Moving to Saint Louis. Considering Soulard, Maryland Heights, or CWE (St. Louis: transplants, apartment complex)

[jwilson2309]

Hey everyone. I could use some help. I am relocating to St. Louis for a job. I am needing some help deciding where to look for places. I have done some research and am thinking these places could be cool. I really like soulard, it has a lot going on and some cool architecture and little shops, but it almost looks run down. I know it is a very old part of town but is it safe? It looks like it could be a little iffy. The CWE is cool but pretty expensive and I do not want a 300 ft studio if I could avoid it. I have been to the plaza in maryland heights and really enjoyed it but are the residential areas nice too. I am in my early 20s and looking for a place where I can have fun on the weekends and be able to just chill during the week. Any suggestions would be great. Thank you so much.

[glamatomic]

Heya!

When I was single and first moved to St. Louis when I was 22 I used to live in Maryland Heights and LOVED it. I was in a wonderful, safe apartment complex with a lot of amenities, not far from groceries and Westport Plaza (Trainwreck Saloon, Starbucks, Panera Bread, etc). Plus, my commute to work downtown was very manageable, usually taking me just 25-30 minutes depending on what time of day I left.

I loved living out in Maryland Heights because it was a good mental and physical separation from the city (and work). It was quiet but still had all of the amenities I needed, and if I did want to go to the Loop or Downtown or anywhere else, it wasn't too far.

However, with that said I had friends who lived in Soulard and swore by it. I had a LOT of fun escapades in Soulard and it's a great place to go for drinks and merrymaking.

However, Soulard and Maryland Heights are totally different lifestyles. Soulard is obviously an urban / city environment (which some people love) and has the benefits of the Market, fantastic old architecture, walk-able urban streets etc. Maryland Heights is definitely suburban and although there are a lot of young professionals living there, it's a lot quieter.

The types of accommodation will be different as well- in Maryland Heights you're likely to get a more modern apartment (or something built in the 70s/ 80s) with a more generic layout. In Soulard, spaces are often a bit more unique- sometimes smaller sometimes larger. In Soulard, I had friends in rehabbed apartments with all the mod-cons, and friends in not-so-rehabbed buildings which lacked Air Conditioning, fitted modern kitchens etc. So what you get depends on your price bracket and what you're looking for. There are some incredible rehabs in Soulard though, with that said.

All in all, it depends on what kind of person you are. Are you a city person or a suburban person?

I wouldn't trade my time in Maryland Heights for the world. I was super happy there. As often as I think I should have tried city living, I was content with the peace, quiet, safety and security that the suburbs provided (while still being close to all of the fun and entertainment of the city). With that said though, I never felt unsafe in Soulard, but I ordinarily don't feel 'unsafe' anywhere. My car was broken into a few times at night in Downtown STL but that's quite a ways from Soulard. I never had the same issue in Soulard and to my knowledge, my friends who lived there didn't either.

I've Repped you with the name of the apartment complex I used to live in, in Maryland Heights It still gets good reviews, is still reasonably priced and still looks good

Hope that helps!

Good Luck to you!

xxx

[billiken]

Soulard is probably even safer than the Central West End. Love the area, the farmer's market, and all the bars and the laid back vibe. My best friend's boyfriend lived there for 8 years. Be aware that things get a bit crazy down there for Mardi Gras. Central West End is more upscale in vibe than Soulard, is more expensive, but has other noticeable amenities that Soulard lacks (Forest Park close by, MetroLink station, several grocery stores including Schnucks and Straub's). Maryland Heights would be very different from both Soulard and CWE, but probably cheaper. You should have few safety concerns about Maryland Heights.

[flynavyj]

The areas you mentioned couldn't be more different. The CWE would be the most expensive, somewhat cosmopolitan, good amenities as has been stated, and a decent location with regards to other St. Louis Attractions. Soulard is older than the CWE, and I've had lots of friends who've lived down there. One had a 1 Br apartment that he was paying about $500/month, and then a few friends had a gorgeous 3 Br + Loft in the old Smile Building. None of my friends have had safety issues in the area, but ALL of them dealt with property crime, specifically on their cars. Two friends had break-ins that resulted in nothing lost (nothing of value was kept in the cars) and one friend had the joy of waking up to sliced tires (all of them).

