Delmar Loop facts for kids
The Delmar Loop, often called The Loop by people in St. Louis, is a lively area. It's famous for its fun entertainment, cool culture, and many restaurants. You can find it in University City, Missouri and the western part of St. Louis, Missouri. It's also very close to Washington University in St. Louis and Forest Park.
Many of the exciting places in The Loop are in University City. But this area is also growing eastward into St. Louis City. In 2007, a group called the American Planning Association even named the Delmar Loop "One of the 10 Great Streets in America."
Contents
What is The Loop?
The Delmar Loop got its name from an old streetcar turnaround. This was a special track where streetcars could turn around. This turning point was once located right in the area.
Delmar Boulevard was first called Morgan Street. The name Delmar came from two early landowners. One was from Delaware, and the other was from Maryland. They combined the names of their home states to create "Delmar."
The MetroLink light rail train station is on the east side of The Loop. This makes it easy to get there.
The western end of The Loop is marked by the U. City Lions. These are sculptures of a male and female lion on tall stands. They are just west of the University City City Hall. Beyond these lions, Delmar becomes mostly homes. The eastern end of The Loop used to be the St. Louis City border. But the area started to grow into the city around the year 2000.
This growth happened a lot because of Joe and Linda Edwards. They own several popular spots in The Loop. These include Blueberry Hill, The Pageant, and Pin-Up Bowl. They also own the Tivoli Theater, the Moonrise Hotel, and Eclipse Restaurant.
The St. Louis Regional Arts Commission built its new home here in 2003. This created places for theater groups to perform and have offices. The Pageant is a big music venue across from the Arts Commission. It hosts many popular music shows. You can see rap, rock, and country artists there. Famous St. Louis musicians like Chuck Berry and Nelly have played there.
The Loop attracts all kinds of people. It's a very diverse and interesting place. This is partly because it's so close to Washington University. Even though it's near the university, most shops and restaurants are not just for college students.
Fun Places to Visit
The Delmar Loop has many famous places. Here are some of them:
- The Pageant music venue, where you can see live concerts.
- Riverfront Times newspaper office.
- Tivoli Theater, a cool movie theater.
- University City City Hall, the main building for University City.
- University City Public Library, a great place to find books.
- Blueberry Hill, a popular pub and restaurant.
- Fitz's Restaurant and Bottling Company, known for its root beer.
Some companies also have their main offices in The Loop. These include Answers.com and Integrity.
Other fun spots include the 560 Music Center. This center is owned by Washington University in St. Louis. There's also COCA Center for Creative Arts and Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design. You can stay at the Moonrise Hotel. For books, check out Subterranean Books. And for music, visit Vintage Vinyl record store.
The Loop is also full of local restaurants. You can find Al-Tarboush deli, Peacock Loop Diner, and Blueprint Coffee. There's Corner 17 Chinese Restaurant, Gokul Indian Restaurant, and Gyro House. Other choices include Meshuggah Cafe, Mission Taco, and Three Kings Public House. Don't forget Seoul Taco Korean Tacos, Piccione Pastry, and Ranoush Mediterranean Cuisine. You can also grab a sandwich at Snarf's Sandwiches. There are even four Thai restaurants owned by Pat's Thai Restaurants!
St. Louis Walk of Fame
The Loop is home to the St. Louis Walk of Fame. This is a special path with brass plaques in the sidewalk. Each plaque honors famous people from St. Louis. You can find stars for musicians like Chuck Berry, Miles Davis, and Tina Turner. There's also one for actor John Goodman and bridge-builder James Eads.
The Loop Trolley
The Loop Trolley is a special streetcar line. It runs for 2.2 miles through The Loop. It connects the area to the MetroLink train and attractions in Forest Park. This project received a large grant to help build it. The Trolley officially started running on November 16, 2018.
History of The Loop
In the 1950s, The Loop was a popular meeting spot for teenagers from University City. The Varsity Theater and the Tivoli showed the newest movies. Ed's Billiards was a pool hall between the two theaters. It was always full of teenagers. Many restaurants were located all along The Loop.
Enright Avenue was part of the streetcar turnaround. It had a drug store, three restaurants, and a record store. Another drug store was on the corner of Delmar and Kingsland. Both drugstores had soda fountains, where you could get drinks and ice cream treats.
Images for kids
-
Pin-Up Bowl is a bowling alley located in the east section of the Loop.
-
The Moonrise Hotel
-
The Pageant Music Venue
-
University City City Hall
-
Subterranean Books
-
Northeast block of Delmar and Kingsland
-
The Lofts of Washington University
