How To Make St. Louis Hip: Why You Should Be At Metrolnk Prom

A good friend of mine from St. Louis moved to Austin, Texas a few years ago. Over Shabbat dinner at his dad's house this past Friday, I asked him what it was that made Austin such a destination for creative people, and why that city has been able to create an entire scene out of nothing.

He didn't point to the immense number of students that UT Austin attracts (40,000), or the fact that Austin is a pretty pedestrian friendly place, in fact, his answer surprised me.

What he said was that the City of Austin has been very supportive of all of the 'out-there' efforts. The city's motto has been, 'Keep Austin Weird'.

Now, is this an oversimplification? Of course. Austin also has a large number of technology and new media companies, oil money, and a music scene that didn't pop up overnight. The fact still remains that there is a huge opportunity for St. Louis to promote some creative ways to bring people together, which brings us to the Metrolink Prom.

The event ties together everything we support; public transit, dancing, general good vibes. This event is not only something that we want to support, we think you should support it too! As described on facebook:

Join us for a fairytale evening of dancing and finery aboard the MetroLink! It’s time for MetroLink Prom 2009: The Enchanted Ride. You don’t need a fairy godmother to help you get home when you’re transit savvy.

MetroLink Prom will take place on the evening of Friday, October 23, 2009. Be at the Forest Park platform at 7:30. From there, we will ride west to Clayton and then take another train back east to Laclede’s Landing. En route, we will elect a prom king and queen, slow dance, line dance, and take prom portraits. If you’re up for even more dancing, we’ll head to Morgan Street Brewery on the Landing for an afterparty. We’ll take the last MetroLink back to Forest Park from there, before the train turns into a pumpkin for the night.

Bring dollar bills for your train fare. Formal wear (from any decade) is strongly encouraged. Bring a date, bring a friend, bring your block captain, bring your kid, bring everyone you know! Prom will go forward rain or shine.

Last year’s MetroLink Prom was the first ever. Over 80 people attended, and a good time was had by all. We hope you’ll join us for this year’s magical evening aboard public transit. A lot can happen when you don’t have to drive.

If that sounds like your cup of tea, click here to RSVP