Moving to St. Louis- Apartment recommendation (University City, Washington: apartments, rent, lofts)

[beakers91]

I am a 21 year-old female moving to St. Louis in a few weeks for a job at SLU. I'd like to be within a 30 minute walk of campus with the ability to go explore on weekends (find a coffee shop, etc.) so I had settled on the Central West End. I'm not set on this, though, it was just a way to narrow my search. I'm looking for building recommendations, places people love to live as a young professional or have had a good experience with in the past. My max rent is around $800/month for a studio or 1-bedroom, but this is flexible depending on what utilities are included and the cost of parking. My major priority is safety, I want something I'm going to feel comfortable coming home to at night, after dark, since I will working and taking classes. I need a parking lot or garage and the ability to own a cat. Obviously, I'd like friendly neighbors.

It's very difficult trying to locate an apartment based on reviews when I have never visited the city, so any help would be really appreciated, thanks!

[inahandbasket]

Originally Posted by beakers91

I am a 21 year-old female moving to St. Louis in a few weeks for a job at SLU. I'd like to be within a 30 minute walk of campus with the ability to go explore on weekends (find a coffee shop, etc.) so I had settled on the Central West End. I'm not set on this, though, it was just a way to narrow my search. I'm looking for building recommendations, places people love to live as a young professional or have had a good experience with in the past. My max rent is around $800/month for a studio or 1-bedroom, but this is flexible depending on what utilities are included and the cost of parking. My major priority is safety, I want something I'm going to feel comfortable coming home to at night, after dark, since I will working and taking classes. I need a parking lot or garage and the ability to own a cat. Obviously, I'd like friendly neighbors.

It's very difficult trying to locate an apartment based on reviews when I have never visited the city, so any help would be really appreciated, thanks!

There is no safe area within a 30 minute walk at night from SLU to the CWE, especially for a young woman.

The CWE is a great area for young adults but you really need to have that 'situational awareness' radar turned on at night. I am not familiar with particular apartment buildings so maybe someone else can chime in. I know, however, to stay well south of Delmar Boulevard.

You may want to consider living a little further west (about 6 miles) to University City. The particular neighborhood I live in (University Park) has a mix of single family, duplexes and multiplexes. There are a lot of married graduate students living here. It's a beautiful and safe neighborhood. You could walk around at night.

Look on Craig's List in the 63130 zip and look for streets named Tulane, Dartmouth and Amherst.

[NewStLouisan]

Originally Posted by beakers91

I am a 21 year-old female moving to St. Louis in a few weeks for a job at SLU. I'd like to be within a 30 minute walk of campus with the ability to go explore on weekends (find a coffee shop, etc.) so I had settled on the Central West End. I'm not set on this, though, it was just a way to narrow my search. I'm looking for building recommendations, places people love to live as a young professional or have had a good experience with in the past. My max rent is around $800/month for a studio or 1-bedroom, but this is flexible depending on what utilities are included and the cost of parking. My major priority is safety, I want something I'm going to feel comfortable coming home to at night, after dark, since I will working and taking classes. I need a parking lot or garage and the ability to own a cat. Obviously, I'd like friendly neighbors.

It's very difficult trying to locate an apartment based on reviews when I have never visited the city, so any help would be really appreciated, thanks!

You can't go too wrong with apartments on W Pine or Laclede. A friend of mine lived in Toronto Parcade Apartments (4398 W Pine Blvd), and her 1 bedroom seemed pretty nice. You should also check out Leonardo (4166 Lindell), which is closer to SLU (and a 30 sec walk to Schnucks).

I disagree with inahandbasket when he says there is no safe area within 30 min of SLU. Laclede and W Pine are perfectly safe streets (or safe as city streets go), and I have never felt unsafe walking on these streets after dark (although I'm a guy).

Do you plan to walk every night to and from SLU? I'm curious because you also mentioned you wanted a parking lot/garage.

EDIT: I noticed there are a bunch of apartments a lot closer to SLU than the ones I mentioned. Unfortunately, I'm not too familiar with them (University Heights Lofts looks good, though).

[inahandbasket]

Originally Posted by NewStLouisan

You can't go too wrong with apartments on W Pine or Laclede. A friend of mine lived in Toronto Parcade Apartments (4398 W Pine Blvd), and her 1 bedroom seemed pretty nice. You should also check out Leonardo (4166 Lindell), which is closer to SLU (and a 30 sec walk to Schnucks).

I disagree with inahandbasket when he says there is no safe area within 30 min of SLU. Laclede and W Pine are perfectly safe streets (or safe as city streets go), and I have never felt unsafe walking on these streets after dark (although I'm a guy).

Do you plan to walk every night to and from SLU? I'm curious because you also mentioned you wanted a parking lot/garage.

EDIT: I noticed there are a bunch of apartments a lot closer to SLU than the ones I mentioned. Unfortunately, I'm not too familiar with them (University Heights Lofts looks good, though).

I'm a woman and you, sir, are wrong. I would not recommend any woman walk by herself at night in that area of town.

The OP can look at Official Website of the Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis to look at the crime mapping statistics for herself. There are car break-ins, vehicle theft, as in any urban environment around SLU and the CWE. I am certainly not anti-city living. I just want to OP to know that it may not be the safest neighborhood to walk around alone at night as a female, especially since she cited safety as being very important to her.

[beakers91]

Thank you! I am from NYC area so I am street smart. I will have a car so I would be driving back and forth at night, and if I have to walk I am sure to be aware, etc. I know there will be crime, I just want to be in the safest area possible while still being in an area with other people around my age. I know I will have to trade some safety for that.

I am really interested in the Convent Garden Apartments on the corner of N. Taylor Ave and Pershing Pl. Anyone have any opinions? They are just remodeled, have parking, and the crime map looks like only a few car thefts and a burglary a few blocks away.

I am also considering Soulard or Washington Ave area. Which would people recommend?

[Brickmama]

What are you interested in? Wash Ave is a busy commercial corridor while Soulard is more of a neighborhood with amenities and nightlife sprinkled around.

[Dawn10am]

There are definitely places that are a safe 30 minute walk to SLU. I live about a mile west of SLU in the CWE and I walk there regularly and have never felt unsafe, even at night. However, I'm also male, so I'm not sure I would recommend walking at night to a girl. Walking during the day is a-okay, but I would probably drive at night if I were you.

It sounds like the CWE would work for you, and I think $800 should get you a decent 1 br. I don't have any direct experience with Convent Garden, but it is in a very pretty, quiet, residential part of the CWE. There's not much in the immediate area, but I actually like that area a lot. U-City is nice too, but the CWE is more walkable for your everyday conveniences and a much more interesting and cosmopolitan area, IMO.

For building recs, try:
The Hawthorne
Park East apartments
Montclair on the Park
West End City
The Fairmont
West End Terrace

[moorlander]

Young women shouldn't really walk long distances alone at night in a lot of places. Walking alone on campus shouldn't be a concern. Maybe focus your search to on campus or very near campus houseing or plan on driving those days where you'll be commuting after dark.

[KarenElissa]

Originally Posted by moorlander

Young women shouldn't really walk long distances alone at night in a lot of places.

I've seen this and similar statements quite a bit around here and I don't understand them. There are plenty of us who don't have a car and not walking around after dark would be awfully limiting. Should one take precautions, sure, but there are plenty of places that I have no qualms walking around plenty of places after dark. I've walked around CWE plenty of times at night and never felt unsafe, and yes, I'm female.