Considering moving from Houston to St. Louis, need neighborhood advice (St. Joseph: house, established neighborhood)

[STL74]

Originally Posted by Angus215

I could be wrong, but I believe you will find St Louis is more expensive than Houston. I was surprised moving here from the Northest at how expensive it was throughout St Louis County. If you find that you can't get the house/lot you want in your price range in CWE/Clayton (which I agree would make the most sense), you will find that you generally get more for your money as you move further west, and they are all good areas the whole way through western St Louis County. So areas like Ladue (which is still super expensive) or even T&C and Creve Coeur (which are still pretty expensive) could potentially be options depending on what you are looking for. There are plenty of $1M+ homes as far west as Chesterfield.

I think it depends on where in Houston he's coming from, just like STL, some desirable areas there are more expensive. It's probably not going to be cheaper, but you'll have a basement, so that adds something to a house. I don't think they have basements in Texas.

I agree with everyone else...look at the CWE, Clayton, Ladue, UCity. To be close to the cultural ammenities, I'd stay close to 64/40 and inside of 270 (or inside of Lindbergh even)...since that's what you seem to want. Clayton and Ladue have great public schools, but you also have a lot of great choices for private. You would not do public most likely ever in the CWE or UCity, but you'd have the option in Clayton or Ladue. Kirkwood could also be an option or Webster Groves. Different feel than the others. And yes, if you wanted to go out farther, Town and Country, parts of Chesterfield, Creve Coeur.

[STL1980]

First I'd suggest the same: Clayton, Ladue, Central West End
You also might consider Pasadena Hills if you're sending your kids to private schools anyway:
4300 Roland Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63121 | MLS #16027590 | Zillow

[gypsyjudy]

Hi Buckaroo.
I live in SL and also used to live in Houston (Westheimer and Eldridge area - years ago, though). You have a great area in Houston! Personally, I would advise you to stay where you are. I have lived in several cities and SL is my least favorite for so many reasons. Actually, this is my 3rd time here (husband's job), and I dislike it more than ever. It could be a great town, but it just keeps going backwards.

I agree with locations most posters recommend, if you decide to come. CWE is a great area (we go to the Cathedral Basilica there), but it is not very safe. Beautiful old homes and buildings, but I would look Ladue, Clayton or a little further west.

I think Houston offers so much more than St. Louis does, so I think it would be a hard adjustment. I love the arts and theatre, but this is primarily a sports town (good luck not getting shot if you do go to a game downtown). I found people in Houston to be so welcoming and friendly. I don't find that here, as do most transplants. Private schools are the rule (I homeschool), but they are primarily Catholic, though in name only. It is very small town to be so large, but not in a good way- very exclusionary and provencial.

I'm sure I will get all kinds of grief for my opinion, but thankfully we still have freedom of speech- for now.

Regardless of what you choose, best of luck!

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by gypsyjudy

Hi Buckaroo.
I live in SL and also used to live in Houston (Westheimer and Eldridge area - years ago, though). You have a great area in Houston! Personally, I would advise you to stay where you are. I have lived in several cities and SL is my least favorite for so many reasons. Actually, this is my 3rd time here (husband's job), and I dislike it more than ever. It could be a great town, but it just keeps going backwards.

I agree with locations most posters recommend, if you decide to come. CWE is a great area (we go to the Cathedral Basilica there), but it is not very safe. Beautiful old homes and buildings, but I would look Ladue, Clayton or a little further west.

I think Houston offers so much more than St. Louis does, so I think it would be a hard adjustment. I love the arts and theatre, but this is primarily a sports town (good luck not getting shot if you do go to a game downtown). I found people in Houston to be so welcoming and friendly. I don't find that here, as do most transplants. Private schools are the rule (I homeschool), but they are primarily Catholic, though in name only. It is very small town to be so large, but not in a good way- very exclusionary and provencial.

Out of 3 million people who go to see the cardinals every year. The 100k who work downtown and the nearly 20k people who live downtown, how many of us are shot?

I love Houston btw, but I don't find them anymore friendly than St. Louis, Chicago or any place else.

I live Downtown and love it. I don't have a problem socializing and finding friendly people to hang out with. But there again, I live in an area where you think everyone is getting shot. My treasure is your nightmare.

I recommend keeping an open mind when moving to any city. At the same time I don't recommend living in a city where you don't want to be.

[gypsyjudy]

Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis

Out of 3 million people who go to see the cardinals every year. The 100k who work downtown and the nearly 20k people who live downtown, how many of us are shot?

I love Houston btw, but I don't find them anymore friendly than St. Louis, Chicago or any place else.

