St. Louis – Blues, BBQ and The Gateway to the West
At a Bar in the Delmar Loop called Blueberry Hill, an elderly Chuck Berry performed every Wednesday until his death in 2014. Chuck, one of the founding father of rock and roll passed in 2017 in a suburb is St. Louis called Wentzville, Missouri. The man was as important to the city as Elvis is to the city of Memphis, Tennessee. The working class town of St. Louis often gets looked over in favour of Chicago’s music scene. That’s a shame as it was in St. Louis that the greatest blues guitarists mastered their craft before moving north to the Windy City. The Blues, Soul and Rock & Roll are as synonymous to the city as any other in America, if not more than most.
As the industry in St. Louis collapsed the once rich working class town began to experience a free fall. Civil unrest lead to white flight and a failed urban renewal policy ravaged the historic heart of the city, cutting it off from its lifeblood, the mighty Mississippi River. Things looked bleak for the blues city but recently, the massive archway to the west commemorating the Lewis and Clark Expedition was restored and the city was reconnected to the river via a grade level walkway over the highway. This, along with the renovation of many mid-town neighbourhoods has brought an energy to the city. Historic homes are being fixed up and the downtown is electric on Cardinal games nights.
Table of Contents
- A Little Geography
- A Little History
- Where to Stay?
- What to Do in St. Louis
- Nightlife
- Music
- Culinary Culture
- Sports
- Mardi Gras
- Conclusion
A Little Geography
The lifeblood of the old city was the old Mississippi river. The French sailed up the slithering beast and established a settlement here, near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. It is that position that gave St. Louis some importance in colonial Louisiana as well as later on during its acquisition by the United States.
If visiting the city today, you may never guess that the riverfront was once a hotbed of activity. The old downtown waterfront was levelled in a failed effort in urban renewal. Entire blocks of urban housing were torn up and this land is now home to the Gateway Arch along with a highway. Yet, before railroads, most of the trade had to pass through the nation’s rivers and the Mississippi was no exception to this. In reality the Mississippi was the most important trade route in the United States, a highway where goods flowed from north to south and vice-versa. While approaching the city by air, you will see flat plains as far as the eye can see, quiet and peaceful. Still had you arrived had you arrived in the 18th century, you would have to arrive by boat to a rowdy port town and all the excitement that comes with it.
Geographic Boundaries
St Louis is a an abnormality, in that it declared itself an independent city. The Greater St. Louis area is bi-stately as it includes East St Louis, on the Illinois side of the Mississippi river and St Louis on the Missouri side of the river.
A Little History
The founding of the city of St. Louis by the Frenchman Pierre Laclède in 1767 is one of the great love stories of the colonial era. This resourceful merchant who had only arrived in New Orleans in 1755, would inject his love and passion thus creating something that would outlive him by many years.
Pre European Arrival
The area known today as East St. Louis was once an important center for the Mississippi people. This sophisticated native society ruled from 800 AD on but began to disperse before the arrival of the Europeans. This civilization is characterized by the large earthen mounds they would build their cities around as well as their Maize cultivation. Their most important center was Cahokia, located a few miles from where East St. Louis stands today.
Founding of St. Louis
Our story starts with the arrival of Pierre Laclede in New Orleans. The man, a younger son of a French family, is only 26 years old. He is educated, in good physical form and described as rather handsome, catching the eye of many of the local beauties. An enterprising man he would engage in business, where he was moderately successful.
It is New Orleans that he would meet Marie-Therese Bourgeois Chouteau, a married woman who would become the love of his life. You see Marie’s husband was a drunk, an abusive drunk at that. Although they were married he had left her and her child in New Orleans and returned to France. Since divorce was not allowed at that time, they feared his return from France would ruin their relationship. It is this fear that lead Pierre to sail up the Mississippi in order to found a fur trading post in what is now known as the state of Missouri. Legend has it that the city was founded on Valentine’s day 1764 but that seems like a writer’s fanciful imagination to me.
Since ownership of the land (French or Spanish) was uncertain, and no government rushed forward to claim the land, Laclede was able to assume civil control of the trading post guiding it forward. He was originally only granted rights to a trading post but set up a settlement instead in order to keep Marie working by his side. Marie and Laclede were so popular with the townspeople that when Marie’s husband Renee returned from France and demanded her return to New Orleans, his right by law, magistrates in the city slowed down the process until one night Renee died in drunken stupor. Marie is often referred to as the Queen of St Louis.
In 1780, the city repulsed the British in the Battle of St. Louis.
