Last Call Came and Went @ Saint Louis University

Bars around SLU’s campus have dried up because students leave for the summer

Mada Brielmaier | December 12, 2019

Good things come in threes, meaning now it will also leave that way. Three of the staple college bars around Saint Louis University have closed their doors since 2017, leaving the students of the University without a traditional college bar insight.

The Library Annex, the vibrant late-night club and go-to for students and locals alike, joined two iconic establishments of the Midtown neighborhood, “Humphrey’s Restaurant & Tavern” and “Mi Caribe” when it closed its doors in the summer of 2019.

According to The Library Annex’s Facebook, the “last call” occurred June 8th, leaving students without a familiar place to go when the fall semester started.

Students of Saint Louis University are well aware these bars on campus were not empty on any given weekend. If anything, they were gaining exposure from hosting student events and serving as the center of the social experience at SLU. Was this enough to keep their doors open?

12/12/2019 - Humphrey's Current State with Boarded Up Windows

SLU ’14 Alumni, Megan Saksefski, discusses the previous student social life in Midtown. Although she was more than excited to talk about her college dive bar, Megan was disappointed to hear it had closed since her graduation.

“Nearly every major celebration or night out began or ended at Humphrey’s. I would dare to say it was the social center of campus,” Saksefski said during our interview.

She was worried about the current situation of students traveling off-campus for night-life. Saksefski mentioned, “Going anywhere at night carries some risk, especially if drinking is involved. One of the reasons Humphrey’s was so great was because it was so close and within a safe walking distance. I worry for students that constantly have to travel long distances just to get together.”

To point the finger at SLU and blame them for altering the college experience might be premature and utterly false.

The Executive Director St. Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corp, Brooks Goedeker, led the charge for “The Grove” neighborhood development, taking it from 6 businesses on the main strip to now 86 parcels of development.

What about Midtown?

St. Louis developers would previously tell him, “Midtown is good only about 7-8 months out of the year when students are there”

This is how Midtown turned into a waiting game. They are waiting for that density to emerge from locals moving to Midtown, so they can attract new bars and restaurants, but it is not that kind of neighborhood, yet.

“Because of the new SLU Hospital, The City Foundry, The Armory, The momentum is finally there. Now becoming a 365-day district,” Goedecker claims.

New developments, like The City Foundry, scheduled opening Spring 2020, promise to bring new life to Midtown. Through an outdoor beer garden, international eats, and a new version of the famous Chicago bar “Punch Bowl Social”, they hope to create a vibrant area for students and locals alike.

“Students are starving for something right now,” Brooks remarks.

Currently, SLU students resort to the danger of traveling to different neighborhoods across St. Louis (Soulard, Downtown, etc.) instead of having a relevant place near their university. Students have to travel by Uber/Lyft, outside of the jurisdiction of the SLU Department of Public Safety, to find a college-type bar.

Because of this, I had to ask Brooks the hard question that is on every SLU student’s mind:

Why did Humphrey’s, Mi Caribe, and Lannex close?

To break it down, it was time and money. The plot of land with the vacant Humphrey’s has been passed through two different owners since its closing in 2017 and frankly, no one knows exactly what the futures holds. The operating owner sold her business and retired, without intention on keeping the doors open.

Goedecker says on behalf of Midtown redevelopment and Saint Louis University, “We would be fully supportive of a bar/restaurant going into that space.”

As for The Library Annex, the amount of time they were making money from Thursday to Saturday, didn’t even out with the rest of the year. The owners decided to close “Lannex” and are currently seeking out developers to take over their building on a busy corner.

“With The City Foundry, we are hoping students adopt that as a place to go,” Goedecker mentioned, optimistic for the future of this development.

The new development might breathe new life into the Midtown neighborhood, giving students and locals alike a new venue to enjoy. Consequentially, aiding the social problem of SLU students.

Saint Louis University might not be the enemy. It might be the time-sensitive neighborhood it sits upon.

“If Humphrey’s tomorrow wanted to reopen, we can’t stop that as existing development. And we wouldn’t stop it anyway.” Goedecker said.

For More Information on the new development: “The City Foundry”, visit their website here.