St. Louis: We're a Distinctive Destination!

Last year I posted about St. Louis's not being listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual listing of the nation's "Dozen Distinctive Places". By my review of their archives, the city had never been selected,  although St. Genevieve, Missouri had. A USAToday article describes the Dozen Distinctive Destinations as "highlighting 'cultural and recreational experiences different from those found at the typical vacation destination.'"

Well, 2010 is your year, St. Louis! We're now distinctive!

Here's the link and here's the list:

2010 DISTINCTIVE DESTINATIONS

» Bastrop, Texas
» Cedar Falls, Iowa
» Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania
» The Crooked Road, Virginia
» Fort Collins, Colorado
» Huntsville, Alabama
» Marquette, Michigan
» Provincetown, Massachusetts
» Rockland, Maine
» Simsbury, Connecticut
» Sitka, Alaska
» St. Louis, Missouri

What was said of St. Louis?

Meet Me In St. Louis

Famous for its beer, legendary baseball teams, and the modernist Gateway Arch that has loomed over the cityscape since 1947, St. Louis, Missouri is one of America's great cities. But visitors who look beyond St. Louis' hallmark offerings will find a vibrant, ethnically diverse city full of unexpected treasures and one-of-a-kind attractions.

Gateway to the West

Immigrants determined to pursue their version of the American dream made tracks to this city on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River in the early nineteenth century, resulting in what is now a regional patchwork of architectural styles and distinctive neighborhoods. Architecture buffs and curious visitors will not be disappointed with the collection of red brick buildings, cobblestone streets and terra cotta friezes designed by some of America's most notable architects: from Louis Sullivan's Wainwright Building, lauded as the nation's first skyscraper, to the area's only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building, Ebsworth House, St. Louis has preserved excellent examples of America's major architectural trends throughout history.

Activities

The size of the city and breadth of cultural influences have combined to provide sites and attractions for every visitor to enjoy. Art lovers will revel in evening gallery walks through revitalized historic districts, the world's largest collection of interior mosaics at the 1908 Byzantine and Romanesque Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, and the exquisite details of Theodore Link's stained glass windows at St. Louis Union Station. The station, which was once the largest and busiest passenger rail terminal in the world, now serves the public as a festival marketplace of shops and restaurants. In a Preserve America community located just south of downtown, the Anheuser Busch Brewery offers tours of the historic Brew House and Clydesdale stables and is in close proximity to the longstanding Soulard Farmer's Market.

St. Louis Going Green

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, St. Louis ranks ninth among U.S. metropolitan areas for the number of buildings certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The region features 11 LEED-certified construction projects that have been completed, with another 36 in the process of attaining LEED certification. Seasonal markets are interspersed throughout the city to promote a Buy Local campaign, and St. Louis lays claim to an abundance of sprawling parks and green spaces including the nation's oldest public garden, the Missouri Botanical Garden. 

Congrats, St. Louis!