nicki's central west end guide

There's a new blog in the neighborhood - with all kinds of great info and current photos from your favorite spots. Check out Nicki's blog at www.nickidwyer.typepad.com.

Helmet Checks and Car seat installments in the neighborhood

I made it over to Children's Hospital for a helmet check today for the first time and thought I would pass along what they offer at their Safety Stop.

Helmet checks, car seat checks/installments, and home safety consultations
* The helmet check was really easy. I called and made an appointment and they replaced some of the padding in Lucas' helmet and I bought a new one for Maria for just $8.

* Here's what the web says about car seat checks:

Parents bring their child, vehicle and car seat to Safety Stop and a certified child passenger safetytechnician will inspect the seat, check it for a correct fit to the child and show them how to install itproperly.

* And home safety consults:
A trained safety expert will review the top three unintentional home injuries that we see at St. Louis Children's Hospital, discuss ways avoid these injuries and ways to make a home a safer environment for children. This service is perfect for expectant or new parents. All participants receive a FREE home safety starter kit!

Just call 314.454.KIDS or 800.678.KIDS or check out: www.stlouischildrens.org/content/safetystop.htm

Community Garden Underway at St. Stephen's

Gateway Greening Inc. has accepted the application for a Community Garden on St. Stephen's property! The church is located at Olive and Pendleton (just west of Boyle).

Judi Taylor tells me that they have 10 very excited gardeners ready to break ground and they are at this time, planning their date of installation. They need extra hands to help prepare the site. If you're interested, please email info@cwefamilies.org and we'll hook you up.




To learn more about Gateway Greening, go to http://www.gatewaygreening.org/index.asp.


Photos show the future location of the Community Garden / courtesy of St. Stephen's

Holiday Shopping - Keeping it local!

As you do your holiday shopping, CWE Families & Friends wants to remind you of all the wonderful gifts available right here in the neighborhood - and feel free to add others that we haven't thought of yet (think of all the gas you'll save!):

*Businesses in bold made a contribution to the CWE Families & Friends Silent Auction at the Fall Picnic, for which we are truly grateful!

Jewelry: Gretchen P, McGinty Jewelers on the Plaza, The Silver Lady

Books: Left Bank Books, Big Sleep Books

Pampered gifts for him & her: La Petit Spa, The Color Bar, Cutters & Co., Cassie's, Lemon Spalon

Entertainment: Chase Park Plaza Cinemas, Science Center Imax, Gaslight Theater / St. Louis Actors' Studio, Bob Kramer's Marionettes

To start on healthier new year's resolutions: Sante, The Boxing Gym, St. Louis Workout

Framing, flowers & fine wine: The Great Frame-Up/Relish, Pick Flowers, Bowood Farms Nursery, Brennan's Tobacco and wine

Practical gifts: Sho-Off Car Wash, Straub's gift certificates, Wolfgang's, New Market Hardware

Desserts: The Cupcakery, Gelato di Riso, Bissinger's Chocolate Bar

Taking the kids out: Pasta House, Companion Baking Co., Duff's, The Fountain on Locust, The Boathouse, Crepes Etc., Banh mi boba

Got a sitter: Sapphire Pan Asian, The Grind/Sol Lounge, West End Grill and Pub, Chi Sushi Sake, Bar Italia, Terrene, India's Rasoi, SubZero, Scape, Scottish Arms, Dressel's, Liluma, Wildflower, Herbie's

Note: The listing of restaurants in this fashion is in no way meant to establish a hard and fast rule about where children are allowed to dine - it was just a simple way of breaking up the list.

Coffee Gifts: Companion, Starbuck's, Coffee Cartel, Einstein's, Northwest Coffee, 6 North

Apparel: Mezzanine, Mary Jane's, Moris, Adriano Goldschmeid

Art & Antiques: Atrium Gallery, Shelton Davis, Third Degree Glass Factory, Rothschild Antiques, William Shearburn Gallery


And don't forget memberships to the Zoo, the History Museum, Art Museum, Forest Park Forever, and other neighborhood institutions make great gifts for kids of ALL ages!

CWE scores 92/100 for walkability

I I checked out this website today, www.walkscore.com, put in my address and it showed that our neighborhood has a walkability score of 92 out of 100! It lists grocery stores, restaurants, movie theaters, etc. all within walking distance - pre tty cool! (Other than the school it lists that I've never heard of, Daruby School, it seemed pretty accurate.

Plastic Pot Recycling

Of course it's well into the growing season and if you're on top of your gardening tasks, you're done planting. But I was pleased to learn about the Missouri Botanical Garden's Plastic Pot Recycling Program. They'll take all of them.

Drop them off at the Garden 9-4pm daily, May through October.

Bowood Farms is also a Satellite Collection Site for 2008.

Local CSA's

Growing season is almost upon us. Here are some links to local CSA's, for anyone who is interested in having a basket of fresh vegetables delivered weekly to a convenient central location.

Fair Shares
Local Harvest

What is a CSA? Here's the blurb from Local Harvest:
A CSA, (for Community Supported Agriculture) is a way for the food buying public to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of produce. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become "members" (or "shareholders," or "subscribers") of the CSA. Most CSA farmers prefer that members pay for the season up-front, but some farmers will accept weekly or monthly payments.

My family has subscribed to Yellow Wood Farms. A half basket from April-October is $350.

Neighborhood Resources

Field Station Post Office
625 N. Euclid
314-533-5058

Oldham Station Post Office
4021 Laclede Ave.
314-533-4697

CWE Dog Park
Off-leash dog park - Members Only
Pick up applications at Coffee Cartel (2 Maryland Plaza) or CWE Bank
(10 Maryland Plaza); or e-mail to cwedogpark@juno.com

Schlafly Branch, St. Louis Public Library
225 N. Euclid (at Lindell Blvd.)
314-367-4120

METRO (public transit)
314-982-1400
www.metrostlouis.org

Metropolitan Sewer District
314-768-6200
www.msd.st-louis.mo.us

Laclede Group Gas
314-621-6960

Ameren UE
314-992-6030