St. Louis Overview

The "Gateway to the West" has drawn adventurers, immigrants and entrepreneurs to its riverbanks for more than 200 years. This vibrant city offers pro sports, live music, world-class beer and some of the best Italian cuisine this side of the Atlantic.

Districts

Explorers, immigrants, and visionaries have all left their marks on St. Louis. The city was originally established in 1764 as a trading post on the banks of the Mississippi River and later became a launching point for westward exploration. It experienced a population boom during the late 1800s when German and Italian immigrants settled in large numbers. And thanks to the work of several visionary thinkers, the city became home to the first concrete stadium (Francis Field at Washington University), the first skyscraper (the Wainwright Building) and the first ice cream cone (served at the 1904 World's Fair), among other novel creations. A mix of Old World charm and modern life continues to be a hallmark of this vibrant Midwestern city, in which each neighborhood has its own history and unique character.

Downtown St. Louis--This area offers most visitors their first impression of the city, greeting them with its signature Gateway Arch, historic Union Station, the Old Courthouse and Busch Stadium, where the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team plays their home games. The once industrial area of Laclede's Landing is now home to some of the city's favorite restaurants and finest hotels, as well as an entertainment district that features live music ranging from pop to jazz.

Soulard--This old, well-established neighborhood is situated south of Downtown. Here you will find a fine selection of jazz and blues clubs as well as the gargantuan outdoor Soulard Farmer's Market, which sells fresh produce, flowers and bakery items. It is the largest continually operating open-air market west of the Mississippi River. Homes in this area date from the mid-1800s, and many Victorian row houses have been lovingly restored.

Webster Groves--
Established in 1896, Webster Groves was one of St. Louis' first suburbs and is located just 15 minutes from downtown. During the 1904 World's Fair, residents referred proudly to this neighborhood, with its stately houses and towering oak and elm trees, as the "queen of the suburbs." Some 300-plus homes here are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Grand South Grand--A large Asian community resides in the Grand South Grand area, offering a tantalizing selection of Asian restaurants on nearly every block. This neighborhood also contains Tower Grove Park and the expansive Missouri Botanical Gardens.

The Hill--Settled by Italian immigrants in the late 1800s, this area still offers some of the best traditional Italian fare this side of the Atlantic. Gian-Peppe's and Dominic's are highly recommended by the locals to those in search of fine Italian dining. Pride runs deep in this old neighborhood with well-tended lawns, where even the fireplugs sport the red, green and white of the Italian flag.

Central West End--The heart of the Central West End is Forest Park, which is larger than Central Park in New York City and is home to several free attractions, including the St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Art Museum and the St. Louis Science Center. Treed neighborhoods here feature stately homes from the early 1900s as well as bookshops, art galleries and coffee houses. Home to a large segment of St. Louis' gay community, this district also contains the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis and its breathtaking array of mosaic art.

North Side St. Louis--This neighborhood, also known as "The Ville," is rich in African-American history and culture. Sumner High School, located here, was the first high school to offer education to black students west of the Mississippi River; its alumni include tennis legend Arthur Ashe and musical greats Tina Turner and Chuck Berry. One of America's first African-American millionaires, cosmetics magnate Annie Malone, founded her Annie Malone Children's Home in this district, and a parade celebrates the institution and its founder each May.

Lafayette Square--The largely restored Lafayette Square neighborhood has nearly 400 Victorian-era homes, along with many charming restaurants and bed and breakfasts. The neighborhood circles the 30-acre Lafayette Park, the first public park to be established west of the Mississippi River. Though still in the middle of a major urban center, you'll feel like you're in a small town here.

University City--Called "The Loop" by locals, University City lies north of Washington University and is home to The Tivoli Theater movie palace as well as Blueberry Hill, where Chuck Berry still performs his rock standards on occasion. The area also boasts a diverse selection of affordable ethnic eateries, including Thai, Indian and Vietnamese.

St. Charles--The quaint historic town of St. Charles, which borders St. Louis proper, includes the restored First Missouri State Capitol as well as the Frenchtown district, with its antique and gift shops, tearooms and restaurants. The entire downtown area of St. Charles—all 26 blocks—is on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors will be charmed by its gaslights, brick streets and colonial ambiance.

Historical Background

St. Louis stood as a gateway to the west long before the famed St. Louis Arch was erected, before Six Flags flew over St. Louis and before Anheuser-Busch brewed its first beer. French explorers Marquette and Joliet discovered the mouth of the Missouri River in 1673; St. Louis was founded as a fur trading post nearly 100 years later, in 1764, by Pierre Laclede and René Auguste Choutou, who named the town after France's King Louis IX.

However, St. Louis' history actually began long before the 18th century. Historians think Native Americans built earthen dwellings here in 400 BC and may have roamed this area more than 1,000 years before that. While Europe was in the Middle Ages, this rich culture vanished for reasons that still elude historians.

Founded in 1779, Soulard Farmers' Market continues to operate today as the oldest continually running farmers' market west of the Mississippi River. Ulysses S. Grant, who later became the 18th president of the U.S., once peddled goods there.

