In 1803, St. Louis was acquired by the United States from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The city is located along the Mississippi River and was aptly named after King Louis IX of France. St. Louis, the second largest city in Missouri, is home to over 350,000 people. Famous residents of St. Louis include Tennessee Williams and TS Eliot.
The city has volatile weather that is influenced by the Gulf Stream and cold airflows from Canada. Winters are cold and summers are hot. The average temperature in January is near 40°F and in July -- near 90° F.
Manufacturing has always played an important role in St. Louis' economy. Even though the industry has been declining, several companies are still major employers in the area. They include General Motors and Ford. Several brokerage houses, such as A.G. Edwards and Edward Jones, are headquartered in St. Louis. The healthcare industry is represented by companies like BJC HealthCare, which operates over a dozen hospitals and has grown to become a major employer in the region. St. Louis is also well-known for being the home of brewing company Anheuser-Busch.
The Greater St. Louis real estate market includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, the Missouri counties of Saint Charles, Jefferson, Franklin, Lincoln and Warren; as well as the Illinois counties of Madison, Saint Clair, Clinton, Monroe and Jersey. The number of people living in the Greater St. Louis area is estimated to be 2,700,000.
Things to Do in St. Louis
The signature attraction and symbol of the city is the Gateway Arch, a 630-foot high monument built in the honor of Thomas Jefferson.
There are plenty of events and activities going on at Forest Park -- one of the country's largest urban parks with over 1300 acres of land.
The City Museum is considered to be one of Greatest Public Spaces in the world by Project for Public Spaces, a non-profit company based in New York. It's definitely worth checking out.
The touring company called City Sightseeing offers tours through downtown St. Louis and to nearby attractions on authentic double-decker buses with open tops like you see in London. The tour bus stops at many places, including the symbolic Gateway Arch, City Museum, St. Louis Union Station, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour Center, the Cathedral Basilica, the Saint Louis Zoo and more.