St. Louis, MO

[lenin333]

IF you are interested in more or have a certain kind of place you want to find, email me @ rwpointer gmail.com

Saint Louis has had a mini renaissance of late. It is it's own sort of town, but having been born there I fall more in love with it the longer I stay away. Some good internet sites for STL. I love my town, even though it is not so exotic.

http://urbanreviewstl.com -- local urban life blog

http://builtsaintlouis.net -- a hobby of Saint Louisians - photograph our urban landscape.

http://riverfronttimes.com -- This is the local free newspaper for young and trendy types; runs Savage Love.

Places that must be visited and will be frequented.

City Museum; A collection of stuff made interesting by the incredible owner

Venice Cafe: THIS IS A MUST SEE.

Central West End: Other side of the park from Washington University in St. Louis. Best place for cafe life.

The Loop: A normal american strip; close to WashU on delmar

South Grand: The ethnic Vietnamese and Bosnian quarter; closer to Saint Louis U.

Moolah Shrine Movie Theater: Converted Shrine into movie house with couches

The Grind: On lindell past the New Cathedral: three story study house with great coffee and free internet.

Coffee Cartel: Maryland and Euclid -- 24/7/365 coffee house; shitty coffee but free internet and plenty of space save in summer time.

Contemporary Art Museum & Pulitzer Foundation: Two art houses in Midtown. Midtown: Great place for opera, musicals and symphonies - Near SLU.

Saint Louis Chess Club: New in May. Millionare donor to start in CWE. 80 dollar membership for a year. One reason for me to go back!

The Hill: Italian district known for toasted ravioli or T Ravs.

Ted Drewes: Frozen Custard Stands on Grand and Cherokee: Route 66 attraction.

Botanical Gardens: Incredible that this place is in the middle of an urban city.

General Grant's farm: Small Anheuser Busch Farm: free beer at the end of the tour.

AB Brewery: Largest Brewery in the world.

Forest Park: Central Park but bigger.

Soulard: Old German District, known for many bars

http://www.citymuseum.org/home.asp

http://stlouis.missouri.org/cwe/

http://www.thevenicecafe.com/

http://www.ucityloop.com/

http://thegrindstl.com/

http://www.cwecartel.com/

http://www.contemporarystl.org/

http://www.saintlouischessclub.org

http://mobot.org

http://teddrewes.com

http://grantsfarm.com

http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/parks/forestpark/

http://stlouis.missouri.org/thehill/

Remember the majority of the crime is on the Illinois side.

[jr77msu]

To the poster considering coming to WashU (Washington University in St. Louis), I thought I would post a response on this board to give you a little info about St. Louis. I'm originally from an hour south of Chicago and lived in the Philadelphia area two years ago. I came to St. Louis for work and have to say that I've been impressed. For one, St. Louis is a community of neighborhoods! That means each neighborhood has its own strengths and weaknesses There are a lot of neat things to do in the St. Louis area and the cost of living is very reasonable. I have been accepted to Washington University's PhD program and will likely be attending there. I had a chance to visit the area and was very impressed with the university, the faculty, and the area. I talked with current graduate students from different parts of the country and they had only good things to say.

[convex]

I am reviving the St. Louis thread.

How is public transportation near WUSTL? Can I rely on the metrolink? What is the probability that someone puts a knife in me in the trolley on a given day?

[I_heart_fieldwork]

I'd also like to revive this thread. WUSTL has a perfect program (I am still waiting to hear back from them) but I'm worried about liking St. Louis itself. I lived in Cleveland Ohio a few years ago and absolutely hated it. I've heard that the two cities have a lot in common, and this has been less than reassuring. So... other than the amazingly low cost of living (compared to the west coast- my home now) is it a nice community? I like things liberal, green, and active. Right now I'm thrilled about the news of a free zoo, but worried about moving back to a crime filled neighborhood. Any thoughts??

 

WOW. convex check out this webpage of rentals- http://www.frontdoorstl.com

I'm converted! St. Louis is awesome!

[convex]

I am from Missouri, though not the St. Louis area. People get concerned about crime in St. Louis because of all of the published list that consistently rank St. Louis in the top 3 in terms of crime per capita, but one should keep in mind that this is largely an artifact of the way the FBI measures crime rates, and when you account for suburbs (where most people in St. Louis live), St. Louis drops to about 120. There's was a good letter in Nature almost a year ago about this. Don't get me wrong, crime in St. Louis is a problem, but the rankings that put them on par with Detroit and Compton are misguided, in my opinion. Also keep in mind that the lion's share of violent crime in St. Louis is concentrated in East St. Louis.

