Our City

“With St. Louis appearing at the bottom or close to the bottom on national safety rankings, I think it’s fair for prospective students to have questions about the important issue of their personal safety. First, keep in mind that many well known big cities rank close to us on these same lists but do not have the stigma and reputation we have acquired here (Fort Lauderdale, D.C., Philadelphia, Orlando, and Denver, to name a few). Second, the truth is that similar to these other cities, somewhere around two-thirds of the crime that contributes to these staggering statistics in our city is targeted violent crime concentrated in a small area of the city. Life as a WashU student means being in safe surroundings. While of course bad things can happen anywhere, especially big cities, if you are aware of your surroundings and make common sense choices (walk with a buddy after dark; lock your doors), you are statistically very unlikely to be a victim of a violent, stranger-on-stranger crime. I would, however, be mindful about theft, particularly vehicle break-ins in the CWE; keeping your car uncluttered and free of valuables can help.”

A summer sky over St. Louis.

St. Louis weather isn’t consistently fair or foul, it’s just consistently inconsistent. For example, this year, we had a super early batch of snow dumped on us in November, which brought a week or two of freezing and just-above-freezing temperatures. Then, things started to warm up. December felt like fall, and in January, we were teetering between 40-, 50-, and even 60-degree days; it started to seem like spring was just around the corner. Then, mid-January, we had some rain, then some sleet, and then a day of single digit temps before the temps started to steadily climb back to the high 40s. In the summer, it can get HOT (high 90s) and tropically humid, but then a massive summer storm might roll in, cooling things off but upping the humidity. Or, maybe you’ll see a perfect high-70s June. So, here in St. Louis, we get a little bit of everything, and nothing for too long, though the inconsistency can sometimes be maddening. Still, if you’re not liking our weather today, relief is probably on the way — maybe as soon as tomorrow.

All-natural, handmade soaps, bath bombs, deodorants, and more. Everything is free of preservatives, synthetic fragrance, and animal products.

“Coming from the Los Angeles area, flying in and out of St. Louis is fairly easy! Lambert International Airport is average sized, with a quick and friendly TSA, a smaller number of gates and few delays (in my experience). The airport is about a 15-minute drive from the Central West End (around $20-30 on Uber) or a 20-minute MetroLink ride (free for students). The only downside is that St. Louis is not a major flight hub, so direct flights are not always available depending on your destination, and flight prices can be higher than airports in big cities. But all-in-all, flying in and out of St. Louis is relatively painless and convenient!” 

“St. Louis has various attractions and activities, but often times you’ll need a car to get to them. If you don’t have one, don’t fret. WashU has a partnership with the Enterprise Carshare program, which allows students to rent cars for short periods of time. It’s pretty cheap ($5/hour) and only requires a student ID and a valid driver’s license.”

“For nights out on the town or for times when you don’t feel like taking public transportation, St. Louis has both Uber and Lyft. Although Uber Pool and Shared Rides on Lyft aren’t currently available, using rideshare apps is much more affordable in St. Louis compared to bigger cities.”

“Public transit in St. Louis includes the train (MetroLink) and the bus system (MetroBus). A perk of being a med student at WashU is that you can claim your U-Pass, which will give you free access to both throughout the year. You pick up your U-Pass from Olin Residence Hall at the beginning of the semester (keep a lookout for emails about this), and you will be prompted via email when it is time to renew. There is a MetroLink stop in the center of the med school campus, which makes it convenient for students who commute to and from campus by metro. Notable stops throughout the city include: downtown Clayton, Brentwood (right next to Mai Lee and walking distance from Target, DSW, Dierbergs, Petco, and Trader Joe’s), the DeBaliviere neighborhood, the Loop, the airport and stops downtown by the Blues and Cardinals games, as well as other attractions. The Metro does not service every area of town, so the bus system and ridesharing apps will be necessary at times if you don’t have access to a car. To plan your trip, use the online Trip Planner on the Metro Transit website, or use Google Transit.” 

Adam O. biking toward the Gateway Arch.

“A lot of students live close enough to walk to school and some even choose to drive the half mile to get here. If you care about the Earth, your own health/fitness, and your wallet, you might consider biking to school. Worried about self care or finances during medical school? Save time by making your commute your exercise and save money on gas and parking! The med campus is very bike friendly. There are multiple open bike lock stations, as well as a handful of gated bike racks that you need to swipe in with your ID badge. I live about five miles west of campus, so half of my ride is through Forest Park, which is very safe for bikers and pretty. Making Forest Park part of your commute reduces a lot of the stress of bike commuting. If you have to ride in the dark (early or late) make sure you have a tail and headlight to increase visibility. And don’t forget your helmet! If the weather is horrible (too wet, icy, or snowy) then I walk a half-mile to the MetroLink and take the train to school (free as a student!). Come find me if you have any questions about cycling for commuting!” 

