• Araka Restaurant • Baby Petunia • Blue Moon Activewear • Extra Virgin • Kaldis Coffee • Lucy Lee • Lusso Home • Pulaski Bank • Valerie Mills • Ware

Now open is Valerie Mills, a chic edgy upscale women's apparel & accessories boutique with influence from New York City and Los Angeles. Opening soon is Ware, where elegance, style and romance brings the East and West coasts to the Midwest. Gifts, accessories, men's and women's, furnishings and fresh flowers.

The Crescent’s central location makes navigating St. Louis a snap.  It is just a short stroll from all of Clayton’s retail shopping districts, which include a diverse collection of specialty shops that offer everything from flowers to wine, jewelry to interior design, fine art and the area’s best selection of antique shops. An array of personal items and gift-giving ideas are available in the one million square feet of vibrant Clayton office space.

For additional shopping, the area’s most popular regional mall, The Saint Louis Galleria, is located just over a mile away and includes everything from big-name department stores such as Macy’s, Dillard’s (and Nordstrom, opening in 2010) to popular chain restaurants and a six-theater cinema.  Situated only six miles away, lies Plaza Frontenac, an upscale shopping mall featuring Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue department stores, more than 40 specialty shops, an art-house cinema, fine dining and casual restaurants.

• Ritz-Carlton • Wellbridge • City of Clayton • Cultural Festivals • Straubs

With the world-famous Ritz-Carlton next door, Crescent residents can sip cocktails in luxury while indulging in some of the best people-watching around. If working out sounds more appealing, Wellbridge Athletic Club & Spa and the Center of Clayton community recreation center, with its four indoor gymnasiums, two pools, rock-climbing wall and state-of-the-art fitness center, are a short walk away.

Clayton’s majestic Shaw Park, which is also within walking distance, is home to one of the area’s largest outdoor – and newly renovated -- aquatic centers. Other amenities at the 47-acre park include 10 lighted tennis courts, 10 ball fields, three playgrounds, two sand volleyball courts and one of the few remaining outdoor ice-skating rinks in the area. During the summer months, Shaw Park is host to several special events, including The Taste of Clayton food festival, The St. Louis Jazz Festival and Parties in the Park.

On Saturdays from May through October, Crescent residents can walk a few blocks to the Clayton Farmer’s Market for organic, farm-fresh fruits and vegetables as well as homemade delicacies. Afterwards, they can stop into family-owned Straub’s Market for staples and more gourmet goodies, including Straub’s award-winning chicken salad (it’s addicting!).

In fact, the only headache Crescent residents may encounter is deciding where to eat.  With nearly 100 restaurants from which to choose, Clayton offers every option in the way of cuisine, from upscale gourmet to ethnic favorites to more traditional, family-friendly cooking. After-dinner entertainment includes everything from hearing live jazz or blues to sipping cappuccino or spooning gelato at one of the many open-air cafes.

Dishes from several of these restaurants and cafes can be sampled at the Saint Louis Art Fair, which takes place annually in downtown Clayton the second weekend of September. The free, outdoor festival features the work of more than 165 visual artists, live music on three stages and scads of children’s activities. The Saint Louis Art Fair is consistently ranked as one of the top art fairs in the country.

Another free Clayton-based festival, The Big Read, takes place in October and brings dozens of national and local authors to downtown Clayton for this day-long literary event.

• Carondelet Village • Explore St. Louis • Washington University • Fontbonne College • Concordia Seminary • Clayton Schools

THE CITY OF CLAYTON
Just 10 minutes west of downtown St. Louis rests the sophisticated mini-metropolis of Clayton.  As the leading center of commerce in the St. Louis region and home to beautiful residential neighborhoods, the City of Clayton offers the best of suburban and city life all within a two-and-a-half-mile radius. 

Today, while 81 percent of Clayton’s land is devoted to residential neighborhoods and parks, the City’s Central Business District maintains one of the highest commercial occupancy rates in the region with seven million square feet of prestigious office space and one million square feet of retail space. 

Enriching the City's quality of life is its nationally recognized public school system. The Clayton public school district is one of the nation's best, with 95 percent of its high school graduates going on to college. Clayton is also home to several excellent private institutions including Washington University, Fontbonne College and Concordia Seminary.

Clayton is only 15 minutes from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, and just 10 minutes from downtown St. Louis. The City of St. Louis is home to the Gateway Arch; Busch Stadium (home of Cardinals baseball); Edward Jones Dome (home of the St. Louis Rams); Scottrade Center (home of the St. Louis Blues); Anheuser-Busch Brewery; The City Museum; Powell Symphony Hall; Fox Theatre, St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis Science Center, The Muny, the St. Louis Zoo, the History Museum and the Missouri Botanical Gardens.