My heart is BROKEN. I've been gone 20 years. I just moved back to StL. The charming personality of the CWE I grew up with is GONE! The neighborhood was salvaged (in the 60s and 70s) by the LGBT community (30 + years ago) and made it a very desirable place to live and hang out. It's ALL gone! It's now over priced with straight Yuppie and now 'gentrified'. It breaks my heart. But most investors know after the gay community fixes up a suffering neighborhood, it's prime for a takeover. That means the original grand buildings will be torn down or 'fixed' to where the old neighborhood vibe is totally GONE. My heart is broken. read more

I absolutely love the Central West End!!!! My absolute favorite spots are located here: Taste Bar and Jenny's Splendid Ice Cream. Also many of my go-to frequents are here:Evangeline's, Dressel's Pub and Scottish Arms. There is soo much to do and see in this part of town, all in walking distance. You have countless amazing eateries, shops, art galleries, wine galleries, clubs and grocery stores. You are covered as far as hospitals and hotels. I have to say the parking is a challenge sometimes, so I go at what I consider optune times for me and what I'm trying to achieve. They have an amazing annual Halloween party. The homes are beautiful and there are plenty of restaurants with great patio seating that your fur-baby can go to dinner with you. The CWE offers such an amazing variety of activities there is something for everyone. read more

Great area for dining, night life, shopping, mingling, biking, jogging, treats, dog-walking or just a leisurely stroll through a beautifully historic area of St. Louis. If you live in a virtual world grab a window seat at Starbucks or Coffee Cartel. If you're a drinker Gamblin Whiskey House will have exactly what you need. Chocolate lovers can flock to Bissinger's. Kids (both miniature and full-sized) The Cup has an assortment of cupcakes no one can deny. If smokes are your thing grab a seat outside Brennan's cigar bar or checkout the live entertainment inside the shop as well. Brennan's is also a well known spot chess players. Straub's and Golden Grocer will have specialty grocery items. Drunken Fish and Sub Zero Vodka Bar will handle your sushi needs. If you'd like to catch a movie The Chase park plaza Hotel has a theater inside its main lobby. There's also lounges, a pool, full service spa and restaurants inside as well. Whatever your pleasure, you can't lose exploring elegant CWE. Thanks me later. read more

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The Central West End isn't my least favorite neighborhood in STL, but it's not my absolute favorite..or in the top 5 for many different reasons. All around it's a nice area for upscale dining and some chains and high end shopping. There are also a few clubs in the area too. I don't find it much of a "going out" spot as some people do, but I don't enjoy spending 7 dollars for a cheap vodka water at sub zero just to say I'm in the CWE. There are a variety of restaurants, they are on the quite expensive range. Wildflower, pokedoke, 1764 public house, gamlin whiskey house, Tom's Bar, and iTap are all pretty decent and I genuinely enjoy the food/atmosphere at all of these locations. Also look into Dressel's, Burro Loco, Bar Italia, and a little down from the Maryland plaza area is Pi pizza. This is also where your local Lululemon, Straubs, Froyo, Starbucks, The Cake (cup cakes--the best), and of course Washington University/Barnes Jewish Hospital is right next door!! Which means...parking and driving down here is an absolute nightmare. You have to be on your A Game for stop signs, pedestrians, there's ALWAYS traffic, and bikers. There's not a ton of street parking for what's there, there are garages on Euclid for public parking! PAY THE METER HERE. They LOVE to issue parking citations here even if it's within the minute. The homes and scenery are beautiful though. Getting there on Kingshighway last BJC is awful and always so congested though..also look out for CONSTANT construction and lengthy lights. I would keep valuables with you or in the trunk, not in the car too. Overall the CWE is average in quality but very overpriced for what it is. To live down here it is QUITE expensive for the same thing you can get a mile away in South City or St. Louis Hills. read more

