Downtown, St. Louis

Downtown St. Louis is a very special place -- but it's a shame the majority of the St. Louis area feels otherwise. Yes, the city government isn't the most efficient, but more people in the area need to embrace urban living and appreciate the downtown we have.

There's world-class attractions (City Museum, Sculpture Park), some of the best dining you'll find in the region (Mosaic, Wasabi, J. Buck's, Dubliner), and a vibrant, walkable community.

The biggest downfall of downtown St. Louis is the passive local government, who spends more time looking out for their "good ol' boys club" than the residents. The other problem is the seemingly overwhelming focus on parking and cars -- parking garages are the most important commodity, and many people refuse to use (or vote to fund) public transportation. As a result, bus service and light rail services are highly inefficient and under-funded. People in the area generally view St. Louis downtown as unsafe at night; this is untrue, unless interacting with different ethnicity is scary to you.

Most businesses don't feel the need to cater to downtown residents, and close around 3-4PM; some places have begun to open catering to those around past "closing time", and hopefully this will continue to improve.

Right now, it still feels as if those living downtown are pioneers of the urban area -- hopefully, as more people warm up to urban living in St. Louis, more people and resources will move into the area.