St. Louis Information

Population: 396,700 in the city center; 2.56 million in the greater St. Louis area

Elevation: 585 feet

Area: 6,397 sq. miles (greater St. Louis area)

Location: St. Louis lies on the Mississippi River at the junction of I-70, I-55, and I-44, a 290 mile 5 hour drive southwest of Chicago

Time Zone: Central Standard Time (when it is noon in St. Louis, it is 1:00pm in New York City and 10:00am in California.) Missouri observes Daylight Saving Time from April-October.

To check on the time: 321-2522

Weather information: 321-2222

When to Go

Each season in St. Louis has its special attraction for visitors. In the Spring the city blooms with color, and the St. Louis Cardinals get started once again. Summers are pleasantly warm, sometimes hot, and the many and varied events keep visitors coming back year after year. Fall brings clear, crisp days and nature paints the trees in glorious color. The Rams start their football season. Winter crowds are smaller, but there are many things to see and enjoy. Winter Wonderland thrills visitors to Tiles Park, as does Santa's Magical Kingdom near Six Flags. The zoo features many indoor exhibits to be enjoyed.

National Holidays:

New Year's Day Jan. 1

Martin Luther King, Jr., Day 3rd Mon. in Jan.

President's Day 3rd Mon. in Feb.

Memorial Day last Mon. in May

Independence Day July 4

Labor Day 1st Mon. in Sept.

Thanksgiving Day 4th Thurs. in Nov.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dec. 24 and 25

New Year's Eve Dec. 31

Business Hours

Most banks are open from 10 - 4 Monday through Friday. Many are open for several hours on Saturday. Most businesses in St. Louis are open Monday through Saturday, from 9 or 10 AM to 6 or 9 PM. Many others, including shopping centers, are also open Sunday from noon to 5 or later.

Most museums in St. Louis are open Tuesday through Sunday. A few are also open on Monday. Major attractions are open daily.

Emergencies

Ambulance ( 911). Fire ( 911). Police ( 911).

Hospital Emergency Room:

Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center : 3635 Vista Ave., 577-8000

Electricity

The U.S. electrical standard is 110 volts60 cycles AC. Visitors from other countries, traveling with dual-voltage appliances will not need a converter, but they will need a plug adapter. The standard U.S. electrical outlet takes a plug of two flat pins set parallel to one another.

Telephones

The country code for the United States is 1. The area code for St. Louis is 314.

Tipping

At restaurants, a 15% tip is standard for waiters

Getting There

Flights arrive at Lambert St. Louis International Airport (tel. 314-426-8000), which is about 20 minutes northwest of downtown.

Some sample flying times are: from New York 21/2 hours, from London 81/2 hours.

By Train

Amtrak

550 S. 16th St.

314-331-3300 or 800-872-7245

provides daily train service between St. Louis and Kansas City and Chicago. The Texas Eagle, which runs between Chicago, Dallas, and San Antonio with connecting service to Los Angeles, stops in St. Louis.

The MetroLink (tel. 314-231-2345) travels between the airport and the downtown riverfront, with stops at Laclede's Landing, downtown (at 8th and Pine), Busch Stadium, Union Station, Central West End, Forest Park (where visitors transfer to a shuttle bus for park attractions), and other neighborhoods. One way tickets, round trip and day passes are available. Travel is free on weekdays from 11:30am to 1:30pm between Union Station and Laclede's Landing.

By Car

St. Louis lies on the Mississippi River at the junction of I-70, I-55, and I-44, a 290-mile 5-hour drive southwest of Chicago. From I-70, I-55, and I-44 follow the exits for downtown St. Louis. From U.S. 40 I-64, exit at Broadway.

Getting Around

Explore the downtown sights on foot; a car is needed elsewhere.

By Bus

Call the St. Louis Transit Information Line at 314-231-2345 or 618-271-2345 for schedules.

By Car

Broadway and Jefferson Avenue are major north-south streets running through downtown. Washington Avenue runs east-west leading to the Eads Bridge. Wharf Line runs along the riverfront.

MetroLink ( 314-231-2345), the city's light-rail system, has a single line running between the airport, downtown, and East St. Louis. It stops near major attractions downtown, including Union Station, Busch Stadium, and the Kiel Center. Rides are free between Laclede's Landing and Union Station weekdays from 11:30-1:30.

Neighborhoods

The Hill

From Downtown St. Louis,

take I-64 west to Kings highway south and turn west on Shaw.

This is the neighborhood where Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola grew up. The area was settled in the early 1900s by Italian immigrants who brought their traditions, foods and sense of community to St. Louis.

