Best suburb for that "community" feel (St. Louis, St. Charles: cul-de-sac, houses)

[Momto3cuties]

There is a possibility that we may relocate to the St Louis area and I am looking for info in order to decide if this is a good fit for my family.

We have 3 kids - 7, 4, and 2, so a good school system is important. Our oldest is dyslexic, so good/knowledgable special services are a MUST!

We are an outdoor family - hiking, boating, sports, etc. and have dogs who need some room to run/exercise

My husband would be working at Lambert, but also traveling often. I would LOVE a community and neighborhood where my kids can go outside, play with neighborhood kids, moms "hang out" and talk, and I can have a "support system" when my husband is away.

Restaurants, grocery stores, etc. not to far away. Would love some places to be walkable.

Fun family things to do - festivals, summer concerts, etc.

Housing - Need 4 bedroom can afford up to 600K - some acreage, but not so much that you don't know neighbors.

I have done some research and Kirkwood looks like it might fit the bill. Loved the aquatic center and ice rink - kids would have a blast, nothing like that in our small Northeast town.

So to sum it up - most important factors - good schools, community feel with "support system" (ex. can you watch the little one while I run older one to baseball practice?), good family values, active/outdoor lifestyle, dog friendly.

Thanks!

[MUTGR]

Originally Posted by Momto3cuties

There is a possibility that we may relocate to the St Louis area and I am looking for info in order to decide if this is a good fit for my family.

We have 3 kids - 7, 4, and 2, so a good school system is important. Our oldest is dyslexic, so good/knowledgable special services are a MUST!

We are an outdoor family - hiking, boating, sports, etc. and have dogs who need some room to run/exercise

My husband would be working at Lambert, but also traveling often. I would LOVE a community and neighborhood where my kids can go outside, play with neighborhood kids, moms "hang out" and talk, and I can have a "support system" when my husband is away.

Restaurants, grocery stores, etc. not to far away. Would love some places to be walkable.

Fun family things to do - festivals, summer concerts, etc.

Housing - Need 4 bedroom can afford up to 600K - some acreage, but not so much that you don't know neighbors.

I have done some research and Kirkwood looks like it might fit the bill. Loved the aquatic center and ice rink - kids would have a blast, nothing like that in our small Northeast town.

So to sum it up - most important factors - good schools, community feel with "support system" (ex. can you watch the little one while I run older one to baseball practice?), good family values, active/outdoor lifestyle, dog friendly.

Thanks!

I think Kirkwood has a community feel and it is quite walkable. My kids are walking to the aquatic center every day for swim team. It has its share of festivals and community activites. The public school district is well thought of and should have the services you are seeking, although you should independently verify that for yourself. Your budget should certainly work, although some of the bigger, older homes certain exceed $600k. The lots don't tend to be big except for a few of the bigger, older, more expensive homes. If you want acreage and newer homes, you should look at places like Chesterfield and Wildwood or St. Charles County.

[aragx6]

Webster Groves and Kirkwood are definitely two of my two favorite suburbs in St. Louis -- walkability, community vibe, great schools, loads of kids, good sized lots -- sounds right up your alley.

You would also do well to look at Clayton -- though you'll stretch your budget. It's also walkable, welcoming, closer to the city (and has access to a metro stop) and would give your hubby an easier commute to the airport (I-270 -- north in the morning/south in the afternoon can be a bit of a PITA)

Sounds like your research has led you on the right track. Let us know if you have additional questions!

St. Louis is such a great place to be a kid! I mean seriously, it's AWESOME! Some of my favorite kids activities include:

The St. Louis Zoo -- admission is free! And awesome!
The Magic House -- in Kirkwood. Lots of cool interactive exhibits and loads of fun
The Science Center -- Also free! Also awesome, and they are building a large expansion right now.
The City Museum -- Sure not like any museum you've ever been too. There's hundreds of thousands of square feet of crazy caves, tree trunks and stuff to climb through. Your kids will love this. Hell, I love it.
Grant's Farm: Free! (though it does cost to park). This is where the Ckydedales who aren't quite up for being the Anheuser Busch Clydesdales get to live out their life in rest and relaxation. Plus travel around in a tram and see all kinds of cool exotic animals. And, believe it or not -- free beer!

There's so much more, I can't even tell you all in one post.

[DinsdalePirahna]

Except for the good restaurants and shopping thing, I would suggest Lake Saint Louis, especially if you are into boating and fishing. 600K will get you Lake Front Property

[moorlander]

You don't list your price range or bed bath requirements but Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Brentwood, Clayton would all be fantastic places to start. If you're wanting more bang for your buck or newer construction try St. Peters, St. Charles, Eureka or Bellville and Edwardsville in the Metro East.

