Need advice on moving to St. Louis from Virginia (St. Charles: best neighborhood, houses)

[twoinview]

My family is possibly making a move from Virginia to St. Louis in the next year to year and a half. I am very nervous (as I have lived in VA all of my life), but very excited about writing a new chapter. I decided to go ahead and start researching the area to see if it would help us be more prepared when they do say "ok, time to go".
My husband's job will bring us out there and his headquarters are downtown. We have 2 school age children so our first concern is school. We would prefer to have our kids attend public schools so any good suggestions on that would be so welcomed!
I am in my late 20's and my husband has just entered his thirties so we want to be near great schools and an active community. We are super active. Love to be outside, we both cycle and run so safety is key too.
So I know nothing about St. Louis. I need help. What are the surrounding counties like? I'd love for my husband to have a smooth commute, but doesn't have to be "short". (He drives DC traffic everyday if you know anything about that it is less than smooth)
I love old homes with character but don't know if there are any area's with that, good schools, safe streets, trendy restaurants, etc. all rolled into one. I would love any feed back and am open to suggestions!
Thanks a million!

[ShadowCaver]

Greetings! You might check in the StL section, as maybe gather more pertinent info from there, but nevertheless, I believe that you and your family will enjoy St Louis - there is much to offer there. A couple quick thoughts,,, first, while I understand that your husband is cool w/ driving long times/distances, as one that use to have a longer drive than currently - I would highly recommend that shorter is indeed sweeter; gives more time w/ his family, esp. little critters that don't stay little for as long as we believe they will . Secondly, I'm going to sound like a broken record, but just based on your post here, I would recommend taking a look at the University City area. Esp. since you mentioned that you like to ride bikes [yea! ], and that you would be relatively close to Forest Park, along w/ a few other such areas. That area, IMHO, offers a fun, eclectic, active, trendy life, while still providing basic necessities for a family. Best to yas!

[Northwoods Voyager]

Hello: Since you mention older homes, besides the University City area, which is great, you may want to investigate the Webster Groves community. Near Washington University there are also homes from the '20s and '30s that are very interesting. Plus this area is 'next door' to fabulous Forest Park. An area that is different is the 'Central West End'. Up and coming for something a little out of the ordinary. Southwest St. Louis county is another area that you may want to check out. Good Luck...

[goodvedderbest]

If your first concern is schooling, and you're wanting to go public, than you should probably cross St. Louis City off your list. Many people in the city go private, and for good reason, the school system isn't in good shape. Otherwise I would've said Central West End as was mentioned before. But don't worry, there are several good districts nearby in St. Louis County. U City has some nice stuff, but I'm not so sure about the schools. Clayton and Ladue have excellent schools, close to parks, but are pretty pricey. West county areas have good schools and good parks, but it might be a mess for your husband getting to work with 40/64 getting redone. And it would be near impossible finding an old home with character...it's mostly new(er) development. I think your best bet would be the Kirkwood/Webster Groves area. Many beautiful older homes with character. Along I-44, so not terrible for your husband. Not an abundance of parks, but it wouldn't be too much of a haul to either Queeny or Forest Park. Not something that should deter you.

[twoinview]

Thank you all so much! I will use all of this valuable info to begin my search. We are very fixed on finding good public schools, as we are strong advocates of the system, but might be willing to look into private if we have to. It seems like lots of great people in the St. Louis area so that helps ease my nervousness. Thanks for steering us in the right direction.

[CellarBelle]

Hi twoinview! If you have kids and love outdoors, be sure to look on the Illinois side in Edwardsville/Glen Carbon. We have extensive family-friendly bike trails throughout the county, and we have a great new YMCA that has lots of activities inside and out for kids and adults alike. I have 2 children in the schools here, and I can tell you the Edwardsville School system is outstanding! We have a great reputation throughout the St. Louis area, and the state for that matter. It takes about 25 to 35 minutes to get into downtown depending on the traffic. Our taxes are higher than Missouri, but you may realize that the savings on private school tuitions make up the difference. We are also home to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and that affords a lot of opportunities for kids (summer camps, local theater, music, etc) and adults. There are some great suburbs on the Missouri side - Chesterfield, Kirkwood, St. Charles, and so on. So, you won't go wrong looking there. But, when my husband was transferred here 4 plus years ago, I discovered Edwardsville and liked what it had to offer. It really is a great family town. I'm a North Carolina native, and I'm quite content here. Virginia has unbelieveable scenery that you will miss, but I think you will find the people of the St. Louis area to be great and the city to have a lot to offer. Google Edwardsville, IL, and you can find out lots more. Best of luck to you - exciting times for you and your family! Send me a private message if you have any questions!

