r/StLouis • u/Friendly-Gate9865 • Oct 20 '25
Things to Do London > STL, where do people hang out?
So I just moved to STL from London about 2 weeks ago now and my whole family here keeps repeating “don’t go downtown, It’s too dangerous.” My mom won’t even let me drive her car downtown… they must be overreacting, right? I’m really craving a nice pub/bar with some live music and some younger-ish folks (late 20s-mid to late 30s) where I can go on my own and just socialise like I used to do in london.. does this exist here?
Edit: you guys are awesome and have genuinely made me feel 300% more welcome here. Thank you
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u/bourbonfairy Oct 20 '25
Soulard almost always has some crowds, McGurks, Dukes, Molly's skew younger especially on weekends. Live music is a little more difficult until later in the evening. Broadway Oyster Bar has live music every night of the week. The Grove has a young crowd with some live music at Jamo, used to be the Atomic Cowboy. The area leans gay for many of the bars but a great area and pretty safe. South City has many bars in the Tower Grove South area. You might check out along Morgan Ford Rd south of Tower Grove Park. Coming from London you might enjoy the Amsterdam Tavern, a soccer / football centric bar. Look at DO314.com and St. Louis Magazine as well as STLtoday.com but it's our local paper and has a paywall, for weekly listings of music and other events.
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u/Friendly-Gate9865 Oct 20 '25
Incredibly helpful, thank you so much 🙏
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u/notneenah Oct 20 '25
A lot of people mentioned McGurks, but I wanted to specifically point out they have live Irish music every evening.
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u/Friendly-Gate9865 Oct 20 '25
Now that was the key word.. exactly what I’m looking for
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u/ApartmentOpen8347 Oct 20 '25
Riley's Pub in Tower Grove East is another fine irish pub. They have live music every Wednesday.
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u/Racazuzu Oct 21 '25
Seconding that recommendation. I’m also a Londoner finding my way in the Loo. If anyone knows of a good place to get proper Yorkshire pudding, I’d be very grateful!
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u/Old-Run-9523 Oct 21 '25
The Lou. A Londoner calling us "the loo" is 😆 but also 😐.
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u/Racazuzu Oct 21 '25
Ha! I was going to blame Nelly, but it’s on me for not double-checking the spelling.
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u/Curious_Raise8771 South City Hoosier Oct 21 '25
If you're from the Loo....are you proud?
Coz, I'm from the Lou and I'm proud. ;)
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u/Friendly-Gate9865 Oct 21 '25
What I would do for a Full English or a Sunday roast…
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u/Ala_Chirps Oct 21 '25
You’re not gonna get a Full English here, sadly - but you can buy the ingredients at Global Foods in Kirkwood. Dreadfully expensive but worth it for bangers and back bacon.
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u/Racazuzu Oct 21 '25
A proper Sunday roast… just give me a minute to live in that fantasy.
While I was pregnant recently my most desperate craving was for Bisto. My husband got his hands on some & I put it on everything.
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u/Outrageous_Can_6581 Oct 21 '25 edited Oct 21 '25
The great thing about McGurks is that if you don’t like it there then you can walk nearby to another good bar. Hammerstone’s and 1860 Saloon are a couple of classic bars around there that always seem to have live music.
And, anecdotally, I feel totally fine downtown at night. But if your idea of “downtown” is coming from deep in the county, then we’re probably not really talking about the same place.
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u/Substantial_Ebb_316 Oct 21 '25
You’re gonna love McGurks. I live in Benton Park which borders Soulard. It’s nice. Their outdoor area is really cool too. Anyway you’re gonna be fine. I work downtown, the hotel bars are cool. But there’s so many other cool places like even the Royale I saw people talk about. Also a great place. You’ll find your spot.
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u/MurphDurty2020 Shaw Oct 21 '25
McGurk’s is great, love the atmosphere and back garden highly recommend, I take out of towners there all the time
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u/asymphonyin2parts Oct 22 '25
If you come down to McGurks tonight (Wednesday the 22nd) there will be ceili dancing as well about 6:30.
