In high school, when I first started looking at colleges, I knew I wanted to be in a city. I always felt like being in a small college town would make me feel trapped. While I love my hometown, I was also excited to try living somewhere new and exploring a new place.
After countless supplemental essays and college tours, I finally chose SLU for my next four years. I loved how SLU was located in the center of the city, right on the border of downtown and midtown St. Louis, while also offering the traditional campus feel. During my tour, I was also excited to explore Grand Center, the neighborhood where SLU is located, and to take advantage of all the fun activities near campus, like the City Foundry and the Grand Arts District.
While I was initially excited about going to school in St. Louis, I quickly realized how much stigma surrounded the city during my first year. While I knew St. Louis did not have the best public perception, given its high crime rates and large economic disparities, I assumed students would be just as excited to explore and venture out of the campus bubble. Unfortunately, I was incredibly wrong.
While my freshman friend group was excited to take the metro and engage in local community activities, this is not the case for the vast majority of students at SLU. I found out early on that some students do not leave campus and are afraid to get out of their comfort zone. But despite its reputation, the city of St. Louis offers so many amazing opportunities. For example, St. Louis is home to some of the best Italian food on the Hill, a historically Italian neighborhood in the heart of St. Louis. It is also the birthplace of some iconic and unique delicacies, like the gooey butter cake and toasted ravioli. There is also a vibrant art scene, and students can score free admission to places like the St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis Zoo and even the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on the other side of Grand Boulevard.
Unfortunately, many students are too afraid to truly take advantage of these amazing experiences. According to a 2025 crime report, St. Louis’s crime rates are the lowest they have ever been, with a 16% decrease, but the fear and stigma persist.
Likewise, even students who express interest in venturing out face significant transportation barriers, especially if they do not own cars themselves. While St. Louis offers a metro rail system and buses, many neighborhoods are not accessible by public transit, leaving students to spend money on pricey Uber rides or to forgo going altogether.
Many students refer to this phenomenon as the “SLU Bubble.” This is a campus slang term referring to how students tend to stay on campus and only engage with other SLU students. Especially going to a medium-sized school, this term can also refer to how everyone seems to know everyone on campus. It is impossible to walk down West Pine, the central walkway connecting our two sides of campus on either side of Grand Boulevard, without running into someone you know.
A lot of these issues are correlated with St. Louis’s history of redlining and segregation. Despite the end of segregation in the United States in the 1960s, St. Louis still remains one of the most racially segregated metropolitan cities in the country. A primary example of this phenomenon is the Delmar Divide, which refers to how neighborhoods South of Delmar experience higher rates of poverty, contributing to one of the largest economic divides in the country.
However, one thing I greatly appreciate about SLU is how they encourage students to get off campus and fight these invisible barriers. SLU has provided students with student MetroCards so that even students without cars can explore the city. While the metro line is not perfect, it can take you to a lot of popular neighborhoods and even directly to popular venues like Enterprise Center and Ballpark Village, which are home to the St. Louis Blues and Cardinals.
In addition, SLU places a lot of emphasis on service throughout the city. It is not uncommon for different student groups to coordinate transportation and conduct service projects. For example, Labre Ministries, a service organization focused on outreach to the unhoused population in St. Louis, coordinates rides together so that they can distribute necessary goods, like food and blankets, to people struggling with homelessness. Service is a large part of the curriculum at SLU and is even required for some of the classes.
Overall, while the culture at SLU is not perfect and there are still many things the city of St. Louis could improve upon, it is important for students, especially in a place like St. Louis, to engage with the community and take advantage of their surroundings. By being active members of their community rather than confining themselves to the limitations of their college campus, students can learn more about themselves and find a meaningful space within the community.