 "Photo:")
We have all been there before. Walking around late at night - getting denied left and right. You are stuck staring into bars and casinos like a whining puppy begging to be noticed all because you are sadly, unfortunately, underage. Well, with this short guide, not being of legal maturity can become a minor detail when it comes to having a good time on any given night. Okay, so first things first. You need to up the cash flow and score some dough before you can go anywhere.
1. Make some money by selling all your unwanted junk. Your trash can mean treasure in the form of dollar bills or store credit. Trade in those old hot pants of yours and take out a deposit at Plato's Closet (www.platoscloset.com), a men and women's clothing resale shop. Got unwanted CDs, movies, games or electronics? Try Slacker's CDs and Games (www.slackerscdsandgames.com) or Electronics Exchange (314.426.4263). Still broke as a joke?
2. Be a tourist in your own town. St. Louis is home to an amazing array of cost-free attractions including The Art Museum (www.slam.org) and St. Louis Science Center (www.slsc.org) that both have later hours on Friday nights (9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. respectively). In addition, admission to special exhibits at the Art Museum is free on Fridays and Friday nights at the SLSC feature live music. See the Bottoms-Up Blues Gang on Nov. 18.
3. Check out your local community center. With a residential pass, you can get a good workout and enjoy yourself while doing so. Play racquetball or have a try at a rousing game of Wally ball. Take advantage of UM-St. Louis' weight room facilities in Mark Twain Building. If you're up for being active, there is variety of other options.
4. Get your line dance on at Wild Country (www.wildcountrynightclub.com), an 18 and up club in Collinsville, Ill. that is home to free dance lessons, karaoke, pool tournaments, "the famous thong-a-thong" and taping of St. Louis Country TV show, hosted by 93.7 The Bull and aired on KMOV-TV. Admission is free on weekends if you come before 8 p.m., and free any day if you bring a same-day ticket stub from any concert or sporting event.
5. City Museum (www.citymuseum.org) is another place to stretch your legs. A playground for all ages, it is open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Too tired?
6. Get wired at one of St. Louis' many great late night coffeehouses such as Rivalz Technology Café. See pg. 12 to learn more. Craving more than coffee?
7. Stuff yourself silly at Cici's Pizza's (www.cicispizza.com), where you can feast for cheap at the all-you-can-eat buffet with several locations near the St. Louis area. Afterwards, you might want to walk it off. 8. Go bowlin' at Tropicana Lanes (www.tropicanalanes.com), down the street from the St. Louis Galleria. Open from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. everyday, Tropicana has 52 lanes for bowling and an arcade room complete with pool tables, air hockey, and a Dance Dance Revolution machine. On Tuesday nights from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., you can get two hours of bowling, two pairs of shoes, one large pizza and one pitcher of soda all for $22.95. On Wednesdays from 9 p.m. 'til close, you can pay a $5 admission fee and get games, shoes, hot dogs and sodas for 50 cents each all night.
9. Shoot some pool at Cue and Cushion (www.cueandcushion.com) in North County. Open until 2 a.m. Sunday thru Thursday and until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, C&C has billiards, 17 pool tables, arcade games, foosball and a jukebox that contains anything from Dire Straits to Jimi Hendrix. Students 22 and younger receive a discount if an I.D. is presented before play.
10. Play some putt-putt. Try Par-tee Miniature Golf and Batting Cages (8424 N. Lindbergh Blvd.) or have a go at glowing black light golf at The Putting Edge in St. Louis Mills Mall (www.stlouismills.com) for $8.50 a game. Feel like just sitting back and enjoying your night?
11. Laugh a little (or a lot) at The Funny Bone comedy club (www.funnyboneusa.com) in Westport. See professional comedians on Wednesday and Thursday "College Nights" for only $1 with your UM-St. Louis I.D.
12. See a cheap movie at St. Andrew's 3 (www.standrews3.com) in St. Charles. For $2 you can see some of the summer's hottest movies. Movies that are showing the week of Nov. 13 to Nov. 17 are "Madagascar," "March of the Penguins," "Sky High," "Valiant," "Four Brothers" and "Wedding Crashers."
13. Check out a live theatrical performance. Try to catch some $8 student rush tickets half an hour prior to performances at the St. Louis' Repertory Theater (www.repstl.org) or check out student performances such as "The Rambling Nut" at the Touhill (www.touhill.org), where students receive discounts. 14. Listen to live music at one of St. Louis' many venues. See KDHX 88.1's extensive listing at http://www.kdhx.org/concertcal.htm.
15. See a sporting event. See the Blues (www.stlouisblues.com) at Savvis Center or check out the Missouri River Otters (www.riverotters.com) for minor league hockey at The Family Area. Then, try some skating of your own.
16. Strap on some skates at Steinberg Ice Skating Rink as soon as weather permits. Located in Forest Park, winter hours will be from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. The cost is about $8 including rink usage and skate rental.
17. Roll around instead if you prefer at one of many St. Louis area skating rinks such as Rollercade Rollerskating Rink (11703 Baptist Church Rd) and Saints Olivette Family Roller Skating Center (1168 N. Warson Road).
18. Go go-karting at Grand Prix Boschertown Go-Kart Track in St. Charles (3500 N. Highway 94) for $8 every five laps. Or maybe you'd rather do the real thing.
19. Head out to the tracks at Gateway International Raceway (www.gatewayraceway.com). For $10 you can be a spectator of the drag races and for about $20 you can participate yourself for recreation or pay more for a chance in a competition. Too lazy to leave the comfort of your room?
20. Catch up on your homework! Just kidding.
21. Invest in a Blockbuster movie pass (www.blockbuster.com) for $27.99 and treat yourself and your friends to unlimited movies for a month. Staying in could prove to be even better than going out!
Be the first to comment on this article!