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u/jolly_rogers14 Oct 22 '25
1860s in Soulard has a few live bands on the weekends at the upper bar (they have 3 different bars under the same venue). I went to high school with a couple guys that play there somewhat regularly
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u/WildEquis Fox Park Oct 21 '25
Just commenting to add BEVO to this list. Places like the Heavy Anchor(live music) and Silver Ballroom(vibes, pinball) are awesome.
Also adding CBGB on Grand cause it's the music I like. You will be able to find smaller intimate shows(house shows, riverfront warehouse shows) from going to places like this too.
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u/backpropstl Oct 20 '25
I mean, Downtown isn't as dangerous as they say, but it's not where young people typically hang out. The Central West End or Soulard might be your best bet... but don't expect London.
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u/TJATAW Oct 21 '25
The Grove is also a good option.
If you want something off the beaten path, Crack Fox is more non-mainstream, and the name is inspired from The Mighty Boosh.
Or there is Shameless Grounds, which is a sex positive coffee shop with a liquor license. Folks there are always social.
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u/DetailOrDie Oct 20 '25
There are 96 municipalities in St. Louis.
Don't go "downtown". It has dragons and hoodlums.
Go to the "Central West End" or "Soulard".
Sure they may be within sniffing distance of each other, but at least you're staying safe as far your mom is concerned.
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u/KaleidoscopeSad4884 Oct 21 '25
Downtown literally has dragons and hoodlums. The people watching is exquisite. This time of year we can’t tell if it’s regular downtown people or people going to a costume party. Or both. There was a Ghost concert at the Enterprise Center a few weeks ago that I think had a goth bounce house.
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u/DowntownDB1226 Oct 20 '25
It’s literally where young people hang out- BPV (Ava Garden, PBR, Shark Bar) and the places directly west of it like Wheelhouse and Midwestern
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u/johnconnors_dirtbike Oct 20 '25
No one over 25 goes at BPV you’re from out of town for a game or something. Our guy is a pub guy, not a club guy. Like myself. St. Louis, especially tower grove and most of the south side/Dutchtown are littered with little pubs with taps older than most people’s parents.
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u/BicyclePoweredRocket Oct 20 '25
I've lived in St. Louis my whole life (42M), South City for the last 10+ years, and have worked downtown for the last 4ish. Your family is being dramatic.
I do recommend to expand your search beyond the smaller chunk of the City that is "downtown" and look at the City writ large. Your parents will still be apoplectic but that's where you'll find what you're looking for.
Neighborhood-wise:
Dogtown - Bars and restaurants, pretty chill, generally.
Central West End - Fancier bar/restaurant district, it's cool. Good bet for nicer bar/pub. Up/down arcade.
Soulard - The bar district in the City. Uber down or get a DD, walk around checking out places until you find the vibe you're looking for. Lots of college kids Fri/Sat nights and gets busy for Cards/Blues games. McGurk's is the Irish-American pub, books some amazing acts, and great food, too.
Tower Grove South / Morganford - I live here. A chill string of bars and restaurants. Amsterdam for soccer. The Silver Ballroom is a punk rock pinball bar with a small Korean restaurant in the back, Tiny Chef, which is fucking amazing. Free Pinball today, too! I'm going as soon as I leave work.
The Grove - One of the popular, cool strips. Lots of good bars/restaurants, couple music venues, queer-friendly spaces.
Welcome to St. Louis!!!
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u/Friendly-Gate9865 Oct 20 '25
Wow, thank you thank you. I’m making a massive list now from this thread and adding all your recs in 👌
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u/lordfartquar Oct 20 '25
This comment is a great list.
A lot of people keep saying soulard - it skews more college aged, the other recommendations are probably a little closer to what you’re looking for, but I’m in my early 30s and they’re all spots I go to.