Louisiana Purchase
The French Louisiana was traded between France and Spain and back to the French republic again before being sold to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Jefferson, happy with his purchase, commissioned the Lewis and Clark Expedition shortly after. In 1804, the duo set off from St. Louis heading west looking to find a waterway to the Pacific. Both settled in the city upon their return from the wild making it their home. Most subsequent expeditions west departed from St. Louis thereafter and the city was named the Gateway to the West. Today this is commemorated by the large arch sitting on the waterfront.
Industrialization and Decline
The city rapidly grew after steamboats started sailing up and down the Mississippi river, facilitating trade. The port swelled with traffic, as the export of goods through New Orleans opened the city up to the world’s markets. Eventually the city grew so big that it surpassed New Orleans. Many newcomers to the city were of Irish and German origin, the latter are responsible for much of the brewing tradition in the city.
As a slave state, bordering free states, Missouri became a hotbed for abolitionist activity. St Louis being located a river’s width away from Illinois, a non-slave state, made the city a battleground for these discussions. When the Civil War finally came, the city was baldly hurt by the Union army blockade of New Orleans. These discussions on race and civil rights continued long after the war. In many ways St. Louis was a divided city, between white and black.
Despite these issues the city continued its march to being one of the most important urban centers in the world. The Wainwright building, completed in 1891 was one of the first skyscrapers and the city hosted the 1904 worlds fair and the first Olympic games outside of Europe. At one point the city had the 6th largest population out of any US city.
The 20th century saw many African Americans migrate north from the deep south in Search of opportunity. For many, St. Louis was their first stop on the way to Chicago. As such it should be no surprise that St. Louis is one of the main centers for Blues Music and African American culture. The city has had a long history with music and is home to celebrated musicians such as Chuck Berry.
From the 1950’s on the city suffered, just like most American cities, from white flight and suburbanization. The inner city population fell sharply and the city is still recovering from the loss of tax base and services. Recent signs of gentrification can be seen in many historic quarters but the city is still a long way away from curing its ailments.
Fun Fact: St. Louis has the largest Bosnian community outside of Bosnia!
Where to Stay?
If you are to stay anywhere in St. Louis, make it Soulard. The downtown may have some of the bigger brand name hotels but this rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood is at the center of the action.
What to Do in St. Louis
St. Louis has such a wide array of things to do and see that I was at a loss to know where to start writing this post. We will start with a rundown of the city districts and then move on to other aspects of the culture in St. Louis
City Districts
St. Louis has a diverse array of neighborhoods with varied attractions and a long history. One thing to note about the older housing stock is the prevalence of metal stars in the masonry. They are an architectural motif that disguises an anchor plate. They are prevalent in historic areas such as Soulard.
Soulard
Soulard is a historic district located south of downtown. Its historic brick homes offer a contrast to the stunning backdrop of the famous Arch and the modern towers of downtown. The district was first laid out in 1790 by a French colonial called Antoine Soulard. He was a refugee of the french revolution, working as a surveyor for the Spanish colonial administration. Something that makes me laugh is that in french the word Soulard means drunk and today the district plays host to many drunken events including Mardi Gras, the second largest Mardi Gras outside of New Orleans. In this district some of the best jazz and blues bars can be found but this will be discussed at length later in the nightlife section.
At the center of the district is the oldest market west of the Mississippi, the Soulard Market. Established by farmers in 1779, it was at first a meadow, on land owned by Antoine Soulard, where goods were exchanged. After his death, his widow, Julia Cerre donated the land to the city of St. Louis on the condition that it would remain a public market. Since then, several buildings have been erected. The original built in the 1840’s was severely damaged in 1896 and the building was replaced by the present one in 1929. This is a great place to grab food in the morning. If you have a kitchenette, you can purchase a variety of fresh produce. If you are just looking for something quick the market also plays host to several eateries inside the terminal building. Speaking of which, grab yourself a baileys and coffee while you shop. The market has cheap drinks on sale in the morning and you are allowed to drink in public from plastic cups!
The market gets quite busy in the mornings. Don’t sleep in too late after partying all night! By noon most the vendors have packed up for the day. The market is open officially from 7am-5pm but mornings are best.
The district also holds many of St. Louis’ most important religious structures. This beauty below was located a stone’s throw from our Airbnb. Speaking of which, our accommodation was located in a an alleyway and less than 100m from the farmers market. Pretty funky right?
