Gannon Avenue (U City): Any Thoughts? (Clayton, Miami: how much, buying, school district)

[Fleurdelis]

Hi, All

Thanks for all the posts!

Actually, the Loop and Clayton really will be walkable for us. We like to walk at least 4 miles a day -- preferably 5 or 6. So walking 20 minutes means "just getting warmed up." :-) We like having destinations like parks, shops, & restaurants a mile or two away since it gives us an excuse to walk even more!

I know some of the U City schools are considered a bit dodgy. But that seems to be factored into the price of the houses. From what we can tell, a house identical to this one in Clayton would cost at least $100K more.

[aragx6]

From what you've said, I think you'll love it! Best of luck!!

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by RickMG

I'm sorry if you think I mentioned appreciating as your concern but I got that from this statement:
Also, the rest of my statement is because it seems to me that asking people that you don't know for something as important as a particular street is something to be very cautious of, and that's the only point I was trying to make. What I hope that you got out of my last line is that I personally love the area and would live there in a minute without hesitation. But again, that's me, not you. I hope you know that my remarks were only meant to be be helpful to you, not anything else. Sorry if you took it any other way.

You could pick almost any topic on here and say don't just take the word of strangers on a message board. I understand that you work in real estate, any the logic of your response, but I believe many people here are capable of answering this and the poster can disgard or consider the opinions and the reps of the posters and add it to other opinions etc...while gathering info.

With that said I am very familiar with that street and area and I know people who live on it. They are very happy.

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by Fleurdelis

Hi, Zach

Thanks for your post! Someone else just mentioned Dewey's to us this afternoon. We haven't been there yet, so we'll have to try their pizza.

We're really into walking, so having lots of "destinations" (such as parks, restaurants, etc) is a big plus for us.

We like this area in part because it has a lot of interesting stuff fairly close by, but much less traffic & congestion than places like CWE or DeMun.

La Pizza, La Pizza, La Pizza.....for the love of God, go here, chat up Paulie, it's the best pizza in St. Louis imo. It is close to there, not as close as Dewey's. La Pizza is at Delmar and Bonhomme. It is NYC style, with light airy crisp crust. It's great. Don't forget their other stuff, very good as well. Overlook that it is very small, sort of a shabby looking storefront without atmosphere. Just eat there. You'll thank me later.

Dewey's is also good, and somewhat resembles NYC pie in appearance but that's it. The crust is more of a chewy doughy kind. Dewey's is also known for its salads. They are very good as well, with a much larger more modern space. Dewey's is a small chain originated in Cincinnati. It is affiliated with one of the owner's of the St. Louis Cardinal baseball team, which means nothing other than trivial info for you. It's well run.

La Pizza's origins have ties to Racanelli's, via friends, not family, a local chain, also in the Onesto family. La Pizza imo is better pizza though.

[Fleurdelis]

Thanks for the recommendation about La Pizza. We'll definitely have to try it after that endorsement!

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Fishtacos

You could pick almost any topic on here and say don't just take the word of strangers on a message board. I understand that you work in real estate, any the logic of your response, but I believe many people here are capable of answering this and the poster can disgard or consider the opinions and the reps of the posters and add it to other opinions etc...while gathering info.

With that said I am very familiar with that street and area and I know people who live on it. They are very happy.

From my past experience, realtors are generally NOT a great source of reliable information on the quality of a neighborhood. On at least two cases, I have been steered to "up and coming" neighborhoods that even 20-30 years later are "still not there."

I would rather do my homework INCLUDING going to websites and gathering information from a variety of people.

[RickMG]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

From my past experience, realtors are generally NOT a great source of reliable information on the quality of a neighborhood. On at least two cases, I have been steered to "up and coming" neighborhoods that even 20-30 years later are "still not there."

I would rather do my homework INCLUDING going to websites and gathering information from a variety of people.