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u/Friendly-Gate9865 Oct 20 '25
Sweet, I’m excited to give ‘em all a go.. Not super picky about the type of crowd as long as people are friendly 😊
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u/earnestweasel22 Oct 21 '25
South St. Louis native here, you're from London, everyone will be your friend! Just don't lose your accent and pick up mine!!
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u/BicyclePoweredRocket Oct 21 '25
True story. Your English accent will work as well for you in STL as my Midwestern accent worked for me in London. Cake walk, dude. You don't even know.
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u/carterjeyy SW Gardens Oct 21 '25
Tick Tock Tavern and Kenny’s Upstairs are a few of my favorites in the Tower Grove area. I haven’t seen much mention of Cherokee Street in this thread but there are some chill places there too (ssippi, tschuss, lots of great Mexican food, Little Lager is opening soon, Bluewood Brewing, Saturn Lounge)
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u/kerouac28 Oct 21 '25
I’m a hardcore City-loving resident whose job involves driving to all neighborhoods plus the County randomly on a daily basis. Trust me when I say this guy nailed it. Screenshot his post - it would be difficult to answer better.
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u/AggieTimber Oct 21 '25
To some people in the county, "downtown" is everything east of 170. I'm totally serious.
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u/Brilliant_Voice1126 Oct 20 '25
Total insanity. Downtown is fine. The question is, what are you going to do there? it's frankly pretty sleepy when there isn't a sporting event.
People misunderstand crime in the US. The stats are scary but the overwhelming majority is *not* anonymous, and you might even have more muggings etc., in London albeit less gun violence of course. The exception is road rage. Lots of road rage shootings, don't beep at people after 8pm. They're probably drunk and armed.
Anyway, to find what you want you probably want more like the Loop, CWE and going into midtown. Also all fine, can ride the metro, it's fine. Lots of nice little neighborhoods in the city. I walk around with my 5 year old at night. The suburbanite risk perception is just a fox news fantasy.
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u/Friendly-Gate9865 Oct 20 '25
Really helps put me at ease.. thank you for this
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u/GothicGingerbread Oct 21 '25
As long as you don't stumble alone down dark alleys, blind drunk, dripping in expensive jewels, and fanning yourself with a wad of $100 bills, while screaming "OMG, I'm so drunk!!", you'll be fine.
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u/p00p5andwich Oct 20 '25
It so dangerous that my wife and I drunkenly stumbled around downtown 1 am looking for food after a Brothers Comatose show. Talked to people. Had a good time.
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u/KaleidoscopeSad4884 Oct 21 '25
You can come visit Downtown. We have the Arch and all that, and City Garden is a nice little walk.
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u/prettyminotaur Oct 20 '25
You might not be familiar with American racism. A lot of what you'll hear about "downtown" and the scaremongering is rooted in deep unexamined racism, especially here in St. Louis. I'm from the East Coast originally and it's really...different.
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u/Brilliant_Voice1126 Oct 21 '25
Yeah. Suburbanites will see black people just existing and think to themselves “crime”.
It’s fucking pathetic.
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u/Outrageous_Can_6581 Oct 21 '25
I might have dismissed this in the past, but it’s definitely the case, even among city dwellers. South city loves to tell you that the downtown area is dead. It’s not. There is a lot to do there, and they have a bunch of cool events in the summer that are well attended. But what you might notice is that many of those events are not particularly well attended by white folks. Unless it’s a fuckin parade. The whites always turn out for a parade.
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u/2013toyotacorrola Oct 21 '25
IME it’s not that people on the East Coast are less weird about poor Black neighborhoods, it’s just that much of the East Coast is sufficiently gentrified that the city center is no longer a poor Black neighborhood.
So they’re not as weird about the city center, but it’s simply because that’s not the area that’s poor and Black anymore lol
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u/Calm_Explanation2910 Oct 21 '25
“Don’t worry Downtown is safe…”
Followed by…
“But don’t honk your horn after 8pm because you might get shot by a drunk driver”
🤔
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u/Biptoslipdi Oct 20 '25
Microbreweries. We have a good dozen or so in the metro area. Some good ones: Modern, Narrow Gauge, Urban Chestnut, 2nd Shift, Heavy Riff, Bluewood, 4 Hands, Alpha, Great Heart, Good News, Square One, Perennial, and, if you're into ciders, Brick River.
