Hermann, New Haven, or Other Small Nice Town (St. Louis, Washington: for sale, rent)

[ready to try]

I've been reading the posts regarding small town living. I'd like to try. Am a widow, in my mid 60's and have lived in St. Louis all my life. Sounds like Hermann and New Haven might work. I would like an older house with charm, room for a garden and maybe some chickens. Can't take on too much, no spring chicken myself! Some antique shops, art stores, a library would really be nice. Don't want to vegetate. Am thinking of renting for a bit before taking the jump. Any "do's", "don'ts" or hints?
Would appreciate any help.
readytotry

[ShadowCaver]

Hermann definitely has charm, as does many of the river cities along the MO River. Have you taken a drive along 94 and/or 100 to get a feel for the area?

Best luck to ya...

[Northwoods Voyager]

ready to try.....We moved from St.Louis 36+ years ago near a small town. In the past I worked in Hermann and it is a lovely, historic town. One thing tho', Hermann is a tourist town and many times during the year there are many visitors and sometimes the locals can be just a teeny bit leery of 'outsiders'. Not hostile, no, just cautious. Many descendants from the original settlers reside in and around the area. I took art lessons from an extremely talented and lovely woman and she did say once that even though she had lived in Hermann for over 30 years, she was sometimes still considered an outsider/interloper.

Having 'said' all of this, Hermann does offer a wide variety of the services that you may find to your liking. I would suggest that you take a day and drive out I-70 to south on Hwy 19 to Hermann or I-44 to the Washington exit and continue through Washington, New Haven and then onto Hermann. Take the time to stop in a restaurant, a few stores and just spend the entire day driving around the towns. Buy the local newspapers. Visit the Chambers of Commerce. Talk with any locals. Be sure to drive around a few of the residential areas. Do you like quiet? Neighbors close by? Shopping within walking distance? Are you interested in joining clubs, churches, volunteer work?

New Haven is very different in many ways from Hermann. New Haven does offer the older homes, great neighborhoods, and is closer to Washington for additional shopping and services. I also worked for some time in New Haven as a Realtor. Again, would still suggest spending some time, days driving around the areas. They are different from each other in many ways. Good Luck to you.

[ready to try]

Thank you all for your comments. Going to do that very thing this weekend - driving through Hermann and New Haven. Pulled up homes for sale off the computer to get some idea of prices. Would like to maybe rent for a bit before I make any big decision. I certainly appreciate your help, Shadow Caver and Northwoods Voyager!

[ready to try]

Hi, just got back from a visit to Hermann, MO. Loved the town but why are there so many houses for sale? Even the High School is on the market. Has there perhaps a new one that has been built? Drove through New Haven also. Loved the houses but seemed the only shopping area was on Hwy. 100. Didn't have time to search further so I may have missed something.

[kshe95girl]

how about south of STL? Sainte Genevieve comes to mind, it has charm enough for a couple of towns.

[showmegal1984]

Originally Posted by ready to try

I've been reading the posts regarding small town living. I'd like to try. Am a widow, in my mid 60's and have lived in St. Louis all my life. Sounds like Hermann and New Haven might work. I would like an older house with charm, room for a garden and maybe some chickens. Can't take on too much, no spring chicken myself! Some antique shops, art stores, a library would really be nice. Don't want to vegetate. Am thinking of renting for a bit before taking the jump. Any "do's", "don'ts" or hints?
Would appreciate any help.
readytotry

A lot depends on how small of a town you are looking for... There are some beautiful small towns around the Lake of the Ozarks.
Gravois Mills is beautiful. There are too many to really list. If you have an area you would like to be near to it might make the hunt easier for those ready to help

[Northwoods Voyager]

ready to try....try this link for some additional information:
Riverfront Cultural Society - Live music and jam sessions on the Missouri River

[ready to try]

Wow, LOVE the link - the RCS! Thank you for sharing that. Sounds wonderful and would be a nice plus. I have been doing a lot more homework on Hermann. I have some family in St. Louis but my grown and married kids are scattered all over the U.S. So don't really want to get too far from St. Louis.
Hermann seems to have a lot going for it. I love the way the town is laid out. If you lived in town you could walk to a lot of places. Hermann has a library with a monthly book club meeting. I've also been reading "Small Town Bound" by John Clayton which I think is excellent. It's been a big help, listing factors to use to evaluate a small town, etc.
Hermann keeps popping back up.
Yes, you are so right. St. Genevieve is also a wonderful town. Thank you for mentioning it.
Thank you all for your helpful suggestions and ideas. Guess I just hadn't done enough homework!

[Northwoods Voyager]

ready to try.....it would be a fine choice to decide upon Hermann. I was once the librarian there many years ago. Part of the Scenic Regional Library system. Great organization with so many helpful people. At that time we also had a group known as the 'Starving Artists'. We met in different places. So many talented individuals. Again, I wish you the best of luck in no matter what you finally decide.