The city of St. Louis has a vibrant nightlife that offers students at Saint Louis University a wide variety of options to enhance their social experience. Though the various nearby neighborhoods such as Central West End and the Loop host a concentrated selection of hotspots, the bars and taverns closest to campus remain popular destinations for SLU’s social butterflies to congregate.

“I think having bars near campus provides students a way to relax on the weekends without having to pay for taxis and cover charges at bars in the Central West End and Soulard,” junior Joe Andreoni said. “They’re wonderful places to meet up with friends and have a fun night.”

Humphrey’s Restaurant and Tavern is a popular choice for SLU students. Humphrey’s touts their establishment as a “Saint Louis University Tradition since 1976,” and prides themselves as being a go-to location for SLU students looking to have a good time. The bar was opened by a SLU graduate, Robert “Humphrey” Mangelsdorf.

“Humphrey’s has been family owned and operated since it opened,” John Mangelsdorf, manager at Humphrey’s and son of Robert Mangelsdorf said. “It’s part of our charm.”

Mangelsdorf said that the primary customers that come to the tavern are SLU affiliated. He sees a lot of students, but also alumni coming from basketball games and families visiting SLU.

“We’ve had parents of SLU students meet at Humphrey’s, and now their kids are the ones coming back,” Mangelsdorf said. “We have a very good working relationship with SLU. We’re involved with Charted Student Organizations, the Bare Naked Statues, SLU athletics and Greek Life fundraisers.”

Another popular location for SLU student nightlife is the Laclede Street Bar and Grill. Laclede’s opened in 1984, but prior to that the building was a bowling alley. It later turned into Calico’s restaurant, but as the establishment grew in popularity, it soon expanded into the establishment it is today.

“We’re pretty involved with the SLU rugby team,” Laclede’s manager and bartender, Kevin Thalanany said. “And we recently got involved with a charity run by SLU alums, a fundraiser for the Foundation for Children with Cancer. “

Thalanany, who is also a SLU student, stated that what sets Laclede’s apart from other places is the popularity of its dance floor.

A newcomer to the scene, The Library Annex, also credited their dance floor for their growing popularity. According to general manager Mark Winkelmann, however, what makes the establishment great is that there’s more to do at the Library than just drink and dance.

“We’re a cool place because there is so much to do here,” Winkelmann said. “We have a dance floor, plasma televisions for sports games, beer pong tables, shuffle board and other games. There’s plenty of space and it never feels too crowded.”

The Library Annex, which opened November 26, 2009, credits SLU students for their quick rise in popularity.

“When we opened, we started off with just SLU students, but we are starting to see different kinds of people now, like Wash U students and young professionals,” Winkelmann said.

Despite the more diverse customer base, The Library Annex still hopes to build a strong relationship with SLU. They have hosted multiple CSO fundraisers, a cappella group performances and some administrator Christmas parties. Though they are only a year old, Winkelmann said that he expects the relationship to continue to grow.

With so many options around campus for nightlife, there is indeed some competition among the bars. While attracting customers is competitive, Mangelsdorf attests that there is a mutual understanding and respect between the establishments.

“We all get along, but we all offer unique atmospheres,” Mangelsdorf said. “We do our best to attract customers, but the competition is respectful.”

Thalanany also agreed that the competition is respectful, as each bar has its own niche and attracts different crowds.

While these establishments do attract a lot of SLU students, Dean of Students Scott Smith does not necessarily see their proximity as a problem.

“In general, having these establishments promotes social interaction and it’s good for the community to have these businesses available,” Smith said. “The struggle comes with underage and high-risk drinking. There’s a viable role for these places, as long as that role continues to stay positive.”

Smith says that in comparison to other universities, SLU is on par in terms of alcohol related incidents.

Kenneth Hornak, Assistant Director of Field Operations for Department of Public Safety and Security Services, agreed that SLU is pretty average in way of student drinking.

“I would think Mardi Gras weekend will have a big impact though,” Hornak said. “After 30 years of policing in the city, I know Mardi Gras is a big deal.”

All three establishments cited Mardi Gras as a major weekend for business in general. They tend to see an influx of students coming in during the beginning and end of each semester.

“We see a lot of students syllabus week every semester,” Thalanany said.

Senior Austin Reed, a member of the Pep Band, said that he appreciates having these bars close to campus, especially after basketball games.

“They’re a great place to go blow off steam,” Reed said. “And they’re at a safe distance, so there’s little danger going there.”