Looking for info on St. Louis. (University City, Washington: loft, home, safe area)

[scottykick]

I originally posted in the KC forum, and was pointed to the St. Louis forum by a poster, who was kind enough to messege me some great info about St. Louis.

I am looking to relocate from NYC, to somewhere more affordable, while still having decent public transit, and in a "safe" area (in the sense that if you use common sense, odds are in your favor you will be just fine...there is no such thing as 100% safe area, however I would like to avoid any areas similar to Newark,NJ or East New York or Bushwick sections of Brooklyn, for any of you who are familiar with NYC)

I would be working from home, but may look for side work to supplement my income if things get slow. I would like to find an area that is walkable, that I can get my day to day needs either within a relativly quick walk (in my current area, I walk about 10-15 blocks for food shopping at 4 different stores) so I don't expect things to be right outside my door.

breakdown
-looking to spend $800-$1000 for a 1BR or 2BR
-access to food,hardware store and other day to day needs by foot or transit.
-access to pro sports teams, and arenas (big wrestling fan, would like to see WWE when they come to town)


for example how is the area this apt (http://stlouis.craigslist.org/apa/2429958946.html - broken link) is in? would it be a good fit for me.

Thanks for any info

[pdm_ad]

We colo our servers near there and I can tell you that downtown is safe. There are more cops on patrol in downtown than just about anywhere else in STL. You can walk to all three sporting facilities from that location as well, the Ed being the furthest at about a 15min walk.

You are close to Busch so expect a lot of traffic around there during game days. It makes for a festive atmosphere and it looks great except that I am usually there to work and it can be a bit of a PITA to find parking.

I don't shop down there so I can't really tell you for sure. You would be close to a Metrolink station and access to different parts of the city would be easy. Hopefully others who live down there can chime in with more info. Good luck with your search.

[aragx6]

I know why you'd like that spot -- so close to Busch!

Very safe neighborhood, just a touch desolate at some (non-baseball) times of year, but right next to the metro station so you can get around quite well. A very solid option.

The section of downtown that is most vibrant is called the Washington Avenue Loft District or Wash Ave. The epicenter of that is at like Washington and Tucker and every year it seems to expand a bit more. There's even a downtown grocery store called Culinaria.

Other great neighborhoods to check out would be: Central West End, anything near The Loop, Tower Grove South, Soulard, Benton Park.

[moorlander]

OP - I'd suggest downtown, the Central West End, Skinker-Debailiver, University City, and Clayton. All of those areas are located along the MetroLink light rail line and have good shopping and nightlife.

The apt listed, is just west of Busch Stadium and just east of the Scottrade Center and soon to reopen Peabody arts center. Great access to transit, nightlife and everyday needs.

For those days you would need a car, check out WeCar car sharing program. And downtown also has a brand new, state-of-the-art commuter bike station and bike shop.

[scottykick]

Thanks for all the great info.

[scottykick]

Thanks everyone for your helpful information, KC looks to be a viable option to consider as does St. Louis. I have spent much more time researching Portland,OR and as of now it is still the front runner, but I will spend more time looking into both Mo. cities before making a final choice.

I will be working from home for the most part, doing freelance comic writing and art, as well as other freelance projects. Another reason PDX was a go to option is besides it's great public transit, it is the unofficial comic book creators capital of the United States, a good amount of the most well known pro's now live there, as well as some more in Washington State.

The low cost of living in KC & STL, is really appealing as well as the pro sports options.

Thanks again.

[stlcitygirl]

Portland has an amazing mass transit system, its hard to compete. However, STL metrolink is pretty good if you live in the right area. If you live downtown, all the major sports venues are there, making it convenient. I have friends that do not have cars and completely rely on the system.
KC has no light rail, so you would more than likely need a car.

[HelpfulAdvice63017]

If you want a more urban feel, Central West End would be a good bet, but getting around to basic stores would be more difficult there given the distance to grocers. Clayton would be my best bet given closer proximity to major grocers and stores, plus it is safer and cleaner.
Best of Luck to you.

[aragx6]

^ There's a Schnucks and a Straub's in the CWE. As well as another little grocer whose name I Can't remember at the moment -- But they have a delicious deli; I do remember that!

[Chicago76]

Originally Posted by aragx6

^ There's a Schnucks and a Straub's in the CWE. As well as another little grocer whose name I Can't remember at the moment -- But they have a delicious deli; I do remember that!

Are you thinking of Kopperman's?