First visit to St. Louis, MO / Advice

I'm posting this message because (1) some of the other St. Louis
travel discussions in this group are a little old and (2) recent crime
stats for St. Louis are high.

I'm not scratching this trip because of high crime stats. I
personally think it's like any other city with some good areas and bad
areas. I'm seeking info from any St. Louis residents. What parts of
town should I avoid? Also, I plan on trying out MetroLink... is it
safe at night?... any stops I should not use?

My agenda includes: Chain Of Rocks Bridge, Union Station, St. Louis
Galleria & The Boulevard, Plaza Frontenac, Crestwood Plaza, Sunset
Hills Plaza, Botanical Garden, President Casino, St. Louis Zoo, the
sculpture park, Forest park, and, of course, the Gateway Arch. Oh...
I'm a big fan of Target. Because my town has no Super Target, I plan
on visiting the store in the Brentwood area. Also, I might drive over
to Collinsville to see the Catsup bottle... I know... probably a goofy
thing to do, but I was born goofy!

I like to shop... whether I buy anything or not. I've always been a
Route 66 fan, yet I've never touched a piece of it... that's why I
want to visit the Chain Of Rocks Bridge. I thought about trying the
buffet at President Casino because it's close to the arch and
MetroLink... anyone tried this buffet?

Any other things in the city I take a look at?

Thanks so much for taking time to read this. Have a great day!

On May 5, 8:19 pm, Troy <troyme...@> wrote:
> I'm posting this message because (1) some of the other St. Louis
> travel discussions in this group are a little old and (2) recent crime
> stats for St. Louis are high.
>
> I'm not scratching this trip because of high crime stats.  I
> personally think it's like any other city with some good areas and bad
> areas.  I'm seeking info from any St. Louis residents.  What parts of
> town should I avoid?  Also, I plan on trying out MetroLink... is it
> safe at night?... any stops I should not use?
>
> My agenda includes:  Chain Of Rocks Bridge, Union Station, St. Louis
> Galleria & The Boulevard, Plaza Frontenac, Crestwood Plaza, Sunset
> Hills Plaza, Botanical Garden, President Casino, St. Louis Zoo, the
> sculpture park, Forest park, and, of course, the Gateway Arch.  Oh...
> I'm a big fan of Target.  Because my town has no Super Target, I plan
> on visiting the store in the Brentwood area.  Also, I might drive over
> to Collinsville to see the Catsup bottle... I know... probably a goofy
> thing to do, but I was born goofy!
>
> I like to shop... whether I buy anything or not.  I've always been a
> Route 66 fan, yet I've never touched a piece of it... that's why I
> want to visit the Chain Of Rocks Bridge.  I thought about trying the
> buffet at President Casino because it's close to the arch and
> MetroLink... anyone tried this buffet?
>
> Any other things in the city I take a look at?
>
> Thanks so much for taking time to read this.  Have a great day!

Cross the river to Illinois and visit Cahokia Mounds. This was the
second largest town in North America after Mexico City before the
arrival of Columbus and is quite interesting.

George

[Rik Brown]

You've covered some of the highlights. Depending on your time here, additional things of interest:

The Art Museum (in Forest Park)
A St. Louis Cardinals baseball game (downtown stadium)
Anheiser-Busch Brewery if you are into beer (downtown)
Laclede's Landing (entertainment area just north of the arch on the riverfront)
The City Museum (for kids, downtown)
The Science Center (for kids and adults, just west of the downtown across from Forest Park)

Nearby:

Wineries (Mt. Pleasant Winery, August, MO - but don't expect high-level wines)
The River Road Drive - along the bluffs of the Mississippi River from Alton, Illinois to just beyond Grafton, Illinois. There are ferries crossing at Grafton back into Missouri or you can use the bridge at Alton.
Confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers (a bit of rough rock road driving but can be tagged onto the River Road Drive)
Six Flags Over Mid-America (for kids) at Eureka, MO

Hope you enjoy our city and surroundings. -- Rik

Troy asked:

>>>What parts of town should I avoid?  

Generally North St Louis, north of downtown. Nothing much for a tourist
there except Crown Candy Kitchen (well known soda fountain) and some
grand old churches.

All the locations named on your agenda are generally safe.


>>>I like to shop...

You named the main locations. For something a little more
unusual/funky, check out the Central West End, along Euclid Avenue north
of Lindell. Art galleries, antique stores, unusual clothing stores,
bookstore; good restaurants there too. The Italian neighborhood, The
Hill, also with many good Italian restaurants, is across Kingshighway
from the Botanical Garden (more or less).

george,

The Cahokia Mounds are worth a stop. The area looks quite
mysterious! Thanks for mentioning (I would have driven passed without
knowing.).

Rik,

Thanks. I need to definitely visit Laclede's Landing... it's so close
to everything... it'd be crazy not to stop by. I love coasters, but I
don't have enough time for Six Flags. :o( I'll be sure to go there
next time!

Nile,

I appreciate the tips... that was just what I needed to know. Thanks!

Mike,

The keelboat replica @ Camp Dubois looks great! It looks like
stopping there won't take up a large part of the day, so I'll try to
squeeze this one in. Thanks for the post!

Bobb,

You must work for the state's tourism bureau! Just went I thought my
sight-seeing list was perfect, you've managed to direct me to a few
more juicy nuggets to visit!

I think I'll be sure to rest my feet at Ted Drew's Frozen Custard!

Thanks much for the post!