Saint Louis: A Rough and Romantic City on the River

One of the best things about Route 66 is that it’s a very personal road.  Interstates are all about getting to the destination, the route is all about the journey.  I’ve taken I-95 up and down the east coast, and while you’re able to see the skyline of many beautiful cities (DC, Philly, NYC, etc.), the experience is always on concrete pillars 50 feet off the ground at 85 mph (I mean 65 J).  Route 66 takes you right into the heart of the town at ground level – in some places the feeling is so intimate that you feel like you’ve walked right into someone’s backyard. 

So Lindsey and I have spent a lot of time talking about what makes a ‘place’, from the geography to the people to the structures built upon the land.  And when you’re driving slowly enough, sometimes you can really feel the presence, the emotion and the history of a place, block by block.  This brings to me to St. Louis. 

We came into the north end of Saint Louis across the mighty Mississippi, and merged onto a major highway surrounded by manufacturing plants and towering vacant brick structures that looked as if they hadn’t been touched in decades.  These immediate vistas were juxtaposed with a stunning skyline, proudly displaying the shining Gateway Arch, modern high-rise office buildings, and sports venues.  This was our experience all across the city – pockets of neighborhoods offering a mix of beauty, modernity and dilapidation.  Just like so many Midwestern cities, St. Louis had been built for expansion, and has struggled to tackle the contraction that followed.

The Gateway Arch on the way into St. Louis



Our hotel, right in the center of downtown, was a beautiful former bank - its vault now serving as a mixed-use gift shop / business center.  Though only 2 blocks from the river and right next to the arch, you would never know it was there.  Like so many cities that grew up in an industrial age, the river was the economic lifeblood, not a residential playground.

The Old Bank Vault - Now Gift Shop / Business Center

But what really stood out to me were the fantastic people we interacted with over the course of our stay.  The Midwestern warmth emanated from all the folks we met, in the hotel, at dinner, and even the parks and recreation guy who we asked to take a picture of me and Lindsey in front of the arch.  The people of Saint Louis brought their city to life. 

Us in front of the Arch

So while we only were in St. Louis for less than 24 hours, I was able to feel the energy of the city, and its yearning to close the gap between what the city is and what it means to the people who call it home. 

One final note – while we enjoyed stopping at the old Anheuser Busch plant, I’d like to offer a special shout out to the Schlafly brewery.  Their pale ale is ‘the bomb.com’.