According to the Chicago-based organization – also named ArtPlace – an ArtPlace is a walkable neighborhood with small, local businesses and where arts are central producing places where people want to be. If this definition doesn’t match what we know and love about the Central West End, than we don’t know what else does. Along with the likes of Chicago’s Gold Coast, Boston’s Back Bay, and Portland’s Pearl District, the Central West End is among neighborhoods in 33 U.S. cities just tabbed as ArtPlaces and was found in a search of more than 33,000 zip codes. The search sought to find areas that scored highest on a set of six indicators which include factors such as the number of retail and service businesses and the percent of independent businesses in the area.

Read more in the STL Today article here.