Welcome back to my neighborhood spotlight series. Through these spotlights I will take you on a tour of St. Louis’ neighborhoods to help you get to know the city a little better. Find the perfect neighborhood that maybe you didn’t even know you were looking for, or at least find a new place to check out.
Lafayette Square is where I call home and have found such a great community of people here. It’s great to be a local!
Where – Lafayette Square is located on the city’s near south side and is bordered by Truman Parkway to the east and Jefferson to the west, Chouteau to the north and I-44 to the south. This neighborhood is easy to get to downtown with easy highway access to I-44, I-64, and I-55.
History – one of St. Louis’ oldest neighborhoods and at the time was the place to be. Benton Place was one of the first private streets in America. The park was created by local ordinance in 1836. A tornado did significant damage in 1896, while some rebuilt, the neighborhood entered a period of decline until urban pioneers in the late 1960’s came to the rescue. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
This neighborhood has a lot of history, read more on the neighborhood website or Wikipedia.
Events – House Tours are a cornerstone of events in the neighborhood. There are concerts and movies in the park, Halloween parades, annual bike races (if you haven’t been, these are normally over the Labor Day weekend every year and worth experiencing), and more.
Eating & Drinking – oh so many options, you will not run out and will soon find your favorites, go-to’s, and date night spots. There are a few worth mentioning, but by all means this is not an exhaustive list. If you dig brunch, this is the neighborhood to be in!
- Planter’s House this James Beard semi-finalist is a favorite of mine. The hand crafted cocktails are amazing.
- Square One Brewery & Distillery this is our neighborhood go to, where it’s nice to be recognized by the bartenders. The patio is amazing for dining al fresco.
- Sqwires is another neighborhood go-to. They also have a market for local grocery and deli goods and an awesome event space. This event space is where the neighborhood association meets once a month and Sqwires serves up drinks and small plates afterwards, allowing for great neighbor socialization.
- Eleven Eleven Mississippi (rustic Tuscan) is special to me, we held our wedding dinner in the wine room. The service here is awesome.
- Vin De Set for French bistro vibes
- 21st Street Brewers Bar with over 50 beers on draft (many local) this is great cozy underground space that also has a nice beer garden.
- Mayo Ketchup for some delish Puerto Rican/Cuban food. The Cubano is just amazing, but you really can’t go wrong with anything here.
- Polite Society is a great place for elevated food choices in a hip space, great for a nice date night
- 33 Wine Bar not only is this a bar with an attractive patio, this is a shop you can get great wine advice from the bartenders for wine to go.
- Bailey’s Chocolate Bar a dessert and martini bar – need I say more? Oh yeah, those chocolate chip cookies…yum.
- Park Ave Coffee drop in for a coffee and gooey butter cake
I suggest a Lafayette Square progressive dinner evening: start with cocktails at Planter’s House, take a short walk up Mississippi to Eleven Eleven Mississippi for dinner, after that continue up Mississippi to Park Ave and on to Bailey’s Chocolate Bar for dessert or a yummy chocolate martini. Round your evening off with a stroll back to your car checking out the beautiful historic neighborhood.
Dressed too nice to walk far? Keep it all within a few doors of each other on Park Ave: start at 33 Wine Bar with a nice glass of wine, then Polite Society for dinner and end at Bailey’s Chocolate Bar.
For a more casual evening: start at Square One for a beer, head down Park Ave to Mayo Ketchup for Puerto Rican/Cuban dinner, then head up Mississippi enjoying the beautiful homes that line the park, head east on Kennett to 18th Street to Clementine’s Creamery for the best ice cream. Then walk it off as you head back towards Park Ave.
Shopping – Four Muddy Paws takes care of all your pet needs, including grooming services
Services – Acosta Hair Design, J. Arthurs Salon, Lafayette Square Chiropractic Centre, Pastel Devil Tattoo Studio, Kardlash, Modern Dollar, Nu-Look Cleaners
Things to see – Lafayette Park, Historic homes on tree lined streets, Fountain Plaza, LS Community Garden, this neighbor hood has churches: check out one or all 3 (don’t get confused as some former churches are now residential units).
Development – There is a lot of development going on in The Edge District of Lafayette Square. Currently there are multiple project in the works including a 128 unit apartment building that construction has already started on, 14 residential unit custom homes, and a mixed use 34 unit New York style apartment building and retail with additional phases and development available.
Once the MLS soccer stadium is complete (across the highway), that will make a total of 3 sports stadiums/arenas (Enterprise Center and Busch Stadium) within a short distance of Lafayette Square.
Neighbors – Lafayette Square has an active neighborhood association (LSRC) that promotes volunteerism to keep the neighborhood as place we all want to live. You will want to become a member and enjoy the great connections you can make while part of this awesome community.
Interested in Lafayette Square?
Come visit for the day or a few hours, check a bar or restaurant, do some shopping, picnic in the park or my favorite – take a walk around the neighborhood.
Interested in viewing properties for sale? Reach out and I would be glad to show you around.
** side note, this is being published during COVID-19 pandemic, some places are closed for the season or offering different hours, schedules, etc. Please check directly with any establishments for current offerings.