U-City? or CWE? Moving to STL as a UMSL Grad Student (St. Louis: salons, affordable apartment)

[Poetic2Picture]

I will be relocating to St. Louis from Indianapolis to attend school (a doctoral program at UMSL) and I am looking to move into an apartment by July. I am looking to pay between $650-$725 for rent and would like an apartment that offers parking. I am debating between U-City and the CWE and would like some input on specific apartments to look into. Also feedback on the CWE vs U-City would be helpful; I am most interested in the CWE but U-City puts me closer to UMSL. Also, if anyone has other suggestions for areas to consider I am open to those as well. Will it be possible to find and affordable apartment in the CWE given my budget? Also what is the commute like from the CWE to UMSL? Thanks in advance for your input.

[Dawn10am]

I'm assuming that when you say U-City you're talking about the Loop, right? I'm not very familiar with U-City outside of that area.

The CWE and the Loop are both great. I think the CWE offers more of your everyday needs (markets, dry cleaners, salons, etc.), whereas the Loop is mostly restaurants and bars. You can probably find a studio or one-bedroom in your price range in either of them, but that price point is definitely on the low end for the CWE. I think pretty much all buildings offer parking, but you do have to pay extra for it at most places. U-City is slightly closer to UMSL, but it's a difference of about 5 minutes so it's pretty negligible.

In terms of safety I'd say they're roughly equal; that is, they're generally safe but be aware that you are in an inner-city location so don't let your guard down too much. That being said, I feel slightly safer in the CWE than in the Loop. They're by no means dangerous, but, as with any urban neighborhood, s*** happens occasionally.

Other neighborhoods to check out would be Clayton and Downtown.

[billiken]

I'd probably go with U-City due to price constraints. You won't find a whole ton of options in CWE--but you could also check out Debaliviere Place, which is cheaper yet right by CWE & the light rail, and it's full of grad students.

[Poetic2Picture]

Thanks for the feedback, I will look into the places you have mentioned. Any input on Creve-coeur?

[inahandbasket]

Originally Posted by Poetic2Picture

Thanks for the feedback, I will look into the places you have mentioned. Any input on Creve-coeur?

It's suburbia, not like U City and CWE, which are more urban, have a younger demographic and more progressive.

[zach_33]

U City is a lot more family oriented than CWE. The Loop district of U City has a high concentration of student age people, but it is a mix of families and local non-students. Once you get outside of the loop area, U City is pretty typical of an inner-ring suburb (i.e, mostly families, young couples and mature singles). Not as many people choose to move their families to the CWE because it is urban core versus inner-ring suburb-- fewer pocket parks, more hustle and bustle, plus while U City schools are not the best, they are way more acceptable than St. Louis city schools. The CWE tends to be more of a childless professional crowd, 25+, although there are some med students buzzing around there who are younger than that. The CWE is flooded with health care professionals due to the presence of Barnes Hospital, Children's Hospital, and the Siteman Cancer Center megaplex.

For commute U City would be mighty easy - straight shot up Hanley or 170. 15 minutes max. From CWE, I might guess it would take 20-30 minutes depending on your location and traffic.

[Manchester33]

Stick with either CWE or the Loop (U-City). Both give you an easy option for hopping on the Metro and taking it straight to UMSL. You would have to drive if living in CC.