St. Louis Is One of America's Top 5 Cities for Bar Hopping

We're cheap, we're compact and we know how to throw 'em back

Sep 13, 2023 at 8:42 am

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Rosalind Early

Amsterdam Tavern sits on one of St. Louis' great streets for bar hopping: Morgan Ford Road.

Another day, another silly list. St. Louis is supposedly one of the most fun cities in the world. It's one of the most dangerous cities. It's even, laughably, one of the best cities to live without a car (tell that to someone forced to rely on our public transit!).

Yet this one, we have to admit, rings true: St. Louis is one of the top American cities for bar hopping. No. 4 in the nation, in fact.

The list comes from the Loupe, a site we've never heard of (and that seems related to the folks at Shane Co. who know you like nice things). But they've crunched data points for the 50 biggest U.S. cities, including the cost of beer, cocktails and Ubers; the number and density of bars, breweries and bartenders; and the walk and public transit scores. And here we come in at No. 4, right behind Miami; Hartford, Connecticut; and Providence.

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COURTESY OF THE LOUPE

Lists don't lie (well, at least this list doesn't lie. We'll get back to you on the one about dangerous cities).

Indeed, St. Louis boasts nearly a dozen districts where you can happily stumble from bar to bar, whether you're looking for upscale cocktails before ending with one great dive (the Central West End, and yes, we're talking about Rosie's); a long line of chill, party-hearty south city spots (Morgan Ford Road); a veritable island of sports bars and live music (Soulard); or the eclectic mix downtown on Wash Ave. Plus, unlike in stuffier cities, open containers are happily tolerated here — a key ingredient for a good bar hop.

In short, if you're a stumbling drunk, not every city makes it this easy or has it this good. We're happy to see the world take notice.

Slideshow

The 100 Best Bars in St. Louis

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About The Author

Sarah Fenske

Sarah Fenske is the executive editor of the RFT and its sister papers. She is the former host of St. Louis on the Air and continues to host its Legal Roundtable, as well participating as an occasional panelist on Nine PBS' Donnybrook. She lives in St. Louis.

Email Sarah Fenske