Sometimes you live in a city your whole life and never see parts of it. That’s what happened with me and Cherokee Street.

I grew up in St. Louis and I went to college here. Then, I spent a few years living in different cities. When I moved home a few months ago, I wanted to revisit places I’d already been, but I also wanted to explore new places. I can’t believe that it took me almost thirty years to make it to Cherokee Street, but better late than never, I guess.

Cherokee Street is a beautiful combination of old and new. When you look around, you see historic brick houses and buildings, brightly painted awnings and vintage lampposts, but you also see hip restaurants and shops. All the stores on the street have vintage interiors. That’s part of their appeal.

Here are some of my favorite places on Cherokee Street. Most of them are on Antique Row, which is a small stretch of shops and restaurants on the street:

Flowers to the People

I saw a picture of Flowers to the People on Instagram and I’ve been dying to go ever since. When I went today, I wanted to put a cot in the corner and live there forever. The owner (I think she was the owner?) seemed nice, so maybe she’d let me.

As one would expect, there are flowers everywhere. There are also beautiful window displays and antiques lining the walls. The shop is a great place to go to if you want a quick escape from city life, especially during the winter. 

Whisk

I thought that I’d been to every bakery within a 30 mile radius of St. Louis, but clearly, I was wrong. I didn’t even know that Whisk existed until last week. Now, it’s one of my favorite bakeries in the area.

Everything at Whisk is made fresh daily, so quality is on point. The case is small but there are a fair number of options, including something called a “duffin,” which I ordered. I’m sort of morally opposed to ordering hybrid pastries because I think they’re gimmicky. But I don’t care what the duffin is or is trying to be: It’s delicious and everyone should eat one immediately.

The Mud House

If you want a place to relax for an hour and read and drink coffee, The Mud House is the place to go. It’s a quintessential Cherokee Street spot, as evidenced by the number of locals eating there in the morning and afternoon. I got there a little before lunch time and it was already busy. 
I like the Mud House because there are so many options. You can order breakfast and lunch all day, and the choices range from scrambled eggs and bacon to curried lentils with poached eggs. I ordered the latter and I loved it. The eggs were perfectly poached and the lentils were spicy and warming.

Ruby Francis

I’ve been reining in my spending lately, but it was hard to exercise self control at Ruby Francis. The store, which makes handmade goods, had three of my favorite things: Deer, flannel and jewelry. I know I just sounded like a millennial cliché but I don’t care. I loved those things before they came things.

Everything at Ruby Francis is reasonably priced, so you can afford to go a little crazy. I’m going to come back when it gets warmer and I have more money to spend.

So anyway, that’s my guide to Cherokee Street. Whether you’re coming to St. Louis to visit or you’ve lived here your whole life, you should check it out. Coffee, vintage, deer, baked goods: What more can you ask for?
Here is a song I heard while I was eating my doughnut/muffin at Whisk. It matches the vibe on Cherokee Street. Check out my Instagram for more pics!