Moving to Columbia, Mo and need INFO! (Kansas City, St. Louis: best neighborhoods, apartment)

[ariandme]

My husband just got a job as the Executive Sous Chef at the University Club and we have NEVER been to Columbia! We both currently work in Chicago and live in a suburb and we are definately suburban people! We live in a VERY expensive town called Frankfort, IL where the median house price is $450,000 so Columbia is VERY desirable to us as far as the cost of houses. I have a 12 year old also.
I need info on:
Schools 8th grade and high school (she will go to 7th in Frankfort)
Best neighborhoods-I am looking for diversity, not necessarliy a new home, just a nice area with well kept homes, yards, ect.
Some info about the town-is there local pools? Is there a zoo near by? Malls? Parks?
I am picky but it's because I have a child and plan on having another one in a year or so...
We will actually be coming tomorrow 4th of July for our first visit so I hope to see as much as possible!

[ShadowCaver]

Welcome/greetings! I think you will love Columbia - great place.

If not already seen, here are some links that might help ya:
Columbia Missouri Chamber of Commerce
Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau
City of Columbia, Missouri's Official Government Web Site

Local news, to get you in-tune w/ happenings:
ColumbiaTribune.com | The Columbia Daily Tribune - Columbia, MO
Columbia Missourian

As a bike rider, really like the mayor there - he is proponent of non-motorized travel, and is often seen riding his bike around town.

Very good school system, incl. the college/universities there. Excellent microbrew and restaurants, along w/ music scene too. And then of course, just a couple hours to either KC or StL, as also then if head south can be in the Ozarks too.

Again, good luck!

[ptice69]

No zoo. Some nice neighborhoods. Some have crappy neighbors. If you are picky, look for land and build your own. At least 10-20 acres or you could have neighbor problems. I moved away and commute. Kids don't like Columbia. We thought the school system left alot to be desired and chose to home school. Columbia is in between 2 high crime areas and they are spilling into Columbia. GOOD LUCK.

[kareybear]

Originally Posted by ptice69

No zoo. Some nice neighborhoods. Some have crappy neighbors. If you are picky, look for land and build your own. At least 10-20 acres or you could have neighbor problems. I moved away and commute. Kids don't like Columbia. We thought the school system left alot to be desired and chose to home school. Columbia is in between 2 high crime areas and they are spilling into Columbia. GOOD LUCK.

What part of Columbia are you talking about and school as well? What is the high crime area as well? so we can stay away from that area. Why doesn't the kids like Columbia. Please give us more details.

[edgeofhell]

congratulations to your husband on his new job! I own a mobile dj company here and perform and uclub quite often. Get in touch with a local realtor and have him show you homes in "columbias old southwest" (stewart road area) glenwood, westwood, greenwood etc
its the neatest neighborhood in town, close to uclub, lots of trails and trees and pretty much guranteed not to ever turn into the ghetto.

dont worry about why kids say they dont like it, I know kids that grew up a block from disney world and were bored all the time

[lil donna]

We just moved here (1 week ago) and did alot of research on the area.

We found Thornbrook to be the best neighborhood for us. The schools are very good (see greatschools.net) I did hear Jeff Jr was a little rough but that could be changing soon with a new high school. I heard they are doing away with the Jr highs. It is extremely kid friendly with sidewalks, street lights, pool, playground and tennis courts. We have met a couple of neighbors and everyone seems nice. The houses are not on top of each other either like in some neighborhoods.
Again, it has only been 1 week for us but we are very happy with our decision so far.

Good Luck to you!!!

I just reread your post. We are originally from a NW suburb of Chicago. I don't know where Frankfort, IL is but I would compare Columbia to Schaumburg, IL if you know where that is.
Please drop me a note if you want.

[aar0on]

Originally Posted by kareybear

What part of Columbia are you talking about and school as well? What is the high crime area as well? so we can stay away from that area. Why don't the kids like Columbia. Please give us more details.