My favourite church in the city is located in Soulard, it is called the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church and, although small, is one of the more distinguished buildings in town. It has a distinctive black stone used for its details and a beautiful white spire that sets it apart from all the brick used in the district. Other buildings of note that can be found in Soulard is one of the last remaining creole cottages. It is located on 811 Allen Avenue, because it is set back from the road it is easy to miss.
Under the hot Missouri sky, we ventured further into the neighbourhood on foot to make our way to the Budweiser brewery. What amazed me was just how many dive bars and restaurants are located in such a small area, it was astounding. For more information on the culinary scene and the nightlife scroll down to the corresponding headings.
The further south you get from the Soulard Market core, the more run down the district gets. The already uneven concrete sidewalks have settled even further and vegetation even overruns some civic infrastructure. At one point I jokingly fit my whole body through an open sewer grate just to see if I could do it. Although run down, the signs of urban renewal are starting to show. The sound of carpentry and the smell of fresh lumber was in the air.
Something I loved about the area was the large proliferation of licensed Golf carts roaming the streets! I wish we could have rented one!
Rising above the Soulard skyline like a cathedral dedicated to the brew are the masonry towers of Bush Brewery. This institution is the southern anchor for Soulard and sees a large influx of visitors arriving by bus. The brewery was established in 1852 before being purchased by the German soap manufacturer Eberhard Anheuser out of bankruptcy. The brewery served Bavarian style beers at first, to the large German population of St. Louis, before its growth into the largest brewery in the United States. Like many of the large American breweries like Coors and Pabst, it was the Germans who developed the early American beer scene.
As successful as Mr. Anhsueser thought he was, it was his son in-law Adolphus Busch that brought the brewery to fame. A keen businessman he wanted the brewery to have a country wide appeal. He invested in scientific research and hedged his bets on brewing innovation to create a system that would have wide range taste appeal and would be easy to distribute across the country. His returns would be fruitful at first he toured the Czech Republic to pilfer the Pilser, developed in the city of Pilsen and centers such as the city of České Budějovice. In fact the name Budweiser derives from Budweis, the German spelling of the city. Ironic, since in 2014 a lawsuit was brought by InBev the owner of Budweiser against the iconic beer brewed in the city, read here for more scummy details. Budweiser was brewed to appeal to as many people as possible, hence to mild taste. For his distribution system he pioneered the use of glass bottles, pasteurization and created a refrigerated rail car. These methods helped to keep the beer fresh and made Mr. Bush a very rich man. In 2008, the multinational InBev bought out the company from the Bush family in a hostile takeover, a move that stirred much controversy. Many of pubs in St Louis were owned by Bush including the the Stork Inn, the Gretchen Inn (now known as the Feasting Fox), and the Bevo Mill. These pubs were more upscale and were meant to improve the respectability of drinking. Although not all still owned by bush many are still in operation and worth a visit.
After the InBev hostile takeover, many layoffs took place and the exodus of ex-bush employees helped create the very healthy St. Louis microbrewery scene.
Inside the brewery you have a gift shop, a beer garden and guided tours. Although some tours are a payed attraction, the Classic Tour is a free and offers free samples. To learn more about the brewery please see the nightlife section bellow.
A fun fact about Bush beer and the aptly named Busch Stadium, it that the beer was only created to trick major league baseball. The Bush family owned the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team and at the time baseball prohibited stadiums to be named after beer brands. Mr. Bush being a clever man used his own name for the stadium and then created Bush beer! The Bush family eventually sold the stadium and team, a bad business move.
Walking back from the brewery we debated the use of electronic scooters, they are used everywhere in the city but due to our intoxication and the amount of uneven sidewalks we decided against it. Probably a wise choice!
If you continue further south to Lemay, there is a military outpost called the Jefferson Barracks that may be of interest to history lovers.
Lafayette Square & Tower Grove
Lafayette park is located just west of Soulard, across the I-44 highway. I accessed the area using a small footbridge near the Soulard Market. Since I was heavily hungover from the night before I grabbed a Creole Gumbo to go and a drink from the market.
On the way there I encountered a large masonry complex that was once part of the old St. Louis City Hospital. Much of the original buildings have been torn down but what remains of the complex has now been redeveloped into condos called the Georgian. The buildings are beautiful and I was glad to see them preserved.
