no certain order. Winners will be published in next week's paper and announced at our award's ceremony on January 24th at the Old Rock House. Congrats to all, and special thanks to our judges who spent hours and hours combing the web to bring back these incredible finds. Now, without further ado...

FYI: Just back from the RFT Web Awards Ceremony at The Rock House to report that 'I Love Soulard" won best neighborhood blog. Thanks to everyone who nominated "Nicki's Central West End Guide." There were 1000 nominations for 21 different categories sent in by 400 readers of the RFT. It is an honor to be among the top five! Thank you!

Best Neighborhood Blog
Count on Downtown
Nicki's Central West End Guide

NoCo STL
I Love Soulard* THE WINNER!
Cherokee Street News

Best Music Blog
Encor.es
I Went to a Show
KDHX Blog
3 Minute Record
Music VS Man

Best Personal Blog
Running from the Law
City in a Jar
sKIDmarks
Captain's Quarters

Best Arts Blog
ReviewSTL
Temporary Art Review
St. Louisan
St. Louis Art Map

Best Food Blog
Every Little Thing
Off the Eaten Path
Cupcake Project
Rhubarb and Honey
Iron Stef

Best Sports Blog
Cards Diaspora
Black Sports Online
Joe Sports Fan
Viva El Birdos

Best Architecture Blog
NextSTL
Built St. Louis
Preservation Research
St. Louis Patina
B.E.L.T.

Best Political Blog
Occasional Planet
PoliticMO
St. Louis Activist Hub
Beacon Backroom
St. Louis Tea Party

Best Photostream/Flickr
Nate Burrell: Before the Blink
Elaine Marschik: Fridayn (Flickr)
Jason Stoff: Encor.es
Corey Woodruff:coreywoodruff.com
Todd Owyoung: I Shoot Shows
Mark Scott Abeln: Rome of the West
Darren Snow: Plasticfootball (Flickr)

Best Use of Video
Feast Magazine
Show Me Shows
Joe Sports Fan
St. Louisan

Best Use of Twitter to Promote a Business/Org.
@Schlafly
@MilagroModMex
@MissOhioVintage
@websteru
@RobustWineBar
@YoungFreeSTL (Vantage Credit Union)

Best Use of Twitter to Promote a Personal Brand
Evan Benn @EvanBenn
Angela Ortmann @STLwinegirl
Chris Reimer @rizzotees
Erica Smith @ericasmith
Nick Gilham @NickGilham

Best Use of Facebook to Promote a Business/Org.
Star Clipper
Atomic Dust
FoamMiss Ohio Vintage
Kakao

Best Use of Social Media for a Civic Campaign
Save St. Louis Del Taco
Save Pratzels

Best Local iPhone App
Pocketbooth
Explore St. Louis
Stodgy Gents

Best Club/Concert Website
An Under Cover Weekend
LouFest
Firebird
The Pageant

Best Restaurant Website*
Pi
Cicero's

*Our judges really disliked menus that open as .pdf files. Restaurant owners take note.

Best Designed Website
Atomic Dust
HatBox.co
Moosylvania

Funniest Twitter Feed
@MattSebek
@LeDASHa07
@not_erica

Best Kickstarter Campaign
(En)Visioning Hyde Park
Sukkah City STL
Sentinels of the Multiverse
We Are Church
Daughters of Cambodia

Best Sex Blog
Momfia
Pieces of Jade
Sex + STL
The Beautiful Kind
The Life and Charlotte Times

What's 10denza?

Ultra-hip 10denza (from the Italian tendenza meaning "following a trend") opened the middle of September at 44 Maryland Plaza in the space formerly occupied by Design Within Reach. The often-heard assumption that shopping on Maryland Plaza is somewhat exclusive and expensive will be blown away when you enter this urban emporium. Chris Lanter, below, the creator and "arbiter" (as he identifies himself on his business card), has been observing the commercial real estate market in the CWE for a couple of years, waiting for the right space to become available. An aficionado of pop culture and current trends, Chris knew that this eclectic neighborhood was the only place in town where his vision of a shop would fit.

