Moving to STL (St. Louis, Sikeston, Washington: apartments, rental, lofts)

[ACWilliams]

I am thinking about relocating to STL. I am shocked by the low rents I see on Craigslist. My question is, are the prices so low because the neighborhoods are bad? I am currently living in downtown Baltimore, and I am looking for something comparable to what I have now. I am close to shops, restaurants and night clubs, and I live in an building that dates back to 1891. I am looking for a lot of charm and character, not a cushy "suburban-urban" thing. I am single and have no children. Any suggestions for a great neighborhood?

[aragx6]

Central West End or a loft on Washington Ave. downtown would probably be a good fit for you. Baltimore is definitely more expensive than St. Louis (as are pretty much all East coast cities) You can get a really nice 1 bedroom in either of those areas for well less than $1000.

A couple examples:
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/apa/512283846.html (broken link)
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/apa/512097967.html (broken link)
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/apa/507242988.html (broken link)
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/apa/506152960.html (broken link)

[ACWilliams]

ABSOLUTELY Beautiful... I love the last one. Thanks for the info!

[STLCardsBlues1989]

There are a lot of charming and old buildings in STL if that's what you're looking for.

Old St. Louis Hospital is now the Georgian Condominiums. A few older buildings in downtown are being remodeled into condos/lofts/apartments as well. Historic restored buildings have tax breaks that are given to their restorers, so sometimes the rent is less. It just depends. You should be able to find something to fit your needs.

St. Louis is generally cheaper than larger cities, but Missouri in general is that way. I have a family member that lives in Sikeston in a 1-bed/1 bath apartment for $300/month. So cheap doesn't necessarily mean it's in a bad neighborhood. If you find a place you would like, and have some time before you have to move in, you could ask around about the neighborhood on here or other St. Louis-info type sites, most people could/would help you.

The Continental Building is apparently being transformed into apartments now. The Chase Hotel has been converted into apartments and some restaurants.
The South Side National Bank is being converted into condominiums.
The Neighborhood Gardens apartments are being restored, but apparently there's not a lot of retail or anything in the neighborhood other than the Edward Jones Dome. The main appeal for them would be that they are cheaper than those mentioned above. T
he Paul Brown building is now the Paul Brown Lofts. There's also retail space in the main floor. The Building itself has parking, a pool, and a gym (according to their site).
The Merchandise Mart is now condominiums as well.

If you like historic restored buildings those should be good ones, but could be a bit pricey. Soulard has some nice skinny 2-story houses, but there's apparently a development company trying to tear them all, even the occupied ones, down, so I'm not sure how long you could live there.

Anyway, I'm sure you could find something in a safe neighborhood for your price range with the things you're looking for. Good luck!

[aragx6]

I heart the Paul Brown Lofts. What a gorgeous building!

[TGS]

Originally Posted by STLCardsBlues1989

There are a lot of charming and old buildings in STL if that's what you're looking for.

Old St. Louis Hospital is now the Georgian Condominiums. A few older buildings in downtown are being remodeled into condos/lofts/apartments as well. Historic restored buildings have tax breaks that are given to their restorers, so sometimes the rent is less. It just depends. You should be able to find something to fit your needs.

St. Louis is generally cheaper than larger cities, but Missouri in general is that way. I have a family member that lives in Sikeston in a 1-bed/1 bath apartment for $300/month. So cheap doesn't necessarily mean it's in a bad neighborhood. If you find a place you would like, and have some time before you have to move in, you could ask around about the neighborhood on here or other St. Louis-info type sites, most people could/would help you.

The Continental Building is apparently being transformed into apartments now. The Chase Hotel has been converted into apartments and some restaurants.
The South Side National Bank is being converted into condominiums.
The Neighborhood Gardens apartments are being restored, but apparently there's not a lot of retail or anything in the neighborhood other than the Edward Jones Dome. The main appeal for them would be that they are cheaper than those mentioned above. T
he Paul Brown building is now the Paul Brown Lofts. There's also retail space in the main floor. The Building itself has parking, a pool, and a gym (according to their site).
The Merchandise Mart is now condominiums as well.

If you like historic restored buildings those should be good ones, but could be a bit pricey. Soulard has some nice skinny 2-story houses, but there's apparently a development company trying to tear them all, even the occupied ones, down, so I'm not sure how long you could live there.

Anyway, I'm sure you could find something in a safe neighborhood for your price range with the things you're looking for. Good luck!

No one is trying to tear Soulard down!!!! The area under redevelopment is a small area called Bohemian Hill that is located in between Soulard and Lafayette Square. It is located directly across the street from the City Hospital Condos (The Georgian). The boundaries are Lafayette, Tucker, Interstates I-44/I-55 and the on ramp. There are only three or four blocks of buildings. There isn't any rental property there that you would want to live in anyway. There are only a few occupied houses (which are nice) but the slumlords have let the rental property really go to pot in that area.

Feel free to rent in Soulard... it isn't going anywhere! It is one of the most expensive areas in the city for single-family homes. Apartments are reasonable, though. Good luck!