Suggestions for St. Louis neighborhoods under 45 minute Commute to SAFB

[aragx6]

I would have no concerns about walking around with the little one in any of the neighborhoods you were previously speaking about, and as flynavy hit on there are some weird reasons why St. Louis appears more dangerous than it truly is.

I would show her this list of the country's most dangerous neighborhoods and note that not one of St. Louis' neighrbohoods is on it.

St. Louis city is an itty bitty 61 sq/miles (whereas KC is over 300 sq/mi) because they haven't historically annexed the same way many other cities have -- in short, we don't have the less dense, more suburban areas that many cities have to "even things out" per se.

You're right that the Hill isn't as walkable as the other neighborhoods on your list, but it certainly has plenty of small businesses -- especially but not entirely of the Italian variety -- to walk to. However it's got that super safe sleepy vibe that your wife might find appealing and it's definitely one of my favorite neighborhoods.

[moorlander]

I wouldn't worry too much about that crime stuff. If you're used to living in Europe you likely have street smarts.

Best idea is to drive around the neighborhoods, or better yet walk them as if a resident, and see how you feel. If you don't feel safe, don't move there.

My friends that live downtown never 2nd guess walking around at all times of the evening. I do it all the time. If you stay on the main streets you're good to go. Be smart

[BoomBoxing]

Well it certainly isn't Overland Park but there's no reason to be scared in the middle of the day in all but a select few neighborhoods. The ones you mentioned are all just fine during the day. I'd also be fine at night but your comfort level then depends more on your urban experience/tolerance. St. Louis' unusually high crime rate is the result of a weird city/county organization which means that our city limits do not contain suburban areas to water down crime statistics like most cities do. That doesn't mean there aren't very dangerous areas you should avoid or that we don't have a crime problem. But it does mean that "most dangerous" rankings are somewhat artificial more than a bit disingenuous.

[terikelso]

I was told The Hill was a dangerous place to live. Is that true?

[BoomBoxing]

Uhh no. It is a quiet, safe, and family oriented neighborhood that's as safe as any suburb. Whoever told you it was dangerous is grossly ignorant and misinformed.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by terikelso

I was told The Hill was a dangerous place to live. Is that true?

Only if you're afraid of getting fat from all the delicious Italian food.

[Kassad]

Whoa.. The Hill is where the Italian food is?? Looks like I have one more neighborhood to add to my list

But seriously, I have noticed that the number of homes for sale far outweighs the number of homes for rent. I won't be able to see any of these until mid-August but I can only hope that the selection will go up. I'm also considering the possibility of trying to contact some home sellers to see if they would be interested in taking their home off the market for a year and renting it to me. Worth a shot I suppose.

On a final note, I'm originally from Philly and a huge Phillies/Eagles fan.. hope the Cardinal/Rams fans are receptive to me.. ciao!

[aragx6]

^I've always suggested Craigslist for finding rentals, but recently discovered how many were posted on the MLS. If you haven't yet, go to realtor.com and you can search rentals -- hopefully you'll find some good options!

[IDASpaceman]

Don't forget...MO is a concealed carry state...recommend a small snub .38