Lafayette square is built around Lafayette park, the oldest park in the city, established in 1836. Lafayette Park is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the city but began a slow decline after a tornado demolished the original structures in 1896. It was further hurt by the construction of highway structures isolating it from the rest of the city and the encroachment of industrial activity. The locality was almost deserted 1970 before urban pioneers cleaned it up. It now boasts some of the highest property values in the city of St Louis along with many pretty shops. You can find information about this process through historical placards located throughout the area. The square is named after the Marquis de La Fayette, an important Franco-American figure in the American revolution. He visited the city in 1825 during his grand tour of America.
On your way you will notice the sidewalk slowly go from non existent or overgrown, to very good. The same can be said for the pretty painted masonry terraced houses. When you finally reach Lafayette park, you will witness the greatest assortment of French styled Second Empire Victorian housing in the Mid-West. The park is surrounded by beautiful cast iron grates and features a vast array of landscaping, statues, art and water features. This was not always this way, it was once a common pasture for animals in the time that St. Louis was but a french village. As time went on the area, public land, became home to bands of brigands who would rob passerby’s. To solve the problem the land was subdivided for development and a small portion kept for recreation. In time the houses would become home to the most important families of St. Louis and the park improved. You can tell the age of the buildings due to the presence of graves in the yards of some of the homes, something I found to be very interesting.
Tower Grove, a ten minute Uber ride south-west of Lafayette Square, is a similarly pretty neighbourhood. It is host to a massive park, even more impressive that Lafayette Square, although the houses are not nearly as interesting. This park contains the botanical gardens of St. Louis, a Victorian complex with beautiful buildings and a wide array of plants. This is the second largest such facility after the botanical gardens of New York.
Downtown
Downtown St. Louis is not easy to miss. It is bounded by the river to the east, highway 40 to the south, union station to the west and Old North St Louis to the North. From any direction you can one big ass arch beckoning you in. For a city as sprawled out as St. Louis, the downtown remains dense with towering skyscrapers and Fortune 500 headlining the skyline.
The first thing you will likely want to do when you go downtown is to visit the Gateway Arch. This expansive site, now part of the National Parks Service, was once the St. Louis waterfront. The creation of the green space required the decimation of entire city blocks, four hundred of them to be exact, as the city was ripped from its heart, the Mississippi River. Completed in 1965, the location chosen for the arch is that of the city’s founding. At 630 feet (192m) the structure soars above the Mississippi , a gateway representing the perseverance and courage of those seeking a new life out west. St. Louis was at the epicenter of this 19th century migratory westward expansion. Inside the arch you will find a museum and an elevator/tram to the top. Book in advance as it may be all booked up when you visit.
Off directly to the south side of the park stands a small stone church. This is the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France. It was the original catholic parish church of St. Louis before the newer Basilica was built in Central. It is the only building to survive the urban renewal project that decimated the waterfront. As such is an interesting historical artifact. The Greek revival building contains a statue of the namesake french king, benefactor of Louisiana.
To the west stands the second most iconic building in St. Louis, the old courthouse. Another Greek revival building, it has a beautifully painted rotunda. Today the building is a free museum and exhibits about Missouri history are placed around the building, including one on the infamous Dred Scott slavery case.
To the north you have Laclede’s Landing, an old warehousing district, home to one to one of the best known St. Louis microbreweries, Morgan Street Brewing. Although small geographically, it is the only remaining part of the original waterfront. Have a cold beer and enjoy the cobblestone streets and a view of the historic Eads Bridge.
Lastly, to the east is the Mississippi river. Boats parked on the river will take you out on the river for a great view of the city!
Directly behind the courthouse is a long linear park, surrounded by skyscrapers. It has been recently renovated with brand new paving stones and newly planted trees. There is a small sculpture park with a severed head statue that looks like a Greek ruin and fountains that double as water features and pools that kids can play in. I found this to be a great idea, the fountains served an aesthetic yet useful purpose and the pool was full to the brim with kids! This park is very safe and unlike many other parks in St. Louis there were no loiterers. The reason why was soon clear to me, while walking around the park I was stopped by a security guard. He welcomed me to the city and it was good to see someone ensure the parks remained for community uses and not as a place to rest for vagrants.
As you push past the redesigned park section you will notice a slender building with a rooftop colonnade. This is a circuit court building and is one of my favourites in the city.
Past these buildings, the vagrants have taken over the park and they are quite aggressive. In this section of the city you will find a large sample of the finest buildings in St. Louis, many of them movement offices. In no particular order you have the Sr. Louis Central Library, City Hall, the Circuit Court, Christ Church, the Revenue Building, the Memorial Building, the Old Train Station, Stifel Theater as well as a few other standouts.
