How to get there: Take the Metro to the Market Street stop. By car, take any of the downtown exits from Interstate 64 East.

At the turn of the 20th century, Washington Avenue was a bustling corridor crowded with an eclectic mix of locals and visitors shopping the famous garment district and working in the city’s powerful printing center. A century later, the sad sight of abandoned factories and empty sidewalks inspired the Washington Avenue Streetscape Project, one of the city’s first steps toward the incredible urban renewal that has taken place over the past four years.

Today, Washington Avenue, dubbed the “Loft District,” is home to a chic mid-20s and 30s crowd that has capitalized on the urban lifestyle. Frequenting the many restaurants, coffee shops, bars and art galleries that have burst onto the scene, city dwellers and young socialites have established the avenue as the place to see and be seen. Nestled downtown between Grand and Broadway, the Loft District includes the area along Washington Avenue and Locust Street.

Deciding where to eat is one of the toughest questions. Kitchen K (1000 Washington Avenue) was one of the first new eateries to open its doors in this part of town. A group of loft dwellers tell me it is the place to be Thursdays during happy hour.

Just across the street from Kitchen K is Mosaic (1101 Lucas Avenue), a “small-plate restaurant” boasting inventive world flavors and cutting edge d‚cor. It has been voted “Best New Restaurant of 2005″ by the Riverfront Times, as well as 2005’s “Best Fusion.” The chef prides himself on cooking with organic meats and vegetables. Try the Rabbit Pot Pie, Herb Gnocchi and Bermuda Onion Rings (oversized onions with a horseradish sauce), which I claimed for myself.

The brand new Copia Urban Winery (1122 Washington Avenue) offers home-style meals such as smoked barbeque ribs, brick-oven pizzas and crab cakes, along with over 280 different bottles of wine. The atmosphere is warm – rich with Tuscan colors and a beautiful glassed-in wine cellar that separates the restaurant from the bar.

Lucas Park Grille and Market draws the 25-to-30-something professional crowd and is the place to be once work lets out. If a brief escape from campus life is what you crave, this restaurant is for you, and the high table stools make perfect perches for people-watching.

Just around the corner is Sen Thai Bistro (1221 Locust Street), which was awarded a “Readers’ Choice Award” by Sauce Magazine for Best Thai in 2005. Also check out Red Moon, Asian cuisine with a French twist, and Ipanema, a Brazilian steakhouse that is soon to open at 1210 Washington Avenue.

If happy hour is what you want, start with Mosaic’s Martini Madness Happy Hour, Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.m. For those who are seeking the fashionable lounge atmosphere, Pepper Lounge (2005 Locust Street) has happy hour Wednesday through Friday from 4-7 p.m. and is decked out with retro flair and plenty of desserts. Its neighbor, Nectar, comes complete with VIP lounges, a European bottle-service and signature cocktails. Here the party keeps going until 3 a.m. Also check out the Indigo Bar and Rue 13 as the night gets later.

There are tons of art galleries in the area, including Washington University’s very own Des Lee Gallery (1627 Washington Avenue). Everyone is invited to attend the fashion students’ annual Gowns in the Gallery, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. Rumor has it there will be a chocolate fountain sharing the stage with the designers’ cutting-edge dresses.

A great time to check out the vibrant art community that thrives in St. Louis is at the First Friday Gallery Walks. March 5 from 5-10 p.m. is the next date when the galleries will stay open late and welcome all kinds of visitors. The City Museum (which has a bar open late on weekends) will host the Wall Ball on Saturday, Feb. 18, featuring the live art of over 45 St. Louis painters, potters and sculptors. There will be a full bar, food, music and dancing.

The Grand Center, in and around the corner of Grand and Washington Avenue, is home to the Fox Theater, the Sheldon Concert Hall, Jazz St. Louis, the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts and the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, all of which contribute to the city’s cultural revitalization. Jazz St. Louis is a nonprofit organization, which pulls great musicians from all over the world into St. Louis. The Contemporary Art Museum is currently showing three young emerging St. Louis artists in the Great Rivers Biennial. The museum puts on many vibrant events including Budweiser Select Nights, which are the first Thursday of every month. There is always music, dollar drinks and huge crowds from 6-9 p.m., but you must be 21 to enter.

Want to check it out for yourself? The Metro drops off on Market Street, just a few blocks south of the area, and a cab will only put you out about $8. Split the fare with a friend and the ride is as cheap as gas. Washington Avenue and the Grand Center are asserting downtown’s place as a cultural hot spot – a melting pot of professionals, hipsters, artists and sports fans – and the area is worthy of its growing attention.

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This entry was posted on Monday, February 6th, 2006 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Scene. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.