Your Guide to the Perfect Stroll Through the Delmar Loop

Take note: Throughout your stroll you'll notice many metal placards encased in the sidewalk's concrete; if it's rainy outside and you step on one, you'll also notice that you have fallen violently to the ground. Avoid that, but do have a look: The St. Louis Walk of Fame celebrates many notable folks who have called the city home at some point in their lives, with names including Maya Angelou, Scott Bakula, Lou Brock, Andy Cohen, Miles Davis and more lining the streets.

You'll also want to take note of the Delmar Loop Planet Walk, a scale-model representation of our solar system that lines the sidewalk on the north side of the strip, totaling 2,880 feet and stretching from Neptune to the sun. (Before you ask: Uranus can be found outside of Salt + Smoke, and yes, this has been the location of many juvenile jokes over the years.)

The U City Farmers' Market (6655 Delmar Boulevard, Rear Lot) might not be as large or as celebrated as some of the other markets in town — Tower Grove, we're looking at you — but it still has plenty of charm. Park your car in the spacious lot east of Kingsland at the intersection of Delmar Boulevard; you'll spot the market tucked behind W Karaoke Lounge. Here you'll find a dozen or so vendors peddling grass-fed beef, baklava, handmade jewelry, wild Alaskan seafood, local honey and more. Grab a coffee and cozy up the fire pits if it's a cold day, and if the stand selling the chorizo burritos and other breakfast treats is open for business on your visit, don't dare sleep on it. (See midwestfarmersmarkets.org/u-city-farmers-market for hours and more details.)

From here you're going to want to head east on Delmar, sticking to the sidewalk on the north side of the street. If affordable Chinese fare and/or bubble tea is your thing, pop into Corner 17 (6623 Delmar Boulevard, University City) to see your needs met. Stroll right past Starbucks (if we're gonna drink some coffee in the Loop it is not going to come from a chain), tip your cap to Fitz's and Salt + Smoke and that lovely Uranus, wave hello to the Chuck Berry statue, then make your way to Artisans in the Loop (6511 Delmar Boulevard, University City).

Artisans in the Loop reopened in August 2023 under the ownership of Renau and Alison Bozarth, who purchased the now five-year-old gallery from founder Wendy Harris. On a mission to create "a fun and vibrant space for local and regional artists to demonstrate their creative talents and sell their amazing, one-of-a-kind creations," as stated on its website, the gallery affords St. Louis art lovers the perfect opportunity to check out some new works from some of the region's most talented creators in a variety of mediums. It's a great place to pick up a unique gift you wouldn't find anywhere else while supporting local artists.

Directly next door is the Componere Gallery of Art & Fashion (6509 Delmar Boulevard, University City), another artistic enclave that calls the Loop home. Here you'll find everything from whimsical industrial-style lamps to abstract paintings to jewelry to portraiture to pottery, all on display and all for sale. Back outside you'll pass Ranoush (6501 Delmar Boulevard, University City), which now stands alone as the premier destination for Middle Eastern cuisine in the heart of the Loop since the neighboring Al-Tarboush's tragic closure last year upon its owner's retirement.

A little further down the line you'll come upon the Delmar location of Found Vintage (6325 Delmar Boulevard, University City), a second-hand clothing shop that offers a more curated selection of the hip styles and vintage trends in fashion than you might find at Goodwill or other chain thrift shops. It might cost a little bit more, but it's worth it.

Next on your list is longtime Loop mainstay Sunshine Daydream (6303 Delmar Boulevard, University City), which has moved from its former location by Vintage Vinyl but remains the area's premier destination for lava lamps, drug rugs, hemp jewelry and all manner of apparel and accessory loudly advertising your undying love of weed.

Once your hippiest desires are fulfilled, head next door to Class6ixx Vintage Clothing (6275 Delmar Boulevard, University City), one of the Loop's newest purveyors of used clothing — and arguably the most interesting. The shop is eye-catching on approach, with stacks of classic VHS tapes from the '80s and '90s in its display window flanked by an old tube TV equipped to play them. Inside you'll find several jam-packed racks lining the walls of the shop and surrounding a couple of tables with a huge unorganized pile of unfolded clothes sitting atop it. JNCOs, Beverly Hills, 90210 apparel, Super Mario blankets and bootleg band T-shirts abound, with a pricing system the owner describes as "freestyle" — you show him what you've unearthed and he tells you what he thinks you should pay. It might take some sifting to get to the gold, but your wardrobe will be richer for the effort.

No proper stroll down Delmar could be had without a stop into Subterranean Books (6271 Delmar Boulevard, University City), a longtime literature-lover's paradise nestled in the heart of the Loop that's still going strong after nearly 25 years in business.

Grab the book of your choice and head next door to Meshuggah Cafe (6269 Delmar Boulevard, University City), another beloved Loop mainstay that's stood the test of time. Order yourself a coffee, crack open your new book and pat yourself on the back for eschewing Starbucks earlier on your walk for this far more enjoyable cafe experience.