The memorial building in particular interested me, I had never heard of it and it was not on my itinerary. I walked up inside to find a tomb to the unknown soldier and a free museum inside its doors. The museum traces back the military history of Missouri and its native sons, it was interesting for someone like me that is not from Missouri.
At the far end of the linear park you can find the old train station. This is the location that my favorite US President and Missouri Native Harry S. Truman held up a newspaper that erroneously announced his defeat in the 1948 election in the “Dewey Defeats Truman” incident. The train station was one of the busiest in America but, like many of America’s great railway stations, has fallen on hard times. The building has been restored, but now serves as a hotel complex.
By far the most lively street in the downtown core is Washington Avenue. It stretches from the Eads bridge at Laclede’s Landing towards the center city neighbourhood. Some of the city’s best bars and restaurants can be found on this street. Furthermore two of the cities must-see museums can be found here. The first is the City Museum, this is one of the more unique attractions in St. Louis and the the second is more conventional but just as important, the National Blues Museum. The blues museum speaks for itself, it is conventional but the exhibits are well detailed and worth the price of admission. The city museum is an oddity. Located in a vacant warehouse, it has assembled a vast collection of discarded objects and created a massive exhibition/play structure out of it. Looking up from Washington Avenue, past the hanging lights, you can see a massive Ferris wheel on the building roof. Pretty cool if you ask me!
Lastly, you can’t leave St. Louis without going to a baseball game. On the south side of the downtown precinct you will find the new Busch Stadium, a cathedral to the game of baseball, from the sea of red seats you can see the famous Gateway Arch peering up over the stands. On the paving stones outside the stadium all time Cardinal greats have their image imprinted on a “Walk of Fame”, just like stars in Hollywood. A must see is the Ballpark Village, a large two story establishment just outside the stadium. It is by far the place to grab a beer on game days. Inside the building you can find a standing room courtyard bursting to the brim with people, encircled by a circular upper deck. For those who purchased the pre-game party package, you can access the upstairs section of the Cardinals Club. This is where you come for the unlimited drinks and food that are included in the package (see the nightlife section for more information). This will also give you access to Cardinals Hall of Fame museum, a small museum dedicated to Cardinal baseball. Busts of several Cardinal greats are displayed on the wall.
Once you make it inside the gates of the stadium, check out the Busch Beer Terrace, as it is a great place to grab a standing room beer. Somehow all my friends split up into different sections during the game. All split up we made friends with chatty mid-western people as we watched the home team edge out the Astros for a close Cardinals victory. Leaving the park my brother somehow got a ride on a stadium golf cart and we partied in the street with an overjoyed fanbase. The atmosphere was palpable!
Midtown & Central
St. Louis, as a city of neighbourhoods, has a myriad of great attractions outside of the downtown core. Although certain parts of the midtown have suffered from urban neglect and decay, it has managed to stabilize itself due to its wealth of legacy institutions. These anchors have managed to keep the ndistrics economically viable when heavy industry left town. They include things like museums, historic churches, universities, hospitals and a zoo.
The day we decided to walk around the midtown, we had ribs at Porky’s, a well known smokehouse, and wandered off into the midtown afterwards. The scorching heat made the asphalt so hot that no sane person could be found wandering the streets. Most citizens were probably inside their homes with the air conditioning cranked up, but if you can stand the summer heat there is plenty to see. By Washington University to the west you can find many cultural venues such as the Fox Theater. To the east, between the Downtown and Central lies a dead midtown with little foot tragic and many abandoned warehouses. This is quickly changing.
This area, called the Garment District was previously a working class district area. Lofts have begun replacing machinery and factory floors but there is still much more work to do to make the neighbourhood livable. Interesting cultural activities include a museum dedicated to Scott Joplin, a well known Ragtime player.
Further to the west of the Fox Theater is a more prosperous area called Central West. It is home to a large park that can be reasonably referred to as the “Central Park of St. Louis”. Here you can find the St. Louis Zoo, one of the finest such establishments in the world. It was opened for the Worlds Fair in 1904 and is now considered alongside the San Diego Zoo as one of the best research facilities in the USA. You can also find other grand buildings dating from the 1904 World’s Fair now converted to other uses, this includes the Pavilion, the Fine Arts Museum and the History Museum. You can also find a botanical garden called the Jewel Box.
Other attractions nearby include the St. Louis Basilica, this building has one of the largest collections in the Western Hemisphere and the chess hall of fame. If you have a few extra days you could always check out the Compton Water Tower, one of the few remaining standpipe towers left in the world. Sometimes they even let visitors to the top, giving you a panoramic view of the city.
