Bocaman

My wife and I will be spending a long weekend in St. Louis in mid-October. We will be staying downtown at the Westin.

Most of the messages advise against staying downtown because of the lack things to do in the evening and suggest that you need a car to get around.

We plan on using a combination of MetroLink and cabs to visit the different neighborhoods(the "Hill", Clayton, etc.). We also plan on visiting the Arch, a Riverboat casino and Forest Park. Is this practical and can we take Metrolink from the airport to the Westin (Busch Station)?

Thanks.

Clifton

Yes, definitely you can take Metrolink from the airport to the Westin. The hotel sits right on top of an underground stop. But it's the Cupples Station stop. Don't confuse this with the Busch Stadium stop or you'll be a couple of blocks off the mark. There's a metrolink station attached to the airport terminal.

The metrolink is currently a single line running from the airport through downtown and into Illinois. Take the line east to get to the arch and to a riverboat casino (Laclede's Landing station). West to Forest Park. The park is very large though, not sure what attractions you are headed for inside the park. There was a shuttle bus inside the park and I know that it was discontinued for awhile, so someone else may know if it was reinstated.

To get to the Hill, you'll need a cab or car. St. Louis isn't a city where you can hail a cab, so you'll need to call one or have the hotel or restaurant take care of that for you.

annesherrod

As far as Forst park goes,..if you are walkers you can do quite a bit in the park. The zoo is not far from the glorious Art museum. And it really is managable to walk from there to the Boat house for lunch and the Mo. Historical Society(is that what it si called Clifton?)as well.
You may want to look into renting a car, it could be cheaper than the taxi fares.Plus, you can go off the beaten path.
Have fun..

EricaS

Clifton, are you sure about that MetroLink stop name near the Westin? I think it is the Stadium stop. Bocaman, if no one here can tell you definitively, I would call the hotel and be certain which stop is best. I believe Cupples Station is the name of the development including the hotel. But the MetroLink stop is called Stadium Stop, because it is next to Busch Stadium.

Your plans look good to me. Downtown is kinda dead at night and on the weekend, unless there is a game (baseball?! please!?). But you'll be right near a lot of good places to visit, and with easy access to the Link for Forest Park.

I keep plugging City Museum on this site, but no one seems to take me up on it. If you like art or architecture, it's a very cool place to visit. It's set up for kids, but I go there all the time because it's beautiful and fascinating, and it has a Beatnik bar where you can drink!

Enjoy your visit!

indytravel

I stayed in the Westin this past weekend. It's a very nice hotel. It really is the Stadium stop on the MetroLink. And the Westin really is on top of the MetroLink station. My room overlooked it.

Keep in mind the MetroLink runs from 5:30am to 12:00pm-ish. If you're out partying it's easy to have your pumpkin turn into $30 cab fare.

They nail you for a one way ride from the airport. It's 3.50. A usual one way is 1.50. A good deal is the all day pass for 4.50. I think you can buy the pass at the airport. Unlimited rides on the MetroLink and busses.

www.metrostlouis.org/MetroLink/stationlist.asp

The bowling hall of fame and museum is just to the northeast of the Westin.

The Forest Park shuttle is up and running now but it's seasonal these days. I don't know if it will be running when you're there in October. The link above may have more info. It will run you to all the major Forest Park sites.

Right off the Forest Park Link station is the St Louis Historical Society museum. It has a replica of Lindbergh's "Spirit of St Louis," the real one is in the Smithsonian. Right now it has an exhibit of the centenary of the 1904 St Louis World's Fair. There's also an exhibit for Lewis and Clark.

I walked just past the Historical Society and the tennis courts for lunch at the previously mentioned Boat House. It was very good, decent food, a full-service bar and great people watching. It may be a little slow in October.

Depending upon the weather you can walk from the the Boat House to the zoo and even over to the science center. I just did it in 90 degree heat. (The zoo serves beer. It helped me get to the science center which does not.) The St Louis Art Museum is there too. It's also very nice. Another nice thing is all of the museums are free. Special exhibits cost extra but basic entrance to the science center, zoo, art museum and historical society are no cost.

Arch/LaClede's Landing will take you to the Arch. They have a nice museum under the Arch, plus an Imax theater. The old cathedral is right there and just to the west is the old courthouse. Both are worth a visit. Go into the Arch and buy your timed tickets. If the time is out a bit you can see the museum or visit the cathedral while you wait.

EricaS is right. The city museum is spectacular! www.citymuseum.org It is very unusual and worth visiting. I can easily walk there from the Westin.

Near the city museum is the Episcopal Cathedral which I visited for Mass Sunday morning. If you can get in, the carving behind the altar is beautiful. In that area is the main library which is beautiful inside and a war memorial which is somber and interesting.

For gambling take the MetroLink to the first stop over the Mississippi River. It's East Riverfront. I like gambling in Illinois much better. No silly stakes limits, no cost into the casino and generally a better experience. Never mind you're in EAST SAINT LOUIS. This stop has nothing to do with the seedier part the next couple of stops in. The Link lets you out at the north end of the Casino Queen parking lot.

Another fun stop off the Link is Delmar Loop. You can get off there and walk south on Delmar to the Pageant music venue, the Tivoli theater and Blueberry Hill restaurant. About once a month Chuck Berry still plays Blueberry Hill.

For dining walk north from the Central West End stop. Two lights north to the right is Chez Leon. One of my favorite restaurants. I ate there twice this past weekend. Exquisite foie gras both nights, a salade lyonnaise and steak the first night, chilled tomato soup and lamb the second night.

A little further north is the Chase Park Plaza with a couple of restaurants and a movie theater. Another St Louis classic Balabons is a bit further north but still walkable.

See what's playing at the fabulous Fox Theater on Grand. It's a bit of a haul, close to a mile, from the Grand Street Link stop north but worth the effort. They put on some really nice Broadway shows and the theater itself is unbelievably ornate and beautiful.

The Riverfront Times is really good about listing things to do:

www.riverfronttimes.com

Clifton

indy,
Ok, you all may be right but I could have sworn that the stadium stop was semi-open air. I recall right after you came out of one of the tunnels from the riverfront, you were looking almost straight up at the stadium (like right beside the stadium). That's not 8th and Pine, but that was the one I was thinking was Stadium. I know the one by Savvis was usually announced as Savvis Center, but that's in front of the Sheraton, not by the Westin. Called "Civic Center" on the line map. So my mind is remembering a stop between these two, totally underground, right under Westin as being something other than those two stops.

Or I'm just losing it. Very possible.

Clifton

The more I think about it, the more I know that I'm losing it. Go w/ Stadium.

annesherrod

Whwn you are here or better yet beofre you come - go to stltoday.com for updated info. Great website