Thoughts on Richmond Heights and various surrounding neighborhoods (St. Louis, University City: section 8, apartment complexes)

[Del Boy]

According to zillow, Richmond Heights is made up of middle to upper income singles and college students. Does this sound like an accurate assessment?

I read contrasting views on city data forum which said that it is more of a family oriented suburb, opposed to the haven for singles that zillow makes it out to be.

Additionally, is this a safe area? For instance, if I go on a walk with my girl around the neighborhood, is there a high probability I might run into ignorance?

In my current neighborhood, there is a great deal of ignorance. For instance, people will try to test you by parking in front of your house or they will start random conversations with you, prodding for weakness. According to my peers, I live in a lower income neighborhood as it they commonly refer to it as the ghetto.

Honestly, I would like to avoid ghetto areas in the future if possible. My budget is roughly $1,000, and I will be working Hazelwood.

I understand, that Richmond Heights is a sought after area, but I'm also interested in places like Clayton, Brentwood, the Hamptons, The Hill, Maplewood, University City, and possibly Maryland Heights, Cove Coeur and Webser Groves, which, from what I understand are outside of the city and more suburban.

Ideally, I would like to live in a safe, quiet, neighborhood that is close to some amenities like the metro and nearby stores. Preferably, I would like to live in an area that has mostly familes or people that mainly mind their own business or are friendly in a non-invasive way.

I know you can't have everything you want in life, but it seems like Richmond Heights might be an ideal location. I want my girl to be happy, which means I'd prefer not to live next to people that party deep into the night or stay outside on the porch all day and stare.

Sorry if this seems like a lot, but the last neighborhood I stayed in had a drug house across the street, two opposing gangs up the block, and prositutes around the corner. The houses were dilapidated and recently, an elderly man was tied up in his own house and robbed.

And currently, my situation has improved, but is still considered "ghetto" by my peers, so it has not been a substantial improvement.

I would like to move out of that environment.

Thanks for any following input and sorry if I offended anyone in the process.

[Del Boy]

Also, I realize you can get more for your money in Maryland Heights than the areas close to the city I mentioned above.

In your opinion, is having access to the amenities you get in the places around the city worth more than having more house and/or a garage in Maryland Heights?

Is St Louis difficult to navigate in a personal vehicle? I noticed that many of the metro stations have parking lots, so it seems like if you wanted to go to baseball game or a football game, you could simply park at a metro station and arrive at your destination from there.

I realize Richmond heights is close to places a lot of convenient shopping like Walmart and Trader Joes, and is also close to Forrest Park.

So is it worth living in those areas as opposed to Maryland Heights?

Thanks again for any input.

[Del Boy]

Also, if you could choose between Creve Coeur and Maryland Heights, which would you choose and why?

[glamatomic]

I used to live in Maryland Heights (and worked downtown) and absolutely LOVED it. It's quiet, extremely safe, and still has easy interstate access and a variety of amenities. Creve Coeur is more expensive than Maryland Heights so you won't get as much 'bang for your buck' house wise there, so even though it has a lot to offer, I think the affordability factor gives Maryland Heights an edge.

If DH & I could have afforded to buy a house in Maryland Heights (we had a cash budget we didn't want to exceed for our first house), we would have. I'm very confident in recommending Maryland Heights to almost anyone.

As I've never lived in Richmond Heights, I can't honestly pass judgement on the area. I do believe that crime is higher there than in Maryland Heights (statistically speaking), but I wouldn't classify it as 'unsafe' or 'dangerous' by any means. Richmond Heights however has more of an urban feel, while Maryland Heights is definitely suburban.

When it comes to navigating St. Louis- it's easy peasy, thanks to all of the wonderful interstates. Once you've got them mastered, getting everywhere is easy, even with a Canary Yellow 3-Wheel Van! (j/k- couldn't help myself because of your username! I love OFAH!)

Anyway, hope that helps a bit! Good luck to you!

[grubbyhubby]

All of the areas you mentioned ( Brentwood, Webster Groves, Maplewood ) are what's considered Mid County. While these are technically suburban municipalities ( they are not in the St. Louis city limits ) they are older neighborhoods and have more character , imo.
I grew up in Webster and currently live in Maplewood. Webster is largely affluent, but there may be some affordable housing there. Maplewood is more working class and is definitely affordable, but depending on your precise location within Maplewood , you could have problems with crime . Stay away from the large apartment complexes , as they have a heavy percentage of section 8 tenants.
Richmond heights is a good bet. Not sure why it would be classified as a "haven for singles" , except that it is close to Wash U and some other lesser Universities. So perhaps the abundance of college students may skew the stats and give the illusion of sort of a ' party ' area. It borders Clayton, which is a great area if you can afford it.
Personally, I like the mid county area because the architecture and vibe feels "homier" than further out in the county where everything is largely homogenized and strip malls dominate. Webster Groves, Kirkwood, Maplewood, and Brentwood would be my choice.

[flynavyj]

I don't know what it means when "someone parks infront of your house to test you" or what people are prodding for in conversation. Are they testing for intellectual weakness, or planning something more sinister at your house?

Either way, you wouldn't find many of the problems you mentioned, specifically homes falling apart, drug houses, etc in Richmond Heights, or most of the other mentioned areas. Richmond Heights and Webster Groves are both pretty affluent, Maplewood isn't as much, but it's still plenty safe just a bit grittier than the other two.

As to navigating St. Louis w/ your car, that's the easy part. St. Louis is very car dependent, so it's much more difficult to get around St. Louis w/o a car than it is to do so with one. As you said, many of the metro stops were planned with auto transportation in mind. I think there are a lot of places in the county that will shorten your commute to Hazelwood, and get you somewhere w/in your budget. Check craigslist for family renters, and you might save some $$ avoiding the apartment complexes. I personally love Maryland Heights, especially considering the proximity to Creve Coeur lake, and the walking/biking trails...plus the commute isn't to long to the city, or other parts of the county. And, most importantly, it's no Ghetto.