EASTGATE & WESTGATE: THE LOOP HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PLACE FOR FUN

A friend of Lupe's informed her the other day that Eastgate and Westgate were not named for entrances to Parkview, as she (and many others) had assumed.

True, Lupe had always wondered why "Limit" (as in the city limit, which is right in the middle of the Loop) was where Eastgate should have started. She thought that the name had been changed at some point to reflect the city boundaries.

Apparently, they were so named for a racetrack that was horseshoe shaped. You could enter from the east gate or the west gate. The track was one of many features of Delmar Gardens, an amusement park with many attractions and places to eat.

Historical Background

“(In 1901) a new racetrack and an amusement park just across the city line brought a lot of city folk out west. The racetrack straddled the boundary between the country and the city on the north side of Delmar. The entrances to the grounds, or gates, were the source of the names of two streets. Delmar Gardens, at the loop of the Delmar line, was one of several amusement parks or resorts at the ends of the street car lines....Delmar Gardens boasted of “magnificent theaters presenting star performers in opera, dram and vaudeville.” The park had a variety of restaurants where a visitor could even get caviar...A series of wet summers around World War I and changing tastes, forced the closing of most of the street car line amusement parks including Delmar Gardens.” From Legacy of Lions, A History of University City, 1981, Historical society of University City, St. Louis, MO. 

The race track itself closed down after 1905 because of a crackdown on gambling.
“Delmar Gardens (Amusement Park) was located along Delmar Boulevard between Kingsland and Skinker. Built before the St. Louis World's Fair, it was a popular entertainment spot until 1911. In addition to the scenic railroad, it had a large merry-go-round, music halls, beer gardens, band pavilions, picnic areas, theaters and a nearby race track. The entrance and exit to the Gardens gave their names to the present Eastgate and Westgate Avenues.” From A University City Album, The Citizens Committee for the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary

The Loop has always been a place to have fun!!!

See you in the Loop!!!

EDIT: A video, CALOP's University City: The First Century, available from the University City Public Library, is a great brief history of the origins of University City and Delmar Loop:
http://catalog.mlc.lib.mo.us/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=133O5948T8O96.9447&profile=uc&uri=link=3100020~!3023314~!3100001~!3100002&aspect=subtab90&menu=search&ri=12&source=~!horizon&term=University+City+%3A+the+first+century+%2F+[DVD]&index=DVDTITL

AL TARBOUSH DELI

This little spot on Westgate is true gem for anyone that lives in the Loop!

EDIT 15 December 2012: Here is an update with pictures: 
http://delmarloop.blogspot.com/2012/12/al-tarboush-new-products

Not only do they have THE BEST falefil sandwiches and other Middle Eastern "deli" foods, but they also have a small grocery section that includes coconut juice, pita bread, turnip pickles, hotsauce, and tabuoli.

There is a big hookah pipe and tobacco selection for all the hookah fans in the Loop.

This is a family affair and everyone there is so nice and friendly! The food is always good no matter who makes it. And everyone who has dined with Lupe at Al Tarboush loves it and becomes a regular customer!!!

Nothing on the menu is over $6.

Lupe's favourite meal? Falafil sandwich with enough turnip pickles to be in every bite, plus a little extra tahini than they would put on usually, and a coconut juice drink. If you still have room try a walnut or almond baklava. (They have pistachio baklava, but the nut does not compliment the pastry, in Lupe's opinion.)

Lupe also frequently enjoys a meal of lentils and rice, with a side of tabouli, and a mango nectar.

EDIT: Update: And a snack that one of the sisters (it is a family business, all the sisters are wonderful!) gave Lupe a snack suggestion of triangles of pita with a spread of garlic sauce and then hummus, toasted in the toaster oven for a minute.  Trying not to eat all the bread and both containers of garlic sauce and hummus in one sitting is a challenge!

See you in the Loop!!

Al Tarboush 602 Westgate 314.725.1944

MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM RACE EXHIBIT

(Edit: Lupe incorrectly identified this museum, Missouri History, as the Natural History Museum, and that mistake is still reflected in blog post url. But is corrected in the body of this post.)

