The Lemp neighborhood in south St. Louis has experienced a revival in the last several years.  Formerly decrepit brick buildings have been restored and now house antique shops, coffee joints and vintage clothing stores.  Cherokee Street, which continues for nearly 10 blocks, forms the unofficial center of the new commercial area.

At the very end of Cherokee sits the massive towers of the historic Lemp Brewery and its surrounding buildings.  One such building, which formerly held the Lemp's draft horses, now houses one of St. Louis's many up-and-coming breweries and distilleries, along with a respected restaurant.

American Craft Brewing and Distilling, formerly known as the Stable, has also become known one of the best brewpubs in the city.  Between the closing of the horse stable and the opening of the restaurant, the building largely was vacant until 2007, acting instead as a warehouse for antiques, many of which now grace the restaurant's walls.

With dark, glossy wood floors, incredibly high ceilings and walls covered in quirky antiques, beer paraphernalia and oversized light fixtures, the atmosphere of American Craft Brewing and Distilling is unlike any other. The huge bar — framed by an ornate mantle piece covered in glasses, bottles, and, oddly enough, a large toy triceratops — sits below one of the restaurant's two enormous chandeliers.

Local customer Maegann Rathman said she has visited the restaurant on numerous occasions and loves the feel of the old building.

The Hi-Pointe Theatre's vibrant marquee has been a landmark at the intersection of Clayton Avenue and McCausland since 1922.  Located between St. Louis and Clayton, Mo., the theater is the longest running single-screen theater in the city.

The Hi-Pointe's interior mimics the classic feel of old-time theaters. The clean mint green lobby is adorned with movie posters and signed photographs of movie stars. Art deco light fixtures in red, blue and yellow — lit from behind by a neon green sign — hang from the theater's low ceilings.

Owner and operator Brian Ross said the theater's historic feel is one of its main attractions.

"To me, it's kind of a landmark," Ross said. "It's a throwback to the old way theaters used to be."

Ross ran the theater in the mid-1990s before it was taken over by the St. Louis movie theater chain Landmark Theaters.  However, in 2008, Landmark Theaters decided not to continue its affiliation with Hi-Pointe.  Ross, who was working in Chicago at the time, returned because he said he felt he "needed to keep [the Hi-Pointe] alive."

"I decided to come back [and] give up my good job," he said. "And it's been a struggle.  But the goal is this is the last single screen, independent, continuously operating ... theater in St. Louis."

Since Ross's return, he has upgraded the theater in several ways, such as adding digital projection, 3D capabilities, and a new curtain and screen. Ross said despite these changes, the theater has largely remained the same, including the original, circa 1963, 460 turquoise seats and art deco lighting.

Located in the heart of West St. Louis County resides ringmaster and dreamer Harry Freund, at least, according to his personal business card, that is.

Freund, who gladly plays the role of Mr. Harry, said he dreamed about owning a carnival-themed restaurant for years. However, it wasn’t until May 2010 that he was able to establish the family-owned, albeit unusual, Mr. Harry’s Carnival Foods.

“I had a vision of this place that the Lord sent me, and I’ve been pretty focused on it for years,” Freund said. “I just felt that this was my purpose in life that I was supposed to be here.”

Located in Ballwin, Mo., the restaurant offers the best of two relatively distinct worlds, combining Freund’s desire of a carnivalesque atmosphere with Jim and Mary Randalls’ championship barbeque.

The partnership between the two businesses wasn’t a part of Freund’s original plan, he said. When Harry’s first opened, Freund said he created the restaurant to be strictly carnival-themed, with food ranging from treats like nachos and chili cheese dogs to ice cream and shaved ice for dessert.

Your senses are on overload as you walk around absorbing the massive amounts of colors and aromas of the hundreds of plants that help create a St. Louis landmark, the Missouri Botanical Garden.

The garden's rich history is displayed in founder Henry Shaw's original country home, the Tower Grove House. The majority of the furniture and decorations within the house are original pieces, while others have been designed to replicate the style of the time.

Interpretation Assistant Priscilla Smith, who has worked in the house for three years, said the house compliments the garden in many aspects, especially in relation to its history and development.