St. Louing Soulard
Bars, nightlife, and music in a historic neighborhood
Soulard is known as the bar and nightlife part of town. It’s the oldest residential neighborhood in St. Louis, and has kept much of its original character in tact. There are many small, winding streets with bars, restaurants, clubs, cafes, and live music dotted throughout.
Unfortunately, a large highway runs right through the neighborhood, as the whole area was seen as poor and obsolete and was planned for demolition after World War II, to be replaced with the more modern suburban homes and car-centric layouts we see almost everywhere else. Fortunately, enough people who cared prevented this from happening and Soulard got placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, but the highway that runs through still prevents it from reaching its full potential.
Impressions#
I have yet to see Soulard in its prime time on a weeknight, as most of the time I’ve been through the neighborhood as been early in the morning when not much is going on. I have more exploring to do, but I do enjoy seeing the older housing stock.
New York-style bagels
Soulard bar with weekend DJs and a free event shuttle
Counter-service barbecue smokehouse
Cash-only neighborhood tavern
Soulard sports bar known for buffalo chicken wontons
Veteran-owned bar and grill on South 9th
Irish pub with a big garden
Restaurant and bar on Geyer Avenue
Wood-fired Neapolitan pizza
Sister café across from the brewery tour entrance
Cuban coffee, colada and sandwiches
Soulard café of the Illinois roaster
Book-lined café
The historic Budweiser brewery and Clydesdale stables, just south of the neighborhood.
German Gothic church dedicated in 1875 for a parish founded in 1849; a city landmark since 1971.
Congregation founded by Saxon immigrants in 1839; the present church was rebuilt after an 1896 storm.
Co-op gallery of a dozen resident artists.
One of the oldest public markets in the country.
Neighborhood grocer with a meat counter at 12th and Barton, in business since 1912.
Graffiti murals along the Mississippi floodwall between Chouteau and Victor, painted each Labor Day weekend by Paint Louis since 1997.
Board game bar and café with a library of games to play, beside the Anheuser-Busch brewery.
One of the country's largest Mardi Gras celebrations, centered on the bars and streets of Soulard. The Grand Parade runs the Saturday before Fat Tuesday.
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