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Renal fellowship applicants from out of town are often surprised to see that St. Louis offers the amenities of big-city living, but at affordable prices. St. Louis was founded in 1764 by Pierre Laclede as an Indian trading post. The location, just below the confluence of the Illinois, Mississippi and Missouri rivers, gave access to New Orleans and the emerging river towns along the Mississippi. Named after Louis IX, St. Louis' French influences are still strong. When Lewis and Clark pushed off in 1804 to explore the West, St. Louis' position as the Gateway to the West was assured. Today, St. Louis boasts a world-famous, Grammy Award-winning symphony, a new science center, an art museum, a botanical garden and world-class zoo, Fortune 500 companies and a metropolitan area population of more than 2.5 million people. The European roots are still here and still strong. You can see them in St. Louis' neighborhoods, its restaurants and other attractions. St. Louis' highway system allows easy access to all parts of the city and St. Louis County; a light rail line - MetroLink - runs from Lambert International Airport through downtown and has a stop at the Medical Center. The Mississippi Riverfront is where St. Louis started. Providing access to the West via the Missouri River and a convenient mode of transportation for trappers, lead miners and farmers, the Mississippi was once the focal point of commerce in St. Louis. Laclede's Landing, once a jumble of warehouses along the Riverfront, is now a lively center for business, dining and entertainment, with horse-drawn carriages, cobblestone streets and gas lamps. Just south of the Landing is the 630-foot, stainless steel Gateway Arch. St. Louis' Fourth of July celebration is held on the Arch grounds, featuring spectacular fireworks. Forest Park lies next to Washington University Medical Center. The second largest city park in the United States, it contains public tennis courts, three golf courses, an ice skating rink, picnic areas and playgrounds, a small lake for canoeing and boating and a seven-mile bicycle trail. The park is home to the Missouri Historical Society and, as well as the St. Louis Museum of Fine Arts. Other attractions include the MUNY, a large outdoor amphitheater that seats 12,000 people and hosts a long season of summer musical theater, and the 83-acre St. Louis Zoo with outdoor and indoor exhibits, a railroad, sea lion shows, movies, restaurants and gift shops. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is considered among the five best in the country, and its home, Powell Hall, is both attractive and acoustically superior. The St. Louis Opera Company has a month long late spring season recognized for high quality and innovation. Outdoor concerts occur throughout the late spring and summer. Ragtime and jazz music have a long tradition in this city and remain attractions in many local bistros and cafes along the Riverfront. The Delmar Loop just north of the Washington University Danforth Campus, boasts The Pageant, a newly renovated jazz and classic rock concert venue and Blueberry Hill featuring national touring bands and local St. Louis performers including Chuck Berry. The historic Fox Theater, part of the mid-town theater district presents Broadway Shows year round. St. Louis is a sports-minded city hosting professional hockey, baseball football and soccer teams. With their 10th World Series Championship in 2006, the Cardinals became only the second major league baseball team to enter double digits. And when it's time to get farther away for a long weekend, St. Louis' central location makes exploring cities as different as Memphis and Chicago, Kansas City and New Orleans relatively simple and inexpensive. The Shedd Aquarium or the country's best barbecue is each just a few hours away. |
The Gateway to the West
"The Meeting of the Waters"
Balloon race in Forest Park
The Climatron, R. Buckminster |