Although it is even further into the midtown the Delmar Loop may be worth your time. The area was revitalized in the late 1970’s and it includes a wide assortment of music halls, bars and shops. The famous Blueberry Hill restaurant can be found here, they have live music nights and it was Chuck Berry’s favorite place to play. He conducted over 200 shows at the venue before he passed away.
East St Louis
East St. Louis, dubbed the “murder capital” of the United States was once a proud industrial town. It is located on the Illinois side of the river, directly across from the city of St. Louis (Missouri). Unlike many other parts of St. Louis, there is no gentrification happening here and well over 50% of the historic population has fled to greener pastures. Beware and have your head on a swivel. That being said there is much to do in this decapitated factory town.
Firstly go see Cahokia This large Native American mound was once the heartland of the Mississippian culture before being abandoned in the 13th century. This was once the capital of their civilization and the central mound is the largest in America. A museum located at this UNESCO site explains the history of the area and displays artifacts found on site. Since it is just outside of East St Louis, located quite far from the city center and is poorly connected to transit we recommend you drive or take an organized tour.
The East St. Louis riverfront has seen some public investment of late. A new lookout has been installed to view the Gateway Arch and a giant water geyser has been installed. This water feature erupts once a day for 10 minutes at a time and rises to the same elevation as the gateway arch.
The reason why most come to East St. Louis is for the prolific nightlife. Both clubs and strip joints are open till 6am, this will be discussed further in the nightlife section.
North St. Louis
North St. Louis is a rapidly gentrifying part of town, more famous for its abandoned properties and crime than for it’s history and that is a shame. Luckily that is slowly changing but judging by the large number of empty lots there is still much work to be done. Old North St. Louis, an area near the downtown core, is rapidly gentrifying and regaining residence. The comeback has seen the cleaning up of empty lots and the restoration of many historic structures.
For those feeling a little braver, you can venture further into north-west St. Louis to find the old home of Chuck Berry one of the city’s most famous residents. Be forewarned there is not much to see here.
For those that are interested Bellefontaine Cemetary is a Gothic gem that is well worth the trip if you enjoy this sort of thing.
Nightlife
St. Louis was once a city once full of ethnic Germans (before their identity was muted with the start of the First World War), is a brewing paradise. After the war. Prohibition came and went, and the city of St. Louis never really got dry. Today the nightlife is absolutely incredible as well as varied, something I had not imagined before my visit.
What to drink?
Since InBev, the Belgian brewing giant now owns Budweiser, you can get fresh InBev products fresh from production in St. Louis. It may just be a euphoric reaction to the city, but I swear my Budweiser taste better. The brewery produces 25 brands of beer at the St. Louis location, a few of these include: Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Busch, Beck’s and Shock Top. Other inBev products such as Stella are available in St. Louis but are imports.
Microbrews in the city are plentiful and a few that I tried included American Underdog (just average, nothing special), 4 Hands Brewing in Lasalle Park and Morgan Street Brewing in Laclede’s Landing. Popular mix drinks include Tito’s & Tonic but Bourbon based drinks are by far the most popular. Bourbon is used to make hurricanes, a New Orleans specialty. Alcohol is fairly cheap in St. Louis in comparison with other cities, enjoy!
Where to go?
You should make sure to visit the city and go out on a Cardinals game night as the whole city will be out celebrating and the bars will be full. Before the game make sure to go catch the action at Ballpark Village, after the game go back to Soulard. This district has the best bars/dives in the city but they are only open till 1 am. After this you can go back Downtown as the bars here are open till 3 am. If you are still going, grab a cab to East St. Louis, the bars are open till 6am. That should do you! If you have made it out for dawn, congrats you can party as hard as me!
Best Bars in Soulard
Before I begin the best part of Soulard nightlife is the relaxed attitude. This is reflected in the laws. Much like the french quarter in New Orleans, Soulard allows you to have beers or mixed drinks outside as long as they are in a plastic cup.
Busch Brewery is a great place to day drink. Tours run all day and if you make it on time there is a free tour with a sample included. Once done you can visit the gift shop and beer garden. You can sample all of InBev’s products and there are flights specifically dedicated to different tastes. For those non Budweiser people this is your chance to grab a Stella, Hoegarden or one of the many other subsidiaries of InBev such as the Goose Island IPA. There are also flights of more “craft” styled beers owned by InBev.
