Living in St. Louis

The Central West End — Located just west of downtown, this vibrant, diverse and eclectic neighborhood is just steps away from Washington University School of Medicine. The pedestrian-friendly Central West End is home to more than 75 restaurants, bars and businesses. The CWE is a growing neighborhood rich with history, ready to embrace the changing urban environment. In an atmosphere of historic St. Louis architecture and pedestrian-and bike-friendly streets, the CWE is full of great places to shop, dine and explore. Home to some of St. Louis’s oldest shops, one-of-a-kind businesses, and unique attractions such as The World Chess Hall of Fame, the CWE is often described as ‘urban eclectic.’ The charming people and places of the CWE evoke a feeling of community and create a sense of place throughout the neighborhood — a neighborhood with endless energy.

Forest Park is considered one of the nation’s greatest urban public parks. The Park’s 1,300 acres feature beautiful landscapes sprinkled with forests, ecosystems, nature reserves, lakes and streams, as well as five of the region’s major cultural institutions and endless opportunities for recreation. Forest Park attracts 13 million visitors each year, making it the sixth most visited urban park in the United States. In 2016, Forest Park was voted the #1 City Park in the country by readers of USA Today. 

Forest Park truly offers something for everyone — amazing destinations and institutions that challenge the mind, a Dual Path system that invites both leisurely walks and intense workouts, quiet places to picnic and read, and a variety of popular festivals and events — all set in the background of a city oasis, a place to escape it all.

St. Louis offers residents both a high quality of life and a lower cost of living than the national average. While a resident enjoys the amenities of a large metropolitan area, his or her salary goes much further than in many other cities. For example, the cost of housing in St. Louis is low, and many residents can buy comfortable homes close to the Medical Center. Below is a map of where current residents live.

One of the few free zoos in the United States, and the most-visited attraction in the region, the Saint Louis Zoo is home to 13,000 animals representing 555 species, attracting approximately 3 million visitors annually.

The Science Center features more than 700 interactive experiences, an indoor-outdoor GROW agricultural pavilion, the famous McDonnell Planetarium, and a four-story OMNIMAX® Theater in one of the only free nonprofit science museums in the country.

Founded in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden is the nation’s oldest botanical garden in continuous operation, a National Historic Landmark, a center for botanical research and science education, as well as an oasis in the city of St. Louis.

Housed in the 10-story, 600,000 square-foot warehouse of the International Shoe Company, City Museum is a mixture of children’s playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel made out of found and repurposed objects.

St. Louis is home to the Gateway Arch, which celebrates the diverse people who shaped the region and the country, with a museum featuring 201 years of history within six themed exhibit areas, riverboat cruises along the Mississippi River, the Old Courthouse where the enslaved Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom and Virginia Minor fought for women’s right to vote, and tram rides take visitors 630 feet up to the top of the tallest man-made monument in the United States.

The Missouri History Museum looks at the history of St. Louis from its founding in 1764 up to the present day.

The Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park is one of the nation’s leading comprehensive art museums with collections that include works of art of exceptional quality from virtually every culture and time period.

The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis works to enrich lives and inspire curiosity, creativity and learning through experiences with contemporary art.

The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, part of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, contains 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century European and American paintings, sculptures, prints, installations and photographs.

The Pulitzer Arts Foundation is a museum presenting contemporary and historic art in dialogue with its celebrated Tadao Ando building to inspire new ideas and perspectives.

Powell Symphony Hall is the home of the second-oldest orchestra in the United States, the Grammy Award-winning St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, which performs a 43-week season of about 120 concerts annually from September through June.

Jazz St. Louis brings local and nationally renowned musicians to the stage, showcasing unique and diverse jazz performers and preserving the shared cultural heritage embodied in jazz music throughout St. Louis.

The Sheldon Concert Hall & Art Galleries hosts over 350 events each year, including a wide range of music, visual arts and educational programs of the highest quality, diversity and educational impact.

KDHX Community Media is a non-profit arts organization celebrating 30 years of independent music, art and culture in St. Louis and around the world.

The St. Louis Blues Society is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating blues music in and from St. Louis, while fostering its growth and appreciation. The St. Louis Blues Society provides blues artists the opportunity for public performance and individual improvement in their field, all for the educational and artistic benefit of the general public.

Founded in 1976, Laumeier Sculpture Park is one of the first and largest dedicated sculpture parks in the country. Laumeier is an internationally recognized, nonprofit arts organization that is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and operates in partnership with St. Louis County Parks. Laumeier presents more than 70 works of large-scale outdoor sculpture in a 105-acre park located in the heart of St. Louis County. Free and open daily, Laumeier serves 300,000 visitors of all ages each year through sculpture conservation, education programs, temporary exhibitions and public events.

Edison Theater at Washington University in St. Louis serves as a teaching facility for the Washington University Performing Arts Department, which produces three mainstage Edison shows each year and serves as a performance venue for Washington University student organizations. Edison is also one of the few theaters in the St. Louis area to serve as a rental house for locally based presenting arts organizations such as The Black Rep. At its capacity, Edison Theatre seats 656.

The Fox Theatre is a performing arts center hosting Broadway shows, Vegas performers, top pop, rock and comedy concert acts, and classic movies.

Founded in 1976, the St. Louis Black Repertory is the largest, professional African-American theatre company in the nation and the largest African-American performing arts organization in Missouri.

The Muny is America’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theater. A non-profit organization, the Muny’s mission is to enrich lives by producing exceptional musical theatre, accessible to all, continuing its remarkable tradition in Forest Park.

Dance St. Louis brings world-class dance that wouldn’t otherwise be presented to the St. Louis region, makes this dance accessible to a widely diverse audience, nurtures local dancers and dance companies, and offers unique and transformative dance education outreach.

The 11-time World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals are perennial contenders as the most dedicated baseball fans in the country descend on Busch Stadium clad in red.

The 2019 Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues take to the ice at the Enterprise Center to do battle in the NHL’s Western Conference.