St. Louis, also known as the Gateway City, is a port on the eastern shores of Missouri. It is a very lucrative city as well as one of the major ports in the USA. It has a population of almost 320,000 people. It was found in 1764 by Auguste Chouteau and Pierre Laclade who later named it after Louis the Ninth of France. The 1904 Olympics were held in the city making it the first non-European city to have hosted the Olympics. Its main economy has to be service, trade and manufacturing as well as tourism and transportation of goods. St. Louis has a lot of attractions to visit when you are in the city. You will also find many interesting places where you can eat and they have a wide cuisine consisting of French, Italian, Japanese and other cuisines. Whilevisiting St. Louis, it is important that you understand how the weather in the city is. The city has a very interesting climate that is between the humid continental climate and the humid subtropical climate. While in St. Louis, you can experience bouts of cold arctic air, though it doesn’t normally get very cold. During summer, there is hot and humid tropical air that is usually coming in from the Gulf of Mexico. The summers in the city can be as hot as 32 degrees Celsius. You will find that they have the occasional tornadoes and winter storms that occur sparsely during the year. The city’s wettest season has to be spring while summer is the driest. Fall is usually very mild and sunny.
Major Attractions
There are so many places to visit when you are in St. Louis. You will be able to embrace the city’s culture as well as interact with its people.
The Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch is one of the major attractions in St. Louis to a point where the city has borrowed its nickname from it. It is a monument that reaches up to 630 feet high up in the sky. It is stainless steel and is one of the United States tallest man-made structures, and also known as the world’s tallest arch. It is a very grandeur structure that you must see.
St. Louis Zoo
The St. Louis Zoo is a forest park in St. Louis that is widely known for its endeavors towards animal management and research as well as education. It is considered a place of major attraction as it has a wide variety of animals that you can see. Admission is usually free and you will only pay fees for special attractions. It has a passenger train; Zooline Railroad, that takes visitors around the zoo while stopping at the most popular attractions.
The City Museum
If you are planning on getting a feel for the city’s history as well as its culture, you should pay a visit to the City Museum that is situated in the Washington Area Loft District. It is mainly made up of architectural designs and if this is your sort of thing, you will certainly have a good time here.
Busch Stadium
As St. Louis is home to professional sports teams such as the St. Louis Cardinals which is a professional baseball team, you will have a very wonderful time enjoying the games at Busch Stadium. The stadium has a sitting capacity of up to 43,975 with club seats numbering to 3,706 as well as about 61 luxury suites. It is the third stadium in St. Louis to be named Busch Stadium.
Missouri Botanical Garden
The exquisite garden was founded by a botanist and a philanthropist named Henry Shaw and it is therefore also informally known as Shaw’s Garden. Its stands on a 30 hectare area and is open from seven o’clock in the morning to five o’clock in the evening. You will be amazed by the way the garden has been designed and it should be at the top of your list of your top things to do.
Forest Park
Forest Park is a very relaxing public park located at 5595 Grand Dr, M0 63112 which is the western part of St. Louis. It is on an area of 5.55 km squared. It was made in 1876. The 1904 Olympics were held at the park and so far it has received up to twelve million visitors. You will find major attractions of St. Louis like the Saint Louis Zoo and the Saint Louis Science center among others at this park.
Where to Eat
There are many good restaurants in St. Louis and when you are looking for the best restaurants and to visit in order to have the best cuisine, all you have to do is decide on the kind of restaurant that will work for you.
The Café Osage
If you want to have fresh vegetables and herbs that have been grown on site, you should pay a visit to this café. They are located within Bowood Farms and you will have a choice between sitting in the garden outside or at a site where you will enjoy the garden view. Their Osage nutty granola is one of the best for breakfast and you can meet up with friends and enjoy the lunch that they serve.
The Local Harvest Café
When in St. Louis, you will enjoy seasonal eating at this café. It started out very small with only 7 employees but now has grown to almost 50 staff. You will enjoy their exotic dishes, as well as local dishes at any hour as they serve breakfast up to dinner. They also have catering. You have a choice between their Tower Grove and their downtown branches where you will receive exemplary service.