One great thing about the Loop is that you don't have to travel very far to get to the cultural and relaxation headquarters of St. Louis: Forest Park.

Forest Park is 500 acres larger than Central Park. It is home to the St. Louis Art Museum, Zoo, Municipal Opera, Jewel House atrium/greenhouse, 2 golf courses, the Planetarium and the Science Centre; The Boathouse with paddle boat rentals and a great little restaurant; the original 1904 World's Fair Pavillion, and the Missouri History Museum.

Both Museums and the Zoo are free, except for special exhibits, and the RACE exhibit was only $8!

The exhibit is part science and part cultural attitudes about race, and the history of racism in America. Lupe could not absorb all of it in one visit. It was an emotional as well as intellectual/cultural experience. Some of the exhibits and photographs could make a person feel a little "verklempt."

Lupe learned a lot, too. For instance, high blood pressure affects African-Americans in higher numbers than other Americans. However, when Africans with similar biological profiles were tested, their blood pressure was not comparable. In other words, high blood pressure in African-Americans is not a genetic trait. (However, sickle cell is a genetic trait. It protects against malaria in Africa.)

Lupe also learned, that unfortunately St. Louis has the distinction of being the first city to file for segregation laws. And that many tricky laws were passed that did not allow former slaves from occupying any neighbourhoods but the original 14 blocks that formed "North" Saint Louis. (#5 on the headphones.)

Another interesting feature was the list of how skin colour and "race" are perceived in Brazil. There are over 100 ways to describe skin colour in Brazil. The family photographed said that they leave the U.S. as one race, and enter Brazil as seven! Each member of the family has a different skin colour.

Lupe was very glad to see how well attended it was. And the museum was hopping! The Katherine Dunham exhibit is still going strong. There was a performance in the lobby of a local high school band and cheerleaders and baton girls.

Sunday was the last day for the "Race" machine. The machine was like an old photo booth with a big screen inside. A camera took your picture. Then you used a toggle stick to mark points on your face (eyes, nose, mouth, etc). The machine then showed what you would look like as another race. (Lupe looks fabulous in all colours!)

The exhibit runs through April 4th and Lupe suggests hopping on the train to Debaliviere. If you walk across the bridge and squint your eyes and generally pretend, it is kind of like the walk across the Pont Alexandre III bridge to the Place des Les Invalides in Paris.

Okay... maybe you have squint your eyes ALOT! But the comparison is there, and Lupe is confident that someday a city planner will see it, too. Besides, Lupe had France on the brain because of the French Festival that was going on this weekend!

Maybe next year, French Festival! It was worth it for Lupe to see herself as the strong black sister she knows she is!!! (Also got to see Asian, Hispanic, and herself aged 20 years.)

Be sure to ask for the headphones with the additional information. There are markers throughout the exhibit for when to tap into the extra information.

Also, if it is a sunny day, consider going to the Boathouse before or after. Lupe recommends the fried greens & calamari, greek salad, and the bread pudding a la mode. The Boathouse bar is not very good however. The bread pudding is so good, though, it makes up for the watery drinks.

See you in the Loop!!!

GROCERY STORE OR CO-OP IN THE LOOP

(EDIT 2013: This post gets a lot of hits from people looking for a grocery store in the Loop.  There isn't one.  The closest one is Schnucks on Olive. Then there is also the produce stand in what used to be the old Loop market.  They are open year round Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.)

Now, Lupe has heard that Trader Joe's has looked at the old Blockbuster site. That would be perfect!

There are business owners in the Loop that would fight it. They say any store that sells package liquor will contribute to people drinking alcohol and getting drunk in the Loop! What they really mean is that people will be getting drunk but not buying liquour from one of the many bars on the street.  The Loop promotes and paves the way for intoxication-- including millions for a planned trolley to take drunken Loop goers to the metro, so they don't have to drive home!