St. Louis isn't extremely liberal. It just isn't. However, it is moderately liberal. I am guessing the area next to WUSTL ("the loop") and other parts of town such as Soulard, will be what you're looking for though.

Does anyone know the answer to my question about the Metrolink? I am very interested in this.

[I_heart_fieldwork]

Thanks convex!

[philgradap979]

I've been waitlisted at WashU, and as I look to have a very good chance to be offered a spot, I wanted to try to gather a bit more info about St. Louis. So, two quick questions:

I will be a grad student with wife and elementary-aged son looking for a quiet and affordable place to live near (i.e., preferably withing walking distance) WUSTL. Any suggestions for neighborhoods that might be preferable to someone like me? What neighborhoods should I probably stay away from?

Any advice on elementary schools in the area, either public or low-cost private?

[convex]

I think Clayton is probably perfect. Clayton and Ladue have a reputation for being the better public school districts in the area, and Ladue is large and a pretty expensive place to live. Clayton is directly adjacent to campus, and you may be able to find a place in walking distance.

[convex]

Also, on the subject of neighborhoods to stay away from, I'd say anything very far east of, say, the Central West End. Generally speaking, the crime rate rises as you move east.

I am not a St. Louis native, but I am a Missouri native with a lot of friends and family in St. Louis.

[Inspekt]

I've lived in St. Louis for 8 years and I love this city.

WashU is the perfect area with the Loop, Forest park, Metro Link, and Target/grocery store/mall all within a 10 minute drive. Forest park is absolutely awesome and everything is free, except for golf. It is much larger than central park in new york and has a 10k biking and jogging track that surrounds the whole park. Best thing, it is directly across the street from WashU.

Where to live. Have fun living in clayton if you like to pay a lot of money for a lot less space and not a whole lot to do. It MIGHT be worth it if you have a kid to send them to clayton schools, but I'd even doubt that. Clayton is a business govt district of St. Louis county, which effectively closes by about 6pm, unless you want to go to a really overpriced bar and/or Tapas restaurant. Most people send their kids to private schools, which are religous and single sex (unbelieveable that there are still all boys and all girls schools...to me at least.) Live in a loft if you want to pay a lot of money for a little bit of space and a new stove. Yay! Oh and many of them make you pay for parking, especially if you live downtown. By the way downtown st. louis has NO Grocery stores (yes 0), No Walgreens, and No Target so it will take you about 20 minutes drive anywhere to get food and supplies. They say they are building a grocery downtown, but honestly, it will probably be small and you'll still find yourself driving 20 minutes to trader joes and target...

I have lived all over St. Louis. By WashU, in Maplewood (10 min south), in South City (booyeah crime studies) and now I live back by WashU in University City. UCity is by far the best deal of all. Look for places near the intersection of Midland and Delmar - it is absolutely beautiful, totally safe, and the best bang for the buck anywhere in St. Louis. The best part is you have a less than 5 min commute to WashU, 15 min to UMSL, and all the places I mentioned above (loop, park, grocery) are within a 10 minute drive. You will not go wrong if you live near Midland and Delmar in University City.

The thing about St. Louis is there "isn't much to do" if you don't know where to go. There are tons of blues bars downtown, the missouri botanical gardens, tower grove park, the HIll (italian spot), the budweiser brewery, city museum, the Landing (bars), Central West End, Clayton, Soulard, South Grand then there is St. Louis county.... There is a lot to do and the beautiful thing almost everything is Free.

As for crime it really isn't that bad. I mean you have to live in a pretty shitty area to be worried. Be smart, it's a city. Most of the crime is concentrated in areas north of Delmar (the loop) and to the East side. I would also avoid South City until you lived here for a year or so and know where are the good and bad spots. Really living in Soulard is for morons who bought overpriced lofts. It's much better to drive there and go to a bar than live next to a bar, and nothing else.

[convex]

Where to live. Have fun living in clayton if you like to pay a lot of money for a lot less space and not a whole lot to do. It MIGHT be worth it if you have a kid to send them to clayton schools, but I'd even doubt that. Clayton is a business govt district of St. Louis county, which effectively closes by about 6pm, unless you want to go to a really overpriced bar and/or Tapas restaurant.

