St. Louis area
Around St. Louis area
Photo: Bohao Zhao · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Greater area · Missouri · 2.9M people
St. Louis area
Locals say St. Louis · “The Gateway to the West”, “The Lou”, “STL”, “River City”
A river city with a big heart and even bigger flavors.
Cardinal RedBlues BlueGold
Welcome to St. Louis! Whether you're here for the arch, the baseball, or the toasted ravioli, you'll find a city that's proud of its neighborhoods and its river. Get ready to cheer for the Cardinals and enjoy a frozen custard on a hot day.
Clubs for St. Louis area
No clubs for St. Louis area yet.
The room
St. Louis area is big: its rooms are its areas'. This is St. Louis's; the others are below.
One room for everyone around St. Louis. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around St. Louis area. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Gateway Arch Iconic 630-foot arch on the riverfront.
- Forest Park One of the largest urban parks, home to many attractions.
- Delmar Loop Vibrant entertainment district with shops and music.
- Soulard Historic neighborhood known for its farmers market and bars.
- The Hill Historic Italian neighborhood with authentic restaurants.
- Anheuser-Busch Brewery Historic brewery offering tours and a Clydesdale stable.
- Outdoors Bike the Riverfront Trail
- Outdoors Kayak on the Mississippi
- With kids Visit the St. Louis Zoo
- With kids Ride the Gateway Arch tram
- Evenings Catch a show at the Pageant
- Evenings Bar-hop in Soulard
- Locals love Neighborhood taverns
- Locals love Frozen custard stands
Through the year
- St. Louis Art Fair September Juried art fair in Clayton with live music and food.
- Great Forest Park Balloon Race September Hot air balloon race and glow in Forest Park.
- Shakespeare Festival in Forest Park Summer Free outdoor Shakespeare productions in Forest Park.
- Taste of St. Louis Summer Food and music festival featuring local restaurants.
- St. Louis Earth Day Festival April Eco-friendly festival with vendors and activities in Forest Park.
St. Louis has hot, humid summers and cold winters, with mild springs and falls. The best time to be out is from April to June and September to November. Best: Spring and fall are the best times to be out, with mild temperatures and low humidity.
Talk like a local
- “The Lou”
- St. Louis
- “Metro East”
- The Illinois suburbs of St. Louis
- “The Hill”
- The Italian neighborhood in south St. Louis
- “The Loop”
- Delmar Loop entertainment district
Getaways
- Centralia, IL Small-town charm and antique shopping.
- Farmington, MO Outdoor recreation at St. Francois State Park.
- Mount Vernon, IL Cedarhurst Center for the Arts and hiking.
- Jacksonville, IL Historic downtown and scenic lakes.
Local flavour
Teams
- St. Louis Cardinals MLB
- St. Louis Blues NHL
- St. Louis City SC MLS
- Saint Louis University Billikens NCAA Division I
- SIUE Cougars NCAA Division I
Eat and drink
- St. Louis-style pizza Thin cracker crust with Provel cheese, a local processed cheese blend.
- Toasted ravioli Breaded and fried ravioli, a St. Louis invention.
- Gooey butter cake A dense, buttery cake with a gooey top, a local dessert staple.
- St. Louis-style pork steaks Thick-cut pork shoulder steaks, often grilled and slathered in BBQ sauce.
- Frozen custard (concrete) Thick frozen custard, famously served at Ted Drewes, a local institution.
Where people go
- Gateway Arch Iconic stainless steel monument on the riverfront.
- Forest Park One of the largest urban parks in the U.S., home to museums and the zoo.
- Historic neighborhoods (Soulard, The Hill)
- Delmar Loop Entertainment district with music venues, restaurants, and shops.
- Riverfront The Mississippi River levee, with riverboats and the Arch grounds.
- Anheuser-Busch Brewery Historic brewery and a symbol of the city's brewing legacy.
Heritage and traditions
St. Louisans are proud of their city's role as the 'Gateway to the West,' its rich brewing and blues heritage, and its fiercely loyal sports fans, especially for the Cardinals.
This time of year in St. Louis area
- Italian Fest October Celebrates The Hill's Italian heritage with food and a parade.
- Halloween in Soulard October A lively street party with costumes.
- Italian Fest October Held on The Hill, St. Louis's Italian neighborhood, featuring Italian food, music, and a parade.
- Halloween in Soulard October A lively street party with costumes and music in the Soulard neighborhood.
Say it like a local: “You guys” — Plural 'you' used in casual speech.
Festivals
- Soulard Mardi Gras February One of the largest Mardi Gras celebrations in the US, with parades and a massive street party in the historic Soulard neighborhood.