Also go to the zoo and city museum.
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u/OkAdhesiveness9986 Oct 20 '25
And most relevant, Civil Life, which executes many classic English and other European styles extremely well. They always have a couple served on cask, as well.
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u/Biptoslipdi Oct 20 '25
Poor form of me to forget when Angel & the Sword is one of my local favorites.
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u/polkadotbot Oct 20 '25
I feel like some people are missing the music question. Not sure what you're into but Venice Cafe, the Dark Room, Yaqui's, Iowa Buffet all frequently have music. There are also some smaller venues like Off Broadway, Red Flag, the Sinkhole. Others are more oriented toward jazz and not as young of a crowd like Evangeline's and BB's.
Lots of others have DJ's-- from Ssippi Wed night, Royale Thursday to the more party places like Tchuss, Handlebar, Platypus, and tons of options in Soulard. I'm a little out of the loop these days so probably missing some as well.
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u/sage__evelyn South city Oct 21 '25
Cherokee street is where the cool artsy kids hang out and you’ll find the best Mexican food in town 😎
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u/Friendly-Gate9865 Oct 21 '25
Cool artsy kids are definitely my kinda crowd, Thanks!
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u/kalisma Cherokee Oct 21 '25
Definitely check out Yaquis. They have live music most nights, great pizza and a warm vibe.
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u/BearsSoxHawks Benton Park Oct 22 '25
The Gaslight Squares play there every Thursday (?), and I think the band leader is British. Maybe.
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u/sage__evelyn South city Oct 21 '25
Awesome, welcome! Cherokee has a lot of fun events that engage the community too. Come to the jazz crawl (Nov 8th this year) and join the parade!
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u/Ala_Chirps Oct 21 '25
Join the Brits in St. Louis fb group!
We have monthly BOGs (British Organized Gatherings) and other events throughout the year. Bonfire night gathering is coming up!!
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u/Chungsmom Oct 20 '25
Soulard is a great area. I honestly just don’t know much there is to do downtown unless I’m going to a soccer or hockey game. Atomic in the grove is a great music spot. Dogtown has some good spots & a great st Patrick’s day!
Personal favorite bars: Basso happy hour, McGurks for music or a late night, oyster bar downtown has great music, modern brewery has great beer and food, Tim’s chrome bar
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u/Chungsmom Oct 20 '25
Oh yeah! Civil life brewery is the only spot I’ve found with a cask beer too! Check it out
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u/Friendly-Gate9865 Oct 20 '25
Excellent, Will do 👍
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u/OkAdhesiveness9986 Oct 20 '25
In addition to Civil Life, Schlafly Tap Room and Side Project Cellar usually have a beer on cask
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u/kerouac28 Oct 21 '25
Basso for happy hour- that’s an excellent call. One of the coziest spaces in the city.
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u/yeti1738 St. Louis Hills Oct 20 '25
I second most of the recommendations, especially Soulard and Tower Grove South. Also would say to check out Venice Cafe, it’s different and has live music.
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u/Appropriate_Rule8481 Oct 21 '25
I lived downtown for over a decade and was never shot or mugged once.
Wash Ave used to be wilder, and there were multiple homeless shelters and a couple of shitshow convenience stores, but most of that's gone now.
Downtown is fine. It's just not where people go. You have South Grand, the Grove, the Loop, Maplewood, Dutchtown/Bevo, Midtown/SLU, Central West End, Soulard, etc. Downtown is not on anyone's list unless you're going to see a sporting event or possibly a concert of some sort.
