Help with info on St. Louis neighborhoods

[LouisEly]

So I did a crazy thing this morning and accepted a truly amazing job reporting to a great guy who is an alumni of my MBA program. I got hired by Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis.

 

(Insert joke about Brewers fan living in hell.)

 

Wondering if there are folks here who can help me out with info on St. Louis neighborhoods. What I'm finding out is that St. Louis is an old city, with not much new housing built in the last 10-15 years. I don't need a new building, but the interior needs to be modern (granite/stainless/hardwood/open concept/etc.).

 

Since I don't have a family I'm looking for a vibrant neighborhood with a good social scene - good restaurants/bars to hang out and meet people. Preferably a good walk score or at least a short cab ride to a downtown-like area. I've looked at Soulard and Clayton, but the same thing with both neighborhoods is a lack of newer/modern housing. Downtown has some really sweet warehouse lofts that are good size, modern, and cheap (1500-1800 sq. ft. for under $250K), but I'm not sure how safe downtown is. Police incident maps show a fair number of vehicle thefts and a couple of assaults/robberies w/weapons.

 

Any info or suggestions are appreciated. Free beer in exchange for your help. Thanks!

[1992casey]

I can't help you with specifics about St. Louis, but it would seem to me that crime rates might higher in most downtown areas simply due to population density. Maybe you can gauge St. Louis by comparing it to the downtown areas of other cities.

 

This doesn't relate to housing, but watch out for Provel.

[jerichoholicninja]

I remember from when I visited there last year that as long as you stay on the west side of the river you should be fine.

[DocLuna7]

Please don't be converted by all the red uniforms and their fancy world championship trophies.

[hawing]

Not to put him on the spot, but I believe the poster gregmag lives in that area. Send him a DM if he doesn't chime in on this thread.

[Jimbo]

Did you look into the Washington U./Forest Park area? Not sure how pricey it would be.

[LouisEly]

Did you look into the Washington U./Forest Park area? Not sure how pricey it would be.

Yes, that's basically Clayton. Everything there is either old or expensive - there are a few modern places on the market but they are at least $450K, if not $650K... or $750K. There are a couple of places on the other side of Forest Park, more of the Central West End neighborhood, for around $400K but there are a lot more churches and hospitals there than restaurants and bars. That whole area is much more single family homes than townhouses/condos.

 

They say you get what you pay for, so it makes you wonder why places cost $450K (or more) there and $250K downtown.

[rwa12]

Hi Louis,

 

I live across the river on the IL side, but will do what I can to help. I would avoid the true "downtown" area. The Central West End is nice, and has quite a few lofts, along with the other things you are looking for. Clayton/Ladue are the high end suburbs of STL, you may want to look into the Tower Grove/Benton Park area, it has the atmosphere you are looking for...I'm not sure of the building quality there. I enjoy Soulard, but it is old, as you pointed out. The plus side is you would be ground central for the second biggest Mardi Gras in the country. There are some lofts on Washington Ave that friends have lived in, that is a night life area...not so sure about the safety though. Probably too close to downtown. Avoid anything North, and South City turns into meth country without much notice.

 

If I didn't have kids, and could chose a spot to live. I'd grab a loft in Central West End. Best ratio of restaurants/bars/culture. Close to Clayton for the finer cuisine...not far from Forest Park.

 

It becomes easier to hate the Cardinals once you move here. I adopted the Blues though. They are a fun team to follow.

[LouisEly]

Thanks rwa12! I've looked in Central West End, but haven't found much there I like. I found two nice modern houses, but one of them is south of 64 and several of the establishments nearby are gay bars (nothing wrong with that, just not the scene I'm looking for). The other one is more up by Delmar and is surrounded by churches; Google street view doesn't show a real exciting neighborhood.

 

The lofts I'm looking at are in the 1100-1500 Washington Ave part, kind of Washington & Tucker and west. I did find a crime report map. When you eliminate the domestic incidents, registered sex offenders (no kids to worry about), theft from buildings/stores (mostly shoplifting, but I would be on 3rd floor or higher anyway), and stuff that happens at 3am (won't be out then), there aren't a lot of incidents. There are a number of vehicle thefts and theft from vehicles though, but I will have secure garage parking and not be parked on the street.

 

There have been two incidents of concern - a highway/firearm robbery and an aggravated assault - in that area in the last month. The question is how would that compare to a month of time in say the River North area of Chicago, Water Street area in Milwaukee, Over the Rhine in Cincinnati, etc., other places where lots of people are walking around at night without much concern.

[rwa12]

A couple of the young officers that I work with lived in the Washington lofts and loved it. There is quite a bit of nightlife, and you are close to the action for most events. If you want a younger feel, you may want to take a peek at U City. Although I know that area has some crime issues. It is kinda the hipster-ish area, home to the Pageant (nice music venue), Blueberry Hill, and some neat shops. I will say that although I consider myself a young 37, I feel very old and out of touch when I head to U City

 

I know STL has a pretty bad rep for crime, but I think it is skewed by a few areas. From what it sounds like, with secure parking and an upper level loft...you would be removed from that element.

 

As far as CWE, I know there were quite a few loft buildings. More towards the hospital complex, but near Euclid, which is a pretty cool street. That whole Wash U. area is pretty nice. I would give Tower Grove a look, I think it would meet a lot of the things you are looking for, and it is still pretty much in the "city".

 

On the plus side, STL has a pretty healthy restaurant scene. Gerard Craft has 3-4 restaurants here, and he won the Beard award for the Midwest last year. There is also a pretty good spread in ethnic fare, so that is really nice. My wife and I like to try new places, and there is never a shortage.

[bobbledude25]

I lived in Maryland Heights for a couple of years. Really enjoyed the area