Soulard & Benton Park

From downtown St. Louis, take Broadway south;

continue south on Seventh Street to Lafayette.

Known for blues music, the lively Soulard neighborhood was named

for Antoine Soulard, a native of France who surveyed colonial St. Louis for

the King of Spain. Many of the neighborhood music clubs, pubs and

restaurants have courtyards paved with St. Louis brick.

Soulard Farmers Market, open continuously since 1779, is open

Wednesday - Saturday offering fresh produce, baked goods, and a variety of spices.

Central West End

647-6222

Lined with beautiful turn-of-the-century homes on tree lined streets (called Private

Places), the neighborhood is filled with trendy boutiques, imaginative

restaurants, sidewalk cafés and cozy neighborhood pubs. Specialty shops, the

boyhood apartment home of playwright Tennessee Williams, and a collection of

art and antique galleries also dot the stately streets.

The beautiful Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, covered inside with the

world's largest collection of mosaic art, is one of the anchors of this district.

Lafayette Park

Lafayette Square

From downtown St. Louis take Market Street west to Jefferson Avenue south and turn east on Park

Known as the "Victorian Heart of St. Louis," the park was

established in 1836 as the first public park west of the Mississippi River. A

drive around the park is the best way to sample the architecture of the

French Second Empire townhouses and sandstone row houses, some of which

house elegant bed and breakfast inns.

Grand South Grand & Tower Grove Park

From downtown St. Louis,

take I-64 west to the Grand exit and continue south on Grand. This neighborhood is noted for its restaurants, many of which reflect the cultures of Vietnam, Thailand, and China.

Tower Grove Park is filled with ornate band strands and whimsical gazebos. Opened in 1868, the Victorian-walking park is one of only four urban parks in the country designated as a National Historic Landmark. Next to the park, the acclaimed Missouri Botanical Garden welcomes visitors and researchers from around the world throughout the year.

The Ville

From downtown St. Louis, take 12th Street (Tucker) north, continue north on

Natural Bridge, turn south on Grand the west on St. Louis Avenue.

St. Louis' most historically significant African-American neighborhood,

is home to Sumner High School, the first school west of the Mississippi to provide secondary education for black students.

Clayton

From downtown St. Louis, take I-64 west to Hanley Road north, or from the

Forest Park MetroLink station, take the yellow and black Shuttle Bee bus

into Clayton and the nearby Galleria Shopping mall. For more information,

call 746-0473. Fascinating shops, a diverse selection of fine art galleries, dozens of

restaurants, fine hotels and special events have all found a home in the

heart of the Clayton's Central Business District. Dining in Clayton

with purveyors of gourmet cuisine nestled among tall office buildings, elegant specialty retailers and rows of charming antique shops.

Gallery Night receptions are held six times a year in the area's 15 art galleries

Laclede's Landing

The Landing, located just north of the Gateway Arch, is an easy walk from all points in

downtown St. Louis. MetroLink Light rail stops at the Laclede Landing

station. In downtown St. Louis, drivers can take Memorial Drive north to

Washington Avenue east to Landing and Arch parking. For more information,

call 241-5875. A brief stroll from the America's Center convention complex or the

Gateway Arch, the Laclede Landing entertainment district transports visitors

back to St. Louis' river city past. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride through

cobblestone streets, visit a riverboat casino, or enjoy a sumptuous dinner

in the district named for St. Louis' French founder, Pierre Laclede. Ornate

brick warehouses that once stored tobacco and cotton from the holds of

steamboats now contain a variety of restaurants and music clubs.

Kirkwood

From downtown St. Louis, take I-44 west to

Lindbergh north for downtown Kirkwood and the Magic House, or south for

Laumeier Sculpture Park and Powder Valley. For more information, call (800--)

231-4331.

Lovely restaurants, a National Historic Landmark train station, and a

downtown shopping district with an authentic small town flavor are

just a start for visitors to Kirkwood. The community, which was the first

planned suburb west of the Mississippi, also holds the popular Magic

House children's museum and the Museum of Transportation where visitors can

see restored trains, street cars, automobiles and trolley cars.

The Loop

The Loop is home to dozens of stores, ethnic and

American restaurants, and the Tivoli, a restored movie theatre specializing

in international and limited release films.

Webster Groves

From downtown St. Louis, take I-44 west to Elm north. For more

information, call 962-4142.

Just 15 minutes from downtown St. Louis, this historic community is

filled with shops, specialty restaurants and century old homes.

Webster Groves is also home to Webster University and the

Loretto-Hilton Theatre, where productions by the Repertory Theatre of St.

Louis and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis are staged each year.