St. Louis hot spots?

Hello fellow WLS friends- My name is Jenn and I am from the Boston area...I am coming to St. Louis tomorrow for a convention and was hoping to get some ideas on good restaurants and hanging out type places in the city (near the convention center)....If anyone could give me some ideas, I would be very appreciative!

Hi Jenn, I've lived in the St. Louis area my whole life, but am a little older now and not quite into the night life anymore.  Do you mean hanging out places as in clubs or bars?  The restaurants downtown are not quite as plentiful as they are in other areas, in my opinion, but there is always "The Landing."  It is on the riverfront a little north of the arch.  (Cobblestone streets and such) - I personally love the Soulard area, but it isn't everyone's cup of tea.  You would just get on Broadway and go south from downtown and you can make a right on any of the streets really right around the Market.  (Soulard Market is an open air market which has been in operation since the late 1800's.)  The Soulard area is an awesome area which has undergone a lot of rehab in the last 10 years or so.   I just like driving through and seeing all the architecture, but there are TONS of bars/restaurants, practically on every corner.  There are frequently bands on weekend nights and the restaurants are open for lunch and dinner for the most part.  All kinds of food there.  If you have time during the day, there is always the St. Louis Zoo which is one of the last free zoos in the country.  You would just get on Highway 40 (or it's 64 now) and go west.  Get off at the Hampton (N) exit and you are at the zoo.  Awesome place in Forest Park.  It also houses the St. Louis Science Center, north entrance, and you can go over the highway on a walkway and get to the south part of the science center.  The Missouri Botanical Gardens is one of the best and is by Tower Grove Park.  You would take 55 south out of downtown and stay to the right to 44West.  Get off a few exits down the highway where there will be signs to direct you to the Missouri Botanical Gardens.  I want to say Kingshighway exit but am not sure.  There are also Anheuser Busch brewery tours (sniff sniff - not for long maybe) and Grant's Farm which is another Busch property out in the county.  Let me know what you did and where you went!  Oh, if you like casinos there is a brand new one right across from the TWA Dome (Rams football) called Lumiere Place.  they have awesome restaurants and shops in there and of course gambling.  My friend and I went a month or two ago and just played a couple slot machines.  The restaurant was good and of course jus****ching the people is a blast! HAVE FUN!! Lori

Thanks so much Lori!  I appreciate your response!

No problem! I guess I sound like I work at the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce!  LOL!  I was born and raised in St. Louis and moved right across the Mississippi River from south St. Louis county in 1984.  We love it over here but the small town atmosphere went by the wayside of lots of commercial businesses, more houses and widening roads.  We'll probably move back to Missouri one day.  I've never been to Boston - I'm sure it has tons of history which I would LOVE!  The only place I've been to up in that area was Groton Long Point, CT when I was in college.  A friend of mine parents had a summer home there and back in the day we sure had fun there!  There must be an island somewhere out there from the point, where we went in my friend's brother's Boston Whaler.  I believe the island belonged to NY?  Anyway, OMG if my kids were out on that boat three sheets in the wind at night, I'd have a heart attack!  One of those things as a college kid, I didn't tell my mom and dad!  LOL! Have fun! Lori