[iheartdogs1032]

Hi! Eureka has the best of everything. The school district, Rockwood, is simply wonderfull (I'll give you the link to it at the bottom). The commute is about a half an hour, depending on where you are going to. One of the best things about Eureka is that we have a Six Flags! Eureka is known for its antique shopping. There are great activities for the whole family throughout the year, including Halloween and Christmas parties at the community center. The best neighborhood is the Legends. The houses are very nice, but affordable, and there is a great neighborhood pool, playground, and tennis courts. If your husband likes to play golf, there are high quality golf courses located directly in the Legends (If he doesn't that's OK; half of the families don't) Eureka combines the charm of a small town with the convience of a large town. I LOVE living in Eureka- and your family will, too!

Here are the links to everything:

Rockwood- http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/
Six Flags- http://www.sixflags.com/stLouis/index.aspx
Info on Eureka- http://www.eureka.mo.us/
Info on the golf course- http://www.thelegendsgolf.com/
Info on the Legends- http://www.legendsnews.net/index.php

[2beamissourian]

Im going to walk off the beaten path here ..........

I do not think I could personally live in St. Louis .. I dont like crazy roads and highways..

You mentioned children and the education is very important to you ...

Safety is another

I'm going to suggest outside the box .. why not live in Illinois .. commute is not to far ..

Edwardsville has a excellent school district. The city has old historical homes and new ones .. its a growing comunity with lots of activities .. the city is very well put together!

It is also home to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
(when I was little I use to say this is where I was going to move to when I grew up.. I loved the old homes)

the link to city info City of Edwardsville, Illinois -- Government & Education Links

Commute isnt to bad Driving Directions from Edwardsville, IL to Saint Louis, MO

[goodvedderbest]

Originally Posted by iheartdogs1032

Hi! Eureka has the best of everything. The school district, Rockwood, is simply wonderfull (I'll give you the link to it at the bottom). The commute is about a half an hour, depending on where you are going to. One of the best things about Eureka is that we have a Six Flags! Eureka is known for its antique shopping. There are great activities for the whole family throughout the year, including Halloween and Christmas parties at the community center. The best neighborhood is the Legends. The houses are very nice, but affordable, and there is a great neighborhood pool, playground, and tennis courts. If your husband likes to play golf, there are high quality golf courses located directly in the Legends (If he doesn't that's OK; half of the families don't) Eureka combines the charm of a small town with the convience of a large town. I LOVE living in Eureka- and your family will, too!

Here are the links to everything:

Rockwood- Rockwood School District
Six Flags- Six Flags St Louis
Info on Eureka- City of Eureka, Missouri
Info on the golf course- The Country Club at The Legends
Info on the Legends- Legends : Home

Good stuff. A bit further drive for your hubby, but nothing terrible. (and still no 40/64 mess) Rockwood is a great school district as well.

[anr_black]

We have 2 small kids and live in soutwest St. Louis city. I love our neighborhood, but we do pay for private school, so if you move to the city, keep that in mind. For a small town feel, older, historic homes, lots of family friendly activities, I'd point you to Webster Groves or Shrewsbury, which is a little less pricy (both are in the webster school system). Webster is almost all residential, so it has a small town feel. Lots of young families there too, and it's about 20 mins. from downtown. The houses are more expensive than other suburbs, but coming from DC, the prices probably won't shock you (a decent 3 bedroom home will run you probably 200-300K). Kirkwood is also very nice and has more newer homes. Both have great schools. For an easier commute stick to the towns along I44 or even 55 in south county. We moved here 3 years ago and have found the people here to be very friendly, and lots of activities. You'll love it here! Good luck!