When deciding on a neighborhood to call home, it’s important to do your research and find an area that suits you and your lifestyle. Are you looking for a peaceful suburb, a hip and trendy area full of things to do, or something in between? The neighborhood of Soulard in St. Louis is a great place to look into when searching for a new area.

Soulard is arguably the most historic neighborhood in St. Louis, dating back to 1770 when Antoine and Julie Soulard arrived in St. Louis to survey land for the King of Spain. The Soulards donated a two block area to the community and started the original “grocery store,” which is known today as the Soulard Market. This farmer’s market is open Wednesday through Saturday and is quite large. It hosts vendors selling an array of goods such as produce, meats, fish, and cheese. In addition, the market offers a park, a playground, and on-the-spot eateries for you to enjoy a snack or a meal.

The Soulard neighborhood borders the Anheuser-Busch brewery to the south, and the market to the north. The streets are lined with eateries, bars, and boutiques, all with their own signature style and decor which spills out onto the sidewalk, creating a quaint and unique look to the area.  There is no shortage of good food in the area either – restaurants vary from smoke houses, pizza joints, high end Italian, traditional American, and authentic Mexican cuisine. If you’re looking to wet your whistle, Soulard’s bar scene doesn't disappoint either. Choose from the neighborhood dive bars, sports bars, Irish pubs, or signature craft cocktail venues for the nightcap of your choice. One thing you can certainly count on: Budweiser will always be on the menu!

Soulard is the perfect neighborhood for history buffs and fans of architecture as well, as it’s home to two of the city’s oldest churches, St. Peter Catholic Church and St. Paul Catholic Church. There are also a plethora of homes with rich and haunted histories. The architecture of the homes in the area vary from free standing French Victorian, Pre-Victorian row houses, half flounder houses, and alley houses with red brick, with architectural embellishments being the common denominator on all types of home. If those walls could talk, they would certainly have a lot to say.

The residents of Soulard are always up for some fun, and the events the area hosts are a true testament to that. The most famous and attended is the Soulard Mardi Gras, which is held every winter and offers up a myriad of activities such as the Mardi Gras Pet Parade, Grand Parade, a Cajun cook-off, a snowball softball tournament, a wine and whiskey tasting, and pub crawls.  The warmer months bring the Soulard Concert Series, which runs May through August featuring some of Missouri’s best blues players. Bastille Day is celebrated in July with multiple events to honor the French history of the area and its founders, and October is all about two weeks of Oktoberfest, complete with polka, sausages, and lederhosen. There’s no shortage of things to do in the Soulard neighborhood – this community loves to come together and celebrate.

If you’re looking for an area that is full of history, parks, restaurants, bars, and shopping, there’s no need to look any further than the neighborhood of Soulard. What’s your favorite place to go in Soulard?