St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis [1], the largest metropolitan area and second-largest city in Missouri (after Kansas City), is a major midwestern metropolis filled with culture. St. Louis planners have created an aesthetically beautiful city with green space at the street level. It is said that St. Louis is second only to Washington, D.C. in the number of free activities available in an American city. The Gateway Arch, the world's tallest man-made monument, forms a triumphant city skyline. An open mall surrounded by reflecting pools leads up to the historic court house facing the Gateway Arch.

Understand

The city is named after Louis IX of France. St. Louis is called the Gateway to the West. The city was the last major stop before pioneers journeyed westward to the Pacific coast. The city also played a large part during the steam boat era due its position at the meeting of the Mississippi River and Missouri River. St. Louis was acquired from France by the US during President Thomas Jefferson's term in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The transfer of power from Spain was made official in a ceremony called "Three Flags Day." On March 8, 1804, the Spanish flag was lowered and the French one raised. On March 10, the French flag was replaced by that of the USA. In 1904, St. Louis hosted that year's World's Fair and the summer Olympic Games. Many of the parks, buildings, and finer homes in St. Louis were built around this time period. While there are few, if any, living residents who attended the Fair, it holds an important place in the modern development of the city.

Before Detroit became America's automotive capital, St. Louis was the largest producer of American automobiles in the early part of the 20th century. Midtown and Downtown still have many of the original warehouses and factories standing, but most have been converted to other purposes, such as loft apartments and restaurants. St. Louis also had an extensive garment producing industry in the early 1900s, centered on Washington Avenue downtown. As with the auto industry, the last remnants of the garment producing industry can be found in the recently rehabbed warehouses which now contain loft condominiums. In the late 20st century, St. Louis began a transformation from a manufacturing and industrial economy into a globally known center for research in medicine, biotechnology, and other sciences. Firms such as Monsanto, Centene, Solae, Energizer, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Edward Jones, Wachovia Securities (formerly A.G. Edwards), Anheuser-Busch are headquartered in St. Louis. AT&T and Bank of America operate major regional offices here. Two major private research universities, Washington University in St. Louis and St. Louis University, are an important part of the local economy and society.

St. Louis is truly a city of neighborhoods, each with its own distinct flavor and culture. There are 79 government-designated neighborhoods within the City of St. Louis, many of which have associations and councils that exercise wide control over development and subsidies at the very lowest local level. Some neighborhoods contain avenues of massive stone mansions built as palaces for heads of state visiting the 1904 World's Fair, and now occupied by the wealthy elite in the city. Others are predominantly working-class and have retained a singular cultural identity for 200 years. Today, most of them have endured as strong and cohesive communities for their residents.

Major venues and convention centers

• America's Convention Center, [2]. Over 500,000 square feet of exhibit space, also featuring formal reception rooms, presentation-style rooms, a theatre, and the Edward Jones Dome next door.

• Millennium Hotel, 200 South 4th Street, [3].

• Renaissance Grand Hotel, 800 Washington Avenue, [4].

• Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel, 9801 Natural Bridge Road, (314) 429-1100, [5].

• Westport Plaza Sheraton, [6]. Two luxurious Sheraton hotels among the fine restaurants, bars, and fountains of the modern Westport Plaza. Centrally located in the suburbs.

• Holiday Inns St Louis, [7]. Consider one of the many Holiday Inn Hotels throughout the St. Louis, Missouri Area.

Stay safe

St. Louis' recent designation as the Most Dangerous City in America should not deter the potential visitor -- vagaries in data collection and the city's fixed borders distort the true nature of the Gateway City's safety. Areas most often visited by tourists are no more dangerous than any other large American city. The more popular and most-visited areas in the city, such as Clayton, Downtown, the Central West End, and Forest Park have very low crime rates, even for the Midwest.

Caution is warranted in other locales, particularly the North Side. The post-war exodus to the suburbs has taken a huge economic toll on this area, leaving many buildings abandoned, decaying, or demolished. East St. Louis, in Illinois, is also noted for a higher crime rate than the Missouri side (note this is not true of Alton or Belleville, in Illinois to the north and south). Most tourists, however, will have little reason to visit these places, so it should not present reason for much concern.

Some Metrolink stations are located in areas some may find questionable after dark as well, but most downtown areas around Busch Stadium, Union Station, St. Louis University area, and commuter lots near the airport are generally safe and patrolled.

Although the chance is extremely rare, an earthquake is possible in the area, as St. Louis sits on a fault-line, whose last big earthquake changed the course of the Mississippi River. Many locals have said that the "big one" is coming, while scientists say not soon.