The city may have been named for the king of France, but this diverse city boasts many ethnic enclaves, from the historic French Soulard neighborhood to The Hill—a traditional Italian area.
As the home of legends such as Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, and ragtime great Scott Joplin, St. Louis is known for its bluesy soul, but there is more to the music scene than singing the blues.
St. Louis is the Gateway to the West and was once home to railroad barons, brewers, and the 1904 World’s Fair.
STAY:
Ritz-Carlton St. Louis ($289 and up, 314-863-6300) offers a traditional English high tea on the weekend, complete with tea sandwiches and scones with cream and lemon curd.
The “preferred zone” at the modern boutique hotel Clayton on the Park($199–$375, 314-290-1500) features colorful suites with plasma TVs and sound systems to help you rock out while you get ready for a night on the town. Downstairs, Finale lounge offers blues, jazz, and R & B artists as well as comedians.
The Lemp Mansion belonged to John Lemp, a nineteenth-century beer baron who built an empire before a series of mysterious deaths and suicides brought the family down. The family’s beautiful mansion has been converted into a bed and breakfast ($115–$245, 314-664-8024). And those haunting rumors? Well, they’re just rumors.
EAT:
Upscale eatery Franco (314-436-2500 ) adds a modern twist to French classics such as pommes frites, frog legs, and mussels.
Blues originated in the Deep South, so it’s only appropriate that Broadway Oyster Bar (314-621-8811) honors the Southern tradition with live blues and a menu filled with Creole and Cajun cuisine such as gumbo, jambalaya, and even fried alligator.
Ted Drewes opened his first roadside custard stand in 1929, and it soon spawned multiple locations that became staples in St. Louis and popular stops on the classic Route 66. Now only two Ted Drewes Frozen Custard stands (314-481-2652) remain, serving goodies such as the original “Concrete” shake, so thick you can turn it upside down without spilling it.
DO:
Wander through the European-style Soulard Farmers Market. Then check out the Norman Gothic architecture of Saints Peter and Paul Church and the gourmet Italian bakeries in The Hill. The Saint Louis Art Museum (314-721-0072)—home to an extensive collection of twentieth-century German art—hosts the Napoleon exhibit Symbols of Power through September 16.
For a home with a happier past, tour the Chatillon–DeMenil Mansion (314-771-5828), built in 1848 and boasting a collection of 1,200 pieces from the 1904 World’s Fair. Then see a show at the Fabulous Fox Theatre (314-534-1111), which was built in the 1920s as a house for the first “talkies.” The ornate theater now hosts touring musicals and theater productions and concerts.
Soulard neighborhood
Big Muddy Blues Festival
Fabulous Fox Theatre
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