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St. Louis Facts
Population: 396,700 in the city center; 2.56 million in the greater St. Louis area
Elevation: 585 feet
Area: 6,397 sq. miles (greater St. Louis area)
Location: St. Louis lies on the Mississippi River at the junction of I-70, I-55, and I-44, a 290 mile 5 hour drive southwest of Chicago.
Time Zone: Central Standard Time (when it is noon in St. Louis, it is 1:00pm in New York City and 10:00am in California.) Missouri observes Daylight Saving Time from April-October.
To check on the time: 321-2522
Weather information: 321-2222
When to Go
Each season in St. Louis has its special attraction for visitors. In the Spring the city blooms with color, and the St. Louis Cardinals get started once again. Summers are pleasantly warm, sometimes hot, and the many and varied events keep visitors coming back year after year. Fall brings clear, crisp days and nature paints the trees in glorious color. The Rams start their football season. Winter crowds are smaller, but there are many things to see and enjoy. Winter Wonderland thrills visitors to Tiles Park, as does Santa's Magical Kingdom near Six Flags. The zoo features many indoor exhibits to be enjoyed.
National Holidays:
New Year's Day Jan. 1
Martin Luther King, Jr., Day 3rd Mon. in Jan.
President's Day 3rd Mon. in Feb.
Memorial Day last Mon. in May
Independence Day July 4
Labor Day 1st Mon. in Sept.
Thanksgiving Day 4th Thurs. in Nov.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dec. 24 and 25
New Year's Eve Dec. 31
Business Hours
Most banks are open from 10 - 4 Monday through Friday. Many are open for several hours on Saturday. Most businesses in St. Louis are open Monday through Saturday, from 9 or 10 AM to 6 or 9 PM. Many others, including shopping centers, are also open Sunday from noon to 5 or later.
Most museums in St. Louis are open Tuesday through Sunday. A few are also open on Monday. Major attractions are open daily.
Emergencies
Ambulance ( 911). Fire ( 911). Police ( 911).
Hospital Emergency Room:
Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center : 3635 Vista Ave., 577-8000
Electricity
The U.S. electrical standard is 110 volts60 cycles AC. Visitors from other countries, traveling with dual-voltage appliances will not need a converter, but they will need a plug adapter. The standard U.S. electrical outlet takes a plug of two flat pins set parallel to one another.
Telephones
The country code for the United States is 1. The area code for St. Louis is 314.
Tipping
At restaurants, a 15% tip is standard for waiters
Getting There
Flights arrive at Lambert St. Louis International Airport (tel. 314-426-8000), which is about 20 minutes northwest of downtown.
Some sample flying times are: from New York 21/2 hours, from London 81/2 hours.
By Train
Amtrak
550 S. 16th St.
314-331-3300 or 800-872-7245
provides daily train service between St. Louis and Kansas City and Chicago. The Texas Eagle, which runs between Chicago, Dallas, and San Antonio with connecting service to Los Angeles, stops in St. Louis.
The MetroLink (tel. 314-231-2345) travels between the airport and the downtown riverfront, with stops at Laclede's Landing, downtown (at 8th and Pine), Busch Stadium, Union Station, Central West End, Forest Park (where visitors transfer to a shuttle bus for park attractions), and other neighborhoods. One way tickets, round trip and day passes are available. Travel is free on weekdays from 11:30am to 1:30pm between Union Station and Laclede's Landing.
By Car
St. Louis lies on the Mississippi River at the junction of I-70, I-55, and I-44, a 290-mile 5-hour drive southwest of Chicago. From I-70, I-55, and I-44 follow the exits for downtown St. Louis. From U.S. 40 I-64, exit at Broadway.
Getting Around
Explore the downtown sights on foot; a car is needed elsewhere.
By Bus
Call the St. Louis Transit Information Line at 314-231-2345 or 618-271-2345 for schedules.
By Car
Broadway and Jefferson Avenue are major north-south streets running through downtown. Washington Avenue runs east-west leading to the Eads Bridge. Wharf Line runs along the riverfront.
MetroLink ( 314-231-2345), the city's light-rail system, has a single line running between the airport, downtown, and East St. Louis. It stops near major attractions downtown, including Union Station, Busch Stadium, and the Kiel Center. Rides are free between Laclede's Landing and Union Station weekdays from 11:30-1:30.
Neighborhoods
The Hill
From Downtown St. Louis,
take I-64 west to Kings highway south and turn west on Shaw.
