Cherokee Street District in St. Louis is a vibrant, eclectic area with a lot to offer, especially…read moreif you enjoy exploring different restaurants and unique shops. There's a great variety of dining options, from casual eats to more adventurous menus, and the local vibe really adds to the experience. Each spot feels distinct, and it's easy to make a fun day or evening out of hopping between restaurants. That said, I'm taking off one star for parking and safety. Parking can be limited and a bit tricky to find, and while the area is lively, it's worth staying aware of your surroundings, especially at night. Overall, Cherokee Street is a fun, diverse place for food and culture lovers. Just plan ahead for parking and stay mindful of your surroundings, and you'll have a great experience.

Cherokee street District has plenty of things to offer. Tattoo shops, vintage shopping, diversity…read moreof food from coffee shops to breakfast & dinner! A nice neighborhood to walk around & window shop or grab a bite to eat! I stopped in at KBop today!

My brother & SIL live in the Central West End, my brother is in a wheelchair so it's good for them…read moreto be able to walk & wheel around to businesses & restaurants. The only negative tho is they've told me when it snows the sidewalks become inaccessible because no one plows or shovels. There is a ton of businesses & the restaurants were mostly all busy on the Saturday night we were there. The lighting is so pretty & all the buildings are super old so the whole feel is very quaint. I would definitely live here if I was looking for a place in St Louis

My heart is BROKEN. I've been gone 20 years. I just moved back to StL. The charming personality of…read morethe CWE I grew up with is GONE! The neighborhood was salvaged (in the 60s and 70s) by the LGBT community (30 + years ago) and made it a very desirable place to live and hang out. It's ALL gone! It's now over priced with straight Yuppie and now 'gentrified'. It breaks my heart. But most investors know after the gay community fixes up a suffering neighborhood, it's prime for a takeover. That means the original grand buildings will be torn down or 'fixed' to where the old neighborhood vibe is totally GONE. My heart is broken.

The South Grand strip offers more than you can imagine. From stores to thrift & shop to home goods…read more Restaurants that serve up hot dogs to Pho & all of the between. You'll find it here.

South Grand is an area of south city worthy of homage because it is a true melting pot for St…read more Louisans to enjoy. Whether you're looking for a 24 hour diner (City Diner), a vodka bar (Absolutli Goosed), Thai, Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Japanese, Vegetarian cuisine (Treehouse & LuLu's Local Eatery) or something more chain-like Panera, Dominos, Jimmy John's or Q'doba; South Grand can definitely fuel your hunger tank. It doesn't stop there...want a tattoo or piercing, looking for a yoga or pole dancing class, what about an international grocer (Jay's), gas station, ice cream parlor, late night coffeehouse (Mokabe's), how about a haircut (Great Clips) or a blowout (Salon St. Louis), a massage (Massage Luxe), research paper (St. Louis Public Library), need to ship a package? FexEx Kinkos and USPS on both located within this 6 block stretch of awesomeness. I could go on & on for days about how I love this area. But really, you just have to experience it for yourself. Thank me later ~Christy

3.5 Stars…read more   Washington Avenue is a 1.8 mile long road that runs on the northern edge of downtown St. Louis from Jefferson Street * to the Eads Bridge. It is much more than a road. It is an asphalt bridge connecting St. Louis history to its future. It is to St. Louis what the 16th Street Mall is to Denver, Fremont Street is to Las Vegas, and Bourbon Street is to New Orleans. It is also a vital urban entertainment corridor. Or in the words of the American Planning Association, it is an urban canyon.   Washington Avenue is an urban canyon that begins life at the Illinois /Missouri State line on the Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River. A few hundred feet after entering Missouri the downtown canyon appears. Now on St. Louis soil, it borders the Gateway Arch National Park at the south and Laclede's Landing at the north. After passing under I-44 it travels by office towers, hotels, the Blues Museum, MX Theaters, and restaurants. After passing America's Center it transitions into the Washington Avenue historic district west of 8th Street. Bordering the road are a sundry of buildings that date back to the early 19th century and early 1920s. In 2018 many of the buildings have been converted to lofts, restaurants, shops, and bars. Beyond Jefferson Street, it changes into Washington Boulevard on its way to the Midtown Theater District.   Washington Avenue deserves recognition for historic preservation. As a matter of fact, the Embassy Suites that we stayed in is a historic building. It is in the former Stix, Baer, and Fuller Department Store that operated from 1892 to 1984. Dillard's would take over. In 1985, St. Louis City Centre Mall opened here. For years it was a retail powerhouse. In the 1990s it hit hard times until it closed in the 2000s. Macy's would also close. By 2018, the City Centre Mall would be revitalized. And by 2018 retail would be generally be gone from the urban canyon.  Speaking of gone, the NFL Rams have been gone from St. Louis since 2015. Their St. Louis home was in America's Center off Washington Avenue. As a consequence America's Center is out of the running for the most upbeat building. When the Rams left they seemed to have tackled the spirit of America's Center. Everyday I'd walk by a large empty shell of a building that seemed to be crying out for a professional team. When I walked by America's Center it was usually on the way to the Marriott Starbuck's or the Washington Avenue Historic District to check out restaurants.   The Washington Avenue Historic District is the antithesis of its America's Center frontage. Nestled in historic buildings are restaurants and bars that include: Blondies Coffee & Wine Bar Nara Cafe & Hookah Lounge Rosalita's Cantina 314 City Bar (I ate there 4 Stars). Flamingo Bowl Mango and Over Under Bar Grill.  This is the heart of Washington Avenue. Under wires of festival light bulbs spanning the urban canyon historic buildings are  decorative lamp posts, sidewalk tables, and wide sidewalks. I was disheartened to read in a St. Louis Times article that some of the patterned pavement was torn out during a utilities project.   Walking east of the 7th Street Embassy Suites are more restaurants. They include: Sugarfire (I rated it 3 stars) My Pie (I rated it 4 Stars) Tigin Irish Pub (I rated it 4 Stars) and Snow Factory.  Walking this direction leads to Laclede's Landing, Gateway Arch National Park, and ultimately the state of Illinois. My observation was that Washington Avenue east of America's Center seemed to be more automobile centric than pedestrian centric. If I was devoid of Google Maps, as a pedestrian I would have the slightest clue that I was headed towards the entrances of Laclede's Landing and Gateway National Park. However I would have a major clue of "Junction Interstate 44 To Interstates 70, 55, 64, and US 40" ahead. It would be nice if the entranceways to the landing and national park were as noticeable as the Interstate 44 underpass. At nighttime, in this car centric stretch, I observed sparse pedestrian activity east of 6th Street.  My favorite spot in the St. Louis urban canyon east of America's Center is the 12 foot tall bull and bear Statue in front of the Stifel Financial Tower. It is "Forces." It is a Yelp Business Listing worthy attraction. In conclusion, Washington Avenue heads in the right direction. In this direction it will improve downtown with new businesses and homes that will further improve its economy while preserving its past.

