St. Louis Official Visitors Guide 2009

Elaborate courtyards offer outdoor dining from spring through fall. Soulard Farmers Market, operating continuously since 1779, is the neighborhood’s centerpiece, where locals and visitors alike buy fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and exotic spices. Immediately south of Soulard, St. Louis’ attic is open for inspection on Cherokee Street, St. Louis’ antique row. Dozens of merchants sell items from the past in treasure-filled stores. The Greek Revival Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion and the Lemp Mansion— a restaurant and B&B known as one of St. Louis’ top “haunted” houses—are other popular stops. Follow Cherokee Street west of Jefferson to visit restaurants, groceries and shops in one of St. Louis’ emerging Hispanic neighborhoods. KIRKWOOD & WEBSTER GROVES Kirkwood offers various experiences— from the never-ending fun at the expanded Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum, to the solitude of nature on hiking trails in the Powder Valley Conservation Area. Beautiful Laumeier Sculpture Park presents more than 100 acres of art in a unique outdoor setting. Webster Groves is a historic community finest and largest collection of Victorian-era architecture in the country. Acclaimed modern restaurants are open in the neighborhood’s restored commercial spaces, nestled next to a growing collection of lofts and condos. The annual House & Garden Tour and a Victorian Art Festival are held in June, while the neighborhood’s Art Fair is an annual October event. Parlor tours take place during the holiday season, offering a peek inside the homes when they’re dressed in their finest. THE VILLE The Ville, St. Louis’ most historically significant African-American neighborhood, was home to an elite black community in the 1920s. The neighborhood’s Annie Malone, a woman who made her fortune in beauty products and left a legacy of philanthropy, was one of the first African-American millionaires in the nation. A children’s home that bears her name is one of the area’s cornerstones. The Ville’s Sumner High School—the first school west of the Mississippi River to provide secondary education for black students—claims among its graduates opera diva Grace Bumbry, rock ’n’ roll legend Chuck Berry, singer Tina Turner and tennis great Arthur Ashe. The soaring Ville Monument pays tribute to them and to the neighborhood’s other famous sons and daughters. GRAND SOUTH GRAND Stop in the diverse Grand South Grand neighborhood for a taste of the world. Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Latin and Chinese restaurants, ethnic groceries, boutiques, vintage clothing stores and Asian import centers line Grand Avenue south of I-44. Tower Grove Park, an elegant 19th-century Victorian walking park with original picnic pavilions, statuary and mock classical “ruins,” abuts this neighborhood. The park, established in 1868, is a National Historic Landmark, one of only four municipal parks to achieve that status. Annual events include a Chinese New Year celebration in February, an April house tour, the Festival of Nations and Pride Fest in the summer and a holiday walk in November. CENTRAL WEST END Like to people-watch? This neighborhood is the place. It’s a chic slice of Europe on the edge of Forest Park, with charming sidewalk cafés, exciting galleries, trendy boutiques and cozy pubs. The Official St. Louis Visitors Guide 31 The Ville BILL BOYCE Saint Louis Art Fair, rated tops in the nation, attracts more than 100,000 people to Clayton’s streets each September. Other special events include the alwaysdelicious Taste of Clayton food festival in June. Shaw Park provides event space and recreational opportunities all year long. LACLEDE’S LANDING Longing for the days of Mark Twain and the mighty Mississippi? St. Louis’ rivercity past becomes clear during a stop in the Laclede’s Landing neighborhood. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride on cobblestone streets or dine on local fare at restaurants operating inside historic river warehouses. At night, the district’s clubs beckon with music and merrymaking, and the new Lumière Place casino sets the standard for entertainment at its nightspots and on the casino floor. Narrated trips on the Gateway Arch Riverboats leave from the levee, and the Riverfront Trail bike path passes alongside the historic district. Labor Day weekend brings the annual Big Muddy Blues Festival to the area. LAFAYETTE SQUARE This elegant neighborhood is a blend of historic and contemporary. The square surrounds beautiful Lafayette Park, named after the Revolutionary War hero who visited St. Louis in 1825. The stately French Second Empire homes that frame the square have been called the Kirkwood Farmers Market filled with large, century-old homes, unique shops and specialty restaurants. The neighborhood is also home to the Loretto-Hilton Center, where productions by the acclaimed Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and the internationally known Opera Theatre of Saint Louis are staged each year. CLAYTON St. Louis’ “other” downtown can be found in Clayton, the seat of St. Louis County government. MetroLink light rail makes it easier than ever to visit the neighborhood, where dozens of trendy restaurants are joined by elegant hotels, fine art galleries and boutiques. The (800) 916-0092 BILL BOYCE

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of St. Louis Official Visitors Guide 2009

St. Louis Official Visitors Guide 2009 Contents St. Louis Thrives Must-See St. Louis All-Star History Pujols Family Foundation Calendar of Events Family Fun St. Louis' Friendly Environment Urban Melting Pot Fashion Direct Route 66 Architecture Tour Cultural Connections Day Trips Iconic St. Louisans Attractions My St. Louis: Russ Mitchell My St. Louis: Christina Machamber My St. Louis: Ridley Pearson Sports My St. Louis: Naam Pruitt Music, Dance & Theatre Outdoor Recreation My St. Louis: Christine Brewer Shopping Dining Nightlife St. Louis Beer History My St. Louis: Nelly Accommodations Campgrounds & RV Resorts Bed & Breakfast Getting Around Visitor Services Maps Advertiser Index 2009 St. Louis Meeting Planner Guide

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.