Best place for 25 year old Female who enjoys biking, museums and walk-ability to stores (St. Louis: hardwood floors)

[Where's Kitty]

Hi, I'm considering St.Louis as a city I may move to in the future.(Will be renting out the current home) I absolutely love the styling and architecture of the homes I see online. That's what mainly is attracting me to the area. I've also read that you actually get 4-seasons! The amount of greenspace, and just having public transit is great . I've got a few questions on what someone should expect to pay for housing in a generally safe area. Areas with Lower chances of break-in's, mugging, robbery etc. What areas should be avoided for a single female who likes to be outdoors? Personally, I'm not into clubs/bars so being near those types of activities isn't necessary.

I could be as happy living in a suburb, as I would in the city. As long as the basics like a grocery store (Not sure what franchises are in the area.) are within a one or two mile walk/bike ride. I work mostly online but I will be traveling by either train or air for about half the month so proximity to Amtrak is pretty important. Walking to public transportation and then heading to the Train without even touching my car would be amazing.

I'm open to Townhome, condo or Single Family home living. However, Ranch style and Bungalow homes are by far and away my favorite. Parking for one-two cars is important as well as a pet friendly area. With home size I have lived in small and larges spaces and have been equally happy.

A few questions:

1. How well does transit work in your area? Is it actually useful and well laid out? What are the best sites to find maps and details?

2. What are the average rents for the good areas. (Areas you personally consider good)

3. Are homes under a certain price range always in the bad parts? I'm past places I've lived anything under 100k was a dump and in other cities the house under 250k was a dump. I like to buy the least expensive home in the better area and spend money on travel rather than a higher mortgage.

4. What do people consider the "best" zip codes in the suburbs and city of St Louis Missouri? Which part is the no-no zone. The parts where friends would say "Omg, you live THERE! You should really move"

5. Which areas have the best bike trails, and public parks? Most dog friendly?


Thank you in advance for your help


MLS Id just so you have an idea of what type/style of home I lean towards.
MLS ID11027212
MLS ID10051538
MLS ID11017130
MLS ID11009169

[flynavyj]

Welcome to the forums, and happy 4th of july.

As to your search, St. Louis does have a lot to offer a new resident and we've got about everything anyone could want between urban, suburban, and country living all within a close proximity to this metro area.

The price differences between an "ok" area, and the "best" area can be VAST. To say the least. You can easily get into much of St. Louis for 150k, however the elite areas are going to command minimums often in the 300k range just to touch an 1950's era 3 BR home, higher if you want updates or newer construction.

Based on your desires though, you want a safe location. If you're gone from your home for significant periods of time, nothing will ruin your business trip more than a break in while you're gone. In which case, the neighborhood (aka neighbors) are most important. Unfortunately you won't be able to gauge that until you make the move.

I hate making blanket statements, but if you wanted to throw a dart at a map and hit a spot that's perfectly safe, you'd be best to aim south of I-64 (and this coming from a guy who lives well north of it). There is nothing INHERENTLY dangerous about living North of 64, or even North of I-70. And there are pockets of St. Louis that are pretty rough South of I-64 as well, but areas aren't AS blighted as some of the northern points, especially true in St. Louis City.

As to the MLS ID's you posted, i think i liked the last two the best. One is just South of Lafayette Park, East of Jefferson. Would give you close access to many city amenities, and eventually would put you close to the metro rail, as i believe Jefferson is a planned route for it (?). The house on Childress looks VERY nice too, and would probably be the best location for your desires. It should be pretty safe, very very very close to Forest Park, which will give you quick access to biking, outdoor theater, restaurants, museums, golfing, and the list goes on forever...That park is a true Gem of St. Louis as well as many of the amenities it contains! It's also the most expensive on your list, but you'd have to drive down the street to see what type of vibe it gives you. The other big plus on that location is it'll put two metrolink stops (along the same line) within your two mile requirement.

