Here's Where: A Guide to Illustrious St. Louis

by Charlie Brennan

Many famous people, past and present, have ties to St. Louis. With that in mind, Charles Brennan has tapped into the St. Louis connection and written an insightful guidebook about this midwestern city.
            With maps and cross-referenced appendixes, Here’s Where gives locals and visitors alike an opportunity to pick a favorite famous person and visit a related site—such as a home, school, church, or restaurant. Brennan pinpoints the apartment on which Tennessee Williams based the setting for his play The Glass Menagerie and the shoe factory where Williams once worked—and where he encountered some of the characters that later appeared in his plays. Brennan identifies the birthplaces of poet Maya Angelou and music legend Chuck Berry and cites the street-corner location where Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra sold newspapers, as well as the restaurant where Berra waited tables before joining the major leagues.
            Brennan includes more than 160 entries that list anecdotes and interesting facts. The entries range from notable people from the 1800s, for example, Mark Twain, to today’s celebrities, such as singer Sheryl Crow and rap star Nelly.
            The entries are organized alphabetically; an appendix cross-references the entries by category (movies and television, sports, literature, political figures). Also, each entry is keyed to one of eight maps of St. Louis areas, making it easy to locate the sites.

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2006

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished this on a road trip and well, wish it were longer and thus wish it had much more information. While reading the book, I kept thinking, "well, what about..." Brennan, a KMOX radio personality in the AM, is a great interviewer in St. Louis and has indeed become a great St. Louis historian. The book lists in alphabetical order famous folks and places associated with famous people. The following were NOT listed in this book and I personally believe they need to be included- Gas Light Square, Lemp Mansion, Coral Courts, Lafayette Square, The Loop, Ken Paige, Route 66, Randy Orton, Sappington Family, and Ted Drewes. I'm sure there is more, but that's off the top of my head. The small info paragraphs on what is included are not very detailed and frankly are full of info that most St. Louisans already know about. In fact, there were several areas that could have been dished on even more (i.e. Harry Caray's possible affair with you know who and how that may have caused his firing). I love my hometown and I wish this little coffee table book was more informative. It was reader friendly though, which I do appreciate. I did dog ear some pages on the famous authors and movies associated with St. Louis I'd like to check out.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

A guide to the people and events that have contributed to the lore of the river city. Find the apartment building that housed Bob Costas in the 70's and Sheryl Crow in the 80's. See where Chuck Berry was born. Check out the street on "The Hill" that was home to THREE hall-of-fame baseballers. If you're a native St. Louisian, or just a traveler with a passion for the off-the-beaten-path, this is THE guide to get.