The newest business to open its doors in The Delmar Loop is called RSRVD (pronounced, “reserved”), a lifestyle boutique, located at 6148 Delmar Blvd., across the street from The Pageant. “RSRVD is not just a clothing boutique, but a lifestyle and brand that encourages the acceptance of individuality, creativity and freedom to just be you,” said Abesi Manyando, the public relations consultant for the boutique. Walt Johnson, an Ohio native, is one of the owners. He used to own the trend setting clothing store, I AM, which was located at 7708 Delmar and closed its doors back in May. Johnson …

The closing of Brandt’s Café in The Loop has been met with mixed reactions by former patrons. In an interview with the St. Louis Post Dispatch, owner Adam Brandt said the influx of “thugs" into The Loop scared away his customers, contributing to his restaurant's demise, but some people who spoke to University City Patch believe other circumstances led to the closing. Caitlin Tadlock, who recently visited Brandt's with co-workers, said the service was awful. “We never once got what we wanted,” she said.  “We ordered beer, but the bartender kept serving us martinis. He refused to give us what …

There are more than 1, 000 children in foster care in St. Louis County. On average, 65 percent of emancipated foster care children (children who have left the foster care system) have no place to live.  Less than 3 percent go away to college and 51 percent are unemployed. Emancipated females are four times more likely to receive public assistance than the general population. For more than 145 years, Epworth Children & Family Services in University City has provided services to assist thousands of children in the foster care system. Their overall goal is to help youth and families find …

The news about Lyrical Therapy is spreading rapidly throughout St. Louis. So much so that the group has outgrown its usual location at the University City Library.  When co-founders Christian Johnson and Richard Washington, orchestrated the open mic event at the U City library last month the show was filled to capacity and it was standing room only.  The eclectic line-up showcased everything from edgy hip hop performances to soulful acoustic ballads.  The success from their last show left their patrons wanting more. The group decided it would contact Legacy Books and Cafe on Delmar and Union…

A mayor's task force met Jan. 6 at City Hall in University City to discuss objectives and strategies for providing more activities and greater access to resources for youth and seniors. Mayor Shelley Welsch called for people to be nominated to head the task force. She said its job will be to become more familiar with the concerns of the community and to present University City citizens with access to information that will aid them. Abbie Carter and Shirley Soule were named to the task force at the meeting. "I can take on this role with the help of everyone here," Soule said. The group …

University City is hoping to make the streets safer and more convenient for bicyclists and pedestrians. A mayor's task force met Jan 4th at the University City Centennial Commons for its first meeting of the new year. The group's primary goal is to discuss innovative ways to promote biking and walking in U City. Mayor Shelley Welsch opened the meeting by calling for nominations for a facilitator for the group.  After the group nominated and approved Margaret Johnson to lead the task force, the mayor left and the meeting commenced. Johnson gave the floor to Kevin Neil, who delivered a …

One thing seems for sure, fans attending Lauryn Hill's show at The Pageant later this month can expect it to be a late night. Doors will now open at 9pm for her show on Sunday, Jan. 16th. That's two hours later than originally scheduled. It's not uncommon for show times to be moved, however Hill's recent antics at a show in Brooklyn, New York, hopefully aren't a foreshadowing of things to come. The New York Times reports Hill took the stage four hours late for her show last Tuesday, making her entrance at midnight.  She did apologize - sort of. The Times reports that when people in the …

Betty Thompson is no stranger to tragedy. She was born at two pounds, so small she was carried around in a shoe box. Thomspon lost both her parents as well as three of her siblings. Most recently, she endured the murder of her son Tyrone Thompson, a former University City police officer. "Tragedy is my middle name," she said. Perhaps one of the most daunting challenges Thompson, 71, faces is living with Alopecia. It's an unpredictable, autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body.  Of the three girls born to her parents, each one suffers from …

If you have ever patronized the restaurants, boutique shops or music stores in the Delmar Loop, then surely you have seen and heard the musicians and artists who share their talents on a daily basis. A few days ago, I was at the Saint Louis Bread Co. in the Loop, when I heard some intense drum playing going on outside.  I followed the sound and was excited to find an array of young men playing their instruments like their lives depended on it. I stood there with other onlookers and watched these fellows entertain us with their quick hands and eclectic approach. I soon learned I was in the …

Trinity Presbyterian Church has been a part of the University City community for well over 50 years.  And over those years, their community of faith has evolved drastically and so has their building.    Trinity has taken great pride in affirming that their place of worship is truly open to everyone; but when their elevator stopped working, that left a tremendous impact on their parishioners with disabilities.  What started off as a simple gesture to repair an old elevator has turned into a much greater cause for Trinity. After considering the positive impact a new elevator would have on …

It seems like only yesterday that Lauryn Hill was gracing the stage at the Fox Theatre for one of her most classic performances.  With the eclectic hip hop group, Outkast, as her opening act, Lauryn Hill filled the theatre and kept her fans wanting more. And she gave them more.  Every time you thought the show was over, she would hit the stage again and entice the crowd with classic Fugee songs, as well as songs from her first debut album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." But it was not yesterday; in fact, it has been over eleven years since Hill has graced the stage in St. Louis.  And her …

While serving in Afghanistan,  20-year-old Christian Johnson, a Specialist in the Army National Guard, started Combat Poetry with his fellow soldiers to help ease the heavy emotional and physical burdens of battle. In the middle of a war zone, a poetry fellowship was born. After returning home, Johnson co-founded a similar program called Lyrical Therapy, which meets once a month at the University City Public Library. Lyrical Therapy aims to help people release stress in their lives. So why meet up at the U City Public library?  Lyrical Therapy participant Qadir Rafat, a 19-year-old guitar…

Unlike the musicians and artists hovering around the community bulletin board at Vintage Vinyl recently, Pastor Dietra Wise was not promoting a concert or exhibit; she was spreading the word about Liberation Christian Church, a new house of worship. It was no coincidence, that exactly 40-years after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Pastor Wise decided to plant the church in the heart of the Delmar Loop.  "We walked up and down the street praying about locations, and we found that the RAC (Regional Arts Commission) was the perfect non-traditional place for our parishioners to …