In the News: We Love Our Neighborhoods
Ladue News: We Love Our Neighborhoods
Updated
It's a beautiful neighborhood—regardless of whether you find yourself in Chesterfield, the Central West End or somewhere in between! In this, our annual We Love Our Neighborhoods guide, meet 19 local families who share what they adore most about the communities in which they reside. From shouting out their go-to eateries and coffee shops to divulging the hidden gems and must-attend festivals, these families share what makes their community a great place to live.
Featured story: http://www.laduenews.com/abode/features/we-love-our-neighborhoods/article_f996ed6f-686e-58f1-8af8-d30bfe571df4.html
UNIVERSITY CITY
The Roams | By Trey Ross (Ladue News)
Brent and Rebecca Roam love the constant juxtaposition of life in University City. It is a small-town feel within an urban environment, where the Roam family has the freedom to explore the lakes and woods in Lewis Park or ride their bikes down to Meshuggah Café or Rocket Fizz on the Delmar Loop.
“There is a vibrant and meaningful counterculture here,” explains Rebecca Roam, founder of Mrs. Roam’s Art Camp, a summer art program for kids located in University City.
Brent Roam, a St. Louis native, is the pastor at U-City Family Church, which meets at the Tivoli Theatre. Like University City, his congregation has every type of demographic worshipping together, he explains: “It’s black and white and old and young and Asian and Hispanic and rich and poor; there are Ph.D.’s and GEDs.”
University City provides not only a diverse neighborhood for pastoring a church but also for raising the Roam children – Jameson, Lincoln, Augustine, and Eden – who “get to be around all kinds of people,” says their mother. “They will have many different potential role models, from different backgrounds and different walks of life.”
Where would you spend a date night in U. City?
We often hit up Salt + Smoke. We love Mission Taco. We’ve gone to Pin-Up Bowl before. We love the rooftop of the Moonrise Hotel, we love movies at the Tivoli Theatre, and we love live shows at The Pageant. We patronize the places on the Loop all the time; we love to give them our business – they are all great restaurants! We also love Mi Ranchito, but that’s more of a family date night.
What is your favorite event, festival or time of the year in U City?
Rebecca Roam: “I really love the homecoming parade, even though it’s really kind of small town, all of the people love it. The schools get really into it. Our school marches in it. It’s really fun.”
Brent Roam: “I love spring on the Loop. All of the flower boxes are beautiful! Any time the weather is good, we are going to walk to the Loop. Or the whole crew is on a bike.”
Rebecca Roam: “They do a really good job of keeping it really pretty. U City in Bloom really works hard on all of the gardens here.
The Roams also list the Ice Carnival, Art Festival and Taste of U City as their favorite festivals or events.
What would you say to someone who is considering a move to U. City?
Brent Roam: “We are always trying to get people to move here. Big sells: It’s walkable. You can be downtown in a heartbeat. It’s diverse – you are going to get all kinds of different people and different experiences. It feels like a genuine community. On a snow day here last week, people were scraping each other’s windows and shoveling each other’s driveways.”
Rebecca Roam: “The public school system is underrated. Our kids are in the school system, and we absolutely love it. We are proud to be a part of it.”