Chris started working as a d.j. while in college and for a time afterwards. So, naturally, one of the first things you'll notice when you walk into 10denza is the music playing in the background. There are 5 ipod listening stations where you can preview a wide variety of music available for purchase. Chris avidly reads music reviews and listens to new artists to introduce. He offers new releases featuring imports from Europe, D.J. mixes, alternative, and electronic music, $13 to $19. 

There are a few tables containing a large selection of coffee table books on art, design, music, pop culture, and as Chris said, "street stuff," $20 to $50. I was told the books are meant to be handled, and there are comfortable chairs, below, to sit and peruse.

10denza has a "no pressure" staff--Kerrie Knoll & Darren Compton (not photographed)--who add to the very relaxed vibe, and the shop stocks a wide range of merchandise you won't find elsewhere, $5 to $800.

 

 

There is a display wall with shoes for women, left, and men, below, in casual and sneaker style.

 

Brands include Puma, Pointer, and ALife, $55 to $160.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is jewelry too, including this set, shown left, from Brooklyn-based designers Digby & Iona.

 

  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10denza carries casual, comfortable clothing for men and women ranging from "arty" t-shirts starting at $30 on up to jackets at $700. 

Chris also supports local designers, stocking clothing from Vintage Highway and CWEnder Amy Johnson, who designs under the name of Kay-oss. Amy's adorable skirt, right, is $190, and in the shop window you'll see one of her great black dresses with tiny ruffles on the cuffs. I watched three of them get snapped up on as many visits.                

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Personal tech gear includes ipad covers above, $29.95, headphones, and other tech accessories. A new shipment of winter clothing including mittens right, $25, and unusual knit hats upper right, $45, is now on the shelves.

Brightly-colored TOY watches, above, come in "jellys," $160, or "velvety," $225 (not shown). 10denza also carries sunglasses, $100, from a philanthropic Brooklyn company named Contego, that sends a pair to a charity with each purchase. The glasses are named after Nobel Laureates.

Chris's 10 year-old daughter, Olivia, and 13 year-old son, Blaise, help with merchandising decisions. Blaise, who knows a lot about what's hip in toyland, suggested the Kid Robot collection, toys designed by different artists. Toys range in price from $5 up to $200, some of which are shown in the glass jars on the counter above.

                               

Toygiants by Daniel & Geo Fuchs is an illustrated journey into the world of toys, right.                                        

You too should follow the trend and stop by 10denza when you have some time to browse, enjoy the music, and the company. The shop is a wonderful addition and such an enjoyable experience.

10denza, 44 Maryland Plaza, 12 to 8 Monday - Saturday, 12 to 5 Sunday, (314) 361-1010. 

Googling THE wedding dress

Photo courtesy of Ben Larson

 This is a story about a wedding dress that's best told by the email exchanges I have copied below.

Hi Nicki,

After many google searches, I came across your blog and your article about Kelly Reding.  I just want to thank you for that post, because I've been searching high and low for the designer of the Ballerina dress from "Sex and the City."  I can't tell you how many google searches I've done!  So, I just wanted to send you a quick thank you.  If it wasn't for your blog, I would have never learned of Kelly Reding. 

 

I've reached out to Kelly in hopes that she can make a replica of that dress for my wedding.  I hope to hear back from her....

 

So thank you again for making the connection for me!  I've never been to Central West End, but my fiance's sister lives near St. Louis, so when we visit her, I will be sure to check out your neighborhood, I love quaint historic pockets.Take care, Sharon Cercone

Dear Sharon:

How exciting that you found my blog and thus found Kelly. She is an amazing designer and is going to be opening a shop within a vintage clothing store in the neighborhood in August. I am copying her on this so that we can double-team her and let her know how wonderful she is! Thanks for writing!
Hope you do visit the CWE someday. Thanks again. Nicki

Thank you Nicki!! 

