LIVING IN THE LOOP

The best place to buy household items, especially for dorm room living, is Family Dollar.  Either on Delmar east of the Metro stop, or over on Olive at Midland.

$5 lamps and rugs. $3 laundry baskets. Cheap toilet paper, cleaning supplies, organizers and sheets and towels, and even clothing.  Some food, too, but it's not a bad idea to be a little suspicious of the food. (Check the expiry.)  Your wallet won't feel the pinch at Family Dollar. And nothing you will be sad to part with at the end of the semester.

All holiday and party items, household decorations, and small hostess gifts can be found at Dollar Tree next to Schnucks.  They are heavy on the toys, plastic flowers, greeting cards, etc.  They are fun to just browse when you only have a few dollars.

Both the laundromats at Vernon and Kingsland** and Vernon/Balson and Midland are 24 hours.  Not just for laundry, but if you need a soda pop or trashy snack food from the vending machine.

The Check cashing place over at Olive and Kingsland is the best place to pay your Boost mobile bill.  Unlike the on-line site and Boost mobile dealers, they are really just $45 (or $50-- Lupe has a discount).  They don't charge service fees.  They are also cheaper to cash a check than Schnucks.

Even though Washington University has done a survey that what the Loop really needs to be a viable neighbourhood for its' student body is a medium sized grocery store (and a huge strip mall, sadly), the closest major store is still Schnucks on Olive. (If you want imported or specialty food, or a selection of organic or locally grown,  you have to go their Ladue or Clayton stores. The Olive Schnucks is mainstream middle America. )

EDIT: THEY ARE CLOSED: Shur Sav Warehouse Foods on Olive is where mostly black folks shop. It is cheaper than Schnucks. Carnivores have reported to Lupe that Pete's has the best meat.  You buy liquor from a counter at one end of the store, but they do have a large selection. (This is the real reason that many business owners in the Loop oppose Pete's and don't promote it.  There is a very big campaign among members of the Loop Special Business District to make sure that if you are going to get drunk in the Loop you are going to do it in a bar. )

This is a great blog review of Pete's Shur Sav by another blogger. From the Loop you can just walk down the Path that goes from behind the Chuck Berry statue and it will take you all the way to Vernon and the Shur Sav parking lot will be right across the street.

(Pete's is actually a longer walk for Lupe than Schnucks. Truthfully what Lupe would like is a Trader Joe's in the Loop. BTW, the Trader Joe's on Olive is less crowded, has a better selection, and is much easier to access via public transportation.  You really walk around a lot of back alley's and parking lots with no sidewalks or lighting to get from the train or bus to that Brentwood location.)

Of course, the Loop Farmer's Market  is the best place to get your fruits and vegetables.  Only open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday though!

Smoothie King for supplements and healthy snacks, and Al-Tarboush for pita bread, tabouli, hummos, garlic sauce and nectars and juices. Lupe buys her baguettes at Panera, but honestly only because there is no other bakery to choose from, other than Schnucks La Brea bakery "french bread."  It is the lesser of two evils.

All of these places are safe to walk to at night. In fact there are usually a lot of people out walking on Vernon, Olive, Kingsland, and, of course, Delmar.  The violence and shootings that you hear about are random and not really part of the neighbourhood.  Often gang related. It really doesn't overlap like the media would have you believe.  Lupe walks everywhere, even after dark. Lupe has noticed that people that come from larger cities, either nationally or internationally, do not find University City bothersome.

If you do not feel safe walking around in University City at night is it possible you are not used to walking in an urban environment? There is crime, but it is not that prevalent. Use common sense, be aware of your surroundings.

 Lupe encountered more panhandlers in Beverly Hills than she does in the Loop. Or by the campus of USC, where a bachelor's degree costs $250,000. (Wash. U is still under $100K and pretty damn close academically.)

Come to think of it, the most virulent panhandlers she ever encountered were in Paris, on the Champs Elysees.  (Bosnian women, newly arrived from their war torn country back in 2000.) One woman followed her for a block, even crossing the street, shouting at Lupe for money.

See you in the Loop!

** Regarding the laundromat at Vernon and Kingsland.  They are the same as the old laundromat that used to be where Q-doba Mexican food is.  They are nice and new and all big machines.  However, Lupe finds the owners somewhat offensive.  They, all white men, actually said to their African-American employees during the first Obama campaign for presidency that "If he gets elected someone will shoot him."  Lupe has no proof, but she believes her friend that worked there, and so she goes to the other laundromat now.

IN FRONT OF PANERA

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!!!