The high crime areas are KC and St. Louis. The criminals are wising up and leaving those cities and coming to Columbia to find some fresh territory. The city also did a lot to help Katrina victims, so we've had anywhere from 2,000-5,000 lovely citizens move up here to kick in doors and steal from people in their homes, or just the garden variety car thefts and what not.

The schools are biased to the left, so that can be good or terrible, depending on your own view points.

The streets were meant for a population of around 50,000, but we now have double that with students being here 9 months of the year. Heavy traffic jams are a part of daily life. And it's made worse by the fact that shopping centers are so spread out.

Most new homes are covered in cheap vinyl and everything is cookie-cutter plain, apartment buildings for housing students and young adults are e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e and many are not taken great care of. Unsold new homes number around 2,000, so if you buy a place, don't expect to sell it in a timely manner later on. Well-paying jobs are hard to come by, with most younger adults living with friends and making unfairly low pay from the corporate giants that the city is all too happy to allow to move it for tax purposes.

On the positive side, we have awesome parks... and, um... well, I'm sure there might be something else good about the city. I may have to think about it for awhile...

[Clipperlover]

In terms of the subdivision...a lot depends on how where you're working. Compared to any larger city, the traffic in Columbia is nothing. There aren't a whole lot of bad areas in Columbia, tho' some are better than others. There is serious growth going on the the southwestern (west of Fairview) and Northeastern parts (North of the Lake of the Woods exit, exit 131, on I-70) to be more precise. I like the University Park area...good houses, mainly in the 175-250K range. Homes are a little older (mainly form the late 60's or so), but plenty have been well updated. About shopping/entertainment--a lot depends on how you define "near." University Park is about two miles from a mall and a decent outdoor shopping area with some anchor stores, and about 3-5 miles from the downtown, which has more small independent retailers and most of the music/theater/entertainment venues. IMO, you aren't going to get anything great that's within walking distance of downtown, because that's where the University is. Your best bet is to visit town and drive around and see what's near and far from places like Columbia Mall, the downtown area, the southern shops/restaurants, etc. Housing prices are fantastic here; don't be dismayed by a $200,000 price on a 2200 sq. ft. 4 bedroom house with a nice yard that's near good school in a good neighborhood. Kind of par for the course around here.


Columbia is a college town with a strong non-manufacturing business base, so it's got a lot more in the way of culture and diversity than most town of its size. (I suspect that some of the people who are expressing dislike over Columbia consider it to be too diverse and liberal.) Schools in town are generally very good; Hickman High School was in Newsweek's top 5% of high schools in the nation. Smithton is probably the best middle school. Again,. it's a college town with a strong non-manufacturing base...it's a well-educated populace. The kids are smart. Schools are good.


The idea that criminals are leaving St. Louis and Kansas City to come to Columbia is ridiculous. Crime has stayed level for the past decade and is below the national average...and that's with a very large college in the downtown (colleges are magnets for property crime and certain other illegal activities). They've got basic numbers at city-data.com for 1999-2005 that confirms that crime is below average in Columbia.

[Jlarson]

I am moving to the Columbia area as well. How would you compare Jefferson City to Columbia? My husband is a federal police officer and will be working in Jeff City

[cyrano]

Originally Posted by Jlarson

I am moving to the Columbia area as well. How would you compare Jefferson City to Columbia? My husband is a federal police officer and will be working in Jeff City

There's several threads comparing Columbia to Jeff, and in any case your question's too broad. Do you have school-age children? Where are you politically and socially? What do you like to do?

The two towns think they're radically different but I live in como and commute to Jeff and there are many similarities, based in pretty solid Midwestern values.

Ultimately, unless Columbia really intrigues you or you're going to be working in como or there aren't kids in the equation, I'd say live in Jeff. The commute doesn't sound long but it can wear you down, especially to get to the federal courthouse, or I think so anyway. Jeff has lower housing prices, is attractive enough, and while como has better restaurants and more kulcha, it's easier to drive there once a week than drive the other way 5x/week.