Central West End

The Central West End, St Louis Missouri

Welcome to our Web site. We hope you find it useful and informative. If we could wave a magic wand, we would transport you to St. Louis' Central West End right now so that you could experience the excitement of our special neighborhood for yourself.

The Central West End (CWE) is not only historic and beautiful, but unique. There are few other neighborhoods like it in the United States. New York's Greenwich Village comes to mind, but it lacks broad boulevards and historic mansions. Baltimore's Bolton Hill is reminiscent of the CWE, but it is mostly residential, and lacks a central business district. Old Town Alexandria in Virginia has the history and the retail shopping - but not the fabulous urban park.

Our neighborhood has an atmosphere that is truly special. Here, you will find people of wealth and people of modest means. Mansions, town houses, and apartments. Wide boulevards and narrow streets. Quiet places, pocket parks, and busy thoroughfares. Students and retirees. Traditional families, singles, and couples. People with diverse lifestyles, representing all races, religions, and economic and ethnic groups. Major medical and educational institutions employing thousands, and small mom-and-pop retail stores.

Visitors may be surprised to find that a number of business owners in the CWE regularly bring their pets to work, and that dogs are sometimes seen sleeping under restaurant patio tables while their owners dine. Or that a beautiful public garden is tended by local residents who have been blessed with the gift of life by an organ donation.

The CWE also is home to Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the nation. With more than 1300 acres - more than New York's Central Park - Forest Park is St. Louis' most beloved destination. Opened in 1876, the park served as the site of the 1904 World's Fair.