This is the neighborhood where Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola grew up. The area was settled in the early 1900s by Italian immigrants who brought their traditions, foods and sense of community to St. Louis.
Soulard & Benton Park
From downtown St. Louis, take Broadway south; continue south on Seventh Street to Lafayette. Known for blues music, the lively Soulard neighborhood was named for Antoine Soulard, a native of France who surveyed colonial St. Louis for the King of Spain. Many of the neighborhood music clubs, pubs and restaurants have courtyards paved with St. Louis brick. Soulard Farmers Market, open continuously since 1779, is open Wednesday - Saturday offering fresh produce, baked goods, and a variety of spices.
Central West End
647-6222
Lined with beautiful turn-of-the-century homes on tree lined streets (called Private Places), the neighborhood is filled with trendy boutiques, imaginative restaurants, sidewalk cafés and cozy neighborhood pubs. Specialty shops, the boyhood apartment home of playwright Tennessee Williams, and a collection of art and antique galleries also dot the stately streets. The beautiful Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, covered inside with the world's largest collection of mosaic art, is one of the anchors of this district.
Lafayette Park
Lafayette Square
From downtown St. Louis take Market Street west to Jefferson Avenue south and turn east on Park Known as the "Victorian Heart of St. Louis," the park was established in 1836 as the first public park west of the Mississippi River. A drive around the park is the best way to sample the architecture of the French Second Empire townhouses and sandstone row houses, some of which house elegant bed and breakfast inns.
Grand South Grand & Tower Grove Park
From downtown St. Louis,
take I-64 west to the Grand exit and continue south on Grand. This neighborhood is noted for its restaurants, many of which reflect the cultures of Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Tower Grove Park is filled with ornate band strands and whimsical gazebos. Opened in 1868, the Victorian-walking park is one of only four urban parks in the country designated as a National Historic Landmark. Next to the park, the acclaimed Missouri Botanical Garden welcomes visitors and researchers from around the world throughout the year.
The Ville
From downtown St. Louis, take 12th Street (Tucker) north, continue north on Natural Bridge, turn south on Grand the west on St. Louis Avenue. St. Louis' most historically significant African-American neighborhood, is home to Sumner High School, the first school west of the Mississippi to provide secondary education for black students.
Clayton
From downtown St. Louis, take I-64 west to Hanley Road north, or from the Forest Park MetroLink station, take the yellow and black Shuttle Bee bus into Clayton and the nearby Galleria Shopping mall. For more information, call 746-0473. Fascinating shops, a diverse selection of fine art galleries, dozens of restaurants, fine hotels and special events have all found a home in the
heart of the Clayton's Central Business District. Dining in Clayton with purveyors of gourmet cuisine nestled among tall office buildings, elegant specialty retailers and rows of charming antique shops. Gallery Night receptions are held six times a year in the area's 15 art galleries.
Laclede's Landing
The Landing, located just north of the Gateway Arch, is an easy walk from all points in downtown St. Louis. MetroLink Light rail stops at the Laclede Landing station. In downtown St. Louis, drivers can take Memorial Drive north to Washington Avenue east to Landing and Arch parking. For more information, call 241-5875. A brief stroll from the America's Center convention complex or the
Gateway Arch, the Laclede Landing entertainment district transports visitors back to St. Louis' river city past. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride through cobblestone streets, visit a riverboat casino, or enjoy a sumptuous dinner in the district named for St. Louis' French founder, Pierre Laclede. Ornate brick warehouses that once stored tobacco and cotton from the holds of steamboats now contain a variety of restaurants and music clubs.
Kirkwood
From downtown St. Louis, take I-44 west to Lindbergh north for downtown Kirkwood and the Magic House, or south for Laumeier Sculpture Park and Powder Valley. For more information, call (800--) 231-4331. Lovely restaurants, a National Historic Landmark train station, and a downtown shopping district with an authentic small town flavor are just a start for visitors to Kirkwood. The community, which was the first planned suburb west of the Mississippi, also holds the popular Magic House children's museum and the Museum of Transportation where visitors can see restored trains, street cars, automobiles and trolley cars.
The Loop
The Loop is home to dozens of stores, ethnic and American restaurants, and the Tivoli, a restored movie theatre specializing
in international and limited release films.
Webster Groves
From downtown St. Louis, take I-44 west to Elm north. For more information, call 962-4142. Just 15 minutes from downtown St. Louis, this historic community is filled with shops, specialty restaurants and century old homes. Webster Groves is also home to Webster University and the Loretto-Hilton Theatre, where productions by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis are staged each year.
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