Moving from Berkeley CA to St Louis with toddler (St. Louis: appointed, co-op)

[mfoley9]

My husband and I (28yrs old) with our little girl (2 years old) are thinking about moving to St. Louis; however, I have reservations because I know nothing about the place. We both originally come from Minneapolis and love that city.

My husband will be studying at Washington University. So, we might be looking for neighborhoods close to there. We would love to live in a family housing cooperative if they exist. I already know about the weather there being from the Midwest.

We're coming from Berkeley and I'm used to walks to the farmers markets, and co-op coffee shops, organic food co-ops, urban farming etc.. I'm used to Hiking and camping and beautiful parks, bluegrass music. I'd like my daughter to go to a Waldorf or Montessori school. I'm not fond of Whole food yuppies, or urban hipster posers.

I'm an artist and am also interested in the art scene there. So, I don't know. Do you think I'll be able to find a niche there?

It's such a difficult decision when you have a child involved.

Any relevant advice great appreciated...Thanks you all!

[STLCardsBlues1989]

There's a Farmer's market in Soulard that's been operating for over 200 years.
Soulard Farmers Market, Information, Pictures and History

But according to Google Maps Soulard is about 9 miles from Washington University. I don't know much about schools or the art scene. There are a lot of parks in the area. If you don't mind a day trip, there are plenty of parks within a couple hours of St. Louis where you can hike and camp, including Lake of the Ozarks. St. Louis probably won't be quite as cold as Minneapolis.

I saw a national news report of a family in North St. Louis with their own little farm plot, so if you have some an empty lot you can probably plant a garden. Some neighborhoods have their own gardens. I'm not sure which, though.

Hope that was helpful. I'm sure others here can help you with the schools and stuff.

[CoffeeAndBeer]

I think you might enjoy Soulard being near to Soulard Market (open year round).



http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2131/...4a1b71387c.jpg

It doesn't have a light rail stop walkable however that goes to Washington University. Skinker Debaliviere is adjacent to Washington University w/in city limits, and is a nice dense neighborhood with access to two light rail stops, one goes to Clayton which has a farmers market in the summer. Its adjacent to Delmar which is an active commercial strip with bars, restauraunts, an indie theatre. Also, farmers markets pop up everywhere around the City and County in the summer.

I enjoy the deep eastern ozarks (thats the key, the western side of the ozarks are more sterotypical).


The summers are uncomfortable compared with minnesota, however, necessitating many trips to spring fed rivers... Swimming in ozark rivers into October is usually possible every year, though . Our indian summers (compared with minnesota) are warm (mid 90s in October a few years ago), sometimes disturbingly so.


Heres a light pollution map...

[STLCardsBlues1989]

Pollution? It seems to match up well with the population of Missouri.

[CoffeeAndBeer]

light pollution...missouri has some of the only forested wilderness areas left in the midwest where theres little to no light pollution not very far from your neck of the woods STLCardsBlues1989.

mfoley9-

KDHX is local listener supported radio station and is a great place to start to get a bearing on the local bluegrass and authentic "hillbilly" (meant in a good way) music scene. think "pert near sandstone" from minneapolis. it isn't only a bluegrass station, however.

KDHX is also a great portal to the general st. louis arts scene and a good way to meet like minded individuals.

http://kdhx.org/

programming-
http://www.kdhx.org/index.php?option...dio&Itemid=268

also look into University City, right next door to St. Louis which is very walkable in its eastern part, and has most of the vital section of the commercial street Delmar. Urban University City, Skinker Debalivere, and the Central West End are all walkable to movie theaters which to me is a good barometer of vital density (the one on Delmar is indie, and the one in the CWE is more mainstream).

If you want something more laid back but still walkable in varying degrees, South City (which Soulard is the Near South Side) and Maplewood (street car suburb with a downtown with restaurants, schlafly bottleworks (schlafly is a brewery with a couple locations and which is closely associated with arts/music and kdhx), and an upstairs bowling alley) is another good option, but you will probably want to drive (although there is a metro station in western maplewood that would drop you off at the 2 underground stations @ wash u) because of the bus headways and you will be further from Washington U.

I hope I've been helpful and not too rambling.

[OA 5599]

Is that an air pollution map I take it? It doesn't seem to show any of the polluted areas in either the old or new lead belts in SE Missouri. There would also be more pollution in northern Missouri due to pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer used on all the crops up there.

I'm also a fan of the eastern Ozarks, I really like Shannon, Carter, and Oregon counties, although Douglas and Ozark are very nice too.

[CoffeeAndBeer]

Originally Posted by OA 5599

Is that an air pollution map I take it? It doesn't seem to show any of the polluted areas in either the old or new lead belts in SE Missouri. There would also be more pollution in northern Missouri due to pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer used on all the crops up there.

I'm also a fan of the eastern Ozarks, I really like Shannon, Carter, and Oregon counties, although Douglas and Ozark are very nice too.

like i said, light pollution...stargazing on an autumn night in the st. francis mountains or on the banks of the current river after the summer throngs.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

It's funny, with the topography of this land, that when you get south and east of Poplar Bluff it's all flat and north and west of Poplar Bluff it's Ozarks.

[aragx6]

St. Louis will be a big change from Berkeley no doubt, and it'd be pointless to tell you it wouldn't be because you'd only be terribly disappointed when you settled in here. HOWEVER, St. Louis will have a lot more in common with big Midwestern cities like Chicago. It's got the beautiful old architecture, the rust belt history, a major transportation hub, and that dark feel that comes from being older and having cold winters --very Gotham-esque LOL.

Wash U (say it together real fast and that's about how St. Louisans say it -- Washyoo) is in an inner ring suburb just west of the city limits of St. Louis University City (U City) and it has a main entertainment strip, the loop, that I suspect you would like quite a bit. Restaurants, bars and coffee shops, all of the indie variety.

Whatever anyone may say of St. Louis, you'd never get away with calling us fake, so i think you'll really like that. The people who you will surround yourself with, the artists and the intellectuals and the progressively minded, they don't do it to be cool in St. Louis, they do it because it's who they are.

And unlike Chicago, as others mentioned, the scenery just outside of St. Louis is tremendously beautiful. Beautiful rolling hills and lots of tree cover.

And even in the city itself, you have Forest Park, which is truly one of the best urban parks in the country. It's larger than Central Park. In it you'll find one of the best zoos in the country (And it's free!), the largest and oldest outdoor ampitheater in the country, which during the summer shows broadway-type musicals, the Jewel Box, a gorgeous art-deco style greenhouse, along with many other treasures.

My suggestion is to come for a visit as soon as you can. Come with an open mind and explore some of St. Louis' vibrant old neighborhoods including the Central West End (which would be a short ride on the metro from U City) and the fabulous variety of ethnic restaurants on the south Grand strip or the old river city feel of Soulard (which is also where the fabulous farmer's market other posters were discussing is)

Come with an open mind, ready to explore, and I think you'll really like it!