The Delmar Loop: Trendy Outdoor Shopping in the Central West End

As a large metropolitan area, St. Louis offers no shortage of shopping locations. You can go inside, with locations like West County Center, South County Center, the Galleria, and Mid-Rivers Mall.

You can also go outside all across town. You’ve got Historic Main Street St. Charles, one of the biggest and most charming shopping and walking spaces in St. Louis. Plaza Frontenac offers upscale shopping in Mid-County. Old Town Florissant serves up various small business and dining options. And if a farmer’s market is your thing, you’ve got them all over, including the large Soulard Farmer’s Market on Saturdays.

As outside shopping districts go, the Delmar Loop has to be in the conversation as an iconic and hip destination. Sometimes called The Loop by locals, the Delmar Loop hosts an array of businesses, including plenty of dining, as well as some other cultural St. Louis touchstones.

Getting There

The Delmar Loop (Google Maps link) extends along several blocks of Delmar Blvd. in University City. The Loop is several miles away from any major interstate or freeway, so expect to navigate city streets to get there. The nearest interstates are I-64 / U.S. 40 to the south, I-170 to the west, and, farther off, I-70 to the north.

There are a lot of ways to make your way to the Loop. You can, for instance, take 64 / 40 to McCausland, then head north on Skinker until you get to Delmar. If you want a nice view of some of the local houses, you can take 170 to Delmar and just follow it east into the Loop. If you’re looking for a faster way in, you can take Delmar to Forest Park Parkway, then cut north at one of the cross streets, like Big Bend, and head north to Delmar. You could also technically take 70 to, say, Hanley and then pick up Midland, which intersects with the Loop, although this wouldn’t be my first choice in most instances.

Parking

There is parking up and down the Loop, including parallel parking on Delmar itself. As you might expect, parallel spots can fill up during busy times and can also be a pain to navigate. When we last visited in mid-2025, some of the parallel parking spots had traditional meters while others used ParkMobile. The ParkMobile spots seemed mostly east of Eastgate, and they were usually accompanied by a kiosk for those who don’t have the app. The traditional meters we saw, on the other hand, did not appear to be on and only had coin slots, so we’re not sure if they still operate or not.

University City operates a parking garage (Google Maps link) in the middle of the Loop. According to the city’s website, it’s paid parking, but, as with the street meters, the meters we saw in the garage did not appear to be functioning and only had coin slots. The city’s website also says you can get permits through St. Louis Parking Company, but we couldn’t find any reference to the Delmar garage on that site, either.

If you prefer a traditional lot, there is a large lot on the west end of the Loop (Google Maps link), one of my favorite places to park, as it is close to many of the biggest Loop attractions. There’s also a lot on the east side (Google Maps link) and a Metrolink lot (Google Maps link) that are available. These lots are all free to park.

Costs and Considerations

As I mentioned, some parking along the Loop is free and some of it is paid. Have an idea of your options before you go.

Each retailer has its own hours, costs, forms of payment, and other considerations.

The Loop, like most shopping districts, gets busiest on the weekends later in the day and into the evening. If you plan to dine out on Friday night at the Loop, bring some patience with you.

The Loop Trolley runs down Delmar and into parts of Forest Park on limited days and times for part of the year. It’s free and no reservations are required. You can find the most up-to-date schedule here. If you’re driving along the Loop, be mindful that the trolley may come through from time to time.

The Loop is an economically and socially diverse place. You will see people of just about every color, class, and style. We saw affluent shoppers and we also spotted a few homeless people along Delmar.

Things to Do

As a shopping district, the Delmar Loop has plenty to offer. Activities include:

• Dining. The food scene is the Loop’s biggest draw. You can find dining of all kinds and styles, both big chains and locally owned. Fitz’s, for example, sits on the west side of the Loop and serves up terrific Americana alongside legendary soft drinks you can watch being made through large windows. Blueberry Hill serves up food, drinks, memorabilia, an arcade, and frequent live music in the evening, all in a place that stays open past 1 a.m. You can find Asian fare, Mexican, coffee shops, pastries, and plenty more.

• Groceries. United Provisions sells a variety of goods, including traditional American food and a variety of international offerings. We spotted everything from grab-and-go sandwiches to Asian desserts.

• Shopping and Services. The retail scene here isn’t as robust as the dining scene — there are half the number of shops as restaurants in the Loop directory — but you can find some goods and services here. Among them are Subterranean Books and Vintage Vinyl, which specialize in books and music, respectively. If you need niche clothing, comic books, tattoos, piercings, or yes, even a dispensary, you can find all those, too. You’ll also spot more standard businesses, including pharmacies, banks, and the occasional attorney.

• Entertainment. You can find bowling, mini-golf, and even ax-throwing along Delmar. You can also find a handful of lounges and a theater. You can even find a church here that owns a theater — One Family Church operates a campus at the Tivoli, and the church has renovated the space and is once again showing movies on occasion.

• Lodging. The Moonrise Hotel can be found in the middle of the Loop, and has its own restaurants and eating spots, including the Eclipse Restaurant and the Rooftop Garden Bar. If you’re looking to stay in the Loop more permanently, we spotted several current and in-development apartments, including some above the businesses.

• History and Culture. The St. Louis Walk of Fame can be found up and down the Delmar Loop, highlighting the greatest figures to come out of STL. One recipient, famed musician Chuck Berry, has his own statue. You can view and purchase local art at Artisans in the Loop, or explore all things fine and performing arts at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) on the southwest end of the Loop.

Our Thoughts

We’ve visited the Delmar Loop several times over the years, and it’s a unique place compared to a lot of other shopping districts.

We really like the food scene here. Fitz’s is our favorite restaurant on the Loop, although we’re not the only ones who like it, as it is typically also one of the busiest restaurants in the Loop. Blueberry Hill, while not as much a favorite for us in the food department, still has decent eats and a rockstar atmosphere, complete with darts, arcade games, nostalgia, and live music. Tous Les Jours is a hip franchise coffee shop that serves some of the coolest pastries we’ve ever seen.

The shopping scene is not as strong, but we do have a few favorites. Vintage Vinyl is a temple to music, with enough records, CDs, and other media to keep you busy browsing for a while. Subterranean Books is a fun spot to drop in on.

It’s also a nifty place to walk. The Loop has wide sidewalks, especially on the north side, and we can’t help but look at the stars on the St. Louis Walk of Fame as we go our way.

Unfortunately, during our last visit in mid-2025, we saw a handful of unoccupied shop spaces. That can be for a lot of reasons. On the other hand, there are also new apartments in active development, giving us hope that new residents will help bring new businesses.

Overall, while the Loop isn’t our top shopping district in STL, it’s an iconic spot and is well worth a visit.