The last two nights I've spent downtown. Thursday night was the opening of UMA, a trendy home accessories store, on the ground floor of the Louderman Lofts building. Great stuff and the party was well done. Friday night was the gallery walk after a light dinner at Lucas Park Grille. With new furnishings and accessory stores opening on nearly every corner and every week downtown is quickly transforming from a business district into a full fledged neighborhood.

Both nights we bumped into friends at the galleries, at the stores and simply on the sidewalk. This is real folks, it is happening.

Today a friend and I drove out to the suburbs to shop at the new Trader Joe's and our usual stop at Whole Foods. Trader Joe's was asking for zip codes when I checked out. I told them 63103. I lied. I told them the downtown zip rather than my zip to help get a store downtown in the future.

The more time I spend downtown walking along increasingly interesting sidewalks the more I find the suburbs unacceptable. From the strip mall containing the Trader Joe's you can see the strip mall containing the Whole Foods. The two prior nights I walked greater distances yet it didn't feel like a bother. But out in the burbs it is just inconceivable to walk from one strip mall to the next.

First of all, it is dangerous. For those of you that down know this part of St. Louis the strip mall containing the Trader Joe's is set back from the main road behind some office buildings and a drainage canal. Sidewalks exist in a few places - mostly lining Brentwood Blvd. that separates the two strip malls. But the two are not connected except for road. Downtown with short blocks and interesting storefronts is very pedestrian friendly while the burbs are hostile to anything except the car.

When we get a Whole Foods, Wild Oats or Trader Joe's downtown (or elsewhere within the city limits) I don't think I'll have a need to visit our suburbs. It offers nothing else I need or want.

Steve