The fire hydrants are painted green, white and red, and the whole neighborhood smells faintly of garlic and espresso: The Hill is St. Louis’s storied Italian-American enclave, built by Lombard and Sicilian immigrants who came to work the clay mines in the 19th century and built a village that never left.
At its heart stands St. Ambrose Catholic Church, the community’s anchor since the parish’s founding in 1903. Nearby on Elizabeth Avenue, two modest houses made baseball history as the childhood homes of Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola, who grew up across the street from each other and became legends. Family-run delis, bakeries and trattorias line Shaw Boulevard and Macklind Avenue, many now in their third or fourth generation.
Come hungry; leave family.
The Hill is just south of Forest Park. Visitor information at explorestlouis.com.