I live Downtown and love it. I don't have a problem socializing and finding friendly people to hang out with. But there again, I live in an area where you think everyone is getting shot. My treasure is your nightmare.

I recommend keeping an open mind when moving to any city. At the same time I don't recommend living in a city where you don't want to be.

Like I said, it is only my opinion. Sometimes, due to circumstances, we have to live in places we don't want to. "Grow where God plants you" - easier said than done in some places. That's just a fact.

I'm glad you like living downtown. Watching the constant violence and problems there does not make me want to risk my life as a parent or put any of my children's life in jeopardy. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Every night it's the same old crap is on the news with the devaluing of life and property. EVERY life matters. I'm glad the majority of the metro area is NOT shot. That doesn't change the crime statistics, however.

I live in the county, in a nice area, so "they" say. The first few months I was here we found out my daughter's coach was a homeless man that lived at the track. I had to call the police on him because he was doing some questionable things. A few weeks later, while biking my 16 year old son was harassed up and down some streets (nice area) by some African American teenagers in a truck. They followed him around, trying to run him off the street. Soon thereafter, we had a shooting 3 houses down and have recently had 6 teenagers next door arrested for heroin. Oh, and I live in a $400,000 house, so that is not a bad part of town. Those are just a few of my experiences.

I lived in about 8 different cities, one being Houston, and I never experienced that, even in Detroit. Of all of the cities I have lived in most people have been very friendly and I have not had any issues with making friends, etc. Being from here, of course you won't have that problem. But, as you can see over and over on this site, newcomers DO have that problem. When I lived in Madison, WI many people moved here when Famous Footwear merged with Brown shoes. From what I heard from friends, very few liked it, and many moved on -either back to Madison or to other cities. These were very educated and well to do folks who sent their kids to Catholic schools, by the way. Again, that is my experience, and I am just trying to share that with the poster. You don't have to like it, but that is my humble opinion.

Again, good luck to the poster.

[BlueLivesMatter]

OP - speaking former transplant (I moved back home to Calgary as soon as I could):
Be very, VERY careful and take a long, hard look at St. Louis.
The town is not precisely an economic or intellectual powerhouse.
I lived there for three years for a contract and all I saw was laziness, complancy, ignorance and violence from angry low-income gutter rats because they feel they are entitled to break it he law and get away with it.
On top of that you can expect lousy service and food in any restaurant (welcome to Fat Indifferent America), a palpable criminal presence and a declining economy.
Good luck.

[RisingAurvandil]

Originally Posted by gypsyjudy

Soon thereafter, we had a shooting 3 houses down and have recently had 6 teenagers next door arrested for heroin. Oh, and I live in a $400,000 house, so that is not a bad part of town.

Then you got fooled. No intelligent person drops 400k to live around thugs.

I've lived here for a long time. It's incredibly easy to find a house in a safe area for 100k. You're clearly doing it wrong.

[Jjmars]

Originally Posted by RisingAurvandil

Then you got fooled. No intelligent person drops 400k to live around thugs.

I've lived here for a long time. It's incredibly easy to find a house in a safe area for 100k. You're clearly doing it wrong.

100k for a safe area in St. Louis? Where's that at?

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by BlueLivesMatter

OP - speaking former transplant (I moved back home to Calgary as soon as I could):
Be very, VERY careful and take a long, hard look at St. Louis.
The town is not precisely an economic or intellectual powerhouse.
I lived there for three years for a contract and all I saw was laziness, complancy, ignorance and violence from angry low-income gutter rats because they feel they are entitled to break it he law and get away with it.
On top of that you can expect lousy service and food in any restaurant (welcome to Fat Indifferent America), a palpable criminal presence and a declining economy.
Good luck.

O. I am so glad I don't live in the same St Louis that you did.

[Angus215]

I will say, having lived in major cities across the country, and having moved here recently, I don't find it much different than places I have lived on the east coast or the west coast. Like every city in the country, there are good areas and bad areas. Suburbs are pretty similar anywhere you go. People here are similar to people anywhere I have ever lived, at least the people I interact with.

There is some truth to the lack of inclusiveness, though I have only found that to be true with the multi-generational wealth crowd. we started our child in an expensive private school but are changing to public partially for that reason (the suburban public schools are generally very good). For that reason, I might stear someone moving here away from a place like Ladue.

You are always going to find people who like where they live and people who don't like where they live, for various reasons. But I can assure you that STL isn't a whole lot different than any other large metro area I've lived for better or for worse. And don't mind the sheltered suburbanites who are afraid to go downtown - they exist in every city. I have been in just about every part of the city you would ever want to go, and have never felt in any more danger than I ever felt in New York, LA, or Philly, cities that I lived in for years.