New York has the Yankees. Chicago has the Cubs. And St. Louis has the Cardinals. Arguably the most constant symbol of the city since their arrival in 1892, the Cardinals are as St. Louis as Forest Park. Despite St. Louis' mid-market status in terms of population, the St. Louis Cardinals frequently lead the major leagues in both attendance and television ratings. In addition to the passion and the connection of the city's fans to the franchise, the Cardinals are one of the most successful clubs in major league history. Only the New York Yankees have won more World Series titles. The success of the Cardinals, the passion of their fans, and the atmosphere of Cardinals games in downtown St. Louis has frequently seen St. Louis voted as the best baseball city in the world.
The Cardinals started playing in downtown St. Louis in 1966 in what's referred to as Busch II Stadium and became a fixture of downtown city life and culture. When the repairs needed to Busch II Stadium became dire, the decision to build a new stadium in downtown was a given, and the current “Busch III” stadium actually overlaps a large part of Busch II. With the Gateway Arch still hovering in the outfield, the decision was made to turn a large swath of downtown into not just an area to play baseball, but into a modern-day take on Chicago's Wrigleyville: a neighborhood devoted to its city's club. While plans to develop residential areas near the stadium have slowly progressed, the city's Ballpark Village has been an astounding success. Sort of a theme park connected to a stadium, Ballpark Village features several giant restaurants, retail shops, and – of course – a giant country-western bar with live music and a mechanical bull. On the top floor lies the St. Louis Cardinals museum. With over 8000 square feet of artifacts, the museum is a great place to learn about the history of the club. Directly above the museum – on the roof – are 300 seats to view the games in Busch Stadium. As mentioned earlier, Ballpark Village was designed to be an expansion of the traditional concept of a stadium, and several of the bars and restaurants inside feature either views of the stadium from the interior – or the rooftop-style seating found atop the St. Louis Cardinals Museum.
Photo “Ballpark Village, St. Louis, MO” by Nicolas Henderson is licensed under CC BY 2.0
