New in the Lou: First Edition

Hello and welcome to the debut edition of New in the Lou! Every Thursday morning, we’ll bring you the latest updates and happenings in St. Louis. Grab your morning coffee and get ready to discover what’s on tap for the weekend. Stay tuned and stay informed with the best of STL!

WEATHER AND SPORTS

AROUND TOWN
Next-Gen library opens in STL county

• Recording Studio? ✅

• Digitizing Room? ✅

• 3D Printers? ✅

• Study Rooms? ✅

Directly across the street from Frontenac Mall, the Clark Family Branch Library in St. Louis County, which flung open its doors on July 9th, is here to prove that libraries aren’t just for shushing anymore. Clocking in at a staggering 74,000 square feet, this place is more tech wonderland than dusty book palace. Here’s the scoop:

🎤Recording Studios: Move over, GarageBand. With two state-of-the-art recording studios, you can hawk-tuah tracks like a pro.

💬Oral History Room: Like a Podcast with grandpa, the oral history room lets you record stories straight from the horse’s mouth.

🎮️Gaming Room: Button-mashers and joystick jockeys will feel right at home in the gaming room.

🧒Kids Play Area: The kids play area is where learning meets fun, ensuring the little ones stay entertained, and mom and dad stay sane.

📼Digitizing Room: Have some VHSs or a box of photos? The digitizing room is here to bring your grainy childhood karaoke sessions to TikTok stardom.

🔥Fireplaces: Who says libraries are stuffy? Cozy up by one of the two swanky fireplaces with your favorite book.

🖨️3D Printing: If you can dream it, you can print it. The 3D printing setup is perfect for budding inventors.

Just when you thought libraries were dead, Bob Clark and fam throws down a band—quite literally four thousand of them— and just like that, we’re all wearing socks that cover our ankles and brushing up on the Dewey Decimal System.

The library opens at 9am Mon-Sat, and on 1pm Sun.

This is only a test

You may have thought the new season of Fallout was filming in St. Louis this week, but according to the STL City Emergency Management Agency, it was just a three-day exercise simulating a catastrophic earthquake along the New Madrid Fault line.

The STL City EMA elaborates:

“Facilitated by Task Force 46 (Michigan National Guard) in cooperation with the Missouri National Guard, the drills involve reconnaissance, urban search and rescue, mass casualty decontamination, and structural and infrastructure damage assessment in the vicinity of Busch Stadium and the Missouri River between Grafton and St. Charles.”

Expect to see helicopters, military vehicles, and staged damaged vehicles as part of the full-scale simulation.

Now, you might be wondering, “When did STL last have a strong earthquake?” Well, your great-great-great-great-grandpa might have a story or two. According to the Missouri Department of Public Safety SEMA, between 1811 and 1812, over 2,000 seismic events rocked the area in just five months, some with magnitudes of 7 or greater.

So why the disaster drills now? There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that the USGS predicts earthquakes like those in 1812 should only occur every 500-600 years. The bad news? There’s about a 10% chance we could see something similar in the next 50 years. Given STL’s proximity to the New Madrid Fault Line, a little preparation is always wise.

WEEKEND WONDERS
What to do this week

Thursday

🪩Pink Floyd Laser Light Show at the Planetarium : Immerse yourself in the music of your favorite artists as their songs come alive in a 360-degree environment of light and sound! Grab your tickets now for The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon.

👨‍🎤Limp Bizkit Playing at Riverport: Relive your middle school rebel days and snag some lawn seats for less than $50. Stay cool and bring your own hot dog flavored water. Have you seen Fred Durst lately?

Friday

📽️Meet Me in St. Louis playing on Art Hill In Forest Park: Pre-show activities begin at 6pm, with the show starting at 9pm. No tickets necessary, but arrive early to secure your spot on the lawn.

🎉Delmar Maker Districts Block Party: Walk Delmar Blvd starting at 5pm. Food, hands-on crafts, live music, demonstrations and more. Kid and family friendly. Free event.

Saturday

🐶Bluey’s Big Play at The Fox: With a 50 min run time, it’s the perfect length for your kids first experience at the Fox. Tickets still available for less than $50.

🍑Downtown Kirkwood Peach Festival: Discover the best of peaches, and enjoy some tunes by Fox Creek Band starting at 10am. Did someone say free samples?

Sunday

🥬Neon Greens “Farm” Tour: Tour their 400-square foot vertical hydroponic farming facility connected to the restaurant in The Grove. The event is sold out, but it looks like there are more dates offered in the future if you plan ahead.

ARCHWAY ARCADE
Poll question of the week

Did you know?

The Arch is as wide as it is tall? For real: it’s 630 feet tall AND wide.

Trivia

How many “Arches” tall is the tallest building in the world? answer below

SHARING IS CARING
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Trivia Answer: 4.31 (the Burj Kalifa is 2,717 feet tall) Is it any coincidence the ratio contains the numbers 314?