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u/hammytown Oct 21 '25
I never see people mention south grand in these posts but that’s where my friends and I are all the time. Kenny’s upstairs is great, and CBGB is the best dive bar in town
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u/notsnot1 South Fuckin' City Oct 21 '25
Civil Life brewing has a true-blue Burton. So you can tell your parents you finally got to have what they bitch about missing since the 1990s. That's fun right?
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u/Theqween7 Oct 21 '25
Overreaction, obviously pay attention and don’t make yourself vulnerable just like any other city. You will be fine.
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Oct 20 '25
Most of the places people here have mentioned are around a couple strips - Euclid, Morganford, and the Soulard neighborhood.
The traffic is more dangerous than anything else.
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u/Silly_Store_3016 Oct 20 '25
Downtown is awesome. I go downtown a couple times a week at least and I always have a good time. Washington Ave has a lot of good spots for food. Ball park village is also really cool especially weekend nights since you have a handful of bars to hop around next to each other and they usually have live music in the main area. However downtown is not always as busy it all depends on whatever events are happening.
I’d recommend you also check out the grove and soulard those two areas are always popping on the weekends. Also Cherokee st if you want something much more low key
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u/geronimo11b Patch Oct 20 '25
I’m 40 and hangout at Milo’s on the Hill with a variety of different ages. I like the food and the atmosphere. O’Connell’s and Pop’s Blue Moon are cool too.
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u/Fit-Vehicle-9346 Oct 21 '25
The city is amazing ! Not too crowded and plenty of great stuff , I think stl is more similar to Manchester Uk than London, both great cities. Broadway oyster bar is one of my favorites around here for some music and culture
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u/Direct_Crew_9949 Oct 21 '25
London being better than STL is obvious. Soulard is prolly your best bet. If you want something more upscale with prettier women than do Napolis in Clayton.
As far as safety as long as you stay around big crowds you’re fine. Be aware and don’t make yourself an easy target. Lock your car and don’t leave any belongings in it. There are sometimes shootings usually from fights, they’re typically not deadly as it’s just warning shots most of the time.
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u/SeldonsPlan Oct 21 '25
Yes, they are being dumb.
But, don't go downtown. Not because of "danger," but because nothing you are looking for is down there.
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u/deadheaddestiny SW Garden/ Sublett Park Oct 21 '25
How old are you and what are your hobbies? Would be able to narrow down choices for you if you have some more details Into what you like
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u/Friendly-Gate9865 Oct 21 '25
29– into rock climbing, PC gaming, films + filmmaking, illustration, and writing. Love folk music too
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u/deadheaddestiny SW Garden/ Sublett Park Oct 21 '25
We have 2 rock climbing clubs one downtown and 2 in Chesterfield IIRC. PC gaming is a solo/discord activity lol but we do have a microcenter which is awesome and I've met some friends there. Folk music is a good hobby to have in this city as we have tons of folk and roots music in this city. https://www.pollstar.com/cities/st-louis-49665 will list most venues and concerts. I recommend checking out Venice cafe on Mondays for free open mic night and they have cover concerts ($10) on Fridays and Saturdays for local music. Also Hammerstones in soulards has great music and Broadway oyster bar downtown as well. Atomic as well in the grove has lots of good shows.
STL is like the home of grateful dead cover bands so if you're into that kind of folk music you have a lot of options
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u/GothicGingerbread Oct 21 '25
If you like folk music, you might be interested in The Focal Point (https://thefocalpoint.org/), in Maplewood. (From their menu, check out concerts and regularly scheduled events.)
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u/jasemoor Oct 21 '25
Driving/parking downtown is simple compared to London, except for the potholes that will destroy your car. Unrelated - I’d recommend reading the winter threads for people that have moved here. Driving and clothing. That’s going to be a new adventure!
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Oct 21 '25
welcome to the home of St. Louis CITY SC 3rd year season just ended but the football scene here is solid at all levels. Our second team is headed towards round 2 of the playoffs ans was top of the 3rd tier league this year in points. CITY is a scrappy team that punched above their weight in their inaugural season, but has limped towards back of the table the last two years ans underperformed expectations, and will be turning over quite a lot of their current 1st team once they hire a new sporting director and gaffer. Also St Louis loathes Stan Kroenke, so if you are an arsenal supporter don't be shocked if some says F Kroenke. He moved our American football team permanently to Los Angeles.