At night the dive bars in Soulard come alive with live music and entertainment. A lot of the old buildings have been converted into bars and have makeshift outdoor patios in the backyard. My favorite of them is Molly’s, a two story masonry structure, with a sprawling courtyard that can easily fit over 100 people. It was busy both nights we attended. Another cool hangout was Henry’s a smaller bar in Soulard, it had a mall outdoor area with a second bar. There are so many bars in Soulard that you really cant go wrong, it seems like there is almost a bar on every corner.
Other cool hangout spots include the Venice Cafe, just west of Soulard, Dukes, Bastille and Four Strings.
Best Bars Downtown
There are (3) three good areas to drink downtown. The first is near the baseball stadium, the second between the ballpark and Soulard and the third on Washington avenue. Bars close at 3am in this part of the city. If you just want a place that is more relaxed you can hit a pinball bar called Start Up and work your way around the side to a more lively spot called The Wheelhouse. During Cardinals games or before hit Ballpark Village, this place dies down later in the evening.
Between the ballpark and Soulard, on 4th street just south of the stadium you have two great live music venues, Broadway Oyster Bar and BB King’s House of Blues. With live music at both they are always a good bet. We did the Oyster Bar on Thursday, there was great blues/soul band, excellent New Orleans style food. There is a White Castle just beside it for those looking to sober up but as I mentioned earlier you need a car to use the drive-through late at night. I recommend asking around if anyone is willing to drive through and pick up food for you!
The last spot is Washington Ave. This is the more preppy area of downtown and it has great food and drinks options. This area is a little more upscale, drinks a little bit more expensive but it offers a different type of late night experience.
Best Bars in East St. Louis
I’m going to refrain from making recommendations on this one. In Illinois the bars close 6 am, be aware that a cab to East St. Louis will take a while to reach its destination. Many bars are far into the city, although there are some by the water. Nightclubs attract a wide variety of patrons and can sometimes get out of control. Although I did make it out to this side of the river, just be aware of your surroundings as the violent crime rate is quite high.
PS: You will see a sign for hustlers strip club on your way into town from the airport, be forewarned that it is at least a half hour ride into East St. Louis 😉
Music
St. Louis is a city that is strongly associated with the Blues, although the city has helped curate and prepare artist in a wide variety of genres. These include Jazz, Ragtime, Soul, Rock and Roll and more recently Hip Hop.
The Blues and Transition to Rock:
In the dusty Midwestern streets of rust belt towns, a new form of expression was fomenting. Blacks, who had formally been enslaved, were leaving poverty and injustice in the rural south for better paying jobs in the urban north. At first as part of their emancipation, they started in southern urban centers such as New Orleans and slowly they worked their way up the Mississippi to Chicago. In the wake of this great migration a musical revolution would flourish, one that would center on St. Louis as much as it did Chicago.
People forget that St. Louis has such a prestigious musical pedigree but as the first major transit point for African Americans, it should be no surprise that much of the development of American music culture would happen here. For many, this was a place they would settle in, others just a stop off to other urban centers such as Chicago. Wherever they went, African-Americans brought with them with them new southern sounds. It is ironic to me that the gateway we think of, to the west, was one for white settlers. To me the arch represents a second gateway, one to the north for black Americans. On the other hand, I surmise that the gateway to the North-West would just sound too silly.
Before the blues came along, St. Louis was the epicenter for Ragtime music. This is the city where Scott Joplin, the master of Ragtime, established himself. This music known for its heavy off-beat rhythm, is heavily piano based, and would help create the St. Louis Blues sound, itself a melancholic piano based variety of the blues. This type of music was made popular by the father of the Blues, W.C Handy, a man of mythical status and proportion would turn the field folk chants sung by men like Robert Johnson into published songs. This was the first time that such a thing had been done for the Blues as the genre was an oral one.
W.C Handy, was from Memphis, he migrated up to St. Louis and slept on a levee, destitute and without work. Eventually he found employment as a musician and met a woman, grieving the absence of her man. It is her who would would inspire his greatest song “The St. Louis Blues” (not to be confused with the Blind Willie McTell song East St. Louis Blues). The great Jazz and Blues player Louis Armstrong’s version sung along with Velma Middleton is the most popular version of this song and likely the greatest interpretation of it. If you listen to the melody, it sounds much more orchestral that any modern blues rock. The kind of blues we most think of today, the Electric Blues, is a Chicago style associated with all time greats such as Muddy Waters.