The Fountain on Locust
This is the best family outing in St. Louis and when looking for the best restaurants that accommodate family; this is your number one spot. They have legendary milkshakes as well as traditional cone ice-creams that will drive the kids wild.
Taqueria Durango
You will find very delicious and yummy delicacies in this restaurant ranging from meat that is perfectly grilled to melted cheese. They are famously known for their decadent and highly addictive Torta sandwich.
Shu Feng Restaurant
This is the only restaurant where you can be sure of enjoying the best cuisine that the Chinese have to offer. They have gone as far as to have Chinese-American delicacies that you will surely love.
Shopping
St. Louis has many places that you can shop that range from small shops to huge malls. It is very easy to navigate your way in St. Louis when looking for places to visit and do your shopping.
The Mills
This is one of the best malls for men in St. Louis. It also hosts entertainment arenas as well as numerous outlet stores. It has great stores such as Nike Factory store.
The West County Centre
On trips to St. Louis, you should visit this mall and experience one of the fashionable malls in St. Louis. They also have a play area for kids as well as a cinema so you can watch a movie when you’re done with your shopping.
The Chesterfield Mall
As a renowned mall, you will be able to get what you are looking for in this mall while in St. Louis. There are many stores with the American Girl store being their latest addition.
Saint Louis Galleria
This mall has to be the most well rounded mall hosting a six-screen cinema as well as a new Nordstrom’s and Macy’s. They have a lot of specialty stores that you can browse freely.
Plaza Frontenac
If you are looking for the best luxury shopping experience in St. Louis, then the Plaza Frontenac is the best mall for you to visit. This should definitely be on your places to visit agenda in St. Louis.
Where to Have Fun
There are so many places where you can have fun while in St. Louis. You can go out to the clubs or just enjoy the family get together places that they have.It is always a thrilling experience at night in St. Louis. The night always comes alive. St. Louis boasts a number of cool spots and nightclubs that just keeps you going through the night. So, looking for a fun night out in St. Louis, here are some choice places to go:
The Big Bang
This is arguably the best bar in town. It is particularly popular because of its reputation as the foremost piano dueling bar. In The Big Bang, what you get is good music, quality music and endless fun all night every night.
BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups
Nightclub, bar and jazz lounge: just the right kind of place to spend a good night out. Life performance from visiting artist is guaranteed to keep you hooked up all night long. This is a place everybody should visit when in St. Louis.
Paddy O’s
Popularly known as the game bar, Paddy O’s is the perfect hangout before or after a game. Sport fans in St. Louis all gather here to discuss and analyze the games. The buzz, the intellectual arguments the sheer electric atmosphere all add to make it a wonderful hangout on any game night.
The Jive and Wail Duleing Piano Bar
If you are craving for something different, new and unique this bar would be just for you. Classy, yet filled with action this is the place to feel the old atmosphere of the piano bars in a whole new way. Not only are the prices good, but the music will take you away in a night filled of entertainment.
Mandarin Lounge
A stylish club filled with exotic emotions, the Mandarin Lounge is for those of you who want to experience more than just the regular classy night club. Filled with a lot of special unique events, you should definitely visit this nightclub, during your stay in St. Louis.
Europe Night Club
Another Club worth mentioning is the Europe Night Club. It is yet more evidence for the multicultural nightlife availability of St. Louis. Always inviting new and upcoming DJs from all around Europe, this is the place to visit for every person who is able to live, breathe and enjoy the music.
How to Get Around
When you are in St. Louis, getting around is a piece of cake. Depending on the mode of travel that you will choose, you will be able to travel very easily. When travelling to St. Louis, you will be able to access the place by plane and if you are in a nearby city, you can even use a bus. As a tourist, you will be able to use the local transportation that the city has very easily. It is very easy for you to navigate the city by use of a bicycle as well. All the major places are interconnected meaning that you will have a very easy time when you want to have a look at the places of interest. The roads are clearly marked with signs which make it easy for you to drive around. You can also get a tour guide book and get on by foot or by use of the taxis. Depending on how you want to move around, you can also option for a tour guide who will guide you around the city and show you all the hot spots. They have trains and automobiles or you can settle for riverboats when you want to enjoy all the scenery. The population is very friendly and you will find people who are willing to point you in the right direction.
