3.5 Stars…read more
Washington Avenue is a 1.8 mile long road that runs on the northern edge of downtown St. Louis from Jefferson Street * to the Eads Bridge. It is much more than a road. It is an asphalt bridge connecting St. Louis history to its future. It is to St. Louis what the 16th Street Mall is to Denver, Fremont Street is to Las Vegas, and Bourbon Street is to New Orleans. It is also a vital urban entertainment corridor. Or in the words of the American Planning Association, it is an urban canyon.
Washington Avenue is an urban canyon that begins life at the Illinois /Missouri State line on the Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River. A few hundred feet after entering Missouri the downtown canyon appears. Now on St. Louis soil, it borders the Gateway Arch National Park at the south and Laclede's Landing at the north. After passing under I-44 it travels by office towers, hotels, the Blues Museum, MX Theaters, and restaurants. After passing America's Center it transitions into the Washington Avenue historic district west of 8th Street. Bordering the road are a sundry of buildings that date back to the early 19th century and early 1920s. In 2018 many of the buildings have been converted to lofts, restaurants, shops, and bars. Beyond Jefferson Street, it changes into Washington Boulevard on its way to the Midtown Theater District.
Washington Avenue deserves recognition for historic preservation. As a matter of fact, the Embassy Suites that we stayed in is a historic building. It is in the former Stix, Baer, and Fuller Department Store that operated from 1892 to 1984. Dillard's would take over. In 1985, St. Louis City Centre Mall opened here. For years it was a retail powerhouse. In the 1990s it hit hard times until it closed in the 2000s. Macy's would also close. By 2018, the City Centre Mall would be revitalized. And by 2018 retail would be generally be gone from the urban canyon.
Speaking of gone, the NFL Rams have been gone from St. Louis since 2015. Their St. Louis home was in America's Center off Washington Avenue. As a consequence America's Center is out of the running for the most upbeat building. When the Rams left they seemed to have tackled the spirit of America's Center. Everyday I'd walk by a large empty shell of a building that seemed to be crying out for a professional team. When I walked by America's Center it was usually on the way to the Marriott Starbuck's or the Washington Avenue Historic District to check out restaurants.
The Washington Avenue Historic District is the antithesis of its America's Center frontage. Nestled in historic buildings are restaurants and bars that include:
Blondies Coffee & Wine Bar
Nara Cafe & Hookah Lounge
Rosalita's Cantina
314 City Bar (I ate there 4 Stars).
Flamingo Bowl
Mango
and Over Under Bar Grill.
This is the heart of Washington Avenue. Under wires of festival light bulbs spanning the urban canyon historic buildings are decorative lamp posts, sidewalk tables, and wide sidewalks. I was disheartened to read in a St. Louis Times article that some of the patterned pavement was torn out during a utilities project.
Walking east of the 7th Street Embassy Suites are more restaurants. They include:
Sugarfire (I rated it 3 stars)
My Pie (I rated it 4 Stars)
Tigin Irish Pub (I rated it 4 Stars)
and Snow Factory.
Walking this direction leads to Laclede's Landing, Gateway Arch National Park, and ultimately the state of Illinois. My observation was that Washington Avenue east of America's Center seemed to be more automobile centric than pedestrian centric. If I was devoid of Google Maps, as a pedestrian I would have the slightest clue that I was headed towards the entrances of Laclede's Landing and Gateway National Park. However I would have a major clue of "Junction Interstate 44 To Interstates 70, 55, 64, and US 40" ahead. It would be nice if the entranceways to the landing and national park were as noticeable as the Interstate 44 underpass. At nighttime, in this car centric stretch, I observed sparse pedestrian activity east of 6th Street.
My favorite spot in the St. Louis urban canyon east of America's Center is the 12 foot tall bull and bear Statue in front of the Stifel Financial Tower. It is "Forces." It is a Yelp Business Listing worthy attraction.
In conclusion, Washington Avenue heads in the right direction. In this direction it will improve downtown with new businesses and homes that will further improve its economy while preserving its past.
