Once called Fairmount Heights, the highest point in the City, The Hill had German and Irish immigrants working the clay mines. Italians seeking a new future in America came to the area to work those same clay mines and made The Hill their neighborhood in the 1890′s. The Hill has been home to some of Saint Louis City’s most nationally known residents, including baseball heroes Joe Gargiola and Lawrence “Yogi” Berra.

The Hill grew and prospered as many businesses and services – including what have become some of the finest Italian restaurants in the country – were established to support the thriving neighborhood. Known for its manicured lawns and well-kept homes, The Hill is one of the City’s least changed and most stable neighborhoods.

The area is very much alive with the flavor of its rich, cultural Italian heritage, and it is strongly united by community pride. PRIDE BUILDS is the neighborhood motto. Saint Ambrose Catholic Church serves as a major religious, cultural, educational and social center of this community.

Established in 1970, the neighborhood organization, Hill 2000, continues to be operated by neighborhood volunteers and has won many community awards. The Hill is active in a variety of neighborhood betterment and charitable activities and has received national acclaim for its innovative neighborhood work and determination to “improve not move”. The accomplishments of Hill 2000 are many. Perhaps the best known is the Sick and Elderly Program which serves as a reminder that the community cares.