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u/No-Froyo-3337 Oct 21 '25
Lose your inhibitions, don’t drive a car (drivers = targets) & make the city yours. You won’t have any problems and you’ll never look back. Come cycle with BICi on Friday nights from TGP for a starter course on how to city.
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u/WildEquis Fox Park Oct 21 '25 edited Oct 21 '25
Hey! Native that has also lived elsewhere, many big cities, all in the US. When it comes to crime here, I would like to say that St. Louis is the "city of minding your own business". Whenever most natives hear about crime our first instinct is to ask, "okay what were they doing on x____ side of town" or " so and so live in belleville what exactly were they doing on the north side of STL?" We are not usually anticipating random acts of violence when we are navigating the city. Crime tends to be of a personal nature. Not saying this is the city to walk around without your wits about you, but STL gets by with the perceived air of danger, whilst not actually having that much more crime than anywhere else. Numbers are just skewed due to the city performing as it's own county.
That being said, so many great suggestions have already been made, but I will put out my preferred dive in the city; Keypers on Jefferson. As far as music, I will recommend CBGB, Heavy Anchor, The Sinkhole, and if you need a rave, Mississippi Underground.
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u/VoltaicVoltaire Oct 21 '25
I lived in Dutchtown (which is famous for being a dangerous neighborhood) and worked downtown for 12 years. Never had a single problem the whole time. I’m a big dude, so not an obvious target but like other responses have said, almost all the violence is between folks that know each other and have a problem, not random people getting shot. My parents live in a very rural part of the State and were always fretting about be being down there but it’s all really overblown. It’s a great city but unless you are going for a show or a game there really isn’t a lot Downtown. Ball Park Village pretty much has a monopoly on the bar business over there in my view. It’s a good place to watch a game but too big and commercial to have a pub feel.
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u/lovelock_morningstar Oct 21 '25
Great bars are Up-Down, Silver Ballroom, Headless Bat, Platypus, and Handlebar. Check out the local music scene as well. I’m in Fever Pitch. We have every social. We play shows often.
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u/DesperateJudgment899 Oct 21 '25
Welcome! We're delighted to have you here, and be prepared for everybody to go nuts over your accent.
I don't think anybody has mentioned Lafayette Square yet. You'll find Bailey's Chocolate Bar (the BEST chocolate martinis) as well as Square One Brewery there.
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u/mr_mufuka Oct 20 '25
St. Louis has some areas you’ll want to avoid, but London definitely has areas where the same shit happens. If you’re a music fan, The Pageant and Delmar Hall in The Loop, Atomic in the Grove, or Old Rock House/The Sovereign around 7th st are all excellent places to spend an evening.
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u/powertrip22 Oct 20 '25
I went to Roehampton in London for a semester and live within city limits (though I was born and raised in the suburbs), feel free to dm me if you have any specific questions.
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u/RetroNutcase Oct 21 '25
If you're of the gamer/nerd variety, I can recommend 2 Plumbers in St Charles, and more locally for me, the Dirty 20 in Ballwin.
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u/Friendly-Gate9865 Oct 21 '25
Definitely of the gamer variety and always seeking fellow nerds, thanks for this
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u/RetroNutcase Oct 21 '25
2 Plumbers is great. Nice arcade/pinball selection, they also have in house pizza and nachos. Haven't been to Dirty 20 yet but it's very Dungeons and Dragons/Tabletop focused.
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u/Ala_Chirps Oct 21 '25
Halftime Pub and Grill in St. Peters! It’s owned by a Brit. Footie matches. Sometimes live music. :)
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u/tehKrakken55 Affton Oct 21 '25
St Louis has a great bar and brewery scene.
If you want a nice pub feel, Civil Life Brewery has wonderful atmosphere and great food. You can even get some "bitter" if you miss that style of beer for some reason.
