Ellie Prys, senior, said living in a busy city helps her to thrive socially and experience more than before she moved from Kentucky to St. Louis .

The Delmar Loop, she said, is a great place to explore unique stores and restaurants. She often goes with her family.

“We go look at clothes, jewelry, but we’ll drive down there a lot,” Prys said.

Prys said she’s a big fan of Corner 17, a family-owned Chinese restaurant, also in the Delmar Loop.

“I’ve been there for my birthday a few times now,” Prys said. “I really like that place. It’s a lot of noodle dishes like soup and stuff like that. They also have a boba shop inside too.”

Hank Wilson, senior, said his favorite part of St. Louis is the architecture. 

“I like to do a lot of photography,” Wilson said. “It’s one of the oldest cities in the Midwest. It has a lot of old architecture and I like to see that.”

Wilson said he especially enjoys the Laumeier Sculpture Park. It is home to 70 abstract sculptures, including his favorite, Woodhenge, 2016.

McKenna Peters, social studies teacher, teaches a class on St. Louis history and said it is a welcoming and diverse city.

“I love telling people about Saint Louis, and it’s special to me because it’s got such a weird reputation outside of Saint Louis,” Peters said. 

Peters said St. Louis has a lot of tight knit communities, like Maplewood. She said these neighborhoods are unsung areas and comparable to the boroughs in New York.

“My thing is always recommending that people become a tourist in their own city,” Peters said. “So, always look to find the cool things and never, ever be afraid to go to a random fair or festival in Saint Louis.”