Travel advice E. St. Louis and St. Louis

My family and I, coming from the east, plan to tour St. Louis after
looking at the Cahokia Mounds. I've heard East St. Louis, through which
we travel, has a crime problem. I'm sure I will thunder across some
folk's politically correct trip wires, but does anyone familiar with
the area have an impression to offer?

In article .com,
GSHATTERHAND wrote:

My family and I, coming from the east, plan to tour St. Louis after
looking at the Cahokia Mounds. I've heard East St. Louis, through which
we travel, has a crime problem. I'm sure I will thunder across some
folk's politically correct trip wires, but does anyone familiar with
the area have an impression to offer?

If you're taking I-55 west into St Louis this shouldn't even be an
issue - you'll be on the highway.

BTW, Cahokia Mounds are fantastic.

-Lynne

St. Louis and E. St Louis as tourist destination. hmmm very
interseting.. I stayed a night at the St. Louis Holiday Inn. I asked
the door man for suggested places to eat or drink. He gave me some sage
advise:
Run fast and run far.

Run fast and run far? Even in St. Louis proper? I've heard East St.
Louis does indeed have a crime problem. And any big city has trouble
spots. But I thought St. Louis was generally a touristy area with folks
coming to see the big arch.

GSHATTERHAND asked:

I thought St. Louis was generally a touristy area with folks coming
to see the big arch.

You will have a fine time in St Louis itself. East St Louis is a place
you drive through on the interstate. There's no reason to get off the
highway there, but if you do and get lost just drive through across the
main drag; it's not that big a place and it's largely empty anymore.
Or, since you're coming from Cahokia, cross over to St Louis before you
get to East St Louis. (Although if you did that, you wouldn't have the
view of the city under the arch as you cross the river.) Review a map;
the other towns on the Illinois side are standard suburbs.

Check past threads in this group on Google for more information on St
Louis, or post if you have specific questions.

Very helpful, Nile. Thank you.