New College Grad Moving to St. Louis - Relocation Advice, Please! (Creve Coeur: apartments, lofts) - Missouri (MO) - City-Data Forum

UWBadger91 · 04-23-2014, 02:29 PM

I am moving to St. Louis towards the end of May/Early June upon graduation and will be working in the Clayton/Creve Coeur area. I am looking at housing around the Wash Ave area Downtown but I am wondering if this makes sense commute-wise. If you could share insight on how it is commuting out of the Downtown area down 64 to these areas. Is it a 30-40 minute commute?

billiken · 04-23-2014, 02:55 PM

Creve Coeur and Clayton are 2 fairly different areas. Less than 30 minutes to Clayton. I used to commute from midtown to Clayton when the highway was completely closed in 30 minutes, so it should be less now that 40 is open. If you were in downtown Clayton, you could also take the train to work. Creve Coeur commute might depend on whether you have to get on 270 at any point, which has heavier traffic.

UWBadger91 · 04-25-2014, 10:20 PM

Sorry for the confusion - I will be working in Downtown Clayton. I am currently looking at apartments Downtown along Wash Ave. Also looking over near 'The Loop'. Which area would be more preferable for a 23 year old Male, recent college grad, likes to go out on the town on weekends, wants to meet new young professionals/grad students, with an income around 65k. All input is greatly appreciated, thank you!

UWBadger91 · 04-25-2014, 10:25 PM

Also - how is CWE in comparison to Downtown STL?

Hector2 · 04-26-2014, 07:33 PM

The CWE is a great place to live. Mature trees. Stately private streets. Across the street from Forest Park and with a bunch of restaurants and bars of all varieties within walking distance. There will be a bunch of young professionals in the area along with medical students and law students and other grad school types. Crime is mostly of the nuisance variety, like broken car windows, but there is the occasional robbery or assault.

Wash Ave has become a nightlife hub but the nightlife is mostly of the club or bar and grill variety. Not too much that is interesting. The housing stock will be almost all lofts. It is not as aesthetically pleasing as the CWE although there is something to be said for a rooftop deck with a view of the skyline. Crime seems more prevalent on Wash Ave. It has been attracting cruising groups of people up to no good. I think Wash Ave is generally douchey.

The Loop will probably have more undergrads around although you will certainly see some professionals. Delmar, the main street in the neighborhood, is a great street but has also had problems with crime. It wouldn't stop me from living there but it's worth a mention. If you live on the county side of the Loop you would also avoid the 1% Stl city earnings tax. The commute to downtown Clayton would be 5 minutes.

Overall I would take the CWE if I were in your shoes.

Brickmama · 04-27-2014, 10:06 PM

Washington Ave is a great place to live. I have lived there since 2006 and it's a great place for a recent grad. The one issue you may run into is affordability. I would start with Fashion Sq, Paul Brown, Warehouse 13, and the Bee Hat. There are some other more affordable buildings downtown but I am not sure what your price range is. The nightlife has a wide array of options for you. Dive bars, Lounges, Irish Pubs, Sports bars, etc. it's one of the few complete neighborhoods in STL. Let me know if you have more questions.

UWBadger91 · 04-29-2014, 02:04 PM

Thanks for the input everyone. The more I look into my options I feel as though Wash Ave. will suit me best. My desired price range will be in the 950-1100 (which accounts for monthly rent, utilities, and parking). I'd rather not eclipse 1100 but I figure I need to like where I live. I am hoping to find a property with a really nice gym, and they all seem to have great rooftop hang-out areas. I am a huge hockey fan and will plan on attending many Blues games, will likely frequent bars/clubs on weekends, and would like to live near some green space/trails to go running as well. Is there a more safe end of Wash Ave I should be shooting for or is it all relatively the same? Also - I assume there are but are there running trails along the river and over by the arch? Thanks again

Brickmama · 04-29-2014, 09:29 PM

Wash Ave is pretty safe but more populated east of 18th. Now that I know your range you could also check out the Bogen, Paul Brown, and Ely Walker Lofts.

Hector2 · 05-02-2014, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UWBadger91

Thanks for the input everyone. The more I look into my options I feel as though Wash Ave. will suit me best. My desired price range will be in the 950-1100 (which accounts for monthly rent, utilities, and parking). I'd rather not eclipse 1100 but I figure I need to like where I live. I am hoping to find a property with a really nice gym, and they all seem to have great rooftop hang-out areas. I am a huge hockey fan and will plan on attending many Blues games, will likely frequent bars/clubs on weekends, and would like to live near some green space/trails to go running as well. Is there a more safe end of Wash Ave I should be shooting for or is it all relatively the same? Also - I assume there are but are there running trails along the river and over by the arch? Thanks again

If you want to live in an urban environment yet near green space and trails then I, again, point you to the Central West End. You would think the riverfront would have miles of trails and recreational space downtown. It doesn't. There is maybe a couple-mile walking/jogging loop at the Arch grounds but that's about it. The riverfront might be slightly better for biking. There are extensive plans to renovate the Arch grounds but the funding is not all there yet. So I'm not sure what we'll wind up with.

On the other hand, CWE is adjacent to Forest Park with many miles of dedicated jogging and biking trails, plus softball fields, soccer fields, ice rink, archery...you could go on and on. If you are in town on a nice day, drive down Skinker and Lindell around Forest Park where you can see some of the paths (and, ahem, people on the paths) and then drive by the Arch grounds. I know where I'd rather jog.

Dawn10am · 05-02-2014, 10:45 AM

The question you need to ask yourself is whether you would rather have access to jogging trails or access to hip bars and clubs. The CWE has better outdoor opportunities, but downtown has better bars and clubs, plus the residential options downtown are superior to the CWE. Not that residential opportunities are bad in the CWE, it's just that the buildings downtown are newer and have more bells and whistles. CWE buildings are generally more vintage. I've lived in both and while I love my downtown loft and all of its modern conveniences, I do miss Forest Park and the tree-lined streets of the CWE. It's a tough call.