Of course I'm going to give the Central West End (CWE) a glowing report. This is where I live and play and eat. Everything you need is within walking distance. It's a short driving distance away from Clayton, the Hill, downtown, Washington University and St. Louis University and The Fox Theater. Barnes Jewish Hospital is what I think is the best medical facility around. We also have Children's and Shriner's hospitals. The boundaries are going east to west, Vandeventer to Kingshighway and north to south Delmar to Interstate 64 ( or 40 if you grew up here). It's historical. Most of the homes were built from 1909 to 1911. See where T. S. Eliot, Tennessee Williams and William S. Burroughs lived. Look at the beautiful architecture of the buildings. Just looking at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is enough to take your breath away. You want to see more art? Visit Houska Gallery, Duane Reed Gallery and more for beautiful art work for sale. Or the Vino Gallery to buy a bottle of white, a bottle of red, etc for when you get home and end your evening. There are grocery stores (Schnuck's and Straub's and soon to be Whole Foods). There are apartments (The Orion, Hampden Hall). The Chase Park Plaza has a wonderful movie theater. IKEA-we have IKEA! The CWE is also home to the World Chess Hall of Fame recognizable by the giant chess piece outside. You need to buy a new outfit. Try Enchanted Embellishments or Libby's for a casual or dressy outfit. You want to work out? Lululemon has athletic wear. Jewelry to finish your outfit? The Silver Lady has what your heart desires. And to end it all, your hair. The Paul Mitchell School is here along with Lemon Spalon, Jason Evans, Great Clips, Philip Johnson Salon/Spa just to name a few. A book to read while getting your hair done? Left Bank Books on Writers Corner is the place to go. For the icing on the cake, choose one of the nail salons that are in the CWE. After walking around now you're hungry. Breakfast, lunch, dinner or brunch on the weekend. I can't name every restaurant that is in the CWE, but I can tell you that any type of food you are craving is here. Italian, French, Mexican, Chinese, Indian or Cajun. Sushi at Sub Zero Vodka Bar and Drunken Fish to mention a couple. In the nice weather you can dine alfresco (outside) and if you have a well behaved dog, they are more than welcomed to dine outside with you. You're almost ready to end your evening, but you would like a little something sweet. Cookies (Insomnia and Hot Box), cupcakes (The Cup) or chocolate from Bissinger's. Ice cream from the Coffee Cartel or Fro Yo across the street or Jeni's. No something else? An after dinner drink for you and a cigar for your man. Brennan's is the place for you. What? You're not ready to go home yet? Okay, go to the Improv Shop for comedy or Club Viva for dancing or the Mandarin Lounge for the rooftop lounge. Time to end your day. Get your car to go home and don't mind me. I'm just a short walk from here. read more

The Central West End is a Pedestrian's Paradise. Within a concentrated area your feet can carry you to an Oasis of food, fun, and phenomenal people watching. It's also a very pet friendly area. You'll see people walking their fur babies and businesses setting out water and treats. While vehicles do drive through the streets, you'll see far more people than cars. Parking can be a bit like a treasure hunt within the Maryland Plaza area, but there are garages and street options within a few blocks. You just may have to circle once or twice to find your spot. Some of my personal favorites are: - coffee shops: Coffee Cartel, Starbucks, STL Coffee Oasis & Mediterranean Cafe, - restaurants: Pi Pizzeria, Bar Italia, Dressel's, Tortillaria, Little Saigon, Central Table, Brasserie, Taste, El Burro Loco, Scape, The Block, Wild Flower - galleries: Duane Reed, The Vino Gallery - specialty gift stores & boutiques: Cassie's Fragrance, lululemon, The Silver Lady, Bowood Farms, The Great Frame Up, The Vino Gallery - sweet tooth spots: Bissinger's Handcrafted Chocolates, Insomnia Cookies, Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream, Fro Yo - the best cupcakes in The Lou: The Cup, a MUST VISIT and deserves a category on it's on - books: STL Public Library, Left Bank Books - adult beverages: Sub Zero Vodka Bar, Gamlin Whiskey House, The Preston, Taste, Retreat Gastropub - delis: Pickles Deli, Straub's - hotels: Chase Park Plaza, Forrest Park Holiday Inn - grocers: Straub's, Whole Foods (new) - movie theatre: Chase Park Cinema - historical architecture: Cathedral Basillica (world famous mosaics), historic district homes - park: the spectacular, Forrest Park Come find your favorites! Even if you've been here before, come back. There are retail and foodie paradise developments that promise new treasures. With every step, taste, sight, and sound, you'll enjoy the CWE! read more

Central West End - Spring in the CWE. It's a beautiful spot for pedestrians! - Local Flavor Near Me

