STL neighborhoods

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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).

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).

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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!).

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.

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.