“If you decide to drive to school, there are a couple of options for parking on or near campus. There is hourly parking but it can be difficult to find a spot and it is not very cost-effective if you plan to drive every day. The nearby Clayton/Taylor Garage is $77/month (you can pay for this at the front desk in Olin Hall). If you are trying to save some money you may be able to find free street parking if you are willing to walk 10-plus minutes. Finally, if you arrive after 2 p.m. you can park in the Clayton/Taylor garage for free.” 

“My original plan was to bring my car up to St. Louis over winter break, but after a few months in St. Louis I have scrapped that plan and cannot see myself bringing the ’05 Sequoia anytime soon. Walking to class is super convenient, and getting to places for lunch from school is quite easy on foot. Public transportation is easy and Uber/Lyft are affordable in St. Louis. The only time they get expensive for me is to get to the airport, and all students get free Metro passes which gets you to the airport in the same amount of time as an Uber/Lyft. For errands, you can go with friends with a car or just have what you need delivered (I use Instacart, which allows me to get all my groceries delivered for just $99/year). On top of all this, think about how small your carbon footprint will be when you don’t use a car!” 

“I thoroughly enjoy having a car in St. Louis! The Central West End is fairly walkable, but if you want to explore downtown St. Louis, St. Louis County or the greater Midwest area, having a car makes travel infinitely easier. Gas is very affordable here, so road trips to Chicago, Nashville, and Memphis are not only short (less than five hours driving) but also budget-friendly! Day-to-day life is also easier with a car; for example, the more cost-effective grocery stores, as well as Target, Best Buy, and thrift stores are driving distance away. Parking is fairly affordable at most St. Louis apartment complexes, so if possible, I would definitely recommend having a car!” 

“The closest shopping mall is the Galleria in Richmond Heights, about a 20-minute drive from campus, and block from a MetroLink stop. The Galleria is your typical mall, including department stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom, as well as standard places like Apple, Gap, H&M, Lenscrafters, and North Face. In short, you can find a myriad of products here! If you need to buy winter clothes, computers, professional dress, or kitchen appliances, this mall is more than sufficient.” 

Haley S., M1

Large mall with all the big stores you’d expect, including Nordstrom.

There are two outlet malls in very close proximity to each other in Chesterfield (a municipality in West County): St. Louis Premium Outlets and Chesterfield Outlets, the former being the larger of the two. Shop Off Saks, J. Crew Factory, Cole Haan, Coach, and others.

The Promenade and the few shopping centers around it are where you’ll find such things as DSW, Petco, Target, Trader Joe’s, Total Wines, Whole Foods, REI, and Nordstrom Rack. Reachable by MetroLink, though expect to walk a bit.

Handmade clothing, housewares, and fine arts. Browse while you wait for your table at Union Loafers.

Need a last minute, affordable, and unique host/hostess or wedding shower gift? White Rabbit is the perfect go-to.

Unique, stylish women’s clothing finds abound at Paperdolls. There’s a wide price range, but there are so many steals to find here.

Need a last-minute baby shower gift? This place has unique, wallet-friendly educational toys, and adorable classic wooden toys.

Upscale women’s clothing in a fancy neighborhood.

Home accessories and gifts by local designers and artisans.

Designer, on-trend menswear close to campus.

Adorable indoor and outdoor nursery selling succulents, garden plants, beautiful pots, jewelry, and home accessories. Browse while you wait for your table at Café Osage, which is housed within the same building.

Nordstrom, Sephora, Dillards, Anthropologie, Macy’s, Urban Outfitters, H&M, Apple Store, J. Crew, and the like, close to the Richmond Heights MetroLink stop.

Upscale mall in an upscale neighborhood. Think Neiman Marcus, Saks, Tiffany & Co., William-Sonoma, Lululemon, Kate Spade, Sur La Table, Allen Edmonds, and Cole Haan.

The CWE is the med school’s neighborhood and is a small urban center just west of downtown St. Louis. Here in this walkable neighborhood, you will find restaurants (including lots of good fast-casual options for when you’re on the go), bars, various dessert shops (the Cup and Jeni’s Ice Cream, to name a few), grocery stores (Whole Foods, Straub’s and Schnucks), a movie theater, IKEA and plenty of affordable housing options (where many of our classmates choose to reside). Need to escape the concrete jungle? Forest Park is the CWE’s beautiful 1,300-acre backyard.

Just southeast of campus is the blossoming Grove district. The Grove is the historically LGBTQ neighborhood of St. Louis and is a hot spot for a warm, welcoming nightlife scene (check out Urban Chestnut, Just Johns, and Atomic Cowboy). The Grove also has affordable housing within walking distance from campus, so some of your classmates (and maybe you!) will make the Grove home.

