St Peters/Cottleville

[MUTGR]

Originally Posted by Leo58

I'm in St Charles County, and can tell its very conservative, at least politically. Democrats don't even bother running for some offices. There is a fair amount of new construction out this way too, and if you want that big house its going to cost a lot less here than in St Louis Cty.

I'm not too sure about the small community feel, however. Most of St Charles County is sprawling cookie cutter subdivisions. And you should be forewarned that St Louis area is notoriously hard for transplants to fit in and make friends. I hear that again and again. Get your kids into a good parochial school and get active there would be my advice.

St. Charles County is conservative almost any way you slice it. Not sure southwestern Missouri is any more conservative, unless you are talking evangelical christian, than it is more of that than traditional christian or catholic.

[Conner1994]

Originally Posted by FrankMiller

Post-modern cul de sac subdivisions can have community, but it's harder than it needs to be when your kids can't see their friends without getting a ride from Mommy, etc. Of course, if everywhere you want to live is newfangled subdivisions then it doesn't really matter what their relative merits are!

Can you elaborate on what you mean by "conservative"? I've seen that label applied to anything from "men open doors for women" to "knows how to hunt" to "no black people". I think any space in all of Missouri larger than a ten block radius could be called "conservative" on the whole, but different parts are conservative in different ways. Having said that, if St. Peters/Cottleville appeal to you then you probably are not wrong to feel that way.

Happy to define what I mean by conservative. Probably a bit too vague with original question. Conservative to mean means old fashioned traditional values. Traditional family centered neighborhoods. Strong and safe law enforcement presence. Not afraid to let my kids go next door for fear of having to explain another situation that many people want to make acceptable by calling it a teachable moment. Basically, my ideal community is Mayberry. Not saying it's right, just right for my family.

[nickmo]

Conner,

You didn't mention if you had commute restrictions or a lack thereof. The simple truth is, the further from the city you live, the more conservative it will be. As far as large, new construction homes, St. Charles county is full of them, take your pick. I have lived in said county for 32 years, and if I could give you some advice, I would go no further out than Wentzville. IMO, it's the end of the line if you want any real convenience. They do have good schools and LOTS of new construction, so if you're not worried about driving to the city for work, you could check it out. It is also a very fast growing community. I would also recommend O'Fallon, Dardene Prairie, Lake Saint Louis, St. Paul & New Town.

Lake Saint Louis has 2 distinct parts. Old and new. Lots of Houses built in the 70's-90's, and some new homes- mostly on the hwy 40 side. New Town is really something else, you'd have to see it to really believe it. They went overboard trying to plan it as a tight knit community, and it's right on the borderline of awesome and creepy, depending on how you see it.

If you have any specific questions about different neighborhoods, you can PM me. I know quite a bit about the area.

[kkirt28]

As someone who was born/raised in St Charles County and now lives near Cottleville, most of the replies are pretty accurate. St. Charles county is a wonderful community to raise a family in. Conservative, family values, friendly and most importantly, safe! Awesome parks too (with 2 brand new parks planned within the next year!!)

St. Peters is a little older so you may not find the large, new construction style homes. But Cottleville has several new developments and the further west you go, the bigger bang for your buck! What I love about Cottleville is the central location within the county and with the new 364 extension opening this fall, its going to make commuting into the city that much easier!


Any specifics about Cottleville area, just ask! Good Luck! I'd recommend a neighborhood with a community pool in order to gain a strong connection with your neighbors! Excellent public schools and St. Joes- Cottleville (class of '96!) offers a top rate education and is one of the largest parochial schools in the area (maybe. ICD may be larger now. Another great school btw)