The city has plenty to offer that you won't find in a guidebook

ST. LOUIS -- Maybe you've been to this city before. You've done the Gateway Arch, the zoo and Busch Stadium. Or maybe you're planning your first trip here, and those attractions are at the top of your list.

You think that's all there is to St. Louis?

Not necessarily.

Just ask Steven Fitzpatrick Smith, an activist of sorts for his adopted home. Supported by the civic group Metropolis, which is devoted to all things city, Smith and some friends have launched a television ad campaign called "This is St. Louis."

The public service spots are aimed at showing off the hidden treasures of St. Louis -- the places not usually mentioned in the media or well-known to visitors. And Smith, one of the seemingly few St. Louisans who grew up here without developing an inferiority complex about the city, knows more than a few of the treasures.

Secrets in the city

His first suggestion: The City Museum.

A former downtown shoe factory, The City Museum has become the constantly evolving artwork of owner Bob Cassily. It's essentially a three-story monument to unbridled creativity -- two parts playground, one part hands-on art show.

It's newest attraction is called MonstroCity, a bizarre, industrial-size jungle gym made of giant Slinky toys and old airplanes, among other things. Like the colorful network of slides and tunnels inside the museum, both children and adults are encouraged to climb around.

MonstroCity is hard to describe, but Smith does as good a job as anyone: "It's like something from Beyond Thunderdome," Smith says. "It's just pure insanity. It looks like Bob Cassily's mind just exploded and became reality."

One of the "This is St. Louis" spots features a favorite haunt of locals, the Soulard Farmers Market. Since 1838, commerce at its most basic level has been taking place at the market in the historic Soulard neighborhood, where the oldest of its red-brick buildings dates to 1810.

The best day to go is Saturday, when thousands of consumers converge on the market to shop for fresh meat and produce at prices competitive with any grocery store.

"You can buy anything from live chickens to fresh Amish jams and jellies," Smith says. "There's even a pet store, herbs and flowers. It's very much a distinct flavor of St. Louis."

Some other suggestions, also off the beaten path:

When it's time to eat, think ethnic. For a change of taste and hemisphere -- not to mention a more affordable meal -- try the South Grand area, about two miles west of Soulard. The strip has a large share of the city's many Vietnamese and Thai restaurants.

If that's not adventurous enough, the most recent wave of immigrants to St. Louis brought their cuisine with them, so a handful of authentic Bosnian restaurants can now be found in south city.

Chuck Berry plays once a month at Blueberry Hill, a popular shrine to music and meat in University City. Some argue that the burgers are the best in town.

Another powerful local tradition is Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. The Route 66 favorite is open late on summer weekend nights, when it's most bustling.