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I love the CWE! I mean, how can you not? It's a destination with a lot of fun, happening (slightly overpriced) shops, bars, and restaurants. Anchored by the Chase Park Plaza (one of the swankiest hotels in St. Louis), which also includes a few nice bars and restaurants, a movie theater. In terms of the variety of destinations in the CWE, there's a few sushi restaurants (Subzero, Drunken Fish), pizza (Pi), desserts (Coffee Cartel, Jeni's Splendid, Fro-yo, Insomnia Cookies, Hotbox Cookies, Bissinger's Chocolates), Mexican food (El Burro Loco, Mission Taco), grocery stores (Straub's, Whole Foods), cool bars (Brennan's, Taste), clubs (Viva, Mandarin), cool brunch spots (WildFlower, Scape, Brassier), taverns (Llewellyn's, Dressel's), art galleries (Project +), and so much more! If that weren't enough places to visit there, some of my other favorite places are Evangeline's Bistro and Music House, Left-Bank Books, and BC's Hookah Lounge (if you like that sort of thing). The CWE also is a popular destination for special block parties including the annual Halloween Costume Contest which is awesome! There's a public library located in CWE as well. My only gripe with CWE is that parking SUUUUUUUUUUUCKS! I guess I should say, parking doesn't suck, just the options for FREE parking suck. It's always packed there because it's such a hot spot, but there are a few paid parking lots, a paid parking garage, and valet at many popular destinations there. Just plan on arriving early to allow for the circling around you may have to do for convenient parking. read more

Great area when nobody gets shot. Lots of restaurants, bars, boutiques. Pleasant walkway. Fountain by Bissingers is one of the favorite spots for picture taking. You can eat food from many countries or chill at the hookah lounge. Grab coffee at Starbucks or coffee cartel. Walk and enjoy historic buildings and old, beautifully designed city lights. Great place for people watching or showing off (; In case you feel guilty for overeating, you can always stop by LuluLemon store and get some stylish yoga apparel and fool yourself into near future frequent workout pledge. read more

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I personally love the Central West End (CWE) as I have lived here and in it for more than 5 years. I love the fact that the neighborhood is clean and safe and people who live here are friendly and there is a ton to do! I am going to highlight things I love to do in the CWE! 1. All who visit the CWE need to go see the Cathedral Basilica! This is a Roman Catholic Church and is a Basilica because they have a sitting Archbishop! I attend the Basilica each week and they do Sunday mass at 8:30am, 10am, 12pm, and 5pm! All are welcome for a traditional catholic mass. You can also walk in any time or take a tour! 2. The World Chess Museum! Sounds corny I'm sure but it's not it's amazing and if you like playing you can go and play and learn about some of the best players out there! 3. The Chase Park Plaza Hotel! They have several bars, a movie theater and a hair salon all located inside. If you go to the movie or visit a bar or restaurant they do complementary valet parking! 4. Restaurants tons!!! So many different flavors and types of food you will not go hungry! 5. Bars! No matter if your looking for a dive bar like Rosie's, or a classy dance club like the Madrid there are clubs and bars for anyone! 6. Love the Halloween party where they shut down several streets and have a massive party for adults! 7. Architecture the houses are beautiful. Drive down some of the streets and take in the amazing houses and the well kept yards! I am sure you will enjoy your visit to the CWE!!! read more

I would not even give this restaurant one star but Yelp wouldn't let me! This was the worst restaurant I have ever been to. I'm not a picky person. When we sat down we were told that these were new menus and they did not have three items. We ordered bloody Mary's and the rim was dipped in simple syrup before salt. After ordering we waited for over an hour for food. There was one other table in the restaurant. I ordered the shrimp and grits which was listed as having a kick. The shrimp and grits contained mango, currents and was SWEET. When we told the server our concerns she sent the chef out. He came to the table and in a very rude tone said, "I hear you have a problem with the food?" We told him that the shrimp and grits did not fit the description. He said, "yes, there is Sriracha in the sauce." We again reiterated, sorry, this was not what a typical shrimp and grits tastes like. He replied with, "That bad? I will let Louisiana know." Then walked away. There is a picture of the eggs Benedict attached here as well. These eggs were hard boiled. St. Louis has so much to offer. Don't visit this restaurant! read more

Central West End - The 'classic eggs benedict' and potatoes. - Local Flavor Near Me

I don't like to hate on the city. I have been a resident of the city at two different times in my life in two completely different neighborhoods of which one was the Central West End. I went to the CWE on 10/29 for the Halloween festivities. Quite a large crowd at the event and everything was bustling. Great for the city and the CWE. My complaint is in the square of McPherson to Euclid to Maryland to Taylor and back to McPherson on this night the odors that were present from what was presumably some sort of sewer problem were a complete buzzkill to the whole night. This couldn't have had anything to do with the event, the garbage, or the amount of people in the area. It had only to do with some sort of sewer gas issue that needs to be corrected immediately. It made hanging out outdoors and eating outdoors on a patio almost unbearable. Sorry but get this taken care of! read more