The above is probably true. I recommended Clayton under the assumption that a good public school district may be a higher priority than those factors for the person who asked the question.

[Inspekt]

Actually on second thought, living in Clayton would be okay if you lived in the area called "The Moorelands" and had a 2 bedroom apt. Those are actually pretty affordable and in a great area. Try there if you want Clayton, but I still think Midland and Delmar is better bang for your buck.

PS if you are moving to St. Louis, let me know. I will be moving from my current place at the end of July. It's nice, 1800 sq feet w/ a basement of the same size, 2 bedroom, study, sunroom, dishwasher and washer and dryer in unit. 5 Min drive 15 min walk from WashU, plus my landlord is great. All that for only $1,000 a month.

[mosman]

I did my undergrad at WUSTL and am currently a technician at the Medical School. I may be attending in the fall, so I can also answer any questions about the University.

Good places to live:

- UCity: West of Big Bend, this is a great place to live. East of there, make sure to stay south of Delmar. Things get worse as you head north (don't even think about living north of Olive).

- Skinker/DeBaliviere Neighborhood: I lived here during my undergrad and there's a good mix between families and students here, and you can be within walking distance of the Forest Park, Delmar, and Skinker metro stations. I'd advise living closer to the Forest Park side of the neighborhood.

- Dogtown: A great little neighborhood southeast of main campus, rent is cheap and it's quite safe. It's not within walking distance of campus or a metro station, so you'll need to bike or drive to school.

philgradap979 said:

I will be a grad student with wife and elementary-aged son looking for a quiet and affordable place to live near (i.e., preferably within walking distance) Wash U. Any suggestions for neighborhoods that might be preferable to someone like me? What neighborhoods should I probably stay away from?

Unfortunately, all the good school districts aren't within walking distance of WashU (unless you're out at the west campus, then Clayton is a good option). WashU itself is within the city, and the St Louis School District is not in good shape. Most of the people I know who went to school in the city and 'turned out well' went to private school.

convex said:

How is public transportation near WUSTL? Can I rely on the metrolink? What is the probability that someone puts a knife in me in the trolley on a given day?

Public transport as a whole is in limbo right now, because of a big budget shortfall. Buses can be iffy at times, but the metro is awesome, you can live near any metro station and get to WashU in 40 minutes. I've been taking it to and from work every day and the only problems I've run into were during Cardinals games when the trains are packed.

[LOLhedgefunds]

I would second all of the advice from the recent posters. Though I am perhaps a bit nostalgic for what was a wonderful undergraduate experience, I really thing that St. Louis is one of the best places to go to school. Live in U-City - it is extremely cheap and extremely convenient. I shared a huge 3 bedroom 5 minutes from campus (I recommend living West of Delmar - much cheaper and not much further from campus), and my share was $300/month. You do need a car. You might also want a bike - if youre in good shape, you can bike to a lot of cool places from U-City, and the beautiful architecture in the CWE and surrounding areas is fun to bike through. I never found safety to be an issue (although a cop was murdered point blank at the intersection of Delmar and Midland last year...) - our apartment was never broken in to and no one I know was ever mugged, despite often leaving our door unlocked and walking home at 4 in the morning. WashU and U-City cops patrol frequently (especially along Kingsland Avenue - there is a police station a few blocks West of Delmar on this street).

Re looking for a 'liberal, green' community - St. Louis has its fair share of this, you just need to seek it out. There are great places to eat, hang out, and shop in South City and Soulard. There is really good 'ethnic' food - good Asian and Mexican grocery stores and restaurants, a couple of good cheap Ethiopian restaurants, etc - and a fair amount of 'indie' culture.

[Bobusob1]

If you like the idea of a more cultured and lively living environment, then the central west end is definitely a good place to be, but I wouldn't limit it just to medical students. In the past few years the saint louis metrolink (a light rail system) has become a very useful means of getting around. This rail can get you from the central west end station to WashU's main hilltop campus faster than you would probably get there in a car. The central west end station is in the heart of the Medical school campus. The next stop going west, which is only one stop away from hilltop campus, is forest park/ debaliviere station. There are living options that are much closer to this station than there are ones close to the CWE station. There are even some pretty safe places if you're willing to pay the price for a condo. I'll link to one of the developers. Some of the condo owners rent out to students but you will probably have to find them through craigslist or backpage.

http://www.metropolisdp.com

[illinoisellie]

Saint Louis University, anyone?

