Bowling Green offers small-town life with outdoor recreation
Bowling Green is a rural, Pike County community with a small-town atmosphere. The area is surrounded by stretches of cornfields and farmland, while houses and local businesses dot the city center. Although it's surrounded by rolling pastures and about 85 miles from the nearest major metro, Bowling Green has plenty to keep its locals happy. “Bowling Green has many businesses, industries and growth,” says Dusty Thornhill, owner of Thornhill Real Estate & Auction Co with over 20 years of experience. “It’s got your mom and pop stores and produce stands that the community supports, and restaurants are coming into the town square.” Restaurants and shops are concentrated along U.S. Route 61 and Main Street, and the community is home to many county-wide fairs and festivals. For outdoor recreation, the city boasts several lakes and public parks, and the Mississippi River is about 10 miles east.
Historic and newer homes line narrow streets
Most homes in Bowling Green are concentrated in the city center, which has a city block layout with narrow, straight streets. Houses with bigger lawns sit alongside tree-lined rustic roads, and areas farther out in the country are mostly farmland. The city’s housing stock is eclectic, with cottages, American Foursquares, Cape Cods, ranch-styles, Queen Annes and colonial-inspired homes. Properties were built from the late 1800s to the present, and lots can go up to about an acre. Depending on size, acreage and condition of homes, prices start around $80,000 and can go up to $300,000. Larger country properties with multiacre lots may reach around $400,000. Multifamily properties sell between $130,000 and $400,000.
Bowling Green Public Schools serves the city
The city is served by Bowling Green Public Schools. Students may start schooling at Bowling Green Elementary, which has a B grade from Niche. Bowling Green Middle School earns a B-plus, and Bowling Green High School gets a C. Bowling Green High has extracurricular activities like art, drama and foreign language clubs, and sports programs for football, softball, cross country and volleyball. “The high school has a good athletics department,” Thornhill says. He also says that their trade school, Pike-Lincoln Technical Center, draws local students, and that some businesses in town provide opportunities to students who attend.
Lakes and parks offer outdoor opportunities
West Lake and Jack Floyd Memorial Lake offer camping, kayaking and fishing opportunities, and the city’s recreation department has many activities and sports programs for kids and adults. Bowling Green City Park features several sports fields, a playground and a looped walking trail around a pond. Additional parks such as 15th Street Park offer more play areas and green spaces. People with four-wheelers can go off-roading north of city limits, and the private Pike County Country Club has a nine-hole course and a swimming pool.
Shopping and dining options along Route 61 corridor
Many businesses and restaurants line U.S. Route 61. Dos Primos Mexican Restaurant has margaritas and Mexican American classics. Considered a local staple, Bowling Green Diner serves breakfast and traditional American food. Big-box stores include Dollar General, Walmart and Tractor Supply Co. The nearest grocery store, County Market, is about 10 miles away in the neighboring city of Louisiana. The local farmers market runs between May and October.
Events in Pike County
Drawing back to its agricultural roots, the annual Pike County Fair takes place in the summer and hosts livestock shows, a demolition derby, agricultural competitions and more. In September, the Champ Clark Heritage Festival has fun activities for children, a car show, local food, a parade and a free pancake breakfast. Christmas in the Green celebrates the winter holidays with a pop-up market featuring local crafters and vendors.
Distance to Hannibal and St. Louis
Bowling Green is at the intersection of U.S. routes 54 and 61. Hannibal is about 30 miles north via U.S. Route 61, and St. Louis is approximately 85 miles away. St. Louis Lambert International Airport is just over 70 miles southeast of town, and Pike County Memorial Hospital is in the city. Trailways buses has a route that goes to St. Louis.
