Star Clipper
Star Clipper is the best comic book shop in town. Well, okay, if you are looking for years of back issues, this is not the place for
photo by jyoseph
you. And if you are looking for gaming gear, this is also not the place for you. But if you are looking for:
- shelves and shelves of graphic novels and manga
- new issues of your favorite series
- a whole section devoted to independently produced minicomics
- a gallery that displays work by local artists
- a venue that hosts great comic and art-related events
Then Star Clipper is for you. Located in the Delmar Loop a little bit east of Blueberry Hill, this St. Louis mainstay has been around for almost 25 years and has won an Eisner award for best comic book retailer. High-quality merchandise plus great customer service equals a great experience for a comic nerd looking to buy or just to hang out.
Shameless Grounds
If you are a nerd and you have not been to Shameless Grounds yet, you are missing out.
Shameless Grounds is a sex-positive coffee shop one block west of the intersection of Jefferson and Gravois. It’s located in the same building as Koken Art Factory, the venue that puts on the yearly Naughti Gras erotic art show.
Shameless Grounds hosts a variety of great events in their own right: the monthly Literary Nudes figure drawing event, Off the GRID (Genderfuck Retro-Alternative Indie Drag Show), PJs and Movie on Wednesdays, Tenacious Trivia on Mondays, Rope Bite chapter meetings, Kinky Bingo, Kinky Book Club, and more.
At the center of the shop lies Shameless Grounds’ lending library, which contains a variety of material that relates to human sexuality, both to educate and to entertain.
In addition to being a welcoming area for many of St. Louis’ alternative lifestyle groups, and a great place to hold meetings, Shameless Grounds is also a pretty damn good place to get coffee and some food. The menu is small but tasty, and includes a variety of vegetarian and vegan offerings. The shop also often has lunch specials for around $6.
The 8-Bit Bar
I am cheating a little because this place doesn’t exist, yet.
But it will, and soon. The 8-Bit Bar is currently the dream of two St. Louis geeks, Clare Franke and Timothy Scherer, who feel that this town doesn’t need another sports bar. They want to create a social hub where geeks can hang out, drink nerd-themed cocktails as well as great local drafts, and watch reruns of BSG or live airings of great new sci-fi shows.
Right now, they are driving a Facebook campaign to drum up a local fanbase in preparation for a Kickstarter campaign. For more info about how to support this local, geeky, independently owned and operated business, check out their website or Facebook fan page.
Caitlyn Moriarity is a freelance writer and editor currently living and working in St. Louis. Check out more of her writing at www.caitlinmoriarity.com