Moving from Iowa, need help (St. Louis, Maryland Heights: for rent, living in, costs)

[ajf131]

Anywhere in the suburbs are 100% safe. Just avoid North City or East St. Louis (on the Illinois side) and you should not have a crime problem at all.

[aragx6]

^^ That's stupid. Nowhere is 100% safe; there are plenty of suburbs that have more than their fair share of crime.

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by aragx6

^^ That's stupid. Nowhere is 100% safe; there are plenty of suburbs that have more than their fair share of crime.

Just what exactly is your deal? You are out to get me. You would think some people had common sense...to rephrase, the suburbs are very safe in St. Louis. And if you are trying to paint St. Louis as dangerous outside of the two areas I pointed out, get real. I know these suburbs as well as anybody, and crime is not very common in them. The statistics would show the St. Louis metropolitan area to be quite safe. In fact, if I remember correctly as far as the most dangerous metro areas go, St. Louis didn't even come close to making the list.

[aragx6]

Crime is localized, and when you take a huge area and average it out, that means little to nothing about each individual place.

To give advice that every suburb is safe leads one to believe that you in fact do not know those areas very well, and you do those here who are looking for advice a real disservice if you lie to them.

Most suburbs in St. Louis are safe; but plenty of them are no place to raise a child, period.

[oscottscotto]

Would Jennings be considered a suburb?

[aragx6]

It sure is... and it's not a safe place to raise a family. Just ask my best friend. She grew up there.

I've been there and I wasn't afraid. She lives on a quiet street. But her car has been almost jacked twice this summer, her high school lost its accreditation and her neighbor sells crack. Not exactly family friendly is it?

[oscottscotto]

Yeh, I think if we are defining suburb by denotation as "community outside the city" ... then "any suburb" is not totally safe here. However, I think the reply a few posts back was overtly-assuming a connotation of the word suburb as in ... well ... I don't want to sound racist or classist by giving the usual connotation of the word.

[birthsister]

I would look at Affton, parts of Lemay, Carondalet, South Hampton, Shrewsbury, Tower Grove South, maybe parts of the Shaw Neighborhood or Botanical Heights, etc., if I were you.

You might want to consider coming down here for a weekend and hooking up with someone familiar w/ the city who wouldn't mind driving you around and showing you where some of these places are and what the good/bad points are.

I grew up in Des Peres (West County), but have chosen to live in South CIty (Dutchtown, specifically) as an adult and to raise my family. If you are interested in coming down for a weekend, let me know. I'd be happy to show you around.

[nvrgvup]

birthsister, I was actually in stl area this past weekend. i am glad i made a trip down there..

guys, i was looking at a town home at afton for around $900. the address is 7529 fiesta stl mo 63123. let me know if that's a good neighborhood..

also with the 64/40 consturction, i think i am better off living somewhere closer to hwy 44 or 70 access.. i really liked the webster grove area, i wish i could find some apartments there. i will be renting for only a year, then buying a condo or a house somewhere. since 64/40 construction will impact the driving distance and minutes to ameren headquarters, i am thinking maybe south, south west or noth west county, what do you guys think? oh and my budget is $900 for a 2 bdrm place with a washer dryer hookup (i know i dont ask for much ;p)

[aragx6]

yeah that's a nice area. Easy access to all the highways, very safe. That should put your commute at 35 minutes or so I should think at rush hour.

Very suburban, if that's what you're looking for, you should like it well enough.