In the 1870s, the city of St. Louis was anxious to dissociate
itself from its more rustic county territories. The city and county
were jilted in 1876, at the city’s bidding, leaving the county with
a handful of land, sparsely freckled with farms and without a
centralized home. Ralph Clayton and Martin Hanley, two natives from
Virginia, bequeathed their adjacent plots of land, situated 12
miles outside of the city, to county officials, with the condition
that the new county home bear Clayton’s name. The county’s
thoroughfare, cutting through its belly, was named Hanley Road.
Re-zoned in 1952, city planners lobbied for the deregulation of
Clayton’s height limitations. A few years later, the skyline of
Clayton shot upwards and a new financial district with creeping
skyscrapers and tree-lined streets became St. Louis’ second
downtown.
Now the area’s foremost financial business district, home to
some 70 Fortune 500 headquarters and branch offices, downtown
Clayton is impossible to disregard. Its unsoiled streets and
polished architecture have focused the gazes of restaurateurs, bar
owners and an array of four-star hotel proprietors. Here, a Saint
Louis University student can slip into the role of tourist without
boarding a plane or even touching a highway.
Catering to a fast-paced business setting, the streets of
downtown Clayton are lined with open-aired caf�s and coffee
shops. When the workday subsides, the suits loosen their ties and
their belts in any one of Clayton’s many moderately-priced
restaurants. It’s a touch of coastal glee transplanted into a
section of the country that the high-minded and the social
butterflies often refer to as “that place you pass over between New
York and Los Angeles.” But downtown Clayton’s many and diverse
dining possibilities will oblige them to eat their words,
literally.
BARcelona Tapas Restaurant (34 N. Central Ave., 863-9909) offers
authentic Spanish Tapas, small plates for lunch-goers and all the
Sangria you can knock back. Seldom is the outdoor seating not
brimming with folks, young and old alike. Bring $15 and leave as a
considerably-heavier you.
Dominic’s Trattoria (200 S. Brentwood Blvd., 863-4567), an
upscale-casual restaurant, featuring a menu replete with fresh
fish, veal, beef and pasta, was conceived with dates in mind. Tasty
enough to impress him or her, but frugally-priced, Dominic’s is
postured to woo with its magnificent view of Shaw Park and its
versatile fare. Reservations are recommended; sleeveless shirts are
not.
J. Bucks Restaurant (101 S. Hanley Rd., 725-4700) isn’t for
those with a sensitive palate or a dearth of weekend spending
money. But if you want to rub elbows with Cardinals, Rams and Blues
players over a Makers Mark and water, head for the bar. Mind the
young professionals–they’re a headstrong bunch, but if you invoke
memories of their college days, you’ll have to feign death to
escape their nostalgic babble.
downtown Clayton’s quintessential Irish pub. The token Irish
cuisine is cheap and good. The early-20th century mahogany bar, the
pub’s centerpiece, attracts far-flung college bar flies from SLU,
Washington University, Fontbonne College and Webster University.
Stop in, order some homemade potato chips and expand your social
purview. Thirty dollars will take you as far as you need to go. The
buckets of beers are a good buy.
With a balanced, cross-cultural menu, heavily influenced by the
Mediterranean, live music and a laudable wine list, which is
selected by their very own sommelier, Remy’s Kitchen & Wine Bar
(222 S. Bemiston Ave., 726-5757) is a fixture in downtown Clayton.
And few menu items are over $10, barring bottles of wine. All ages
dwell here, especially during happy hour (Mon.-Thurs., beginning at
4:30 p.m.). On the weekends, reservations are recommended.
Coffee and pastry shops:
City Coffee House & Creperie (36 S. Brentwood, 862-2489)
offers breakfast and lunch for those inclined to munch on French
gastric goodness. With 11 blends to choose from, java freaks are
certain to be satiated. Even if you don’t know what a crepe is,
give this one a go.
You’ll find yourself steeped in some of the best muffins, bagels
and baguettes in town at Companion Bakehouse (8143 Maryland Ave.,
721-5454). And if you’re not hungry, coffee starts at a dollar.
Metro Java (231 S. Bemiston, 726-6863) tenders Paninis,
oven-baked pastries, java, Espressos, Cappuccinos and Lattes. A
paucity of parking spaces makes this a walk-and-go establishment,
but it’s well worth a stroll through downtown Clayton.
