Young family moving from ATL -> STL! CWE? Tower Grove? Other? (St. Louis: apartments)

[AKinATL]

My husband and I (both 30, professionals, met in business school) and our newborn will be relocated from my hometown of Atlanta to St. Louis in January of next year. A couple of friends who are familiar with what we love about our current neighborhood (historic Midtown Atlanta / Piedmont Park / VaHi - if any of that rings a bell with anyone) and also have spent some years in St. Louis have advised us to look primarily at the Central West End and Tower Grove neighborhoods. Does that sound about right? - we'd love to get additional perspectives.

What we're looking for:
- Walkability (and runnability) > Need to feel like we can step outside with the stroller for a cup of coffee / slice of pizza / playground. We're runners, so a park or trail would be a nice bonus.
- Character, but also COMFORT > We love old architecture and all the cute details in historic homes but have definitely lived in our fair share of places that are just plain old and creaky, and we are done with that phase of our lives, for now Looking for a nice condominium building or townhomes - upgraded amenities - covered parking - so we can worry less about fixing up our home and spend more time enjoying/exploring.
- Culture and diversity > My husband is Turkish and I'm Asian American. We're foodies and love seeing shows. We know there's a ton to do/see/eat in St. Louis and it all doesn't have to be in our neighborhood - but we'd like to have some degree of variety in the types of eateries, establishments and even places of worship around us.
- Other young families > We're still new at the 'family' thing but obviously find the idea of playdates and nanny-sharing appealing.

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read this - and especially to anyone willing to offer any feedback/guidance!

[zach_33]

Yeah, you pretty much nailed it with those two neighborhoods. You won't find anything quite as densely packed with amenities as midtown, but the Central West End is probably the closest you'll find. There are plenty of creaky vintage apartments in the CWE, but also some newer construction stuff if you can afford it. Tower Grove Park also has good amenties - being able to walk to the park itself and the shops on "Grand South Grand" - I've always thought that would be cool. It's not quite as affluent as the CWE, and I get the impression that QOL crime may be slightly higher in TG, but neither is a shooting Gallery - and if you have lived in Midtown I am quite certain you can handle it.

I'd say to check out Wash Ave as well, but to be honest I think there is a severe lack of families down there, and I could be wrong about that, but my limited knowledge of folks who live down there suggests it is nearly 100% singles and couples without kids.

University City is another area you should put on your list. It's not as urban cool as the CWE or TGP, but it still has some city flair and a very diverse population, only with lots more families, parks, and green space.

Best of luck to you in your move. Atlanta is a great city but I think you will transition well to this much smaller but still very interesting historic burg.

[zach_33]

Oh, and Forest Park (which borders the CWE) is a joggers paradise. The next best thing would be the tree lined streets of Clayton and U City (in my opinion)

[glamatomic]

I agree with the above! I think the CWE, Clayton and U. City would best fit your needs. This isn't Atlanta... But I hope you love it here!

P.S How old is your bub? I've got a 9 month old and my second due in May

[Phillipsmind]

I would also suggest the Clayton/ Ucity - Hanley area / and Ladue or even Kirkwood. We lived in Ucity and built a great house in a great neighborhood, however as our kids got older the schools were not great. We moved to Ladue were the schools are AWESOME, however the neighborhood feel is not there. Nice areas, but the houses are farther apart and you get less of the kids playing in everyones back yard. However you will love it in St. Louis. I moved from Philadelphia about 15 years ago and love it for raising kids. Kirkwood would also be a nice area, I think you will like the feel here in St. Louis.

[puglord]

I just bought a home in the Shaw neighborhood. I would recommend anyone looking for what you're describing to look here.

Walkability (and runnability) - There's Tower Grove Park to the south which is huge and perfect for running. Shaw is actually a super walk/runnable neighborhood in general. Plus TGP gathers all the food trucks in the city every few Fridays during the warm months for big outdoor food parties. The Grove district to the north and Tower Grove South to the south are full of great food, coffee, and beer.
Welcome to Tower Grove Park

Character, but also COMFORT - Shaw is a registered historic neighborhood so you won't have to worry about neighbors putting vinyl siding up. There are so many houses here being rehabbed and a few new developments going up to match the historical homes. My place was built in 1895 but rehabbed last year so I've got a beautiful red brick three story home with a brand new kitchen, hardwood, bathrooms, and a sweet deck.
http://www.stlouiscitytalk.com/2009/...ghborhood.html

Culture and diversity - We've got that too! Within a short walk of my place is a neighborhood bar/grill that serves local beer and has live music every weekend, a southern style restaurant with the best chicken and dumplings I've ever eaten, and a wine bar with a great outdoor patio. At the west end of the neighborhood is the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Missouri Botanical Garden

Other young families - I'm pretty sure young families are the largest demographic on my block.