Affton, MO- family friendly? great schools? (Kirkwood, Webster Groves: rentals, homes, neighborhoods)

[zbryndi]

We are a family of 6, 4 kids under 6 so i need a good school system. Was wondering if Affton was a good area for families or no? Were really considering Kirkwood but cant seem to find a place for us there to rent short term

[flynavyj]

Yep, Affton should be pretty family friendly. It's an aging community, I believe it has the "oldest" population in the metro (Least that's what a friend who lives down there told me). Schools should be good too, and housing should be affordable. You might have a difficult time finding a home large enough for four kids, but if you do find one in your budget, I wouldn't scoff at it, or the location

[wustu87]

The Affton school district is a smaller one that graduates about 200 students each year. I would consider it a safe, solid district but not one that typically attracts many top students. Since your kids are younger I would think it would be fine for elementary school. I will have to admit I do not know anybody who sent their children there, but it has a reasonable reputation. I know in other posts you were looking in U. City and Kirkwood schools before, but finding a 3 BR rental in any of the close-in districts at your $1000/mo budget will be difficult. You could also expand your search into the Maplewood Richmond Heights district which is another solid district with a lot of rentals, but I am not sure about 3BR units there either. There may even be some in the Webster Groves district which is somewhat larger and also has quite a few rentals. Even though the Webster district tends to be a bit pricier overall, it may still have some older 3 or even 4 bedroom homes available for rent in your budget since it covers a lot of area. I just searched Craigslist for both "Maplewood" and "Webster" with 3BR and a $1000 limit and there were a few of them listed.

[BoomBoxing]

I grew up in the Affton area (mostly). It is an older suburb with a decent number of nice old homes, but the area is definitely showing its age. There is a sizeable population of elderly, but a good number of families still remain too. The area has a very significant percentage of Bosnian residents, who are great neighbors and add some (much needed) flavor to the community. Affton does not have much charm, but it is a very solid choice for middle class families and I can definitely recommend it.

[Old Trafford]

Affton has some nice south city style brick housing

[zach_33]

It's pretty darn white, that's for sure, which is sort of the hallmark for south county in general. The schools are so-so. Many families with a little extra money go the Catholic route, as it is a heavily Catholic community (also common in South County). A little more blue collar than most South County neighborhoods, but not dangerous by anyone's definition. Not that it means anything, but John Goodman was born and raised there - a graduate of Affton High School. Adjacent Lindbergh schools are much more of a destination for people who are concerned about public school quality.

[stlouisan]

Originally Posted by Old Trafford

Affton has some nice south city style brick housing

That shouldn't really come as a surprise, considering it's south city's neighbor.

[jskirwin]

I grew up in Affton too and while I think it's a great area to live, can you swing West County for Parkway, the Fenton for Rockwood school district, or somewhere in the Lindbergh school district?

[aragx6]

I would have few, if any, concerns about Affton schools. The community is safe, if not, as others have pointed out, rather quiet and older.