The home in Overland wouldn't be bad, but i don't think it'll be overly walkable. I actually live just down the street from that house, eh...down the street and around a couple corners. And am lucky to be within walking distance of a small local grocer, and very close to a city own park as well. Which is great for walking the dog or riding the bike, but it will in no way compare to Forest Park, or even the other large county park (Creve Coeur Lake).

Are there any other requirements you have? It looks like you're wanting to stay somewhere under 200k, which is very doable here. And your park requirement can be easily filled, not to mention dog friendly and safe areas.

The metrolink doesn't go everywhere in the metro, which is it's basic drawback. I live approximately 2 or 3 miles from the closet point, but that's in the airport and as such i've never used it unless going to a baseball game, etc...Overall, St. Louis is a remarkable city, and this board has a ton of great people who will help you find a place you can call home!

[BoomBoxing]

Try the area with zip codes 63109 and 63139 in southwest St. Louis city. It's a walkable, quiet, quaint area with great unique housing, good number of younger people, and overall very safe. There are some great parks too and you are only a mile or two from Forest Park and Tower Grove park.

[aragx6]

The one in Dogtown (the last on your list) is my favorite. Adorable house. And Dogtown is a great neighborhood. But it's access to the metrolink isn't so great and I think you'd end up doing most of your shopping in nearby Richmond Heights, which wouldn't be a bad bike ride, but wouldn't really be walkable (with groceries in tow anyway).

There are cute houses similar to what you've been looking at in the inner ring suburbs of Shrewsbury, Maplewood and Richmond Heights that might be a little closer to the metro.

This one in Maplewood is right down the street from the Sunnen metro stop: Coldwell Banker Gundaker -- Your site for St. Louis Real Estate

Or this place, which is just about a mile from the Maplewood metro and two grocery stores within about a mile as well. Coldwell Banker Gundaker -- Your site for St. Louis Real Estate

This one is Shrewsbury is an easy 10-minute walk to the metro: Coldwell Banker Gundaker -- Your site for St. Louis Real Estate

Hope that helps a bit!

[Where's Kitty]

Wow, Great info!


I'm hoping to go buy a map this week of St Louis so I can start highlighting what areas to look at. Now that I have some great starter information!


Those three homes on the coldwell banker site look beautiful. The last two look fantastic with the hardwood floors, brick exterior and just enough yard.


Thank You, This is helping a ton.

[Chicago76]

Originally Posted by BoomBoxing

Try the area with zip codes 63109 and 63139 in southwest St. Louis city. It's a walkable, quiet, quaint area with great unique housing, good number of younger people, and overall very safe. There are some great parks too and you are only a mile or two from Forest Park and Tower Grove park.

I second that. If bars/nightlife aren't your thing, and nature/hiking and safety are, I'd look in the SW part of the city. Statistically, they are the safest neighborhoods of the city, offer good access to many recreation opportunities SW of STL metro (and parks within), and you're pretty close to the middle of the STL employment corridor: downtown, Mid-town/+BJC university/medical campuses, Clayton, West County, and airport.

There is local convenience in the area, but not a ton of "buzz", but you're not looking for that anyway.

[ShadowCaver]

Welcome to the forum, and to the StL area. If you've not found it yet: System Maps | Metro Transit has info to their layout and schedule.

FWIW - a nephew is renting a house in Dogtown, nice little place w/ full basement, for ~$1k per month. The owner bought it for ~$100k couple years ago. Shrewsbury is nice area too - uncle/aunt and cousins live in that part.

To help provide a feel for the area, here are a few links:
A Complete Guide to St. Louis Attractions
St. Louis Front Page - St. Louis Metropolitan Map
" + theTitle + "
St. Louis Traveler Information
Search Results
Visit & Explore
Farmers' Market Directory [scroll ~1/2 way down for StL area]

[RansackedMuse]

Chicago is great for all of those things. Read more about biking and the arts in Chicago here.