If you have seen the first Sex and the City film, your main reference for St Louis might be Carrie Bradshaw's assistant Louise. But this summer, British Airways launches a new direct route from Heathrow, making the Midwestern city easier to explore. Join Metro on the inaugural flight to discover if this little-visited Missouri destination is worth your attention.
The Middle Child
Fresh off the eight-hour flight, we arrive at St. Louis Lambert International Airport to a welcome party of locals waving American flags. BA's new route is clearly a big deal. If New York is the brash older brother, St Louis is America's unassuming middle child. Its Gateway Arch is the tallest man-made monument in the country and the tallest arch in the world, towering at 192 metres — some 100 metres taller than the Statue of Liberty. Ascending the steel structure in a five-seater lift, we are treated to a spectacular vista of verdant landscape and vibrant city streets. The height makes my head spin but is enjoyable nonetheless.
Eatin' and Drinkin'
Back on terra firma, our driver announces with impeccable timing that 'St Louisans love to drink'. My vertigo is settled by a visit to the Anheuser-Busch brewery, the oldest in the city and home to a local hero. I have sipped many a Budweiser without realising it was born in St Louis. At the entrance, we are greeted by the smell of warm hops and the sound of neighing horses. A pair of Clydesdales swish their luxuriant tails in the afternoon sun. Budweiser has used these majestic stallions to promote their beer for decades, and I have the pleasure of meeting one named Rock On, who starred in the beverage's Super Bowl advert this year. Starstruck.
Now I'm hungry, so it's a good thing that St Louis knows how to keep people fed. At the popular Blues City Deli in Benton Park, the line is out the door and around the corner. Having heard that they serve the most filling Po Boys in town, I am determined to wait. I am not disappointed by the size or taste of the Spicy Italian sub. Around the city, you'll find toasted ravioli on the menu almost everywhere. Toasted ravioli, or T-ravs as it's locally known, was created by St Louisans 'by accident' — a 'happy accident' after a chef in the 1940s mistakenly dropped a batch of ravioli into a fryer of hot oil instead of boiling water. It is delicious and decadent wherever you get it. But Salt + Smoke on the Delmar Loop makes their burnt ends to perfection. Elsewhere, Scout's and their New American take on Mediterranean grub make me feel like I'm eating in my own home. For something sweet, don't skip the concretes (frozen custard) at Ted Drewes on Route 66, and ice cream at Clementine's Naughty and Nice Creamery.
Hall of Fame
Horses and fried pasta have a special place in St Louis lore, but they're not the only icons locals hold dear. Blues, hip hop and rock n' roll are the beating heart of this Midwestern city. Nelly, the rapper who famously declared that it's 'hot in herre', hails from St Louis, and the city is known for birthing and raising greats such as Chuck Berry, Miles Davis, Josephine Baker and even Tina Turner, who lived here for a time in her teens. This history is honoured in the Walls Off Washington, a collection of murals across dozens of buildings which pay tribute to the remarkable Black talent that has either emerged from the city or been shaped by it. The street art is bringing investment to the area and pouring love into buildings no longer in use. I'm told that Jay-Z's cousin is opening a new bar in the heart of it.
Holding on to History
St Louis is committed to local businesses and protecting the integrity of the city's original architecture. Shaw's coffee shop has some of the same finishes from when it was a bank, and customers can sit and sip inside the old safe vault which is still lined with deposit boxes. The 21C Museum Hotel has held onto the Olympic-size swimming pool it had during its previous life as a YMCA. Trendy speakeasy, None of the Above, is accessed through tunnels and an electric panel door that was saved from the old building after it was ruined by floods.
London Links
St Louis may be big on preserving the past, but it's also concerned with the future. The Missouri Botanical Garden is evidence of that, with its work in conserving 80 acres of land that are home to a growing number of rare plants. It shares its history with London's Kew Gardens thanks to Henry Shaw, who founded the Missouri Botanical Garden in the 1800s after seeing the beauty of Kew.
Final Stop
I save the best until last and swing by Forest Park, which is significantly larger than Central Park in NYC (500 acres bigger to be exact). There is much to explore, from rolling hills and golf resorts to the St Louis Art Museum, an impressive collection that charts 5,000 years of culture. I leave St Louis with my horizons broadened, my palate satisfied and a life lesson: the quiet places are often the best.
British Airways flies from London Heathrow to St. Louis from £645 including taxes and carrier fees.
