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Delmar Loop...

Delmar Loop

10/4/2007 2:34:13 PM

Adventurous

12 posts

jeannetteeatsspaghetti.blogspot.com/

Delmar Loop
(United States)

This week the American Planning Association announced its 10 Great Streets in America. St. Louis was lucky enough to make the list with University City’s locally famous Delmar Loop, which is home to an eclectic variety of restaurants, galleries, furniture shops, tattoo parlors, clothing boutiques, music venues and more. The Loop is so-named because it once housed a streetcar turnaround, or loop, allowing the cars to return to St. Louis; however, the history of Delmar Boulevard dates further back, to 1891.

When it was first established, the Loop was home to attractions such as the Delmar Garden Amusement Park and Delmar Race Track. In 1906, the area was incorporated as University City and such venues began to be replaced by stores, offices and apartments. The area thrived by the 1930s, but began to decline in the ‘50s with the advent of suburban shopping malls.

The turning point occurred in 1972 when Blueberry Hill was established. Over the next decade, owner Joe Edwards began to rally other business owners and press for major changes. Its fate was sealed when the Delmar Loop was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. New federal tax breaks enticed business owners to the area and the neighborhood has been on an upswing ever since.

Today the Delmar Loop is thriving only because of persistent and long-term efforts made by the local community to revitalize the area.

A small sampling of the more than 140 establishments includes:
- Cicero’s – bar and restaurant featuring live entertainment, Italian eats and a wide selection of beer.
- Pin-Up Bowl – bowling alley with a notable martini bar; open until 3 a.m.
- Tivoli Theater – features independent and foreign films.
- Vintage Vinyl – this is not your average music store. Besides the insane amount of music you’ll find here, each year they host more than 100 live in-store music performances.
- Craft Alliance – more than an art gallery, Craft Alliance offers courses in clay, metals, glass and other crafts; both the shop and gallery feature works of their students.
- Blueberry Hill – Chuck Berry performs on the third Wednesday of the month… always to a sold out show.
- St. Louis Walk of Fame – honors more than 100 noteworthy St. Louisans who’ve had major impacts on US culture. Honorable mentions: Red Foxx, Maya Angelou, Miles Davis, Stan Musial, Scott Joplin, William Clark, Ulysses S. Grant and Joseph Pulitzer.

For a complete business list, map and calendar of upcoming events in the Loop, visit ucityloop.com.

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