I have never used this board for business. I only put that Realtor designation because I used to answer and post on the Realtor section on this board. I guess my posts on this board aren't appreciated or I guess I can't be trusted. Steering, by the way, is against federal laws, not just Realtor rules and you should've reported any Realtor that did this as it's a very serious violation. That you let it happen to you just helps prove my point that on a purchase as large as this, any person, especially one with less than 50 posts (original poster at the time of the post) needs a warning. I did not say they wouldn't get good advise, but I did say they might get wrong advise, such as one saying U. City schools being worse than Maplewood or vise versa. They are both AAA rated schools. The question was answered that way ONLY because of prejudice, not statistics and you all know what I mean. Go ahead and attack someone who has only tried to be helpful on this board, including on this post.

[aragx6]

Excuse me? If you're going to accuse me of something, feel free to say it.

You might not like MAP testing, but using that as a guide it's CLEAR U City's high school -- which is exactly what I said -- favors CONSIDERABLY worse than MRH.

Only 15% of U City's 10th graders score at or above proficient in math -- as someone who took MAP tests when I was in high school, I have to tell you that is straight up frightening. They are VERY easy. If you can't score at proficient, there's no way you'll succeed in college. The 23% at or above in English for 11th graders is hardly better.

MRH is significantly better when you use those assessments -- 41% and 39% respectively.

I don't care if U City is 1% or 100% black and to even suggest I do shows how LITTLE you know me.

[RickMG]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Excuse me? If you're going to accuse me of something, feel free to say it.

MRH is significantly better when you use those assessments -- 41% and 39% respectively.

I don't care if U City is 1% or 100% black and to even suggest I do shows how LITTLE you know me.

You are completely correct. I am very sorry for suggesting that personally, because I would never ever think that you had the slightest bit of prejudice (and I mean that sincerely), even though that is how my post sounded.
Now, in my defense, I don't see where 2 % is significant, and I'm am sure in the schools in the area near Gannon score significantly higher than U. City on the whole. Not because of race or anything other than economic conditions of the areas. Like someone very correctly stated, there are parts of U. City that can compare to Welston in poverty, and some that can compare to Clayton in wealth.

Okay, before everyone continues bashing me for trying to be helpful, everyone will be happy to know I will make this my last post on this board. I will be hanging around in other sections.

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by RickMG

I have never used this board for business. I only put that Realtor designation because I used to answer and post on the Realtor section on this board. I guess my posts on this board aren't appreciated or I guess I can't be trusted. Steering, by the way, is against federal laws, not just Realtor rules and you should've reported any Realtor that did this as it's a very serious violation. That you let it happen to you just helps prove my point that on a purchase as large as this, any person, especially one with less than 50 posts (original poster at the time of the post) needs a warning. I did not say they wouldn't get good advise, but I did say they might get wrong advise, such as one saying U. City schools being worse than Maplewood or vise versa. They are both AAA rated schools. The question was answered that way ONLY because of prejudice, not statistics and you all know what I mean. Go ahead and attack someone who has only tried to be helpful on this board, including on this post.

I can vouge for you that you do not use the board for business. My comment earlier was to mean that while yes you are a realtor and while yes you have more knowledge on here than most on that topic, ...there are good and bad realtors out there, just like anything else. There are good and bad doctors, lawyers, etc..too. So, my comment earlier was to say that while yes I agree with your opinion about working with the realtor to get good advice, I also believe good advice could come from elsewhere related to the topic.

I also believe for the original poster, and I said so, that you are at your own risk taking any info or advice on here...it's up to you to do your own homework and research and even explore poster's past posts and credibility as well. I believe like most things in life gettting a variety of opinions is good for background and info and ultimately the original poster will make up their minds on their own personal choices and decisions.

Anyone that comes to an anonymous internet message board and takes the advice of one or more people in a thread without an inling of information elsewhere is doing so at their own risk. That's always a given to me, but I suppose reminders now and again are valuable.