St. Louis Weekend Getaway: 4 Most Amazing Neighborhoods to Explore

Updated: October 15, 2026

St. Louis, Missouri, is one of those unexpected cities. It packs a lot of charm but is often overlooked.

On a weekend getaway from Chicago, I was excited to explore some of its prettiest neighborhoods. Colorful Victorian homes, historic brick streets, and plenty of coffee stops made for exactly the kind of trip I wanted.

If you’re looking for St. Louis neighborhoods to explore, this guide covers four we visited: Lafayette Square, the Central West End, Benton Park, and the Delmar Loop. I’m sharing what drew me to each, along with places we stopped to eat and drink.

The city impressed me more than I expected, and I’m looking forward to visiting again when it’s not 90ºF.

St. Louis Neighborhoods

With only a weekend in St. Louis, I focused on four neighborhoods and districts that appealed to my love of architecture and photography. Each offered a different reason to visit:

• Lafayette Square: My favorite for colorful Victorian homes and wandering around Lafayette Park.
• Central West End: For grand homes, leafy streets, and sidewalk cafes.
• Benton Park: For historic brick architecture and a quieter neighborhood stroll.
• The Delmar Loop: For shops, restaurants, and live music venues.

If you’re short on time and share my love of photographing beautiful homes, I’d prioritize Lafayette Square. It was the highlight of our trip and the neighborhood where I spent the most time.

1. Lafayette Square

Lafayette Square was the main reason I drove to St. Louis. I LOVE areas like these! I saw some of the architecture on Instagram and knew I wanted to experience it and photograph it myself.

The neighborhood surrounds Lafayette Park and features some of the most beautiful Victorian homes. If you’re visiting for the architecture, start on the streets facing the park before wandering farther into the neighborhood.

I’ll admit, I spent the majority of my time in this neighborhood. The architecture is full of personality and color, and I loved having the streets to myself (well, Jorge was there too). Give yourself time to wander instead of making this a quick photo stop, especially if you love noticing the details on historic homes.

The longer I wandered, the more I appreciated how quiet the streets felt compared to Chicago during our visit. It was a nice change. We experienced less traffic and fewer people in the way of my photos. Win, win.

2. Central West End

Central West End is an upscale St. Louis neighborhood with abundant trees and gorgeous mansions. You’ll also find sidewalk cafes, restaurants, boutiques, and antique stores, so you can mix architecture walks with a coffee or lunch stop.

With temps high in early July, it was nice to stroll in the shade for a few hours. If you enjoy photographing beautiful homes but also want places to browse or grab a bite along the way, add this neighborhood to your itinerary.

While you’re in the area, stop for ice cream at Jeni’s! Their lavender ice cream is a favorite of mine, though the flavors change.

3. Benton Park Historic District

Benton Park is another St. Louis neighborhood worth exploring if you love historic architecture. As we walked through the area, we noticed the varied architecture and bursts of color in some homes. I also couldn’t help but obsess over the vintage car we spotted parked effortlessly on Sidney Street. This area and Lafayette Square had a Georgetown (D.C.) flair, and I loved it.

Read More: Best Places to Take Pictures in D.C.

Along the neighborhood’s southern edge, you’ll find Cherokee Street, an artsy road with independent shops, cafes, and restaurants. For vintage shopping, head to Cherokee Antique Row, which stretches six blocks between Jefferson and Lemp Avenue. It’s a great stretch if you want to combine shopping with photographing historic storefronts.

You’ll also find The Mud House on Cherokee Street, where we stopped for coffee and breakfast. I recommend you grab breakfast here before wandering through Benton Park’s vintage shops and pretty streets.

4. The Delmar Loop

I didn’t spend much time in this area, so I don’t have many photos. We stopped by for BBQ at Salt + Smoke before heading back to Chicago. A local friend recommended the Delmar Loop, and even during our short visit, it felt like somewhere I’d have enjoyed exploring longer.

Along Delmar Boulevard, you’ll find unique shops, galleries, restaurants, and live music venues. If you’re more interested in browsing shops and catching a show than photographing homes, this might be more your kind of stop.

The Delmar Loop also has its own St. Louis Walk of Fame honoring notable St. Louisans, including Maya Angelou and T.S. Eliot. Look down as you wander; the brass stars and bronze plaques are set into the sidewalks, so you can check them out between shops and food stops.

Where to Stay in St. Louis: Our Stay at Angad Arts Hotel

Another thing I was looking forward to was staying at the Angad Arts Hotel in Midtown’s Grand Center Arts District. It’s outside the four neighborhoods above, so we got to experience another part of St. Louis.

The Angad is like an art gallery and a hotel combined. When we visited, you could choose your room by an emotion color: passionate red, green rejuvenation, happy yellow, or tranquility blue. We wanted a relaxing weekend, so we went with tranquility blue. I loved the concept and design.

Almost everything in the room was blue, even the pipes! I enjoyed the modern touches, and the room was spotless. The bed was comfortable, and there were several areas throughout the hotel where you could just lounge.

This painting is actually of the room we stayed in, and if you look closely, you can see the same painting inside the painting LOL!

Another perk was the rooftop view and bar. I wasn’t interested in visiting the Gateway Arch on this trip, but it was cool to see it from my hotel rooftop. We couldn’t hear the rooftop music or noise in our room, either, which I appreciated.

The art continues throughout the entire hotel, including the outside. This is the back entrance we used during our stay—even arriving at the hotel made for a photo stop.

If you love colorful interiors and hotels with personality, it’s worth a look. Check rooms and rates at Angad Arts Hotel.

Where to Eat in St. Louis

Blueprint Coffee: Jorge had been here before on a work trip to St. Louis. He’s a fan of this place, so you know the coffee is good.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams: We didn’t have Jeni’s while on this trip because we have it in Chicago (the photo below is from back home). But if you don’t have a location near you, definitely try their ice cream! You’ll find Jeni’s in the Central West End area. My favorite flavors have been lavender, frosé, and strawberry buttermilk.

Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery: We did stop for a treat at Clementine’s, though. It’s a similar style to Jeni’s but born and raised in St. Louis. Everything is made from scratch. Their menu also includes several alcohol-infused ice cream options.

Retreat Gastropub: We were in the mood for some cocktails, and Retreat had good reviews and some good-looking drinks. We walked a mile from our hotel to the restaurant and enjoyed a quiet route through the university. I had the fancy chicken sandwich, and Jorge had a burger; both were fantastic. The drinks were well made and well priced. 

Salt + Smoke: Jorge took this decision very seriously. He had already visited the overhyped Pappy’s Smokehouse when he was in the city for work. Compared to the BBQ we have in Chicago or have tried in Austin, Pappy’s didn’t live up to expectations. So he kept searching for better BBQ in St. Louis. We went with Salt + Smoke mainly for the ribs, and they were delicious. I’m not sure it’s the very best in the city since I’m not a local, but compared to other places, the ribs were great.

I hope I showed you a different side of St. Louis, MO. Its neighborhoods gave us plenty of reasons to slow down, wander, and stop for one more photo. If you love chasing facades like me, start with Lafayette Square. I’m still thinking about those Victorian homes…

More Midwest Trip Ideas

If you’re looking for another Midwest getaway, here are a few more places I’ve explored:

→ Galena, Illinois: If Lafayette Square caught your eye, check out Galena next. Think historic buildings, a charming Main Street, and plenty of photo ops.

→ Chicago Photography Spots: More places to chase beautiful architecture, with favorite photo spots from my hometown.

→ Holland, Michigan: For a little Dutch charm in the Midwest, including a windmill, colorful spring tulips, and nearby towns to explore.

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