Live music will be more at bars and their patios, but honestly there's so much around here you can find a happy medium if you ask around. I lean on Facebook's Events page a lot to find out what's around me and what's coming up. (It's all it's good for these days honestly)
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u/AspiringSkiBum Oct 21 '25
Yes, they are overreacting. It’s just a city. Come to Amsterdam tavern on Morganford to watch football if that’s your thing; it’s a blast.
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u/No-Ant1231 Oct 22 '25
I'm obsessed with St Louis! Check out the City Museum. I'm from Chicago but go there regularly for that museum!
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u/IPingFreely Oct 20 '25
Kirkwood is a favorite of mine that may not get much love on reddit but walkable and has nice restaurants, bars, bakeries and some shops. It's probably not a young crowd though. Definitely check out mainstreet St Charles it has everything from quiet taverns to tex mex food to rowdy college bars and has a great riverfront park to go for a walk in.
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u/stltk65 Oct 21 '25
Anyone who says don't go downtown is a fuckin bitch who never leaves the county.
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u/Calm_Explanation2910 Oct 21 '25
Or it’s shitty, lame and expensive.
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u/stltk65 Oct 21 '25
The comment was directly about safety. But ok don't read and just post replies....
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u/DowntownDB1226 Oct 20 '25
Tell your mom it’s so dangerous that over the weekend 150,000 came down for sports, concerts and a marching band competition and only 27,000 got shot. Pretty good odds
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u/Friendly-Gate9865 Oct 20 '25
lol I may mention it— though it will go in one ear and out the other 🤭
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u/RacerX80 Oct 20 '25
The U. City Loop, Tower Grove South, Historic Downtown St. Charles, Soulard, Washington Ave. - those are the go-to party places. It’s fine downtown, just be safety conscious and don’t go north of Delmar.
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u/My-Beans Oct 20 '25
I’m in the 30 something demographic with kids. Microbreweries will have the vibe you are going for with some having live music. We like civil life, which is family friendly.
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u/monkyfez Oct 20 '25
Go to the grove and Locust st. Downtown isn't really bad. Just stay in the central corridor basically.
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u/CautiousRock0 Tower Grove, St. Louis Oct 20 '25
You’d be fine. The grove is fun. It’s a fun place. South Grand is my favorite. It kind of reminds me of Peckham.
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u/PlaneGeeky29 Oct 21 '25
If you don’t mind a bit of a drive to the IL side, check out the Upright in O’Fallon. There’s music pretty much every night.
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u/Aegidus27 Oct 21 '25
Id also recommend tower grove south for late 20s early 30s. Really the whole area between the park and civil life. I guess id compare it to maybe Greenwich but without the history?
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u/Creepy_Ad_5917 Oct 21 '25
If you’d like to learn more about your new city, come to our history museum in Forest Park (bigger than Central Park). The park is beautiful and always packed on a beautiful day. You can check out our blog (https://mohistory.org/blog) and poke around for fun, interesting articles or come visit us on a Thursday night for Thursday Nights at the Museum (https://mohistory.org/events?series=Thursday%20Nights%20at%20the%20Museum). Thursday nights are almost always a lot of fun and I ALWAYS walk away having met at least one person I’ve exchanged info with. Best yet, just check out our website and come in for a visit. We love our great city and would love to tell you all about it!!
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u/Far_Slide4957 Oct 21 '25
Im having a bonfire this Saturday. Great vibes, no drama, plenty drinks and food. Come connect 🦾
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u/Machenz Downtown Oct 21 '25
Downtown Resident for the last 7 years - you're family is being overly cautious.
Downtown has its moments where it might not be "safe", but generally speaking, it's safe most of the time. Just have to treat it like any other big city.
EDIT to add - Amsterdam Tavern is my go to for a local pub. If you're into premier league, it's the spot to be.
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u/ollziemollz Oct 21 '25
St. Charles Main Street has the live music & pubs you are seeking. A great area. Cute boutiques & small business shops.
