What's your favorite St. Louis neighborhood? (Kirkwood, Manchester: neighborhoods, university, live)

[TheTimidBlueBars]

My partner and I will be in the city for a couple days in late May before heading north/east to explore across Illinois. We like walking around interesting city neighborhoods without necessarily having a pre-defined plan, just enjoying the atmosphere, businesses, parks, and interesting architecture. What's a neighborhood in the city that you enjoy for whatever reason?

[Bulldawg82]

My wife and I lived in Benton Part (Corner of Utah & Lemp). We liked it. Short walk to Cherokee and Soulard.

[cfdigregorio]

You might enjoy:
1. Lafayette Square
2. Central West End
3. Maplewood
4. The Grove

You'll find beautiful architecture, interesting history and incredible restaurants in all of these neighborhoods. Enjoy!

[SunGrins]

I second Benton Park. (East of Jefferson?) There is enough there to spend a full day roaming around. The brewery is just across the interstate at Arsenal. Benton park is a classic. The restored Lemp Mansion and Chatillon DeMenil are probably open. Cherokee Street has antiques and shops and some restaurants. I think Arsenal at Jefferson does too. I don't know how the pandemic effected the businesses. It is mostly residential.

[RisingAurvandil]

The Delmar Loop. It has a lot of university students and tourists, but is probably the top entertainment street in StL.

Soulard is a fun neighborhood to stroll through, especially if the Soulard Farmers Market and the street bars are open. The neighborhood is extremely old and has a similar feel to older eastern cities, e.g. Boston. It has long been a bar-hopping partyhood.

The Hill is our Little Italy. And it really is an authentically Italian neighborhood, not a tourist creation. The smell of the trattorias and bakeries permeates the streets.

For architecture, a walk around Lafayette Square will showcase 1800s Victorian architecture. It's an architectural gem. Several cafes and a few breweries are in the neighborhood.

[Old Trafford]

Lots of good suggestions above -here are mine

- Lafayette Square - One of the better preserved 19th century neighborhoods in the Midwest - great park

- The Hill - Authentic Italian neighborhood - great food options, restaurants, delis, bakeries, little grocers etc...

- The Loop - Wash U's student neighborhood

- Central West End - The best urban walking neighborhood in the city

- Shaw - East of the Botanical Garden - good housing with corner neighborhood retail

- Tower Grove South - South of Tower Grove Park - Similar to Shaw

- Wash U Campus - great to walk around - Just finished a large expansion to the east

- Forest Park - Huge - Touches the Central West End, Wash U and not far from the Loop - Has the Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, lakes, trails, restaurants -

- St. Louis has suburban centers that are pleasant - Downtown Kirkwood, Webster, Maplewood, and Clayton - The neighborhoods surrounding downtown Clayton have nice housing - More of a park like setting

Have fun

[Old Trafford]

Originally Posted by Old Trafford

Lots of good suggestions above -here are mine

- Lafayette Square - One of the better preserved 19th century neighborhoods in the Midwest - great park

- The Hill - Authentic Italian neighborhood - great food options, restaurants, delis, bakeries, little grocers etc...

- The Loop - Wash U's student neighborhood

- Central West End - The best urban walking neighborhood in the city

- Shaw - East of the Botanical Garden - good housing with corner neighborhood retail

- Tower Grove South - South of Tower Grove Park - Similar to Shaw

- Wash U Campus - great to walk around - Just finished a large expansion to the east

- Forest Park - Huge - Touches the Central West End, Wash U and not far from the Loop - Has the Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, lakes, trails, restaurants -

- St. Louis has suburban centers that are pleasant - Downtown Kirkwood, Webster, Maplewood, and Clayton - The neighborhoods surrounding downtown Clayton have nice housing - More of a park like setting

Have fun

Forget to add The Grove - Specifically the stretch of Manchester between Kingshighway and Vandeventer -

[STLgasm]

All the suggestions so far are great. Cherokee Street is another good one- easily the most diverse commercial district in the city (in my opinion). From Lemp on the east to Gravois on the west, the street is filled with a kaleidoscope of businesses, galleries restaurants and cultures. Cherokee Street is never dull!

DeMun, just west of Forest Park, is another charming and often-overlooked neighborhood that is fun to explore on foot.

[STL74]

Central West End is the most complete urban neighborhood. A lot of restaurants, shops, chess museum, and cool architecture.

The Grove is probably the best example of a neighborhood completely turning itself around over the last 10+ years.

I love Lafayette Square too, especially the housing around the park.

Grand Ave. for international foods.

The suburban areas of Kirkwood, Maplewood, Clayton, U City Loop (straddles the line of city and suburbs).

So, basically what everyone has already said

[Macmurphy1980]

There are so many good city neighborhoods. When I lived there, I lived in Central West End and frequented the Loop as well. But to repeat the usually repeatable - Soulard, Lafayette, The Hill, Tower Grove South, The Grove, Shaw, Dogtown, Southhampton, Cherokee ...