Traveling to St Louis - worried about crime (St. Louis, Washington: crime rate, hotel)

[Keni]

I will be in St. Louis on business, & would like to also shop. I am staying either at the Hyatt or Sheraton in downtown, and just learned about the crime rate. I am seriously concerned that I may drive into a bad area of town. I would like to get some good shopping in, but now I'm afraid to even leave my hotel.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

You'll be fine usually. I would be weary about going north of Martin Luther King Drive, but there's usually nothing to see there anyway. Be careful in East St. Louis (if you need to go over there). Where are you going shopping it? Union Station has some nice little shops there. I wouldn't be worried about leaving your hotel. Most of St. Louis is as safe as any other city. As far as I know, the only real dangerous areas to avoid are parts of North and East St. Louis, and you shouldn't need to go there anyway.

If a place looks rundown, just don't go into it. A lot of crime in cities is domestic and drug-related, which is obviously bad as well, but not usually random.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about the crime. Just do your shopping, stay out of places that look shady, and be smart about it (like don't leave valuable stuff in plain sight in your car and lock it).

[marmac]

Avoid East St Louis

[st. louie louie]

If you need a "massage" or enjoy the art of pole dancing, you need to go to East St. Louis. No need to be afraid and bring money.
Otherwise, from downtown, travel west. Go to Grand Center, the Central West End, Forest Park and Clayton. visit the musems, shops and restaurants. Don't forget to drive south from downtown to visit the neighborhoods of Lafayette Sq. & Soulard.

[WestCoDude]

Most of St. Louis is fine. Louie is right--anything west of your hotel would be completely safe. Downtown is like any other downtown--typically safe, lots going on, and just keep your eyes peeled at night. There's plenty of shopping at Union Station and if you head west to Brentwood there's the Galleria Mall, Plaza Frontenac (in Frontenac), and other great shopping areas. You'll find more BMWs than cop cars in those areas so there's nothing to worry about.

East St. Louis can also be a fulfilling experience--but most visitors prefer touring the area with a piece and and a can of mase. But...hey...to each his own, right?

[stlbased]

I visited St. Louis for the first time last summer and have since been back a few times. I really enjoyed myself and felt in no more danger than any other big city I've visited. But we only were downtown one day to see the arch. We wandered (during the daytime) around the arch and hit some restaurants within walking distance and never had any issues. On my second visit we went out west of the city towards some of the wineries and had a blast...it's gorgeous!

[Brickmama]

I would browse around some of the shops on Washington Ave Downtown and at Lumiere Place as well.

[jojojohnson76]

Originally Posted by marmac

Avoid East St Louis

East St. Louis is a city in Illinois. It is not the "eastern part" of the city of St. Louis. Can you name one reason, marmac, why the OP might be crossing the Mississippi in to Illinois?

[jojojohnson76]

^ And I would also avoid Union Station, but not because it is a dangerous area, but because it is a tourist trap of a mall. You won't catch too many locals in Union Station, because we know what it is.

[stlsmoore]

The whole crime rate stats has been skewed as mentioned in previous posts.