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Old 10-14-2010, 09:57 AM
 
4 posts, read 9,646 times
Reputation: 10

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Hello,

My husband and I are considering a move from St. Louis City to Barnhart. I'd love to hear your opinions of the area, especially to the east of I-55. What do you like or dislike about Barnhart? Do you feel safe there? Do you like your neighbors? Any thoughts on the Windsor school district?

Thanks!
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Old 10-14-2010, 08:51 PM
 
Location: St. Louis City
70 posts, read 228,207 times
Reputation: 56
Hopefully I can provide some insight here:
I grew up in Jefferson County and lived there exclusively until moving to Oklahoma for college and grad school. Over the years I've lived in Barnhart, Imperial, Festus, Arnold, and High Ridge. There are pluses and minuses of living in Jefferson County, and I guess it all depends what you're looking for.

On the plus side, it is reasonably close to St. Louis, and you can live there very, very cheaply. Some of the schools are fine, though you will want to be careful and do your research. My parents ended up sending me to a private school in st louis county. Also, if safety is your primary concern, Jefferson County as a whole is certainly safer than some parts of the city, however you still have to be careful and lock your car. I don't feel any more or less safe in Jefferson County than I do in most parts of South City. I had my car broken into once in my driveway in Imperial and once in the Pasta House lot in Arnold where I was a waiter in high school. Like anywhere, use common sense.

On the negative side: There is very little interesting architecture. Lots of vinyl siding. Restaurant scene is lacking, though Arnold and Festus have picked up a few suburban-style chains. The municipal parks are lacking - I always found Arnold Park to be quite an embarrassment. You have to drive everywhere. And as for the elephant in the room - I'll say it - there's definitely a bit of "hoosier" vibe given the lower economic status of some of the residents. I hope I don't offend anyone with these comments; my parents still live in Jeff. Co. I hope that helps somewhat.

Full disclosure: I'm now a very satisfied homeowner in St. Louis City and would never consider moving back there. But again, I guess it just depends what you're looking for.
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Old 10-15-2010, 08:17 AM
 
Location: St. Louis City
70 posts, read 228,207 times
Reputation: 56
And I just realized you had asked specifically about Barnhart and I was discussing my experience in Jeff Co. as a whole.

Barnhart:

On the plus side, you can buy homes there very cheap, and especially East of I-55, which was what you had asked about specifically. When I lived in Barnhart, it actually was East of I-55 on Front St., just off of 61/67. Very close to the railroad tracks and an old natural gas facility. There is a low-end grocery store nearby, and some thrift stores and maybe a gas station. Again, as is the case generally in Jefferson County, homes are cheap. I don't know much specifically about the Windsor school district in terms of academics, but my brother and I used to play tennis on their courts and the buildings, fields, etc. seemed nice.

That said, with all the neat city neighborhoods as well as all the charming little towns sprinkled through St. Louis County (Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Shrewsbury, etc.) the only two reasons I can think that one would move to Barnhart are 1) the absolute primary concern is $$, or 2) family resides nearby. When I was growing up, there was a large red sign on 61/67 in Barnhart that announced, rather ominously, "THIS IS BARNHART." Out of town guests used to get a real kick out of that, as it sat in a parking lot full of weeds and was across the street from a dilapidated shanty of some sort. I wonder if that's still there.
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Old 10-15-2010, 12:26 PM
 
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
9,352 posts, read 19,943,214 times
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i've lived in barnhart for 6 years and don't recall having seen that sign.....

that said, i live in parkton, on the west side of 55.....

what hhill said is pretty spot-on ..... the major drawbacks for me are having to travel 2 exits up 55 to get to a decent grocery store..... or 3 exits to get to a decent restaurant..... although we have had a new Karsch's grocery store open at M and Catlin in the last couple of weeks.... they are a bit pricey for every day shopping, but i am BEYOND thrilled to have an alternative to queens in the event i have to run out to get something i forgot......

i take my dogs to Arnold Park every morning for their walk .... there are no sidewalks in Parkton and the hills are too hard on my knees.... it's a 10 mile drive each way for us.... there just isn't anything closer......

i would recommend driving by and through the area of the house you are interested in at different times of the day on different days of the week to try to get a feel for the neighborhood and neighbors.......

i don't have children so can't comment on windsor schools.....

best of luck to you.....
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