Maryland Heights is the most suburban, and is a fine area. If you're interested in all of the above, I'd throw more on your list too, Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Tower Grove South, and the areas East of Clayton and South of U City. I'd advise looking on Craigslist to get a better idea of what's available in each locale, use google-earth to map the address you find. And ask questions as needed!

[Brickmama]

I would choose Soulard or the CWE. There is a lot more going on and they have great vibes. Historic architecture and the dense environment minimizes car usage. Plus it's closer to other desirable neighborhoods in south city and downtown.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by Brickmama

I would choose Soulard or the CWE. There is a lot more going on and they have great vibes. Historic architecture and the dense environment minimizes car usage. Plus it's closer to other desirable neighborhoods in south city and downtown.

I second this heartily. I think that if you're at all urbanly minded Maryland Heights will bore you, and it's likely going to be harder to meet new people because most transplants your age are likely to end up in the city.

Soulard is very safe, certainly as safe as or safer than the Central West End. All "destination neighborhoods" will have petty crime associated with them, but violent crime is very rare.

[moorlander]

You're in your early 20's. Live it up in the city. You can live in Maryland Heights when you're married and settled down. If you chose CWE or Soulard you won't really need to drive anywhere on the weekends - Saving you cab fare and DWI fees. Plus you'll meet tons of people your age if you chose CWE or Soulard.

[Dawn10am]

Definitely CWE, Soulard, or Downtown. I'm in my 20s as well and couldn't imagine living out in Maryland Heights.

[dan222]

I'm a single person who has lived in the St. Louis area all of my life and am looking at moving from South St. Louis County. It's really dead out here and there are bars, but most of my neighbors are families with and without kids, or retirees. Live music is not common here. I'm personally looking at Soulard, Lafayette Square, or the CWE. My bias is towards Soulard as there is plenty of nightlife, restaurants there are more reasonable than the other places, and there will be plenty of single women in their 20's and 30's living there. I also like going to Soulard Market to get fruits and vegetables. The issue is there are no large chain grocery stores very close to Soulard or Lafayette Square to get other foodstuffs. Lafayette Square and the CWE are more expensive rents for equivalent condition and amount of space in general than Soulard, but I believe the best overall deal is Soulard when you look at everything. If you work near the CWE, then your value proposition may be different than mine. The CWE does not seem to be as safe as it once was and I would judge it neutral to declining. Soulard and Lafayette Square to me are neutral in safety, meaning no change from year to year.

As an example of the CWE, in 2011 "thieves in the Central West End drove a pickup truck though the doors of a clothing store along Maryland Plaza." There are many other examples of robberies, thefts, and vandalism, so do not think it's rare in the CWE anymore. I personally have been solicited for money from a homeless person in the CWE and at Soulard Market in Soulard, but never in Lafayette Square. I'm in these areas about once a month and this is my own experience.

Another thing I want to mention is that if you look at craigslist as I'm doing, when the apartment says it's in one of these locations, make sure it is in that location and not a few blocks away. For example, I'm seeing some listings that say Soulard when they are in the area west of Soulard called McKinley Heights. Some CWE listings say CWE when they are in the Downtown West area. There is a drastic difference in safety between neighborhoods!

In general the further north and east you go in the CWE, the less safe it is. Soulard is like it's own island and is similar safety throughout. Lafayette Square is less safe in the northern sections. This is my opinion, of course.

I used to have a loft a few years ago in Downtown St. Louis on Washington Avenue, but sold it as although that area was moving up when I bought it, it seems to have gone back into decline lately. Too much crime like vandalism and theft in that area and then you have homeless people begging, so I recommend ruling out that area as well if you're considering it.

[moorlander]

^ Any man in his 20's would feel perfectly safe living most places downtown, CWE, LS and Soulard. Sure there is crime and some panhandlers but that doesn't make it a bad place to live.