With this kind of musical pedigree it should be no surprise that the city is a mecca for live music, one that would see the greatest musicians of all time pass through its streets. The early disciple of this blues music would eventually incorporate the St. Louis blues piano with a more guitar based sound. Names of these St. Louis based disciples include Albert King (Brother of B.B King), Lonnie Johnson, Ike (and Tina Turner) and lastly Chuck Berry. The last two names along with men like Little Richard (and later Elvis) would go on to help the foundation of the rock and roll song, one that at first was laden with piano.
One last note on the blues in St. Louis. James Crutchfield, a St. Louis boogie-woogie and barelhouse blues singer passed away in 2001. One of the last of his era and a regular performer on the St. Louis circuit. A large parade was held for him in Soulard. The city knows how to honour their legends.
Other Styles
St. Louis has produced legendary artists such as Jazz fusion legend Miles Davis, Soul heartthrob Donny Hathaway, Soul queen Fontella Bass, Rock and Roll guitarist T Bone Burnett and (not my thing but…) Nelly. I’m sure that I am missing a few more but I will leave it to you to do some research.
Culinary Culture
St. Louis is famous for it’s St. Louis-style barbecue, specifically its grilled ribs. Many speculate that St. Louis is the best city for ribs in the world and I for one tend to agree. The main competition is Kansas city and they have their own slow cooked style of cooking, so one could say St. Louis ribs are unique. We visited two smokehouses, the first is located in Soulard and is called Bogart’s and the second is located in midtown and is called Pappy’s. The second offering Pappy’s is rated the best rib joint in the United States, we showed up before opening time and the lineup had already started. Although my friends and I enjoyed it we thought that Bogart’s was better. It is more intimate, the owner was nice, it is located in a great neighborhood and had funny T-Shirts such as a Tie Die that says Porking for Peace. So grab your sweet tea and your rips and get ready to eat.
Other things to try in St. Louis includes Creole Food. Although this is Louisiana cooking, you have to remember that this city was founded by the French and this delicious culinary culture has been brought up the Mississippi. Good places to grab some are the Soulard Market and restaurants/bars like Broadway Oyster Bar.
For those intoxicated and looking for something greasy, not to worry. St. Louis has you covered. Traditional American fast food fare can be found almost on any corner of the city, usually in a 1950’s diner building. As we found out one night while walking across the street from Broadway Oyster bar to the White castle, you need to go through the drive through late at night to order. Drunk, we convinced a driver to get us some food! So good, much needed!
Sports
St. Louis is one of the great baseball cities of America. On game-day, the city stops working and crowds form to support their team. Basically the area around the stadium is turned into a giant party. For those non North-American readers if you are going to catch a ballgame anywhere in the United States and Canada, it should be here. The atmosphere is absolutely incredible. In Missouri baseball is a religion, the stadium has a capacity of over 40 000 people and it gets packed anyway.
The Cardinals are one of the most storied and historic teams in the national league. They have won an incredible 11 World Series and have sported a wide array of legendary talent including Bob Gibson, Dizzy Dean, Ozzy Smith and Stan Musial. I was a massive Cardinals fan growing up, having remembered their magical 2006 world series victory, culminating with a World Series MVP award for David Eckstein. I had always wanted to see a game in St. Louis and this was my chance. The experience was even better than I imagined. We purchased the pre-game pep-rally all you can eat and drink package at ballpark village and went on a rampage. Our partying did not end till the next morning and the ballgame was the centerpiece.
The second sport in St. Louis is hockey, something that always still surprises me. The St. Louis Blues won the Stanley cup the year of our visit (2019) and people wanted to talk hockey with us because we are Canadian. The love for hockey in this town stretches across ethnic groups and every one of our Uber drivers wanted to tell us about the parade party!
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras or “Fat Tuesday” is the last day of carnival, before lent starts. During carnival many floats belonging to various civic groups can be observed parading through the streets of Soulard, much like in New Orleans. The atmosphere in Soulard is electric, so be ready to party.
Conclusion
St. Louis began a boys trip with my friends, and although they were apprehensive about the idea, they agreed to the trip. At first they fairly certain that I was leading them into an early grave (after reading the Missouri crime statistics!), but eventually they settled in and had a blast. I, for myself, am certain to return. Whether for Mardi Gras in the spring or maybe just for another Cardinals game, St. Louis is a destination that has captured my heart. The people are warm, the food is good and the atmosphere electric. Hopefully by the time of my return a few more empty parking lots will have been redeveloped without sacrificing what makes this city truly incredible!
