It’s time to revive the Spotlight on the Loop series!
Today’s spotlight is one of my favorite places in St. Louis, a cozy corner of the Delmar Loop, a delightful haven of warmth and joy, Subterranean Books!
Subterranean is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest bookstores on the planet, outranked only by Parnassus (Nashville, TN) and Shakespeare & Co. (Paris, France). It is the lovable local bookstore for Wash U students, snuggled between a lovely coffee shop and an Insomnia Cookies.
It’s a woman-owned independent bookstore, with a tiny, but mighty staff of six. Six! I love this aspect of the shop because every time I go in, I see a familiar face behind the register or stacking novellas in the window. Also, is any neighborhood bookstore complete without an adorable shop pet? No! So, don’t forget to pet Teddy, the cutest little country dog you’ll ever see, when you visit.
I thought to write about Subterranean when I swung by to pick up my course books from the shop last night. A delightful aspect of the store is the Wash U section stationed near the front door, a row of shelves dedicated to course books for Wash U classes. Of course, I got distracted and ended up meandering through the music section, around the graphic novels, and up and down the row of Staff Picks.
On top of all this, Subterranean is only a three-minute walk from my dorm. One of the things I love about Wash U is the neighborhood surrounding it, and living in a Wash U apartment on the Loop this semester has been such an exciting experience. More on that in my next post!