I enjoy the flavor variety Washington Avenue offers:…read more Stanley's Cigar Bar (my fav location) Flamingo Bowl Starbucks MX Movie Theater Pi Pizza Wasabi Flannery's Bar Grill Dapper Gents (barbershop) Blades on Washington Blondie's Nara Hookah Lounge Washington Post coffee Lucas Park Fitness Factory gym Imo's Pizza Christopher Steven's salon ...and tons of boutiques, restaurants, bars & lofts If you're a resident St. Louisan or an St. Alien (welcome) Washington Ave. has something that'll surely tickle your fancy. Be patient the brick paved roads can cause slow moving traffic, congestion and annoyance during busy weekend hours. Take a gander. Thank me later. ~Christy

Great atmosphere and set up! Amazing tasting from all over! Food truck and two drink tickets for…read moreadditional flavors!!

I've been to GinWorld's Ginfest many times and this one was my favorite. I loved the venue and the…read moreupper level and openness so we could see everything and offerings and navigate to them. I find you don't need to be a big drinker for people to love coming to this event. There are zero proof options as well and varieties that are barrel aged that taste smoky like mezcal or a whiskey among many aperitifs and digestifs. As a drink nerd and nerd in general I loved hearing and learning about each offering and found several new favorites. The swag was awesome and they made sure to have plenty of water on hand (previous years there was not enough and too many very very inebriated people). That was a nice change. There was a really nice patio with seating and umbrellas and lights overhead. I want to come here at night, it's so nicely done. Thanks GinWorld, I look forward to this event every year, keeps getting better!

We walked here from our hotel. This place has some new sculptures since I last went here a while…read moreback. It is a great place for kids to play in the daytime or for us to walk our dog. This place is well maintained and has been a wonderful addition to the downtown area.

Easy to find. Street parking. Is it a splash pad or yoga space. It's both. So many different art…read morepieces to see and witness. It's tucked in the heart of downtown.

This bronze sculpture is the work of controversial artist Tom Otterness, who created it in 2007. It…read moreis property of the Gateway Foundation and is currently displayed in the Grove District. Otterness came under fire after killing a dog that he adopted. This sculpture is in Otterness's trademark style of faceless characters with round body parts. This character happens to be a mouse, as the name implies. It really does resemble a mouse sitting on its rump, with its head cocked to the left. The sculpture is in great shape and has lights that shine on it at night. There is metered street parking available within a reasonable walking distance for those wishing to park and take a closer look. As with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 15 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

My eye was drawn to this sculpture. The woman appears to be walking quite swiftly down the street…read morewith purpose in her eyes and pose. However, she's forever in this walking stance and not getting anywhere. It's a lovely sculpture and Saint Louis has done well to include it with their public art. The caption in the sidewalk reads, "Donald Baechler. Walking Figure. (2003-2004). Bronze. Edition 1 of 3. On Loan From Gateway Foundation." Online, "Walking Figure poses motionless in front of the Gateway Foundation building, stuck forever in walking stance but never gaining any ground. The sprightly form reminds the viewer of a child's drawing of a human, with the arms and legs sticking out awkwardly from a square-like torso. The childish face of the figure grins shyly but contentedly with closed eyes as it towers above the heads of passersby, striding purposefully toward some unknown end. The surface texture of the bronze is strongly textured, inviting the viewer to interact and touch the rough surface of the piece." [Review 14462 overall, 1788 of 2020, number 94 in Missouri.]