The “Central West End”, or CWE, began development in the late 1800’s after the dedication of our city’s crown jewel, Forest Park.  In May of 1804 President Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis & Clark from St. Louis to explore the new Louisiana Territory. They returned two years later in September 1806 and St. Louis became the “Gateway to the West” and one of the largest ports, 2nd only to New York.  This Westward expansion at the turn of the 20th century allowed St. Louis to prosper and our Central West End housed a great deal of the wealthiest families in the country. Today, it includes these original architecturally stunning homes, trendy high-end condos and an exciting urban business district. 

The CWE business district stretches just under a mile on Euclid which makes it the perfect place to spend a day exploring on foot.  Places like the historic Chase Park Plaza Hotel, the Chess Club, home to the World Chess Hall of Fame, the worlds largest chess piece at 14 feet tal and a life-size chess pieces on the patio, Writer’s Corner, located at the corner of Euclid and McPherson, which features metal busts of literary greats, T.S. Eliot, Tennessee Williams, and Kate Chopin, all who hail from the neighborhood and the many shops ad restaurants along the way.

Nearby are the Washington University School of Medicine, the BJC Healthcare campus, St. Louis University, Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, home to the largest collection of mosaics in the world, the St. Louis College of Pharmacy and the Cortex Innovation Community, a national leader in tech startups.