THE CO-OP

So Lupe's idea, for anyone that is interested, is to open a neighbourhood Co-op. (You don't have to include Lupe, except to give her a free membership!) The fee would be small for anyone that lived in the area-- perhaps slightly higher cost for Parkview residents (they can afford the higher cost, and they are less likely to use the Co-op) and Wash U students in student housing (ditto and they aren't really "residents").

You could purchase some items without being a member, but only members could purchase alcohol. Members, in fact, could order anything and pick it up at the Co-op. (Possibly there could be a delivery service as well.) Alcohol could be ordered, but it would not be sold to the public or on display.

It would be nice if the Co-op had local produce when the Market in the Loop isn't open. Fresh local, organic dairy would be good as well. Fresh, local, organic everything would be fabulous. And if the Co-op was set up properly, some of the farmers (like Earthdance) that are already supplying the more conscientious restaurants could come on board, as well. (Riddles is particularly well known for this. Also the Delmar Lounge. )

Lupe is "French-obsessed" as any regular reader of this blog knows, but the comparison to a Parisian neighborhood grocer is not completely out of left field. Lupe remembers a wonderful little market with a rotisserie and freshly made yogurt (in a porcelain cups that had to be returned the next day) in the 1st arondissment a few blocks from the Champs Elysees. Right next door was a bakery and patisserie. *sigh*...

The Co-op would not require the same start up money as a grocery or convenience store, and wouldn't even require a storefront! Although customer pickups, and walk-ins, would benefit from a storefront. A storefront would also support something like a salad, soup, and juice bar, and/or deli sandwiches.

If anyone is interested in doing this, feel free to contact Lupe. She is looking into this pretty thoroughly. The East Loop, under St. Louis governance, would be better. Also fewer residents would be able to protest it, as most East Loop properties aren't as near residential neighborhoods like Parkview, that would block the business from opening.

See you in the Loop!!!

Edit/PS-- Does anyone remember the deli that used to be where Pizazz is now? They always had a barrel of big pickles. Lupe thinks they were a quarter. The Co-op should have big pickles in barrel. Let's bring back 'em back!

SMOOTHIE KING SKINNIES

Bikini season is coming, and, of course, we could all use a little more wheatgrass in our lives, so Lupe is substituting breakfast for a smoothie from Smoothie King.

The folks at Smoothie King really know their stuff. They can always answer questions about supplements and powders and such. (Just like a mediaeval apothecary, except the treatments are yummy and don't involve leeches and dried bat dung!)

Sometimes they can answer questions you didn't know you had. Like, "how can you make this smoothie with fewer calories and yet take away almost no flavour?"

Why, you take out the turbinado! (But not the honey-- Lupe still wants a little something to satisfy her sweet tooth.)

Lupe has been stuck on the Almond Mocha with a banana for a while now. Today she had a "Peach Slice Plus" (minus turbinado) and it was so good she doesn't know how she lived without it!!!

So if you are in the Loop and you want to have something delicious and nutritious, try Smoothie King, with or without the turbinado.

And get a card, every tenth smoothie is free! And Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays you get a double punch on every medium or large smoothie!

See you in the Loop!!!

DELMAR LOOP COFFEE HOUSES

EDIT 2014:  There is a new coffee roaster store and coffee house: Blue Print.  Lupe is not in the Loop very often anymore, and mostly passing through, but Blue Print looks wonderful and she encourages everyone to check them out!  There is also Piccione Pastry, which Lupe has visited and does sometimes stop in for a to-go fruit tart and cannoli. YUM.  Decent espresso too! And great staff!)

There are three coffeehouses in the Delmar Loop. Two are corporate: Starbucks and St. Louis Bread Company/Panera. The third, Meshuggah, is independently owned.

Lupe is willing to retract her rants against the corporate chains in the Loop. Especially  Noodles and Company. (Noodles and Company gives a ten percent discount to anyone who works in the Loop!)