By 1804, St. Louis was the hub of the American fur trade and had become the starting point for Lewis and Clark's explorations of the Louisiana Territory. Ever a river city, St. Louis saw its first steamboat on the mighty Mississippi River in 1817 and, due to its central location, has since continued to grow as a transportation hub. The city experienced a population boom beginning in 1857 when the railroad arrived, bringing Irish, German and Italian immigrants with it. The Italian Hill, the German-populated South Side and the Jewish-populated community in Mid-County offer just a sampling of the ethnic diversity of St. Louis. (The Hill still serves up some of the best traditional Italian cuisine this side of the Atlantic.)

In 1850, St. Louis witnessed a landmark trial that had repercussions across the nation. In what is now known as the Old Courthouse, a slave named Dred Scott was given his freedom. However, the original ruling was overturned in both the Missouri and United States Supreme Courts in what is known as the Dred Scott Decision. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Missouri sided with the Union; however, the state remained divided between slave owners and abolitionists.

Forest Park, founded in 1876, continues to be visited by millions annually. In addition to the world-class St. Louis Zoo, the park boasts 38 tennis courts, 20 baseball fields, a skating rink, two free golf courses, a cricket field and even a croquet course. The park began its ambitious development phase in 1911 when Dwight Davis (for whom tennis' Davis Cup is named) took over as park commissioner.

More than 100 years ago, the St. Louis Union Station was built and at one time served more than 250 trains a day. Now the huge structure, with its gothic clock tower, houses a popular mall filled with stores and eateries.

St. Louis is home to the world's first skyscraper—the Wainwright Building, built in 1891— and the first concrete stadium in the country, Washington University's Francis Field, constructed for the 1904 Olympic Games. 1904 was also the year St. Louis hosted the World's Fair, immortalized by Judy Garland's rendition of "Meet Me in St. Louis" from the 1944 film of the same name. The fair brought worldwide attention to St. Louis for several months and gave many fairgoers their first tastes of hot dogs and ice cream cones. However, the event cost the city $50 million to stage, and while composer and ragtime popularizer Scott Joplin had people humming a lively tune, construction and development would come to a near standstill in St. Louis for more than a decade. People who had moved to the city for jobs at the fair eventually found themselves out of work as the economy continued to suffer.

The folks of St. Louis did get a boost in pride in 1926 when baseball's St. Louis Cardinals won the first of their nine World Series titles. (You can still watch the Cardinals play at Busch Stadium, for as little as USD7.) A year later, Charles Lindbergh's non-stop transatlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis gave the city an additional self-esteem lift.

Still, there were hard times during the Great Depression, although St. Louis fared better than many other cities because, then as now, its economy did not rely on any single industry. After World War II, St. Louis became a leader in airplane and automobile production, and Boeing and Chrysler remain two of the city's largest employers.

The famed Route 66, which gained popularity in the 1940s and 50s as it enticed motorists to drive cross-country, runs through "St. Louie." To get a feel for the charm that used to line America's dream drive, check out Ted Drewes Frozen Custard Stand. Lines are long, but the legendary thick, rich ice cream tastes as good today as it did to weary travelers mid-century. The 1950s also brought rock 'n' roll and the explosion of St. Louis native Chuck Berry onto the national scene. Berry still performs at Blueberry Hill every month or so, although shows sell out quickly.

The 630-foot Gateway Arch, perhaps the city's most identifiable icon, was completed in 1965 as a memorial to the great westward expeditions launched from here, including that of Lewis and Clark.

Underneath the city of St. Louis lies a series of connected, meandering caves, thought to be the largest concentration of natural caves in any city on the planet. Now sealed off, these caves once provided a haven and a secret passageway for fugitives, Native Americans and beer brewers. Meramec Caverns, 60 miles form St. Louis, still allows visitors to tour some of the caves and take a peek into Jesse James' infamous escape route and hideaway.

St. Louis itself is much like the caves hidden beneath its pavement: Unassuming at first glance, it still awaits discovery, offering world-class restaurants, top-notch professional sports, a rich musical heritage and a friendly people who still welcome explorers.

St. Louis by the Numbers

Population: 2,603,607
Elevation: 535 feet
Average Annual Precipitation: 37.1 inches
Average Annual Snowfall: 19.8 inches
Average January Temperature: 30 degrees F
Average July Temperature: 79 degrees F
Major Industries: Aviation, Biotechnology, Chemicals, Electrical Utilities, Food and beverage manufacturing, Refining, Research, Telecommunications, Transportation
Ethnic Mix: 78.3% Caucasian, 18.3% African American, 1.5% Hispanic, 1.4% Asian, 0.5% Native American
Electricity: 110 volts, 50Hz, standard two pin plugs
Time Zone: GMT- 6
Country Dialing Code: 1
Area Code: 314

Did You Know?

St. Louis was the first American city to host the Olympic Games (in 1904).

Orientation

St. Louis is located just south of the "Meeting of the Rivers," where the Missouri and Illinois Rivers join the Mississippi River. It is not far from Kansas City, Chicago, Indianapolis and Memphis.