Summertime in St. Louis, and the living is easy, warm, and humid. The city may be past its World’s Fair prime, but it has charms to spare: live music, free museums, and post-show strolls through historic neighborhoods and parks. The weather plays by Midwest rules (although the 11am Monday tornado sirens are a test, don’t fret), so pack an umbrella and watch out for temperature swings and barometric drama.

Getting Around

As a rule, nothing is more than a 20-minute drive away (usually less.) The airport is small but efficient; if you’re coming down from Chicago, consider the 5-hour Amtrak trip instead of the trek to O’Hare. Public transit in St. Louis is limited – while both the airport and Amtrak connect to MetroLink, the system has limited reach for tourists and doesn’t connect to the OTSL campus. A rental car is useful if you’re planning on swanning about town for a few days, though many neighborhoods are explorable on foot and rideshare is abundantly available.

The Venues

OTSL performances take place a little southwest of the city proper on the campus of Webster University, in the Loretto-Hilton Center (helpful facility information here.) The season comprises a mixture of evening performances and matinees, running from late-May through June. It’s my first time at the festival – join me! – but I’ve been assured that the preshow picnic-and-bar scene in the David W. Mesker Festival Gardens outside the theatre is a time-honored tradition.

The Preston at The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza St. Louis. Photo from their website.

Lodging in St. Louis is, as with most other things, abundant and relatively inexpensive. OTSL has some higher-end partner hotels scattered about town. Among these, the historic Chase Park Plaza offers some Art Deco glam at a reasonable rate. It’s in the Central West End, which has a decently “city” feel with boutiques, bars, easy proximity to Forest Park and the rather impressive Cathedral Basilica. If you’d like to be closer to the slightly grungier bustle of the Delmar Loop area, the Moonrise Hotel is reliable, if quaintly sci-fi in its decor and rooftop bar.

There are, however, plenty of Airbnbs about as well. If your tastes veer more towards the crunchy flavor of urban, Shaw seems quite hip these days with certain sets (and has Tower Grove Park and the Missouri Botanical Garden adjacent for very good summer wandering.)

Mankind’s best friend on the giant steps of the Moonrise Hotel. Photo from their website

Spicy döner at Balkan Treat Box. Photo from @balkantreatbox on Instagram.

Balkan Treat Box (8103 Big Bend Boulevard) in Webster Groves is a local favorite that’s earned the love. It offers unfussy and satisfying wood-fired Balkan food, and is very close to the theater for an opera-day lunch or early dinner. (Plus, if you like to browse or strum guitars, dulcimers, banjos, mandolins and the like, stop by Music Folk nearby!)

The Hill is the city’s historic Italian neighborhood and the spiritual home of the euphemistically named “toasted ravioli” (in fact: breaded, fried, and served with marinara.) Pizzeria da Gloria (2024 Marconi Ave) does a more contemporary wood-fired pizza; for the classics, Anthonino’s Taverna (2225 Macklind Ave) is a safe bet. The neighborhood retains a distinctive and endearing identity of its own, so stick around for an after-dinner stroll.

Photo courtesy of @louiedemun on Instagram

Louie (706 De Mun Ave, Clayton) is polished date-night catnip that does concept-y Mediterranean and lovely cocktails. Book early, since reservations go quick. Plus, it’s on a cute and convenient little block – next door there’s Sasha’s for a more casual rooftop aperitif, or Clementine’s for a late-night ice cream.

For the coffee snobs, Blueprint is the best in town, with a rotating selection of delightful and surprisingly affordable pourovers. The 3301 Washington Ave location has the best vibes. I’m also partial to Fiddlehead Fern Cafe (4066 Russell Blvd) in Shaw for the back-patio lounging and, if I may confess, a very good cinnamon roll.

Urban Chestnut Midtown Biergarten. Photo courtesy of their website.

It appears that the city is undergoing a wine-bar infestation. The jury is out on whether this is a blessing, but for the time being, options abound for by-the-glass pours and overpriced small plates. Among the better ones: OG Sasha’s (706 De Mun Ave) is a chill daytime spot that gets reliably hopping on pleasant weekend evenings; it also has a Shaw location (4069 Shaw Blvd) that’s a bit roomier. In the Central West End, Black Mountain Wine House (354 N Boyle Ave) is a cozy if somewhat spare option that edges out nearby Scarlett’s (4253 Laclede Ave).

There are plenty of breweries, too. This is Anheuser-Busch country after all, and you can do the brewery tour if you want the full industrial pilgrimage. Among the neighborhood options, Urban Chestnut is probably the best-known name, but you can find a perfectly pleasant brewery in almost any part of town.

Broadway Oyster Bar downtown is louder, looser, and more New Orleans, with Cajun-Creole food and live music almost all the time. A good stop after a Cards game, or on your way to or from Soulard.

The Fabulous Fox. Photo courtesy of the theatre’s website.

If you have a day to kill, try to spend it in and around Forest Park. It’s full of free amenities – the St. Louis Art Museum is extensive and absorbing, and I’ve never managed to see more than half the Zoo in one day. Plus, warmer weather brings back The Muny for outdoor musical theatre starting in mid-June, and Shakespeare in the Park (The Tempest opens on May 27.) Bookend with brunch and drinks in De Mun, Dogtown, or the Central West End, and you’re pretty much set.

There’s plenty of other music in town, too. Beyond the innumerable live-music bars and small venues, there’s Grand Center for the local heavy-hitters: Fox Theater (musical theatre, mostly), the Sheldon, Jazz St. Louis, and Powell Hall. The latter is home to the St. Louis Symphony, but the shoulder season brings slightly more eclectic programming (Bernadette Peters comes on June 12.)

And what’s summer without the great American pastime? Opera sung by the up-and-comers of tomorrow is all well and good, but a Cardinals game might be the palate cleanser you didn’t know you needed. Hear me out, gentle reader: Baseball might not be your thing (or mine), but you don’t need to know the difference between a four-seam fastball and a slider to enjoy that postcard view of the Gateway Arch beyond the outfield, an ice-cold drink in hand, and – why not – the bases loaded.

Panorama of Busch Stadium in 2022. Photo by Lightmetro on Wikimedia Commons.