Page 74 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2020

The Journey song “Lights” says it best – “When the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on the bay.” And while Steve Perry and Neal Schon weren’t writing about the Bay of St. Louis, it’s very relevant when one is traveling down Wittman Road heading towards Delisle and you can see the City of Bay St. Louis beckoning across the water. It’s one of the most panoramic views in South Mississippi. Welcome to Bay St. Louis, the city by the bay.
C I T YCLOSEUPS
BAY ST. LOUIS
THE CITY BY THE BAY
story by Je Clark
photos by Hermes Photography
74 | January 2020
“This is going to be great for www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
The Bay St. Louis Bridge, for those entering the Bay from the east, is the city’s own perpetual “greeter.” It’s hard not to get excited about Bay St. Louis when the drive into the city
is a more than two-mile-long bridge festooned with carvings and a walking track that takes one directly across the Bay of St. Louis and the Mississippi Sound. From the bridge, one can see such iconic views as St. Stanislaus College, Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church and the Silver Slipper Casino. One can also see some of the city’s restaurants, bars and shops that Bay St. Louis Mayor Mike Favre calls “something special.”
“Our downtown area is something special,” Favre said. “We have a thriving arts and
culture scene that has created
an economic boom for Bay St. Louis. This helps to keep our restaurants full and we have a lot of people interested in bringing more shops and restaurants to Bay St. Louis. But our arts scene helps to drive this.”
Favre said the city is hoping
the addition of a new hotel will help increase the popularity
of its thriving downtown area. Construction has begun on
the Pearl Hotel, which will
be located in the heart of its
arts and shopping district –
Ole Town. The more than 50,000-square-foot hotel is being developed by Cure Land Co.
out of Hancock County. The boutique hotel is hoping to open in the fall or winter of 2020.