Parking on The Hill

Why parking here is different

The Hill grew up as a working neighborhood. Clay mines and brick and tile works drew immigrants, and Italians became the largest group from the 1880s to 1924, according to the City of St. Louis. A city neighborhood history describes early workers' homes as small frame shotgun houses of about three rooms, followed after 1900 by one-story brick houses. Shotgun homes and brick bungalows still fill most residential blocks, set close together along narrow streets, several of them one-way.

The result is a dense neighborhood with very little off-street parking. As one resident told theSTL, "There's no parking lots, but you'll never go hungry."

Where to park

Most visitors park on the street, usually in front of someone's home. Allow extra time to find a space at busy dinner hours and on weekends, and be ready to walk a block or two.

• According to the restaurant's website, Cunetto House of Pasta has plenty of parking.
• The OpenTable listings for Zia's and Gian-Tony's list street parking.
• Some restaurants have offered evening valet in the past. Ask when you make a reservation.

Rules to know

The Missouri Driver Guide covers the basics:

• Do not park in an intersection, on a crosswalk or sidewalk, across a driveway entrance, or blocking a fire hydrant.
• Park facing the direction of traffic. On a two-way street, never park on the left side. On a one-way street you can normally park on either side.
• Pull as close to the curb as you can.

The City of St. Louis sets its own parking rules in Title 17 of the Revised Code, and posted signs govern each block.

• Street cleaning: No Parking signs show cleaning days and times. Cars parked there are ticketed even if the sweeper has already passed. There is no street cleaning on City holidays (
  Street Department
  ).
• Towing: The City tows vehicles that are illegally parked, abandoned or blocking traffic. Use its
  Towed Car Lookup
  if your car is missing.
• Permit blocks: The City creates residential permit parking one block at a time by
  ordinance
  , and those blocks are signed. If a sign says permit only, look elsewhere.

Big event days

The Giro della Montagna bike race runs on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend as part of the Gateway Cup, starting and finishing in front of St. Ambrose church. For 2026, the neighborhood notice listed closures on parts of Wilson, Marconi, Shaw, Edwards and Botanical, with the whole course closed to cars from mid-morning to early evening. Cars left on the course were to be moved off it. The race page also asked people not to park on grass or in alleys.

The Italian Heritage Parade and Festa takes place on a Sunday in October, with the festival at Berra Park (KMOV, 2024). Expect crowded streets and check for posted restrictions.

Other ways to get here

• Rideshare or taxi: no parking search at all. Ask your driver to pull to the curb rather than stopping in the travel lane.
• MetroBus: the
  #95 Kingshighway
  and
  #90 Hampton
  run along the streets that form The Hill's eastern and western edges. Schedules change several times a year, so check Metro's
  Trip Planner
  .
• Bike: a good choice for short trips from nearby neighborhoods.

Respect the neighbors

This is a front-porch neighborhood, and the curb outside a house is often the only place its owner can park. These are courtesies, not laws:

• Never block a driveway, even for a minute.
• Park snugly, leaving only the space you need, so another car fits.
• Don't double-park while you wait for passengers.

Sources: City of St. Louis, The Hill Neighborhood Overview; Norbury L. Wayman, History of St. Louis Neighborhoods: The Hill; theSTL; Palate Press (2010); University News (2003); Cunetto House of Pasta; OpenTable: Zia's, Gian-Tony's; Missouri Driver Guide (rev. August 2026); City of St. Louis Revised Code; Street Cleaning; Towing Division; Ordinance 71357; Gateway Cup; 2026 Giro neighborhood notice; KMOV; Metro St. Louis.