Moving to Springfield MO?? (Joplin, Grandview: affordable apartments, rentals, new home)

[KB2653]

My husband recently got transferred to Springfield, MO. I am very, very nervous about the move. Where in Springfield would you suggest living? We are going to rent until we sell our current home. Are there any new/upscale/luxury apartment or town-home communities? What communities in Springfield or nearby Springfield would you recommend?
How is the shopping/dining? Help!!!

Thanks!

[Arrby]

I take it you are not familiar with the area, in which case I understand your stress. You have already made one decision which will help you - rent until you sell. Good idea.

We need some context for your questions. It would be helpful to know where you have or are living so we know what you will be comparing us to. "Luxury" means different things in different settings. I am going to suggest a particular apartment complex - The Abbey (TLC Properties - Apartments Springfield Missouri, Affordable Apartments Springfield MO.). Although parts of it must be more than 15 years old, a major new addition was just completed this summer. It looks complete, anyway. It is right in the heart of the major shopping district and, perhaps most important, used to take short term rentals - six months anyway, maybe less. If they still do, you could get located in a very convenient spot from which to evaluate the area and make decisions.

The tenor of your questions makes me think you are going to want to be on the south side of Springfield. There are two bedroom communities which join Springfield to the south - Ozark and Nixa. To the east about 10 miles is Rogersville. All these areas have newer multi-family developments, but how upscale I could not say. All of these areas have enthusiastic proponents.

There is a rather lengthy thread on this forum on restaurants. A complete study would have to include Springfield, Ozark, Nixa, Branson, and points in between. Really fine dining experiences are limited - maybe six or eight locations, none of which aspire to emulate top rated spots in, say, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, etc. There must be dozens of places to go have a nice meal, though - maybe scores.

Shopping is definitely Missouri Provincial. But there is lots of it. There are not many major chain stores without representation either here or in Branson.

If you could formulate your concerns into more specific questions I am sure there are people on this forum who will be glad to help.

[SW Missouri Dave]

Might check 417 Magazine - Springfield, Branson, Joplin and Southwest Missouri's Guide to Restaurants, Shopping and Events also.

The site contains very limited info but if you have some time before your move, they might send you a complimentary copy, if you explain your situation. Never hurts to ask, and we Missourian's are a fairly friendly bunch.

[KonaKat]

Where are you moving from? Springfield is a very nice small city and has all kinds of residential areas. the SW has some very nice new homes (Campbell & James River Parkway/Scenic area). I lived there for about 25 years. They have nice cultural amenities like The Little Theatre (which is GREAT), a couple of ballet troupes, a city symphony. I still have family there. Hope you enjoy living in Springfield. I suggest, as I do to people moving here to Hawaii, if possible plan a trip of several days to look around, or arrange for temporary accommodations (2 or 3 weeks) to allow plenty of time to see several rentals before you decide.

[aflmom]

I didn't know if this thread was still active, but my ds will be moving to Springfield soon. We're trying to help him find his first apartment. He lived there for awhile when he went to school but was in a dorm. He prefers south Springfield. Several places are with the Wooten company and we've been looking at some of thee ones below.

Village Club
Town & Campus
Oak Terrace
Harvard
Grandview Village
Forest Ccove
Semminole
Park Place
We're looking for a 1 bed/1 bath, ~650 sq ft or more. We want safe area, CLEAN, preferably new paint/flooring, non-smoking, and with a W/D hookup. Utilities paid would be nice but not a necessity. Most pay partial utilities. We're looking in the $400 range maybe a little higher depending on utilities.

[HomesickforMO]

We are also looking to move to Springfield in the next few years. My husband is disabled and needs to use the paratransit service at times. I understand that not all parts of Springfield are connected to the public transit service. We have looked at several apartments online, but can anyone tell me what is or isn't the right part of town to look. This service is very important for him. Thanks!

[7gkids]

It says on this website that they serve the entire city limits of Springfield!

http://www.cityutilities.net/transit/ae-eligibility.pdf[/SIZE]

I hope this helps!

[Camerado]

I'm also moving to Springfield with my mother who's disabled, so we've looked closely at this issue, too. The Springfield Transit page says that "reservations may be made within a defined service area of Springfield, including an area within three-quarters of a mile from any regular City Utilities bus route". So simply find an apartment that's "within three-quarters of a mile from any regular City Utilities bus route" and you should be fine.

You can see the full bus route here on this PDF. As you see, pretty much every part of Springfield is covered! You may also find this Google map of Springfield useful.

Please feel free to keep posting about this! I know how demanding it can be caring for someone who's disabled yet wants to use public transportation. Springfield's paratransit system seems impressive.