Gannon Avenue (U City): Any Thoughts? (St. Louis, Clayton: houses, neighborhood, middle school) - Missouri (MO) - City-Data Forum

Fleurdelis · 03-09-2009, 04:37 PM

The spousal unit and I are planning to make an offer on a house in U City. It's located on Gannon Avenue, just east of of Hanley, north of Delmar, and west of Jackson Park.

We've visited the neighborhood several times and find it quite pleasant. We like that it's walkable to Clayton restaurants, the Loop, Metrolink, and even Forest Park if we want a longer walk.

Any thoughts (positive or negative) on the street or this part of U City?

We don't have children, by the way, so schools are not an issue (except for home resale value).

RickMG · 03-09-2009, 07:28 PM

This is truly a question for your realtor, if you have one (whom should be looking out for your best interest) or someone you personally know that is very familiar with the neighborhood. It should not be someone on this board as some people, that you don't know from atom, who don't know from atom where you're talking about, will give answers that could persuade you in a direction that you should or shouldn't go just as I'm going to do right now (not pointed at anyone, just can happen). I see three homes that fit your description listed in the MLS.

MLS MARIS Reports (224)

As an investment, only knowing how long you're going to live there and how you take care of the home can really be an indicator on whether it will appreciate or not (look what's happened the last two years). As for an area, you have the best of Clayton at U. City prices and as long as you don't have kids, that could be some of the best motivation you can have for picking that area. But again, ask someone you know or trust.

Fleurdelis · 03-09-2009, 07:47 PM

To RickMG: I'm not asking anyone to speculate on whether the house will appreciate in value.

As I said, I'm just asking if anyone on this message board has any thoughts about this particular street or this part of U City that they might want to share.

zach_33 · 03-09-2009, 08:05 PM

Yeah, we'd practically be neigbors, so to Rick's point I am admittedly biased. I take my kids to Mooney Park all the time-- it is a great park. I can also walk to Lewis for a change of pace, also a nice park. My wife and I jog frequently up Jackson from the high school, up to Forsyth or Wydown, down to Forest Park, sometimes around Forest Park. You've got a small commercial district there at the corner of Delmar & North to South-- Dewey's has great pizza and some decent beer and wine, Momo's is adequate greek food, the ubiquitous Starbucks. The houses on your block and all around are mostly older (1930s) and may have some deferred maintenance, but plenty of charm. You're a 10-15 drive from most everything. Very cool neighborhood.

Fleurdelis · 03-09-2009, 08:36 PM

Hi, Zach

Thanks for your post! Someone else just mentioned Dewey's to us this afternoon. We haven't been there yet, so we'll have to try their pizza.

We're really into walking, so having lots of "destinations" (such as parks, restaurants, etc) is a big plus for us.

We like this area in part because it has a lot of interesting stuff fairly close by, but much less traffic & congestion than places like CWE or DeMun.

RickMG · 03-09-2009, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fleurdelis

To RickMG: I'm not asking anyone to speculate on whether the house will appreciate in value.

As I said, I'm just asking if anyone on this message board has any thoughts about this particular street or this part of U City that they might want to share.

I'm sorry if you think I mentioned appreciating as your concern but I got that from this statement:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fleurdelis

We don't have children, by the way, so schools are not an issue (except for home resale value).

Also, the rest of my statement is because it seems to me that asking people that you don't know for something as important as a particular street is something to be very cautious of, and that's the only point I was trying to make. What I hope that you got out of my last line is that I personally love the area and would live there in a minute without hesitation. But again, that's me, not you. I hope you know that my remarks were only meant to be be helpful to you, not anything else. Sorry if you took it any other way.

zach_33 · 03-10-2009, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fleurdelis

We're really into walking, so having lots of "destinations" (such as parks, restaurants, etc) is a big plus for us.

I guess you can consider the area walkable. One thing that has always been a challenge for me is living 1.5 miles from the Loop (which is I think about how far you will be). You'll also be about that distance from the shops on Central ave in downtown Clayton. On a few occasions I have walked up to the Loop or to Clayton to meet friends for some drinks, but it is like a 20 minute walk at a brisk, power-walk pace. So is it walkable? Yes. Is it a convenient walk in the context of a night out? Not so much. Oh, and forget about using cabs. It takes Yellow Cab anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hrs to get anywhere in St. Louis if you request one without advance warning.

wustu87 · 03-10-2009, 08:21 AM

Dewey's Pizza is good but I now prefer La Pizza which is also less than a mile from Hanley/Delmar (as is the Pasta House at Old Bonhomme). Then there are all the restaurants in Clayton. Hmmm, if I lived there, I do not know if I would lose weight from walking more, or gain it from eating more!! Is Benito's still there on Central? Yow, talk about the calories...

aragx6 · 03-10-2009, 08:32 AM

I adore that area and suspect you'll be very happy. So cute and tree-lined and I love the houses -- lots of character.

I wouldn't call it the most walkable area, but for a suburb it's not too bad. I think most people, from what I've seen, are pretty car dependent, but from living in Chicago I've grown accustomed to mile plus walks so they don't seem weird to me the way they seem to to some St. Louisans.

U City schools are not good, bordering on terrible, and it does, at least in some respects, hurt resale values in the area. Places like Richmond Heights and Maplewood tend to be more destination neighborhood for urbanites leaving the city in hopes of better schools. Most people who have children or plan to in U City recognize that private schools are nearly a necessity -- some of the elementary schools are decent, bordering on fine, but the high school is not somewhere I would send my kids.

zach_33 · 03-10-2009, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aragx6

I adore that area and suspect you'll be very happy. So cute and tree-lined and I love the houses -- lots of character.

I wouldn't call it the most walkable area, but for a suburb it's not too bad. I think most people, from what I've seen, are pretty car dependent, but from living in Chicago I've grown accustomed to mile plus walks so they don't seem weird to me the way they seem to to some St. Louisans.

U City schools are not good, bordering on terrible, and it does, at least in some respects, hurt resale values in the area. Places like Richmond Heights and Maplewood tend to be more destination neighborhood for urbanites leaving the city in hopes of better schools. Most people who have children or plan to in U City recognize that private schools are nearly a necessity -- some of the elementary schools are decent, bordering on fine, but the high school is not somewhere I would send my kids.

Indeed. Jackson Park and Flynn elementary schools are fine, good even from what I have heard. That block of Gannon is served by Jackson Park ES, which is only a stones throw away. But Brittany Woods Middle School and U City HS have a lousy reputation. Parts of U City are indistinguishable from Clayton, other parts of U City are indistinguishable from Wellston. Doesn't get much more different than that.