Thank God the Cardinals are tearing...

Thank God the Cardinals are tearing down Busch Stadium after this season. I finally have good reasons to vacation in St. Louis: To visit America's Baseball City and, just as important, to visit the famed strip club scene in East St. Louis. If my visiting three of them counts as a qualified overview, let me say that, while I have been to other places in other cities that feature gorgeous women, hot grindage and a party atmosphere, the fact that all of the ESL clubs take it to another level makes the entire scene better than your town's. Could St. Louis be a better strip club city than Houston, Las Vegas, or Tampa?

I'll start with the last of the three I visited, and the best. I went to two in Washington Park, and despite what you have heard, going to some of these clubs is as safe, if not safer, than going to other clubs in your town. To get to Hollywood Show Club from St. Louie, cross the river (I went on the MLK Bridge), drive down I-70 a few miles and exit at Bunkum Rd. A few SC's light up in the distance off to your left, and the frontage road to get there is easy to find. Take a right to get to HSC; look for the giant searchlights, a fitting touch. Parking on the lot is free, *very* bright and guarded by a couple of guys in an SUV. Don't let the reputation of East St. Louis put you off; for the Bunkum Rd. clubs at least, I feel a lot safer than going to some of the bars in downtown Minneapolis.

Seven dollars cover on a Sunday night. It's big, huge; so large, in fact, that it could easily accommodate a weekend crowd and still have room. And for a club lit only by neon, it is very bright. I’ve been to many strip clubs, and I don’t think I’ve seen so much pink in my life – pun intended, my dirty-minded friends. To the right is a large, oval-shaped island stage with poles and chairs with wheels surrounding it. At the back wall is a smaller thrust stage with similar chairs. To the left there’s a labyrinth of hallways to the bathrooms and bedrooms for dances. (There are open-air booths lining the walls by the side of the room where the island stage is, but I think I saw it used only when a dancer and waitress were smoking and chatting.) You could sit on a stool at the long alcohol bar or one of three knee-high chairs at each table. Waitresses were nice and not pushy, and the prices were reasonable for a gentleman’s joint: $6 for a Coke, $8 for a screwdriver (both including tip).