Travel: St. Louis is an underrated great American city

I went to St. Louis with modest expectations. I left wondering why I had waited five years to return.

My visit earlier this month reacquainted me with one of the country’s truly great cities. Its challenges are considerable, but so are its attractions. Between the architecture, history, museums and neighborhoods, there was far more to see than I could fit into a long weekend.

I stayed at the Hyatt Regency, a slightly tired but otherwise typical big-city hotel that seems geared toward meetings and events. The location, however, couldn’t be beaten.

The Gateway Arch was right outside my window. Perhaps the defining legacy of midcentury architect Eero Saarinen, its sweeping silhouette was the last thing I saw before bed and the first upon waking.

A short walk away is Busch Stadium, the red-brick home of baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals. Their season was over, but the surrounding neighborhood hadn’t closed up shop. In Ballpark Village, restaurants and hotels draw visitors beyond game day.

Also nearby is Enterprise Center, home of hockey’s St. Louis Blues. Two landmarks recall the city’s architectural ambition: Union Station, with its monumental Richardsonian Romanesque design, and the Renaissance-inspired City Hall, which looks like a guild hall from somewhere in France or the Low Countries.

Downtown could use more retail. Still, I felt comfortable walking from my hotel and encountered no problems.

What may surprise visitors most is the city’s rich history.

Founded in 1764, St. Louis emerged as the Seven Years’ War reordered North America. France had ceded territory to Britain and, later, Spain. In 1780, soldiers and locals, predominantly of French extraction, defended St. Louis against a British-led force that was mostly composed of Indian allies. It was the westernmost battle of the American Revolution.

Following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, St. Louis became the gateway to the West. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, whose journey to the Pacific opened the continent, belong to that history, as do the traders, trappers and explorers whose routes helped guide the pioneers.

I also discovered Lafayette Square, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. Stately antebellum and postbellum mansions, inspired by the then-fashionable Second Empire and Italianate styles, face Lafayette Park.

The park is a fine place for a walk. Look for the bronze statue of Thomas Hart Benton, the Missouri senator and champion of Manifest Destiny.

Bellefontaine Cemetery is a worthwhile stop, where some of St. Louis’ most prominent citizens are buried. Also an arboretum, it has publicly accessible walking trails through grounds filled with obelisks and mausoleums resembling classical temples and Gothic chapels.

Among those buried here is Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame. His memorial includes an obelisk and a sculpted bust.

In 1904, St. Louis hosted both the Olympics and a world’s fair. The fair’s legacy endures in Forest Park, which dwarfs Lafayette Park and holds its own against New York’s more famous (but smaller) Central Park.

Forest Park is home to the Saint Louis Art Museum, whose original building was designed for the fair. General admission is free — a bargain for a collection of this caliber.

The Missouri History Museum is housed in the Jefferson Memorial Building. The building honors the president whose Louisiana Purchase expanded a fledgling country. Admission is free here too. The museum’s substantial exhibits on the fair recall an era when international expositions celebrated industrial progress and advertised national ambition. For the United States, such events helped proclaim its arrival as a great power.

I could have given Forest Park a full day, especially with the unusually warm weather and fall colors approaching their peak. Instead, I was fitting it around museums, neighborhoods and other stops that deserved more time than I had allowed. My mistake was giving St. Louis only a weekend.

If you go

I flew in and rented a car, but most visitors could get around with Uber or another ride-hailing service.

An alternative to the Hyatt Regency is the St. Louis Union Station Hotel, part of Hilton’s somewhat upscale Curio Collection. Its operating standard is about the same, but the architecture is another matter. The Grand Hall is worth seeing even if you stay elsewhere.

Other museum options include the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University, the Saint Louis University Museum of Art and Soldiers Memorial Military Museum. All three offer free admission.

The Hyatt Regency has a Morton’s, which is perfectly fine. But you probably didn’t come to St. Louis to eat at a chain steakhouse. Head to Ballpark Village for Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria. Also nearby is Broadway Oyster Bar.

A short drive from downtown in the Hill, a traditional Italian American neighborhood that reminded me of Little Italy in Cleveland, is Charlie Gitto’s.

Writing a travel column, I have eaten at plenty of restaurants over the years, but this one stands out. The family-owned restaurant — Gitto’s daughter works at the maitre d’ stand — has an old-school elegance and character, with a few characters among its customers. The menu goes well beyond the usual red-sauce dishes. I took a booth facing the bar. When Gitto appeared, he seemed puzzled to find me there. As he explained, I was sitting in “his office.” You know you’re in for a memorable meal when you’re next to the owner.

Trip planning resources are available through Explore St. Louis.

Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post.