Famous For Its Arch, St. Louis Thrives With Nightlife, Sports & Things To Do

By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com

St. Louis brings up thoughts of the arch, the Cardinals and Budweiser beer.

That’s not a bad trio but there’s a lot more to it than that; for starters there is the St. Louis Blues hockey team, which won the Stanley Cup in 2019. And there is also blues; the city’s Soulard area has small and cozy bars with live blues music.

Today, tho, the Gateway City has a lot more than that, including a dynamic downtown spot area that’s nightlife nirvana, a soccer stadium, a 20-mile greenbelt from the arch to Forest Park (which in itself is well worth visiting and there’s a cool neighborhood with casual restaurant/bars around it) and, for those who like those kinds of things, a lot of museums.

Coming soon is a combination winery, restaurant and concert venue.

I have not been there in quite a while but with all this, it looks like it’s time for me to take another look at St. Louis.

Here’s what’s new in the Lou.

Ballpark Village

From a PubClubbers standpoint, Ballpark Village is the place. A vibrant area adjacent to where the Cardinals and Blues play, it has restaurants, sports bars, nightclubs and even concerts. This is the place to party when you visit St. Louis because everything is right there: pubs, clubs, sports and music.

City Foundry St. Louis

City Foundry has the  Foundry Food Hall with a 175-seat music venue called City Winery as well at Puttshack –  a futuristic mini golf game from the creators of Top Golf – opening soon.

Things To See & Do In St. Louis

The Brickline is a 20 mile-stretch of greenway running west from the St. Louis Arch to Forest Park that will eventually connect 17 different neighborhoods. The Missouri Botanical Garden has a permanent display of Mediterranean plants and the Sassafras Café.  Historic Powell Hall, a classical concert hall, is being renovated; it is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Gateway Arch

Of course, this is not new; it’s St. Louis’ landmark. But as long as we’re here, here is some information on Gateway Arch, including riding a tram to the top. At 630 feet is is the tallest monument in the United States. The arch is located at the base of a park by the Mississippi River. It has a welcome center inside and a movie about it. The tram ride is $15 and you can combine that with with the movie and even a one-hour riverboat cruise, which is only $24.

Traditional St. Louis Bars & Nightlife

If you’ve got the time, head to Soulard, a cozy neighborhood stocked with several small bars with bands playing rock and the blues. Hammerstone’s is a Soulard tradition and has live music seven nights a week, one of my friends loves the Great Grizzley Bear and Llywelyn’s Pub is the place to be when the Blues are playing. Heck, just walk along S. 9th Street and pick a spot. Stop if you hear the Soulard Blues Band; they have been playing these St. Louis bars for more than 30 years.

One of my favorite funky bars in the USA is Venice Cafe, which would be right at home in funky Venice, CA. It’s colorful, to say the least. Inside it’s tiny with two floors and live music but the real fun is on the patio where fun people hang out and party with friends as well as the occasional out-of-town stranger from PubClub.com.

Blueberry Hill on Delmar Blvd., is a St. Louis tradition. It has live music and is known throughout the city for its awesome burgers. It’s in the West End neighborhood, which has a few other restaurants and bars northeast of Forest Park.

Where To Stay – Hotels In St. Louis

With views of the Gateway Arch, Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis has newly-renovated 200 guest rooms and suites and the award-winning Cinder House restaurant. 21c Museum Hotels  is renovating downtown St. Louis’ historic YMCA building and is expected to open in 2023.

Link: Explore St. Louis 

More Nightlife: St. Louis Speakeasy Adds To The City’s Nightlife