Living by UMSL (University City, Washington, Craig: apartments, safe area, school)

[libco]

I am starting grad school at UMSL in the fall, and need a place to live. My understanding is that the area around UMSL is not a safe place. So, since the MetroLink system is pretty great, where is a safe area close to a Metro?

I'm looking for places that are fairly modern/updated, allow a small dog, have washer/dryer in unit, and a balcony... I also need it to be a fairly quiet building, and have secure parking. Would like within walking distance to a MetroLink and Forest Park or a dog park. Here's the catch: I'm looking for a 1 bedroom that is somewhere between $600-800 (or even $900). Doesn't matter if it's a 1 bedroom or 2, as long as the price is right!

Any suggestions of areas or places would be EXTREMELY helpful!

[billiken]

Living near the Central West End or Debaliviere MetoLink stops are good options, these areas are very popular for grad students. The one thing you might not get with your price range is in-unit laundry, although it's fairly common to have free laundry in the basement or something.

[BoomBoxing]

You can find exactly what you're looking for anywhere in the Central West End in the upper end of your price range. The balcony and in unit laundry will be a little tougher to find, but they are doable. Go to the apartments section of Craigslist and search "Central West End" or "CWE" and take a look at what you can find. There are a TON of options in the CWE since it's a pretty large neighborhood.

Here's the neighborhood website if you wanted to find out more: The Central West End Association

[moorlander]

Is the area around UMSL really that unsafe?

[BoomBoxing]

No it's not really as bad as people make it out to be. But I can see why a college student would prefer to live elsewhere...it's not really a "happening" part of town.

[stlcitygirl]

University City is also a great choice. The area around UMSL is not bad, actually some of the neighborhoods are quite nice. However, Boomboxing is right, its not really "happening". If I were a college student at UMSL, I would live close to the loop (University City) and take the metrolink.

[wustu87]

There are actually apartments directly on the UMSL campus that are run by the university. They would extremely convenient and within your price range, and those are definitely in a safe area.

http://www.umsl.edu/~mansionhills/index.html

It would be great to live there if you studied and worked at the university non-stop, but as mentioned before it may not be the most exciting place to live. I know a ton of our Wash U graduate students, postdocs, faculty and staff live in the CWE, DeBalivere and Loop areas with many of the apartments there being owned by Washington University itself. I am not sure if they would let UMSL graduate students live there too, but you can contact them and find out:

Welcome to Quadrangle Housing (http://www.offcampushousing.wustl.edu/index.asp - broken link)

[Azalea City Man]

For your price range, you could easily get a 1-bedroom in CWE. Get it as close as possible to the Metrolink station by the Barns-Jewish Hospital (which means an apartment as close as possible to the intersection of Forest Park Ave. & Euclid). If you "need" secure parking, there is a place at the ne corner of West Pine and Kingshighway intersection. Forgot the name of it but I used to live right by there ... is it the Del Coronado?

[zach_33]

Based on your description, I like all of these recommendations so far. I would take a close look at the apartments along Pershing and Waterman between Belt and Debaliviere (the neighborhood referred to loosely as Skinker/Debaliviere-- it's kind of CWE too, I think). That area is close enough to U City and the CWE that you could walk it if you had to, with great access to Forest Park and the Metrolink, and a little nicer/quieter I would imagine than the U City area north of Delmar between Skinker and Kingsland. The high rises along Kingshighway between Lindell and the hospital would give you better access to CWE nightlife, but possibly a longer trek to the Metrolink station. I would only live up near UMSL if you are the kind of grad student who goes out to eat or drink once a month or less.

[libco]

Thanks guys! Very helpful. Been looking around the DeBaliviere/Forest Park MetroLink, but being unfamiliar with the city (and not in the area to drive around) makes it hard. I will continue looking in the areas you all have suggested! Thanks!