STL Girl: Straight out of Compton

This Saturday, I visited the Compton Water Tower, off of Grand. If you're like me, you've driven by this several times without really understanding what it was. I accidentally stumbled upon some information online a few weeks ago, and found out that it is a historic water tower, one of 7 in the United States (and we actually have 2 more!). The observation deck offers a 360 degree view of the city. The only structure that offers a higher view of the city is the Arch. And now a little boring history:

In the 18th century, the demand for water was too much for the city's system, so a large vertical standpipe was built, and the Compton Water Tower was built around it to cover its unsightly appearance. It was officially finished in 1899. It is 179 feet tall, with 198 spiral steps. It is estimated that at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, as many as 5,000 a Sunday flocked to the tower, the surrounding grounds, and the lily ponds. The tower was retired in 1929, and was occasionally opened for private tours. In 1972, it was declared a national landmark. In 1984, it was closed to the public, and fell into a state of decline until 1995, when the City considered demolishing it. The local residents and neighborhood associations got involved, and restoration of the tower and grounds started.

Another cool feature on the grounds is The Naked Truth sculpture, which was unveiled in 1914, amid much controversy due to her nudity. It was designed to honor German Americans.

I was very excited about visiting this structure that I have always wondered about, without really fully considering what might happen. I have a tendency to forget that I'm afraid of heights, primarily because--well, I'm not ALWAYS afraid of them. I love roller coasters, for example, and being in most high rise buildings don't bother me at all. But it all depends on the structure. Ladders, for example. I develop such a panic attack when I'm on a ladder that I freeze, and have to be physically helped down.

I did not get the same sort of panic attack this time, but as I climbed the narrow staircase, my legs became more and more wobbly, and I found that I had to clutch onto both railings to steady myself. It didn't help that I noticed the landings weren't in the greatest of shape, which led me to wonder what it would be like to fall several stories to my imminent death. By the time I reached the observation deck, under a bell-shaped roof of terra cotta tiles, my entire body was shaking. Not to mention that it was muggy inside the tower, and I was sweating profusely.

However, I have to say, the view was worth it. And, there were windows that opened, letting in the most delicious cool breeze. It was wonderful--the problem with the Arch is that once you reach the top, it's just a bunch of narrow windows that barely allow much of a view of the city. The Compton Water Tower is open and airy, allowing great views of the Arch, the Lemp Brewery, and even as far away as Clayton. I loved it. I felt safe in that tower, meditating on the grey skyline that hung over St. Louis. And I tried to ignore the fact that at some point, I would have to face those narrow staircases and the trip down.

I did make it down, however, and headed to South Grand for a late lunch. I decided on LemonGrass, a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant. I typically eat tofu in curry sauce, and enjoyed that even before I became a vegetarian. The creamy sauce is perfect, just right on the blend of curry and coconut milk, not too sweet, not too spicy. The sticky rice is fluffy and shaped into a ball garnished with delicate carrot sticks and green leaves--I don't know what the green leaves are. They aren't parsley, but it makes the rice look very pretty. The spring rolls are great, too. As I sat there, dipping my spring rolls into peanut sauce and sipping on Jasmine tea, I remembered the first time I ate here, probably 10 years ago, and how much I hated the spring rolls. In fact, I didn't really care for the city in general. Yet here I was, in a zen moment of enjoying the food, the city, and a local paper. Across from me sat a couple, the guy wearing a cowboy hat and a woman wearing a wife beater. Behind me I heard a group of friends talking, the girl talking about her nut allergies and marveling at the spring rolls--it seemed that it was her first time eating Vietnamese food.

On the way back to my car I saw the funniest graffiti on a building on the corner of Grand and Connecticut:

Good message, I'll keep that in mind!

Pics from the tower are below, I would've taken a picture of the food, except that my battery died, but click on link to LemonGrass's website, and check out their menu. They have pics, and unlike McDonald's, the food served really looks like the picture!

Compton Tower:

http://www.watertowerfoundation.org/

They are open on the first Saturday of every month from 12-4

http://www.lemongrass-rest.com/