On Tuesday, TIME magazine selected St. Louis as one of the 100 World’s Greatest Places for 2021. The list was compiled by correspondents and contributors from around the world, and each nominated places that offered “new and exciting experiences.” Our city is in good company: the Faroe Islands, Loire Valley, and the Maldives are just some of the impressive and far-flung places the editors of TIME selected. In St. Louis’ case, they focused on the “reinvigorated downtown” and local stops that any person living in or visiting St. Louis should go to.
Those included Casa Don Alfonso, Michelin-starred Italian restaurateur Mario Iaccarino’s first restaurant in the United States. The restaurant, located at the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis, includes Mediterranean dishes and 2,500-bottle wine room.
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TIME also highlighted City Foundry STL, whose long-awaited food hall will open August 11, the hotels Le Méridien St. Louis Downtown and the forthcoming 21c Museum Hotel, as well as the ongoing developments of the Brickline Greenway, Laclede’s Landing, and the forthcoming St. Louis City SC soccer stadium.
What did TIME miss? Were we the editors on the piece, we might have included the St. Louis Aquarium, home to more than 13,000 animals, or its neighbor, the 200-foot St. Louis Wheel. Development-wise, who could leave out Ballpark Village? While we laud the magazine for thinking outside the box (nary a mention of toasted ravioli), we must give a nod to the Saint Louis Zoo—the planned 425-acre WildCare Park in North County opening in 2026 tops our list of most-anticipated attractions. Really, any of the people or places in our 2021 A-List issue deserves a nod.
