Why I Shouldn't Be Able To Google... (St. Louis, Washington: crime, hotel)

[razacla]

Obviously, a lot of people have inquired about the safety of St. Louis. Will be staying @ the Ramada Plaza Hotel For a few days and am wondering if St Louis is as bad as my Google search is leading me to believe it is... because safety is a concern of mine as well. I know you cant believe everything you read so i'm basically asking about that general area/hotel/othee helpf tips. If anyone can help out, I'd greatly appreciate it.

[bluescityleon]

Originally Posted by razacla

Obviously, a lot of people have inquired about the safety of St. Louis. Am staying @ the Ramada Plaza Hotel in April for a few days and am wondering if St Louis is as bad as my Google search is leading me to believe it is... because safety is a concern of mine as well. If anyone can help out, I'd greatly appreciate it.

They know who's naughty and who's packing, hacking and shacking.

[glamatomic]

You'll be absolutely fine! I'm personally not keen on the Ramada or it's location but I can honestly say that crime in St. Louis is overrated. If they're within your budget though, I would personally recommend either the Hyatt at the Arch or the Renaissance St. Louis Grand.

Like any city, obviously you do have to keep your wits about you and be aware of your surroundings- but I've never personally had any major issues in St. Louis. I used to work downtown and often worked evenings and nothing ever caused me to feel overly concerned for my safety.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your trip!

[Dawn10am]

You'll be fine

[razacla]

Thank you...

I live 25 minutes outside of Chicago and am there quite frequently. It's easy for me to wander around the familiar streets that generally have a lot of eateries and pedestrian traffic but I do try not to journey around unknown areas.. and I have lived around here all of my life. I honestly wasn't worried about my weekend getaway in St Louis until one of the mom's said "Don't go out at night, I hear it gets bad." So then I googled and got a lot of mixed reviews. People seemed more than willing to help others on this forum so I thought I'd give it a shot!

[zach_33]

Are you trying to stay near Wash Ave, Convention Center, or the Dome for a reason? Perhaps for your weekend getaway you are looking to take in a number of attractions that are concentrated downtown? Like everyone is saying, I am sure you will be okay, but I personally would not wander around that neighborhood by myself at night - it can get a little squirrely around the dome at night. That Ramada may be perfect for your purposes, but I would need to understand a bit more about your objectives before suggesting anyplace else. Ball game? Zoo? Arch? Bar hopping? Dining? What kind of scene do you like?

[STLCityMike]

I actually work night across the street from the Ramada Plaza, and actually have friends that work on the property. While I am here during the DAY, I do not feel unsafe.

The property sits on the north side of downtown, which tends to be the sketchier side. Most of the crime I hear about in the area is property crime - breaking into a car, or nabbing a purse. There are things to do to reduce the risk. Don't leave valuables in your car. Make your purse a more difficult taget - wear it under your coat, for example.

Here is a good resource for assistance on downtown St. Louis:
Downtown Guides

[razacla]

We're not going for any specific reason, though we'd like to visit the arch and maybe city museum? We got the hotel deal on groupon, which is where we have gotten them for our other weekends getaways (Indianapolis, Michigan, etc.) There was no specific reason to visit at Louis, we just wanted to add it to our list of places to go.

[marigolds6]

If this is just a travel visit, then definitely add city museum.
A blues or cardinals game would be a great idea as well (depending on timing). You can actually get cheap seats for these.
There are lots of great event venues with Powell Hall, Fox Theater, Peabody Opera House, and the Pageant among the best, with lots more in the Grand Arts Center. I would recommend the Symphony at Powell Hall, since you can often get $10 tickets with the right timing.

You should also go to the Delmar Loop and try places like Blueberry Hill and Fitzs. Lots of good restaurants in Clayton, South Grand, and scattered throughout the City and County (Pearl Cafe is my favorite). Even in this season, the free attractions in Forest Park (like the Zoo) are a great choice. You should probably also do the A-B Inbev tour and get free beer or the St Louis Brewery tour and get even better free beer.

As far as safety, bar hopping Washington Ave after midnight is the most likely way to run into trouble outside of dangerous neighborhoods. Anything on the Illinois side close to downtown St Louis (e.g. Cahokia Mounds) should be done during the daytime; but lots of the Illinois side (like anything from Granite City north) is perfectly safe. If you go somewhere on the north side of the city like Crown Candy, go during the day and use major roads (mostly to avoid getting lost).

[razacla]

Thank you! So it looks like if I just grab some food and drinks and hang inside during the evening hours and explore during the daytime hours, I should be good? Will definitely hit up the St Louis brewery... thanks for the suggestion! Any must eats in the area? Good pizza places we can pick up gr before we camp out in the hotel at night???