Pronounced “Duh-Ball-Uh-Vurr.” Mostly multiunit residences (apartments and condos), and home to plenty of WUSM students looking to be a short MetroLink ride from campus without being in the heart of the Central West End or the Grove.

The perfect place to stroll on weekend nights, the bustling Delmar Loop is the eclectic, quasi-retro brainchild of our local celebrity Joe Edwards, who owns many of the Delmar Loop hot spots including the Pageant, Blueberry Hill, Delmar Hall, Moonrise Hotel, and the Peacock Diner (all of which are worth checking out). On this three block stretch of Delmar Blvd in U City, you’ll find tons of international food options (Fork & Stix, Guerilla Street Food, Kung Fu Tea, Corner 17, Seoul Taco, and Ranoush are all hits), an upscale Korean karaoke lounge (The W Karaoke), plus St. Louis’ longest running record store (Vintage Vinyl) and a kitschy movie theatre called the Tivoli, which shows mostly independent and foreign films.

For the most part, St. Louis’ downtown is a business district, with a few exceptions. Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village are a must-do activity during baseball season (don’t forget to stop at Paddy O’s and Broadway Oyster Bar!); Washington Avenue is where you’ll find loft-style apartments/condos, bars, restaurants (Mango, the Bridge) and trendy nightclubs (Lucas Park).

This historic Italian-American neighborhood just southwest of campus is THE place to sample St. Louis-style Italian food. It’s also an affordable, quiet place to own a home close to campus, but expect some competition in the real estate market here; houses on The Hill are always in high demand.

While the Loop makes up part of University City, the rest of U City is occupied by the Danforth Campus and the many residences (ranging from small apartments to expansive homes) that surround it. Expect huge oak trees and quiet neighborhoods.

The neighborhood surrounding the Anheuser-Busch brewery is a popular going out area where, by night, you can bar hop along the cobblestone streets to places like Molly’s, Pieces, McGurk’s and 1860, and by day, you can shop the weekend farmers’ market.

For students buying homes and condos, Tower Grove South is an affordable option, and South Grand (the main stretch of road through this neighborhood) has many wonderful, eclectic restaurant options (Rooster, the Vine, Phở Grand, and Café Natasha, to name a few). This neighborhood is also home to Tower Grove Park, which hosts a weekend farmers’ market, as well as the annual Festival of Nations (go to this!).

In Clayton, you’ll drive by million-dollar homes, but you’ll also find affordable apartments/condos in its Moorlands and DeMun neighborhoods (easy to find on Craigslist). Clayton is home to our second downtown (i.e, downtown Clayton), which is a business district dotted with some of St. Louis’ best local eats (Pastaria, Sardella, Bar Napoli, Louie, Bar Les Freres, the Crossing, 801 Fish/Chophouse, Sauce on the Side … the list goes on … ); for going out, check out Bar Napoli and the Ritz Carlton Lobby Lounge.

South City is mostly residential with small local restaurants, gyms, affordable brick bungalows and tudors, grocery stores, and Target. This is also where you’ll find Trattoria Marcella, Courtesy Diner, and of course, Talanya’s (“T’s” for short).

Right off Highway 40, and a quick commute to campus (bike through the park or take 40 to Kingshighway), this affordable residential neighborhood has some great local restaurants and pubs (i.e., Seamus McDaniel’s … pronounced “shay muss”) and hosts the annual St. Patrick’s Day festival (parade and outdoor festivities just as the weather is getting nice).

You will have the important opportunity to dive into the rich socio-political history of North City during your WUSM orientation. You will learn about the “Delmar Divide” and the socioeconomic challenges this area faces. During your time here, you will have opportunities to engage with your St. Louis community, including North City. Also, you’re not a real St. Louisan until you have a milkshake from Crown Candy Kitchen.

Home to the spectacular Missouri Botanical Garden; expect affordable housing a reasonable driving distance from campus and a few local bars and cafés (Sasha’s Wine Bar and the Royale are favorites).

Hipster coffee shops, vintage furniture stores, and legit taquerias (La Vallesana!) abound on Cherokee Street; this small neighborhood has two Mexican grocery stores and hosts our annual Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Mostly residential, with a small park, and some fantastic restaurants (Polite Society, Blues City Deli, the Peacemaker, Sydney Street Café) and bars (Venice Café!). A great place to buy if you’re looking to own a rehabbed brownstone or rehab one yourself.

If you drive west on Highway 40 (don’t call it 64 unless you want to be a noob), you reach West St. Louis County about when you cross Lindbergh Boulevard. It’s very suburban and home to outlet malls, Top Golf, Creve Coeur Lake, and Queeny Park. Some of the municipalities that make up St. Louis County are Town & Country, Chesterfield, Ballwin, Creve Coeur, and Wildwood.