[AJohnston_STL]

I live in Kirkwood for now (not much longer as we need something bigger and can't afford much house in KWood). Kirkwood is amazing. There is a large park, but aside from that there is a park I frequent that is attached to the police station (on their grounds, I believe) in downtown Kirkwood. On a nice evening Kirkwood has a ton of foot activity. Last night 3 different roving packs of teenagers came to the park I was at for 2 hours. That may sound bad, but in Kirkwood, it's not. I have never had a problem with the teens in Kirkwood. They are always respectful, talk to my 4 year old, etc. The park sits right by a railroad where when trains come around the parents rush their young ones over to watch go by (Amtrak as well as regular trains). There is a custard stand on the other side of the tracks and there are benches sitting right up to the rails. In Kirkwood there is an ordinance that the trains can't blow their horns so it's just the rumble of the train, not loud, incessant horn blowing. On a nice day we drive to downtown KWood (we don't live close enough to walk it). There is several restaurants, bars, a custard stand, a snow cone stand, a new Red Mango yogurt shop, a Coldstone Creamery. Restaurants go anywhere from upscale-ish (not so upscale, but sit-down-be-served style pizza (Dewey's) to a (I believe) New York style pizza place (Racanelli's) and bar & grills like Mike Duffy's, Ice & Fuel. There is also a Bar Louie (restaurant but more bar atmosphere in the evening), among several others. Downtown Kirkwood is very walkable and safe. On nice nights and weekends it is absolutely packed.

I am also really impressed wit hthe downtown Kirkwood fire department across from the custard stand. On nice nights they sit outside and welcome people to come in to let their kids see the trucks, hand out sticker badges and hats.

I've lived in a small town that was in the middle of nowhere and it was nothing like the community, warm-fuzzy feeling you get in Kirkwood. Kirkwood is basically a picture-esque small town in an urban metro. Shoot, when I moved in I even had neighbors bring us over a plate of cookies.

While Kirkwood is majority white, I frequently see black kids and white kids walking around together and hanging out, which is impressive in a city known for its segregation and separation of blacks and whites.

It is more expensive to live in Kirkwood than a lot of places around here, but if you can afford it, well worth it. I recently had a realtor even tell me that home values in Kirkwood had not dropped significantly like many places in the metro area have.

I've lived in Fairview Heights and 2 different houses in the city (in the same neighborhood), and now Kirkwood, and I would take Kirkwood over any of them any day.

[AJohnston_STL]

Oh, and $600k will get you a very nice home in Kirkwood, but I'm definitely not promising anything on the acreage. To get acreage you are looking at quite a bit further out of St Louis than Kirkwood (well outside the 270 loop). Kirkwood is suburbia, but in my opinion, much more "urban" than a lot of suburbs around here (ie, Chesterfield, Creve Coeur, St Charles) - in other words, very few cul-de-sacs. Kirkwood I believe was established in 1853 and still has a lot of old homes, unlike the previously named cities that are full of cookie cutter cul-de-sacs.

[Momto3cuties]

MUTGR and aragx6 - Thank you...feels good to know that I am on the right track! So far I have loved everything I am seeing...being a former K and first grade teacher, the school systems in the areas I am looking at seem excellent.

Currently we are in a small town, very competitive with sports (even at the young age of 6), and very spread out...we have neighbors, but you certainly can't see their house and you're lucky to see them a few times a year other than driving on the street! So, we are looking for something with a bit more "community feel", sports for fun, family values type of environment if we do decide to move.

I see that I can probably get more house/acreage for my money in Chesterfield or Wildwood, but would I lose that neighborhood/neighbors/community of friends aspect? That aspect is more important to me than a bigger house, as like I mentioned my husband will be traveling at times and all our family is in the Northeast. Some adult conversation after a day with 3 small kids is essential to my sanity

How are the schools in Chesterfield/Wildwood? Comparably to Kirkwood/Webster Groves?

As for commute to Lambert - with traffic, how long would you think it would be? Are their any other routes to take other than I-270? He would be on the corporate side of the airport if that makes a difference?

[Momto3cuties]

AJohnson_STL - Thanks so much for your post...Kirkwood sounds like exactly what we are looking for. Love that the teens are so respectful, too. That says alot about a town!

[MUTGR]

Chesterfield and Wildwood would be served by Parkway and some by Rockwood School Districts. They are very good. No worries there.