St. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008 it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States. St Louis has been known as the "Gateway to the West" because of the important role it played in the westward expansion of the United States. The St. Louis Cardinals, one of the most successful Major League Baseball teams, make their home at Busch Stadium, other teams include the St. Louis Rams (football) and St. Louis Blues (hockey). A diversity of successful sports franchises has led to St. Louis being called "North America's Best Sports City." The city has also made important contributions to Beer in the United States due to the large number of breweries in St. Louis during the 19th century, most notably Anheuser-Busch. St. Louis lies at the heart of Greater St. Louis, a metropolitan area of nearly three million people in both Missouri and Illinois. The Illinois portion is commonly known as the Metro-East. Because of the major upturn in urban revitalization, St. Louis received the World Leadership Award for urban renewal in 2006.