I like the double-team effort.  I am so thrilled about this dress, and the ironic thing is, my formal wedding dress for our Catholic Church ceremony is another dress I fell in love with from "Sex and the City" (the Badgley Mischka dress Carrie Bradshaw wore to the Black and White Ball in Season 4).  A lovely, lovely elegant and somewhat royal dress, but I won't be able to wear it all day and night - way too formal, hard to dance in - so the Ballerina dress will be a perfect evening reception dress - very fun, cute and right in line with my style...  fingers crossed Kelly can squeeze me in.  : )

 

But enough about my wedding (obviously I am very excited!)....THANK YOU for your blog....it is a true gem!  I am going to share your blog with my fiance's sister who lives near St. Louis, and I will also promote Kelly's design to my friends! I have a feeling I will definitely visit CWE and Kelly's new store.  I love supporting talented designers and local businesses that bring warmth and charm to neighborhoods.

 

I am grateful for your help!  If all goes well, and I end up with this dress (fingers crossed!!), I will be sure to share pictures with you! 

All the best, Sharon

Kelly did make the dress for Sharon, though in a different color than the original, and sent it off to San Francisco several weeks ago.

On September 4...

Our wedding was beautiful.  More perfect than I ever imagined. The dress was a hit (see above)!!  Thank you both.  Xoxo, Sharon

 

Kelly Reding's shop, Dauphine, 447 N. Euclid, Saturdays, 11 to 6 or by appointment, (314) 651-9680.

P.S. - I am thrilled(!) that a google search initiated from 2000 miles away would result in a custom order for a talented designer right here in the neighborhood. To repeat what the bride said, "I love supporting talented designers and local businesses that bring warmth and charm to neighborhoods." So do I, and so should we all...it's part of what makes this a truly vibrant place.

Dauphine and Borough Vintage are hosting a Fall Faire this Saturday, September 10. You are invited to view fall fashions,and enjoy vintage cocktails & appetizers, 6 to 8 p.m., 447 N. Euclid (at Washington).

 

A Little Bit of Vegas in the CWE

[Today's post is from David Strom, a five-year CWE resident who is an internationally-known IT security and networking expert. The Strominator writes about computer technology for a number of websites, including the New York Times and has published two books on computers.]

 

Those St. Louisans looking to find something to remind them of Vegas don't have to venture very far from home, nor gamble their nest egg downtown, especially if they are interested in thrilling water fountain displays. I am talking about our own fountain on Maryland Plaza, which was designed by Wet Design, the Burbank-based team that did many of Sin City's fabulous water displays at the Bellagio and City Center complexes. You can also see several of their fountains around the state, including one inside the Ameristar Casino in St. Charles and an outdoor display at the Branson Landing shopping complex.

Our CWE fountain sits in front of what was Design Within Reach and is now a new home furnishings store called 10Denza. In the basement of the store are the pumpworks and controls that are used to make the magic of the fountain, and we got an exclusive tour by the building's management. (See some photos below of the various machinery involved.)

There are a series of three main water pumps, recirculating tanks, computer control systems and lighting electronics. There is a lot of piping to handle all the various sprayers and decorative features, as you can see below. The city water is augmented by a bromide solution to reduce algae growth, as any pool owner can attest. There are also a variety of filters and strainers to prevent various objects from clogging up the waterworks.

The fountain is composed of a basin with an inner ring of 16 streaming narrow-focused jets complimented by an outer ring of 40 arching streams. The jets can reach 15 feet in the air, close to the top of the Mandarin outdoor lounge directly above. Actually, they can go much higher but have turned down because of safety issues with spraying too many people or cars if were set on their full strength. The sprayers also detect wind conditions and can shut off automatically in high winds.

 

There are four pre-set "programs" of varying lengths that combine both lighting and fanciful water displays. These are set manually by one of the maintenance workers or by Ted Koplar himself, using the control systems pictured above. As one grandparent told us as we were doing our interviews, the fountain is a big destination for their grandkids during the warmer months.

