St Louis Place - Saint Louis, MO

The Village of North Saint Louis was founded in 1816, six years before the incorporation of St. Louis. During the 1840s-1860, the population of St. Louis expanded eight times over from 20,000 inhabitants to 160,000 and North Saint Louis was annexed by the city. Much of the area's impressive architecture was built during this time, including red-brick Victorians and Greek Revival homes.

During the 1950s, many residents left the city for the suburbs. Since St. Louis was such a small city, the loss of population was difficult to overcome; the city lost much of its tax base, and the communities -- including St. Louis Place -- suffered from the lack of revenue. Today, residents are rediscovering the benefits of city life, and as a result are moving back in large numbers. In 1950, the population peaked with 856,796 residents. In 2013, the population had rebounded to 318,416. The historic row houses and mansions are being restored, especially in the virtually-untouched St. Louis Place.

St. Louis is (of course ) home to the iconic Gateway Arch. Built by architect Eero Saarinen and completed in 1965, the stainless steel arch stands 630 feet tall and is the largest man-made national monument in the country. Be sure to take the tram to the top of the arch -- the views of the city are amazing and stretch nearly 30 miles on a clear day. Celebrating the western expansion, the arch is located steps from where Lewis and Clark completed their Mississippi River Journey. The arch is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, a national historic site since 1935.

For a great family owned eatery that doubles as a community center, check out Cornerstone Cafe on Salisbury Street. Typical fare like pizza, sandwiches and soups are served in a cozy brick space with large windows. Try the taco soup on a cold day, dolloped with a bit a of sour cream, sprinkled with cheese, and paired with no-frills tortilla chips. Top it off with a house made pecan or lemon meringue pie.

Just a short hop downtown, the delectable Mango Restaurant serves up Peruvian Fusion dishes in an attractive loft space. The restaurant embraces the strong indigenous roots of classic Peruvian dishes while accentuating the Chinese, Italian, and West African influences. For dinner, try the succulent Pescado a la Chorrillana, grouper topped with sweet onion and tomatoes with black olives.

Residents can visit the triangle of dive bars near North Grand Boulevard just outside the neighborhood to the northwest. Hurn's Cocktail Lounge, the Zodiac Lounge, and Valerie's Sit & Sip provide bottom barrel prices and no frills drinks.

Common ways to get around the neighborhood include driving, public transit, walking, and biking. Uber coverage provides ride share opportunities in the neighborhood. Public parking can be found easily and without cost. Highway 115 and Interstate 70 run nearby, providing access to downtown, East St. Louis, and beyond. Walkability scores moderately well, with some errands possible on foot. There are minimal bike lanes, but the flat terrain lends itself well to bike commuting.

St Louis Place Park is a long, narrow park area that cuts though the geographic center of the neighborhood. It contains paths for walking or running, a basketball court, a spray pool for kids, and a playground. Nearby Yateman Square Park hosts five tennis courts, multiple open fields, and a full basketball court. Garison-Bratner-Webster park hosts a full-size baseball diamond and small open field. Fairground Park to the northwest of St Louis Place features a swimming pool, a small lake with trails, and sports facilities on the site of the former St. Louis fairground. The Missouri Botanical Gardens hosts the annual Whitaker Jazz Festival featuring free performances of local artists during summer nights after-hours in a lush and attractive setting.

The cost of living in St Louis Place is slightly lower than the city average. A ride to the downtown area on public transit buses costs $2.00. The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in St. Louis Place costs around $664.82. The typical price of a beer at a local pub ranges from $2-5 depending on quality and location. Gas costs an average of 13 percent less compared to the national average.

With Downtown St. Louis just minutes away, you'll enjoy a variety of downtown shopping districts and venues. Shops can be found along West Washington Ave, Market Street, and throughout downtown.

Macro Sun houses an impressive collection of artifacts, sculptures, jewelry, and more from Indonesia, India, Thailand, and elsewhere. The shop only carries Fair Trade and other equal exchange program-certified goods and forms beneficial relationships with crafters the world over. Come in for a large selection of home decor items like tapestries and statues and make sure to browse the selection of rare items like antique swords and clothing.

For updated fashion-forward headwear, scoot over to Levine Hats, a haberdashery and accessory store serving the St. Louis area for over one hundred years. Levine features hats for all styles of dress for men and women including fedoras, casual hats, sunhats, and Stetson cowboy hats. Check out other quality goods like leather gloves, specialty socks, and classy canes to complete the look.

On the Northwest corner of St. Louis Place there is an Aldi grocery store and right outside the Southwest corner there is a Save-A-Lot.