Moving to St. Louis - good areas to live? (Washington: apartments, to rent)

[red1331]

Hello,

My wife and I are possibly moving to St. Louis from Raleigh, NC. A company out there based in Clayton has flown me out there twice and it is looking positive. We had a few days to check out the city, but got varying opinions on areas as some seemed nicer than others. I was wondering if anyone could make some suggestions for us in terms of living areas. We are looking for something more urban than suburban (close to shops/restaurants)- but I am concerned about safety as I have read a lot about crime in certain areas. We are also looking to rent so any recommendations for that would be helpful (2 br/2ba; pet friendly, preferably with w/d hookups). Thanks again.

[flynavyj]

If you want urban, go for urban! And we've got plenty of it. The Southside is considered safer than the Northside...and as a whole it is. Lafayette Square, Soulard, Benton Park, Tower Grove South, The Hill, all come to mind as the normal "hip places". Downtown is also good, and had a massive influx of people in the period between 2000-2010. There are a lot of lofts and apartments in the area, so if you're not wanting a "home" and the Loft/Condo approach would seem a little more "you" we've got plenty of those in that area. Washington Ave is considered the "loft central" but there are some other places further West and South that are building up nicely too, and would put you within an earshot of the place but possibly without all the extra noise that goes on in the area (lots of clubs, bars, and restaurants line the street).

Clayton (as you've probably noticed) is like it's own very small urban mecca itself. If the high-rise living scene is your style, there's plenty of it in Clayton as well. You'll have some Yuppies and whatnot (it's fairly expensive, expect lots of kids who went to private high schools / colleges) who'll brag about the car they're dad just bought them, or how much they spent at the bar the previous weekend. But it's a pretty neat area, it'd also be a short drive/bike ride to the galleria mall, and all the shopping it has to offer.

Oh, one more major hot spot of the city is the Central West End. Very close location to Forest Park. It's on the western edge of the city limits and is VERY VERY HIP and "Trendy". Very "cosmopolitan" too, and would give you excellent access to the park, museums, muny theater, zoo, and be the closest to Clayton as well...I think it might be a win win for urban living in St. Louis + your work location

[aragx6]

I second heartily the Central West End recommendation -- it's an awesome, walkable, vibrant neighborhood and your commute to work would be easy peasy. Washington Ave. downtown has some gorgeous lofts, and Tower Grove South has more of the cool eclectic vibe with plenty of ethnic restaurants.

Many of St. Louis' neighborhoods (and all of the ones I mentioned above) are plenty safe -- car break ins and the like do occur but violent crime is very rare.

Can I ask what your budget is? That would help us make more tailored suggestions!

Best of luck!

[moorlander]

Sounds like you should focus in the central corridor. Hard to say without more info, most importatly budget.

If you like urban, you've come to the right place. Not much urban in Raliegh.