Lovely Lafayette Square

San Francisco has the Painted Ladies. Miami has the art deco hotels of Ocean Drive. And St. Louis has the French-style row houses of Lafayette Square. Last Sunday, many of these stunning homes were dressed in their holiday best for the 2012 Holiday Parlor Tour.

Erin & I dressed in our best Bohemian chic. We had to stay warm somehow!

After brunch at Rue Lafayette, Erin and I braved the spotty rain and chilly weather to walk the historic streets of Lafayette Square. Named after the Marquis de La Fayette (1757 – 1834), a general in the American Revolutionary War, the neighborhood and park have gone through many incarnations since it was founded in 1836. It’s been a livestock pasture, a “pocket ghetto”, and had fallen under years of neglect and disrepair. Thanks to the Lafayette Park Conservancy and the Lafayette Square Restoration Committee, Lafayette Square is now a thriving neighborhood home to families, businesses, and popular restaurants (Bailey's Chocolate Bar and Square One Brewery & Distillery are two of my favorites.)

The shops on Park Avenue.

Declared a historic district in 1972 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, Lafayette Square is the oldest city park in St. Louis and one of the first parks west of the Mississippi. In the summer and fall months, it’s bustling with walkers, runners, and an outdoor concert and movie series. 

Napoleon's Retreat Bed & Breakfast

Whether you’re from St. Louis or visiting our fair city, make sure to visit Lafayette Square and all that it has to offer. I’m sure you’ll find it…lovely.  

*I had written this post prior to the tragic events in Newtown, CT. People Magazine put together a beautiful tribute to the victims. To donate to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund through the United Way of Western Connecticut, please click here.