Where to live?? (St. Louis, Kirkwood, Webster Groves: apartments, rentals, townhouses)

[Tnim]

We are relocating to the STL area. My husband will be working downtown by the arch. We are most likely sending our kids to ST. Ambrose on the Hill. We want to rent for about a year, then buy. We want to live somewhere affordable, safe, with diversity, culture, etc. We do have a family so this is a factor. Any help would be appreciated!

[TGS]

Generally anything on the I-44 corridor should be fine. I would start by looking on the Hill, but renting a decent house in that area is hard. Heck, buying a decent house in that area is hard, since they tend to pass down the good homes to family members. In the city itself, the Hampton areas, Lindenwood Park, and St. Louis Hills have nice brick rental apartments and townhouses. If you are looking for a more suburban area, Kirkwood and Webster Groves are very nice. Shrewsbury, Crestwood, and Sunset Hills are also nice, but don't have many rentals. Once you get out past I-270, into Fenton and Valley Park, there isn't much culture, but the housing is newer and cheaper. The closer you get to the Hill and Forest Park, the more culture you will find.

If I were only renting a year, though, I would go the opposite direction and try to find a place in Soulard. It isn't the most kid-friendly place during Mardi Gras, but being able to live in the old French section of town and being close to all the city amenities would be great in the short term, if you can afford it. Soulard is one of the areas of the city with the most culture and diversity. The Central West End and Tower Grove South are also good areas for rentals with a lot of cultural attractions nearby.

[aragx6]

Good advice from TGS. It really just depends on how urban or suburban you want. Both can be had in that area.

[st. louie louie]

I would look at an area bounded by highway 44 to the north and the city limits (River Des Peres) to the south. Kingshighway to the east and the city limits (again River Des Peres) to the west. Within that area are a few other good Catholic schools.