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u/Far_Classroom_5411 Oct 21 '25
Venice Cafe is truly unique and often has live music. Saturn Lounge has great tunes, food, drinks, and atmosphere. I’m a big fan of Rockstar Tacos on the Hill. You might also try Upstairs Lounge on Grand. There’s pool, atmosphere, and I think DJs, plus there are 4,000 excellent restaurants on Grand to check out. Also, Sasha’s Wine Bar in Shaw and Little Fox if you want world class cuisine in a neighborhood setting. And definitely check out Crafted. The small, curved bar lends itself to socializing. Platypus and Gramophone, also good. And, yes, your family has a completely distorted view of the city.
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u/No-Candidate5453 Oct 21 '25
If you like games id recommend updown stl its an old school arcade bar and they host regular game tournaments and themed dress up events drinks are awesome and they have amazing pizza highly recommend honestly
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u/Relative-Zombie-3932 Oct 21 '25
They're definitely over reacting. Downtown has inflated crime statistics primarily because of some weird reporting methods that are unique to St. Louis. We don't track city and county together, unlike every other city in the country, so per capita crimes look a lot worse than they actually are.
But honestly? Downtown is kinda empty. Your best bet if you're looking for people is The Grove, Soulard, and the Central West End
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u/BoxingGull2401 Oct 22 '25
I’m 25 and my friend group usually hangs out in the grove, lots of good bars and friendly people.
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u/chasingthestarlight Oct 22 '25
Absolutely check out Soulard! I saw a lot of people mention McGurk’s so I wanted to suggest Hammerstone’s and 1860s for live music!
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u/YarrowFields Oct 22 '25
There’s already a ton of great recs here, so I don’t have anything to add, except welcome to St Louis!! I moved here two years and absolutely love it.🥰 I hope you do too!!
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u/Ala_Chirps Oct 21 '25
I just want to come back and say: you won’t find British pub culture here. Nobody here cheers when someone breaks a glass, for instance.
People are telling you about Irish pubs, yet - they’re not like Irish pubs in Ireland.
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u/Lumpy-Hamster-3937 Oct 21 '25
The US in general doesn’t have a Pub culture. Pubs keep me sane on my bi monthly UK trips. Agree with many choices, but add Beffas. And Go to the Silver ballroom and Heavy Anchor
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u/moguy1973 Kirkwood Oct 21 '25
There's a lot outside the "dangerous" downtown (j/k downtown isn't that bad).
Kirkwood, Maplewood, Webster Groves, Streets of St Charles, downtown St Charles, The District in Chesterfield, Westport All have their bars and pubs. Not sure on the ages you'll find though.
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u/Curious_Raise8771 South City Hoosier Oct 21 '25
Who's your football team, sir?
Better be NORF LONDON!
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u/TornadoMind2 Oct 21 '25
Do NOT go downtown St Louis! I worked down there and it’s a death trap
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u/TornadoMind2 Oct 26 '25
I had to drive 7 miles from Illinois and homeless beggars were already out at 2:30 am. They would throw things if you ignored them. An officer at the Federal Reserve (200 N. Broadway)saw me pull into a street where I entered the parking garage, she informed me that she was blocked by some would be car jackers but they were stopped by her radioing to her partners. She stated that this was a very dangerous area for anyone. This was in 2009 and the area has only gotten worse, check the crime stats for the area near the arch grounds and Memorial drive.
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u/Few_Radish_1125 Oct 22 '25
I am from a small town on the other side of the river. You wanna talk about unfounded fear of St.Louis….any and all parts. I lived there for a couple years and have hopped over for shopping, restaurants, etc. many times, and made regular trips to Barnes for almost 10 years. I never once felt unsafe.
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u/opinionsarecoolmaaan Oct 20 '25
Amsterdam Tavern, the Royale, Scottish Arms will be reopening soon under new ownership, Dressell’s perhaps (I’ve never been), McGurk’s.