St. Louis offers something for everyone. The Gateway to the West is a thriving metropolitan area of nearly 3 million people, yet it retains the friendly character of the Midwest.

City Museum
Students hang out at the City Museum in downtown St. Louis.

Location

Washington University Medical Center is located in the cosmopolitan neighborhood of the Central West End.

Forest Park — at 1,293 acres, one of the largest urban parks in the United States — serves as the medical center’s back yard, offering a wide spectrum of athletic and cultural facilities. The park is also home to the Saint Louis Science Center, the Saint Louis Art Museum and the 83-acre Saint Louis Zoo, all with free admission.

Music

An important part of the city’s offerings is music. Blues, jazz and rock bands are hot attractions in local clubs. Club Viva, a popular spot near the Medical Center, offers Latin, Brazilian, reggae, African, jazz and blues performances. Outdoor venues host concerts throughout the summer.

Sports and culture

St. Louis supports several professional sports teams, including Cardinals baseball, Blues hockey, and St. Louis City soccer, as well as cultural attractions such as the Saint Louis Symphony, the St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre and other first-rate theater companies.

Neighborhoods

Several streetscapes and neighborhoods attract St. Louisans, including downtown’s Washington Avenue and University City’s Delmar Loop. Washington Avenue, with its unique 20th-century brick buildings that once housed shoe and clothing manufacturers, has come alive with restaurants, bars, boutiques, art galleries, and dramatic loft, condo and apartment living. The Delmar Loop continues to expand, adding more restaurants, clubs, shops and attractions, including the Pageant, a modern concert venue offering music lovers a wide variety of opportunities to hear some of today’s best performing artists.

First-year phase one medical students visit the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station during their orientation week on September 5, 2023. MATT MILLER/WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

St. Louis’ central location makes exploring nearby cities easy. St. Louis is no more than four hours by air from any major city in the continental United States.

From its lively arts community to the serene pace of everyday living, St. Louis is a city of opportunity and variety for all who choose to call it home.

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