Don't get too comfortable, though — you have more walking to do. A couple doors down from the cafe you'll find the Loop Wallz Mural Project (6265 Delmar Boulevard, University City), a new endeavor from longtime St. Louis artist Peat Wollaeger, whose work you'll recognize by its ever-present eyeball motif. The space opened in January and is home to a collection of Wollaeger's art, any piece of which is sure to add a nice touch of street-art style to any room in your home.

Next up on your itinerary is United Provisions (6241 Delmar Boulevard, University City). More than just the neighborhood's grocer, the store contains a wide variety of foodstuffs that you won't find elsewhere in St. Louis, with selections that span the globe and a particular focus on Asian specialties. Try your luck and purchase something whose packaging features zero English and scant clues as to its specifics — you may find yourself rewarded handsomely.

If you're like this reporter, you may find yourself feeling parched by this point in your journey. In that case, you'll want to step inside the Loop location of International Tap House (6217 Delmar Boulevard, University City), where you'll find a gobsmacking variety of beers on tap and in bottles. Alternatively, if you prefer an activity to accompany your drinking, you could head across Skinker to Pin-Up Bowl (6191 Delmar Boulevard) and spend some time chucking a ball at some pins. If neither of those ideas strike your fancy, perhaps some cocktails at the Eclipse bar atop the Moonrise Hotel (6177 Delmar Boulevard) would hit the spot. Enjoy a bird's eye view of the Loop and the surrounding streets as you sip in the shadow of the world's largest man-made moon.

You're about halfway through your walk at this point, so it'd probably be a good idea to replenish your energy with some grub (and let's be honest, that alcohol you just drank could use some company). Give the Pageant and Delmar Hall a salute and then survey your nearby food options. You can't go wrong with Nudo House (6015-A Delmar Boulevard), the ramen destination that's been feeding Loop dwellers out of the ground floor of the Everly building since 2019. Across the street you have Paris Banh Mi (6118 Delmar Boulevard) and its neighboring K Bop (6120 Delmar Boulevard). The former serves up Vietnamese sandwiches, bubble tea, pho, ramen and Korean corn dogs; the latter opened its physical location in 2020 after years as a popular food truck, and is a must-try destination for fans of Korean street food.

From here you're going to want to pop in the nearby Regional Arts Commission (6128 Delmar Boulevard), a local cultural powerhouse with its fingers in a wide swath of the St. Louis area's artistic efforts. Take in the incredible art adorning the walls of its gallery and thank your lucky stars that we have an institution funneling tax dollars to creative endeavors.

On the other side of the cultural spectrum, and just steps away, you'll find Magic Mini Golf (6160 Delmar Boulevard), the latest entry in Loop impresario Joe Edwards' empire, which opened in October. The inside of the family-friendly bar will be familiar to anyone who has spent any time in one of Edwards' other spots, with the walls lined with collectibles and pop culture memorabilia of all eras. Hop on the St. Louis area's only indoor Ferris wheel for a quick spin before heading back outside.

Those who prefer their cannabis peddled from a former house of worship will want to head to the church building next door and check out Swade Cannabis (6166 Delmar Boulevard). Come for the weed, stay for the multiple photos of Joe Edwards posing with Cheech and Chong in the building's lobby.

Alas, MO Art Supply (6174 Delmar Boulevard), which opened in August, closed last month. You can still see the stunning mural on its external wall from St. Louis artist Cbabi Bayoc, though, and downstairs from the shuttered store is the Wizard Wagon (6178 Delmar Boulevard), which since Star Clipper left the Loop has been the shopping district's go-to source for comic books, along with a wide variety of card and tabletop games as well as other collectibles.

About a block down you're going to want to drop to your knees and scream angrily into the sky as you lament the absolutely tragic loss of the Tivoli Theatre as a space that regularly shows movies, now replaced by a church that is too homophobic to allow showings of even the Rocky Horror Picture Show on the extremely rare occasions it does host a flick.

Note too the neighboring building with the sign on the front that says "Integrity" — that building was for years the home of the Riverfront Times, before we managed to escape the constant street construction and bone-shattering trolley tracks. We're pretty curious as to whether all the marshmallow peeps that had been stuck to the ceiling in various parts of the third floor for years are still there, so if you want to force your way inside and let us know what you see that'd be appreciated.

A few doors down from there is a shop with a "Coming Soon" sign that is marked Alien Robot Expo (6388 Delmar Boulevard, University City) and looks like it's going to be one of the more eclectic Loop destinations once it finally opens. Press your face against the glass and you'll see all manner of alien life forms and mechanical men, as well as a coffee table with a giant eagle claw for its feet and a sign that alleges there may eventually be a cafe on site, as well as a selection of quirky art lining the walls that leads one to believe the proprietor of this space must be some sort of eccentric madman. Whatever the specifics, the space seems damn promising. [Editor's note: We've since gotten the scoop on this place. It's set to open on April 1 and is going to be an outsider art gallery and consignment shop dubbed the MOFO and Rio Del Mar, and it's the latest from the great Bill Christman — which is to say, that "eccentric madman" observation was dead-on.]