MESHUGGAH

However, Lupe does still prefer "the local indies" in all aspects of businesses and stores. And Meshuggah is a great "office" for the student, writer, freelance businessperson, and gentleman/lady of leisure. Meshuggah is a true neighbourhood "public house." (And like a pub, they will serve you a beer at 6AM with your coffee, if you so desire.)

Meshuggah's strength is in their regular coffee (actual watered down espresso), which is rich without being bitter or having that awful burned aftertaste that Starbucks always has. They are also cheaper than both chains, ounce for ounce.

Meshuggah has great salads, and they sell beer and wine. Their space is in the last hippie/indie/boho building in the Loop, with Plowshares, Subterranean, and MacroSun as their neighbours. And the cafe is old-school college-area coffeehouse-- wood floors, a loft, and local art work on the walls.

The staff is usually UMSL students, and there is usually an interesting book on the counter. (100 Years of Solitude and Smonk in my last two visits.) Meshuggah has a culture of book lovers and readers, even among the non-students. You can always eavesdrop on the most interesting conversations with your coffee.

They are also very "green." Every effort is made to recycle and green activities are encouraged. "Local Energy Supplier" is their slogan. They have cute t-shirts and commuter mugs that Lupe likes a lot. More than the Starbucks stuff.

Lupe has heard every kind of music and music genre in Meshuggah. She has also heard NPR and KDHX and staff members putting their iPod on random play. And sometimes there is just silence, especially during finals. Every now and then a singer songwriter will perform, or there will be a movie night or other special event or series.

The drawbacks are that they are often very slow. Everything is made by hand in the manner of a home kitchen. Sometimes there is only one person there, making all of the sandwiches and coffees. The staff puts the cream cheese on your bagel, and the milk and sugar in your coffee. If you are very particular this might annoy you. But if you are annoyed, you haven't slipped into "Loop Time" yet.  (Similar to Jamaican time...relax man, it's all good...)

But you will get used to it. And perhaps even come to appreciate it. Lupe recalls that in England when you ordered a cup of tea, you would be asked if you would like it "as it comes". This meant with milk and two sugars. Lupe thinks perhaps Meshuggah owner Patrick Liberto is simply reproducing this concept.

And the unhurried preparation actually serves to remind us all that we are not fast food, assembly line, corporate automatons, shovelling Soylent Green in our mouths without thought. No! We are humans, and human beings are preparing our food and drink in a civilized manner. And that means you might have to wait a minute and stop being so impatient.

Meshuggah doesn't allow cell phones at the counter, either, probably for this same reason. In this day of texting, and social networking, we have almost forgotten how to interact with each other as people. At Meshuggah, we are reminded of this.

Besides, these few minutes of waiting allow you to perhaps overhear a snippet of interesting conversation, or read a bit of an interesting book, or peruse the New York Times. Or just stare off into space, as Lupe often does, in the morning before drinking her Cafe Du Monde, as it comes.

PANERA

Panera has a great bakery and a lot of really good salads and sandwiches. The old St. Louis Bread Company was of a higher quality, but for a chain Panera is very good. Lupe eats there very often and also likes the chess tables and the fireplace.

Several staff people at Panera are counted among Lupe's favourite people in the Loop.

Lupe cannot recall every noticing if music is ever played in there, but it is definitely the noisiest (and largest) of the three.

Generally, you can count on the bakery (and bakery staff!) to be good, and they have decent coffee. This is also the best place to watch a chess game.

STARBUCKS

If you want a fancy coffee-like drink and to sit and people watch, Starbucks is the place. It is all glass windows inside and big patio outside. As far as the drinks go they are quick and professional and consistent. The music will be something corporate packaged, but probably eclectic and decent.

(Lupe has had too many bad experiences with Starbucks pastries and food in too many different locations, so she does not eat at any of the chain.)

Hope this was helpful!! Lupe is off to get a Cafe du Monde from Meshuggah!

See you in the Loop!!!

KMOX.com - Commerce Bank robbed on Delmar Loop

KMOX.com - Commerce Bank robbed on Delmar Loop

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