The fountain was paid for by the Koplar organization and replaced an older and much more staid model that was located in the middle of Maryland Plaza street. The current one is of course part of the sidewalk and much more pedestrian-friendly, indeed, too friendly as there have been incidents with broken glasses and other objects tossed into it. More than $100 of coins are also collected by the fountain, which are donated to charity when the fountain is cleaned. It goes through its annual maintenance cycle during the winter months, where the water features are turned off and a sculpture or tree is placed on top of the base. 

To learn more about David Strom read his blog, The Strominator, here.

Heartfelt thanks to David for offering to be the first of what I hope will be more guest bloggers; and for getting us behind the scenes of the Maryland Plaza Fountain. If anyone else would like to fill these pages with neighborhood news, views, or a series of photos, just send me an email and we'll discuss it.

 And many thanks to the Koplar organization for letting David crawl all over the "nerve center" of the beautiful fountain that has brought so much pleasure to those of us who live here and to the many people who visit the CWE.

Meanwhile on Maryland Plaza...

A press release from Frances Thompson, Marketing Director of Maryland Plaza, announced that AG on Maryland Plaza wanted a fresh new look and is undergoing a quick "nip and tuck." The three-day renovation began last evening around 5 p.m.  AG will re-open this Thursday...fast recovery!
Next door at 44 Maryland Plaza, 10denza, a new retail concept is set to open around August 15 in the space formerly occupied by Design Within Reach. St. Louisan Chris Lanter's exciting new store combines pop culture, modern-city-style music & media coverage. Merchandise will include apparel, personal tech gear, shoes, music, and books. Chris emailed that a formal Grand Opening is slated for September, but I'll be there as soon as 10denza opens to check it out. What a great addition to the neighborhood!

Follow 10denza on facebook: www.facebook.com/10denza

 

CWE company designed apps for Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" Campaign

 
Brainfreeze Interactive, a broadcast animation and interactive design & development company, set up headquarters in the CWE's Pierce Arrow Building in February. Company founders (left to right above), include Carl Reed, his wife Kianna, and Carl's older brother, Isaac. Jermaine Wider, another founder, was not in the office at the time of this photograph. When asked why they chose the CWE for their new offices, Carl replied, "Are you kidding?...this neighborhood is so artsy, and this building is full of creative types. Besides, Kianna grew up around here."

Brainfreeze was recently hired by St. Louisan Michelle Bain, the creator of a storybook called "Adventures of Thumbs Up Johnny" (underwritten by Centene Corporation), to develop an app based on her main character to be entered into a contest promoting "Let's Move," First Lady Michelle Obama's healthy eating and healthy choices campaign for children. The main character in Bain's book also promotes exercise and healthy eating habits built around the food pyramid.

The purpose of the "Let's Move" app contest is to develop fun and engaging software to encourage children, especially 'tweens (between the ages of 9 and 12), to eat better and become more physically active. There are over 400 entries in the contest, and as of today "Fitropolis Stackers," Brainfreeze's creation, wound up with the most votes!! However, all votes need to be verified and that process will not be completed until sometime in September. Voting ends at midnight Saturday, August 14. To vote for the home team visit this site: http://www.appsforhealthykids.com/application-gallery/fitropolis-stackers and then click on the game to see how the app works. The winner of the contest will get national recognition, and one of the company's app developers will be invited to a "meet and greet" with the First Lady.

The entrepreneurial spirit surfaced early in the Reed family. When Carl was 14, he and Isaac started drawing comic books; at 17, Carl started his first business. The two brothers worked for different media agencies around town for about ten years, until Carl and Kianna moved to LA. Carl worked for Animax Entertainment whose clients include Disney, Cartoon Network, and MTV; and Kianna worked in salon management. After four years on the West Coast, the couple decided they wanted to be their own bosses, and moved back to St. Louis to start Brainfreeze Interactive right here in the CWE.

Brainfreeze Interactive, 4814 Washington Ave., (314) 361-2110, info@getchills.com. (Carl said that ironically they have been so busy with new clients their website is still under construction...sort of like the cobbler's son.)