When mom and dad trundle into town, they needn’t look to the
Central (formerly, the City) West End as their sole prospect for
temporary residence. Dotting downtown Clayton are some of St.
Louis’ most exquisite hotels. And parents aside, sometimes, special
occasions with a special someone merit nothing less.
Though not for the pennywise at $215 a night for a one-bedroom
suite–with all the amenities not forthcoming in a dorm room,
including full kitchens, 9 ft. ceilings, bay windows, personal
laundry quarters, spacious bathrooms and Nintendo (upon
request)–Clayton on the Park (8025 Bonhomme Ave., 314-290-1500)
enjoys one of the most opportune locations in downtown Clayton:
Within footsteps are breezy cafes, an eclectic gaggle of
restaurants, personalized shops and malls. Perhaps most
spectacular, at the doorstep, is Shaw Park (314-726-3033),
comprising 47.6 acres of forest canopy-covered land, rippling
through and along the center of a deep ravine which is flanked by
well-groomed, open-air swaths of greenery, sand-beach volleyball
courts, a roller rink in the warm months and an ice rink in the
cold, an outdoor pool, ball parks and tennis courts–perfect for
picnicking and playing.
The Ritz-Carlton St. Louis (100 Carondelet Plaza, 314-863-6300),
wearing a tag that epitomizes class and politesse, is frequented by
highbrows and stars passing through St. Louis. Pricey and worth it,
if mom likes marble, she’s certain to settle in here. The
club-level suites, for that extra measure of pampering, are the
stuff of wedding-night dreams. Suites start at around $200 a night
and hike up to a summit that isn’t worth printing.
Downtown Clayton’s Seven Gables Inn (26 N. Meramec Ave.,
1-800-359-4827) is St. Louis’ only boutique hotel. The piney,
down-home fa�ade, cast against the swirling skyscrapers,
pubs and caf�s, is essentially European. Much of its homey
redolence is owed to the kitchen of Caf� Provencal (34 North
Central Ave., 725-2755) with its affordably-priced southern French
fare, whose courtyard is encapsulated by the hotel’s wood-trimmed
outer walls. A retreat for business folk or students, the Seven
Gables Inn spoils its visitors just like Grandma used to. Room
rates: $92-$165 per night.
Other downtown Clayton hotels:
The Daniele Hotel (216 N. Meramec Ave., 721-0101) is another
European-style stay, located in the heart of downtown Clayton,
which prides itself on personalized service–the turn-down is
punctuated with freshly-baked cookies, products of the hotel’s
in-house chef, and a chocolate kiss. Room Rates from $139-$295 a
night.
The Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel (7730 Bonhomme Ave,
314-863-0400), less homey than Clayton on the Park or the Seven
Gables Inn, but not less elegant, is a corporate-class hotel
planted just outside downtown Clayton. Room rates range from
$109-$368 per night.
Downtown Clayton serves up more than just wine and plush
accommodations. Antique Row, a string of antiques and consignment
shops on just west of Hanley Rd., on Clayton Rd., offers student
shoppers an urbane alternative to the poster sale. Trinkets of all
makes and sizes, paintings, vases, oriental rugs, stuffed monkeys,
skillets, handcrafted everything–but if you prefer
cellophane-wrapped, assembly-line newness, the St. Louis Galleria
(Brentwood Blvd. & Clayton Rd., 314-863-5500), one of the
city’s most expansive shopping meccas, is only a china plate chuck
away.
Clayton Antique Row (7700 and 7800 blocks of Clayton Rd.):
The Designing Block (7735 Clayton Rd., 721-4224) hawks
accessories, furniture and dorm/apartment/home decorating.
Davis Place (7731 Clayton Rd., 727-9850) offers Antique
furniture, porcelains and decorative estate accessories.
Finches Consignments (7729 Clayton Rd., 725-2622) features an
ever-changing selection of antiques, furniture, home accessories
and special gifts.
Regent Parade Consignment Shop (7721 Clayton Rd., 727-4959)
offers a vast array of collections, antiques, furniture–and all at
attractive prices.
M.J. Consignment (7725 Clayton Rd., 863-8762) has yet more
antique furniture, decorative arts and oriental rugs.
Shaker Tree (7713 Clayton Road, 726-3233) is known for quality
antique and estate furniture. Scads of lamps, glass, china and
artwork are found here.
For more information about Clayton, visit: http://www.ci.clayton.mo.us/main/EVENTS.asp
-Joe Palazzolo
