Delmar Loop

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The Pin-Up Bowl is a recent entertainment addition to the Delmar Loop

The Delmar Loop is an eclectic entertainment, cultural and restaurant district located in St. Louis, Missouri. Most of the attractions in the Loop are located in the suburb of University City, Missouri but the area is expanding eastward into the City of St. Louis proper. In 2007, the American Planning Association named the Delmar Loop as one of the 10 best streets in America.^[1]

The area gets its name from the streetcar turnaround, or loop, formerly located in the area. Most of the attractions are located along Delmar Boulevard, a major east-west thoroughfare that continues east all the way to downtown St. Louis. A MetroLink station and parking garage are on the east side of the area.

Major institutions in the Loop include: the Community Music School, formerly affiliated with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and Webster University but recently purchased by Washington University; the Craft Alliance, which is particularly noted for its pottery studios and classes; the Riverfront Times; Vintage Vinyl; The Pageant Concert Nightclub; Tivoli Theater; Cicero's Italian Restaurant & Entertainment Venue; Fitz's Restaurant and Bottling Company; the The Melting Pot (restaurant) fondue restaurant; and Blueberry Hill, a pub and restaurant that served as the engine for the revival of the Loop beginning in the 1970s. Various unique shops and other services are also located in the area.

The Loop is the home of the St. Louis Walk of Fame, a series of brass plaques embedded in the sidewalk along Delmar Boulevard commemorating famous St. Louisans, including musicians Chuck Berry, Miles Davis and Ike Turner, bridge-builder James Eads and sexologists Masters and Johnson.

The western demarcation of the Loop is generally considered to be the U. City Lions[1][2], dramatic sculptures of a male lion and a male tiger on pedestals flanking Delmar Blvd. immediately west of the University City City Hall. Beyond this point, Delmar Blvd. becomes largely residential. The eastern boundary of the Loop traditionally ended at the St. Louis City border. Recently, however, the Loop has extended eastward over the city limit. The expansion of the Loop has largely been due to the continued redevelopment efforts of Joe and Linda Edwards, owners of Blueberry Hill, The Pageant, Tivoli Theatre and Pin-Up Bowl. The Saint Louis Regional Arts Commission completed its new headquarters on Delmar in 2003, creating performance and office spaces for theater groups. The Pageant, located across Delmar from the Arts Commission, has become one of St. Louis's main venues for mid-size popular musical performances, featuring rap, rock, and country artists, including Saint Louisans Chuck Berry and Nelly.

The Loop has attracted an eclectic clientele over the years due in part to its proximity to Washington University, dating back to the late 1960s when Streetside Records and head shops dominated the retail landscape. The Delmar Loop area continues to attract a wide variety of street life.