My first impression of St. Louis in the summer can be summed up with a single word: hot. After two decades of Northeastern winters, I thought I could never be too hot, but St. Louis has done her best to prove me wrong. The first week that I arrived (mid-June) was already reading a heat index of over 100F and humidity anywhere from 40-80%. I'd packed 3 sweatshirts, imagining that the lab would be cold or the nights would be cool. While the lab was certainly more tolerable than the outdoor heat, the nights did not cool down.

The lab itself was made up of ten other REU students. No student was working on the same project although several students had the same mentor. Unfortunately, the professor who typically plans lab activities was on sabbatical, but typically, there would be trips, classes, and research talks on campus.

Otherwise, our lab independently organized a few group dinners that got us off-campus and exploring St. Louis. The area near campus is rather sparse. The Loop is the central hub of activity near campus, but at night, the area can be a bit sketchy. The nearest grocery store is Schnucks (which is open 24 hours), but it is often hard to get to without a car. While the city is relatively accessible by bus and metro, the public transportation is a bit unreliable, and it is much better to have a car.

If you're looking for some good eats in St. Louis, I would recommend:

London Tea Room

1520 Washington Ave

It's on the other side of the city from campus, but it is totally worth the hike. I'd also recommend the nearby City Museum (more of a huge playground than a museum) for a fun group trip. Afternoon tea must be booked in advance, but it is definitely worth it!

Pappy's Smokehouse

3106 Olive St

The restaurant closes when it runs out of food, so get here early. This was some of the best (and cheapest) BBQ food I've had, and it was quite popular for some of our group excursions.

Fitz's

6605 Delmar Blvd

Located right near campus on the Loop, this place serves decent diner fare with a bottomless mug of homemade rootbeer (or cream soda, orange soda, or grape soda).

Ted Drewes

6726 Chippewa St

Their "concrete" ice cream appears on the Food Network's "Best Thing I Ever Ate." It's definitely worth the trip, and it's located right along Historic Rt. 66. My favorite concrete combination is banana, caramel, and brownie.

The Fountain on Locust

3037 Locust St

This place was recommended to me by a friend. It's located only a block away from Pappy's although it's hard to find room after a Pappy's meal. This 1950's style ice cream parlor makes its toppings on the premises and gets its ice cream from a local producer that ages its ice cream. The ice cream is fantastic!