Possible job in Arnold (St. Louis, Florissant: apartments, renting, townhome)

[Chrissyliz]

Hello all. I've read many threads before posting. My husbands name has been referred for a job in Arnold. We do not know yet if he will get the job but I like to plan ahead. I looked at the demographics in Arnold and it is only 1 percent black. We are a mixed race family so I'd rather live somewhere a little more diverse. We will be renting. Is there anything in the St. Louis area that would be a relatively easy commute to Arnold?

If possible I would like a 3 bdrm apt/townhome. We can afford up to $800/month rent. Is that enough to get a decent place in a safe area? My son is high school age. Like everyone else I want a decent school/area to live. I do not expect utopia but want to feel safe where I live. We would settle for a two bedroom but prefer a 3. Right now we own our home.

If you need more info let me know.

[billiken]

I would look in Kirkwood or Webster Groves. More diverse, decent commute to Arnold, could find a 2 bdrm (maybe 3bdrm apt if your lucky) apartment in your price range, high school is very good. More diverse communities exist, but they are further from Arnold, or the high schools are weaker.

[flynavyj]

The commute times to Arnold won't be to bad from most of the St. Louis area. I'm not sure who your husband is going to be working for, but I know some companies in Arnold have facilities in other parts of St. Louis as well, if that's the case i'd make sure he's going to be working in Arnold before feeling like you're committing to that area.

Kirkwood and Webster Groves are both great inner ring suburbs of St. Louis County. I'm not sure how easily you'd find a 3 BR townhome in either community, but sometimes you get lucky. Both communities are far enough south to make the commute relatively painless and both areas are significantly more diverse than Arnold...Keep in mind however, that both areas can seem pretty segregated. There seem to be locations in both Kirkwood and Webster Groves where African Americans live on one side of the road, and Anglo-Americans will live on the other.

[aragx6]

South County and particularly Jefferson County are definitely not known for their diversity and that shows little signs of changing. I definitely second others suggestions to look at Kirkwood and Webster Groves. Maplewood and Richmond Heights would also be worth looking into. If your husband would be up for a rather longer commute and you don't find what you're looking for in the areas mentioned above, your best bet is to head north -- areas like University City (which would stretch your budget but should still be possible), and more modestly priced (but farther away) Florissant and Ferguson -- all of which are quite diverse.

[Chrissyliz]

Thanks everyone. It's a job with National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. The job description says it's located in Arnold. Federal Government. He just got a notification that it will take approx 30-60 days to hear anything about his status. He has been referred to the selecting officials. We will have to sell our house here so I just want to be prepared. I'm sure he will have to visit the area for his interview anyway. Then he could look at some apartments and get a feel for the area. When you know absolutely nothing about a city it's hard to know where to start. Other posts I've read on here have been very helpful to know where to avoid. I don't mind a two bedroom as long as it's decent square footage. Or has a basement for storage.

[moorlander]

National Geospatial Intelligence Agency main campus is on South Broadway between the ABI Brewery and the river. I did not know they also had space in Arnold. The Broadway location is a secure military facility.
more info here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationa...ligence_Agency

[billiken]

When you mentioned Arnold, I had a gut feeling it was NGA (I honestly don't know what else is out there, haha...). My good friend from college works there, and has worked in both their Arnold and close-to-downtown locations, and lives in south city, which is a good choice for commuting for either location. Unfortunately, navigating the city school system is a mess, which is why suburbs off Hwy 44 nearish 270 come to mind--good commutes to either downtown or Arnold.

[flynavyj]

that was my first guess too Billiken. Based on what I know of government jobs, it takes ages to actually get hired and start anyway so you guys should have plenty of time. Good luck.

[Chrissyliz]

He already works for the Feds which may or may not make a difference. He has worked for the Government for 35 yrs. Thanks for all the info.

[aragx6]

Keep us updated Chrissy, and let us know if you have any follow-up questions!