Downtown Saint Louis - Saint Louis, MO

Pierre Laclède, a French fur trader, and Auguste Chouteau, whose family established fur trading posts in Oklahoma, founded St. Louis on the Mississippi River in 1764, in collaboration with merchant Gilbert Antoine Maxent of New Orleans. These men drafted a design for a trading post and town at this location because it rested on bluffs above the flood-levels, had access for transportation of goods and afforded the ability to fend off hostile Native-American tribes. Chouteau oversaw the breaking and clearing of the land.

In 1804, the Louis and Clark Expedition embarked on the Mississippi river near St. Louis. Throughout the 19th century, St. Louis continued to prosper and grow, playing a gigantic role in opening up western America.

Popular culture in St. Louis centers around sports, music and beer, as evidenced by the St. Louis Rams, Cardinals, and Blues professional sports teams. Anheuser-Busch maintains its corporate headquarters and original brewery in St. Louis. Actor Jon Hamm, rappers Nelly and Chingy, and the late poet Maya Angelou all hail from St. Louis.

Each street in the Downtown area presents a different restaurant type. Find fine dining down Washington Avenue, high-end bar food near Busch Stadium and gourmet burgers and beers down Spruce and Olive.

True to the addictive blues culture of St. Louis, BB's Jazz, Blues, and Soups delivers a fix in the form of food, live blues jams and jazz ensembles. Domiciled in the defunct Phil's Hotel, BB's entertains in a true blues and jazz venue fashion, roping in today's cutting edge artists. It also serves as a living museum, taking the building's history very seriously. Be prepared to pay a cover charge most nights here.

The 360 St. Louis on the top of the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark presents stunning views of the city, especially of The Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium. Locals and tourists alike go bananas for the amazing atmosphere, which includes outdoor seating with fire pits, eclectic and unique decor (even fun bathroom mirrors) and a two-story waterfall. Stop by for lunch or dinner and ask the friendly, well-trained staff for dining recommendations.

"Music here, music there, music-music everywhere" describes the Laclede's Landing nightlife in downtown St. Louis. Beale on Broadway built its stage to look like a porch attached to an old house, while most venues that run along Laclede's Landing promote local bands each night.

For the more well-rounded evening out, Washington Avenue features dance clubs and "hole-in-the-wall" bars to let patrons step in and out of each social scene. The Dubliner serves good Irish beer and whisky for a more low-key drinking venue, and Sidebar down the street offers live bands and a loud, friendly atmosphere.

I-44, I-64, I-55, I-40 all converge in downtown St. Louis, providing convenient accessibility to the neighborhood. There is one Metrolink train station located near The Gateway Arch at the Eads Bridge and North First Street. Consult the Metrolink website for up-to-date bus and train schedules and rates. Cabs park at taxi stands sprinkled throughout the area.

With more than 3,000 curbside, time-restricted parking spaces and 130 parking garages with low-cost fees averaging just $1 per hour, finding parking is rarely a problem. Urban Shark Bike Shop at 1009 Locust St. offers day-use bike passes, bicycle valets and bicycle storage services, plus information for cycling around the neighborhood.

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park radiates as the ultimate shining star of St. Louis. The Gateway Arch, The Old Courthouse and the Museum of Western Expansion are the main attractions in this incredible park. A favorite of locals and tourists from all across America, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park occupies a total of 91 acres on the eastern edge of downtown St. Louis and the western bank of the Mississippi River.

Just a few of the activities scheduled year-round and seasonally include riverboat tours from March through November, trips to the top of The Gateway Arch via the tram (tickets sell out in spring and summer seasons), and showings of the documentary film "Monument to the Dream" projected on a giant screen. A visit to the park is an engaging, educational and memorable experience for children and adults of all ages. The fees charged are very reasonable.

Most residents of downtown St. Louis live in an apartment or condo. The units are luxurious and affordable, with fabulous views. One-bedroom apartments rent from $600 per month on Olive Street to $1,050 a month on North Fourth Street, for an average rental cost of $850 per month.

Forbes rates St. Louis' cost of living as 5.6 percent below the national average; this factors in the costs of rents, mortgages, groceries, dining and entertainment. All in all, businesses in downtown St. Louis are equally tourist-centric and locally absorbed. The overall cost of living downtown rounds out comparably to the rest of St. Louis.

Residents of downtown St. Louis enjoy an incredibly diverse range of shopping options. The Mercantile Exchange District, located on North Seventh Street and Washington Avenue, leases to over 50 vendors and occupies the trendiest set of blocks in the downtown zone.

Famous fashion expert Nicole Benoist personally and carefully chooses the inventory the vendors showcase. The MX District complex features local boutiques, designers, retailers, men and women’s apparel, furniture, beauty products, jewelry, artwork, gourmet food and groceries, trendy restaurants and a state of the art movie theater. Check out the St. Louis Regional Chamber website for all of the information you need to know about retailers in the downtown St. Louis area.

The large grocery store chain of Schnuck's runs a smaller offshoot, Culinaria, that serves the Downtown area. Residents can find fresh produce and groceries in this two-level market. The store also offers free beer and wine tastings at least once a month.