The Medical Campus lies at the intersection of two of the city’s most popular entertainment districts, one of the largest urban parks in the country, and a rapidly growing biotech and innovation community.
Washington University School of Medicine and its affiliated hospitals extend over portions of 12 city blocks on the western edge of St. Louis, adjacent to the upscale Central West End neighborhood and bordered on one side by Forest Park, the site of the 1904 World’s Fair and home to the famous St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Art Museum, and the MUNY Opera, a venue for summer musical theater.
Small-town feel, big-city living
St. Louis combines the best of small-town and big-city living. Housing costs and other expenses are low, and the quality of life is high, in part due to the variety of cultural and leisure activities. Apartments, condominiums and single-family homes in close proximity to the Medical Center are available to rent or buy in neighborhoods ranging from the historical (Soulard, Lafayette Square, Clifton Heights), to the established (University City, Webster Groves, Kirkwood), to the new and modern (Sunset Hills, Creve Coeur).
For recreation, in addition to the many attractions at Forest Park, there is the world-class St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; live theater on stage at the Fox, the Loretto Hilton and the Opera Theatre of St. Louis; museums of history and sports; and fine restaurants featuring cuisine of all kinds. St. Louis boasts its famous Missouri Botanical Garden, many parks and wildlife areas, and the gamut of sporting events, including baseball with the World Champion Cardinals at the new Busch Stadium and hockey with the Blues at the Scottrade Center.
Many of these attractions can now be reached on the city’s light-rail transit system, Metro Transit, which can be boarded at a station located on the School of Medicine campus. The system runs from Lambert International Airport to the entire metropolitan area.