- St. Louis Greek Festival August Celebrates Greek culture with traditional food, music, and dancing at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.
- Italian Fest October Held on The Hill, St. Louis's Italian neighborhood, featuring Italian food, music, and a parade.
- Fair St. Louis July 4th A major Independence Day celebration with fireworks, concerts, and food along the riverfront.
- St. Louis International Film Festival November Showcases independent and international films at venues across the city.
- St. Louis Jazz Festival June Features local and national jazz artists in Forest Park.
Landmarks with a story
- Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Known for its stunning mosaics, one of the largest collections in the world, and its Byzantine-Romanesque architecture.
- Old Courthouse Site of the Dred Scott case, now a museum within the Gateway Arch National Park.
- Scott Joplin House The home where the 'King of Ragtime' lived and composed, now a state historic site.
- Cahokia Mounds The largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico, a UNESCO World Heritage Site just across the river in Illinois.
- National Blues Museum Dedicated to the history and influence of blues music, located downtown.
- Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site The farm where Grant lived before the Civil War, known as White Haven.
Food traditions
- Pork steaks A cut of pork shoulder sliced thick, grilled and often slathered with a sweet, tangy sauce. A summer BBQ staple unique to St. Louis.
- Slinger A diner breakfast dish with hash browns, eggs, and chili, often topped with cheese and onions. A late-night favorite.
- Gerber sandwich An Italian sandwich from The Hill, made with garlic bread, ham, salami, and Provel cheese, baked until melted.
- Gooey butter cake A dense, buttery cake with a gooey top, believed to have originated in St. Louis in the 1930s.
- Toasted ravioli Breaded and deep-fried ravioli served with marinara sauce, a St. Louis invention.
Music and arts
- St. Louis blues A distinct style of blues with roots in the Mississippi Delta, popularized by locals like Chuck Berry and Albert King.
- Ragtime Scott Joplin, the 'King of Ragtime', composed many of his works in St. Louis, and the city was a ragtime hub.
- Jazz St. Louis has a rich jazz history, with venues like the old Gaslight Square and modern clubs on the Delmar Loop.
- Rock and roll Chuck Berry's pioneering guitar style helped define rock and roll from St. Louis.
A little history
- 1803 Louisiana Purchase
- 1804 Lewis and Clark Expedition departed from St. Louis
- 1857 Dred Scott decision
- 1852 Founding of Anheuser-Busch
- 1904 1904 World's Fair and Summer Olympics
Rivalries
- Cardinals vs. Cubs Historic baseball rivalry with Chicago.
- Blues vs. Blackhawks Fierce hockey rivalry with Chicago.
- St. Louis City SC vs. Sporting KC Soccer rivalry with Kansas City.
- Missouri vs. Illinois College sports rivalry between the states.
- Game day Cardinals Opening Day
- Game day Rally Squirrel
- Outdoors Visit Cahokia Mounds
- Outdoors Walk the Katy Trail
- With kids Saint Louis Science Center
- With kids Missouri History Museum
St. Louisans speak with a distinctive Midwestern accent that includes some Southern influences. They often pronounce 'Missouri' as 'Missourah' and use terms like 'hoosier' for rural folk. The city has its own slang and a love for 'pop' (soda).
Only here
- The ice cream cone was popularized at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.
- The first Olympic Games held in the United States took place in St. Louis in 1904.
- St. Louis-style pizza is made with Provel cheese, a processed cheese blend unique to the region.
- The 'concrete' is a frozen custard so thick it can be turned upside down, a local invention.
New here? A few tips
- Embrace the weather: summers are hot and humid, winters can be cold and icy. Be prepared for both extremes.
- Try the local food: start with a St. Louis-style pizza, toasted ravioli, and a concrete from Ted Drewes.
- Learn the pronunciation: locals say 'Missourah' and often refer to the city as 'St. Louie'.
- Understand the divide: the city and county have distinct identities; be aware of the 'Delmar Divide' and the historical context.
- Get a Cardinals ticket: baseball is a religion here; attending a game is a must.
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Areas in St. Louis area
Nearby
Every areaFredericktownMissouriSlow hills, deep roots.Mount VernonIllinoisHeart of Little EgyptPotosiMissouriWhere the hills hold historyVandaliaIllinoisWhere the prairie meets the pastPerryvilleMissouriWhere the river meets the orchardChesterIllinoisRiver town charm, farm country soul.Du QuoinIllinoisWhere the state fair meets the harvest.FairfieldIllinoisWhere the Little Wabash winds through golden fields.
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL CSA. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.