[hamster]

St. Louis has been called a "20-minute city" because you can get nearly anywhere in under a half hour and many of our most popular spots are in the same area with little-to-no travel time needed to hop between them. In combination with the much-improved transit system, distance and time are never an excuse for not getting out-and-about!

Even some of the best, historic neighborhoods are still affordable. You can live on a stipend and it will still allow you to take advantage of some of the best attractions St. Louis has to offer That said, Saint Louis is a great spot for young professionals who are just kicking off new careers!

Forest Park (which is close to Washington University in St. Louis) has acres and acres of lovely green park space that hosts all sorts of great events. It’s also home to some great attractions, including the Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Science Center, James S. McDonnell Planetarium, The Muny, The World’s Fair Pavilion and The Jewel Box.

St. Louis is also home to The Fabulous Fox Theatre, The Edison Theatre, The Kranzberg Art Center, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, The Sun Theatre, The Marcelle Theater, Stray Dog Theatre, Center of the Creative Arts, Gateway Center for Performing Arts, and the Shakespeare Festival.

[zachidacki]

Could anyone offer some words of wisdom on how queer-friendly St. Louis is?

[undergrad state]

Hey Everyone,

I got accepted with funding from University of Missouri St. Louis MA Program in Philosophy. I need to find a place in St. Louis, so if anyone else has been accepted and looking for a roommate, I am a male, then let me know.

[genome]

Can anyone tell me a bit more about Central West End (and more specifically, about crime)?

Edited March 14, 2010 by genome

[queermedieval]

Gil Harris (the DGS) contacted me today to tell me I was one of two Medievalists admitted into the incoming doctoral program. Unfortunately due to limited funding for students entering into the program with just a BA, I am currently unfunded Did anyone else get admitted today? Are you funded? I am apparently first on the waitlist for funding, so if you have alternate plans, PLEASE LET THEM KNOW!

THIS SCHOOL IS MY "PERFECT FIT" SCHOOL WITH JJ COHEN!

[browntoy]

What does everyone think about their PHD program? Likes/dislikes, favorite professors, least favorite professors?

Attractiveness of the city?

[mitzydoodle]

What does everyone think about their PHD program? Likes/dislikes, favorite professors, least favorite professors?

Attractiveness of the city?

A friend of mine finished her PhD there about two years ago. She only had nice things to say about the program- and William Wallace is top notch.

[good∵desire]

On 3/22/2010 at 10:31 PM, browntoy said:

What does everyone think about their PHD program? Likes/dislikes, favorite professors, least favorite professors?

Attractiveness of the city?

My two cents on the faculty would be: Miller is very easy to know and very helpful, DeRoo was stressed out all the time and scared all my friends away, Wallace loves talking about fig leafs and penises and tended to meander in class, Rotroff is a nerd's nerd and Klein and Childs are married and are both giants. Eckmann is very serious but available and Koepnick is a great lecturer. Miller and Koepnick were my favorites but I'm also a modernist so I'm biased. I loved St. Louis as it's easy to know and big enough to stay interesting. WashU has tons of money and the Pulitzer and St. Louis Art Museum aren't to be scoffed at. I would go back in a heart beat but my interests don't align with the faculty.

[Sullyz0r]

On 3/14/2010 at 12:08 AM, genome said:

Can anyone tell me a bit more about Central West End (and more specifically, about crime)?

The Central West End is an ideal place to live if you'll be working on the medical campus. There are a lot of great places to live, and it's a very friendly, "hip" community (as hip as medical and graduate students can be, at least). It's a bit on the pricier end, but it's possible to get a reasonable 1-bedroom for $700 (everything except cable/internet).

As for crime, the big issue in St. Louis is with car break-ins. If you do have a car, I would highly recommend garage parking or at least a gated lot. Don't ever leave any valuables in sight. I've never personally had my car broken into (not that there's anything they could steal anyway, though it is a nice newer car), but it's happened to at least 2 people I know in the 1 year I've been here.

I've never heard of anybody getting mugged or anything like that. I feel safe walking home at night; however, I am a 6'2" guy. I'd probably feel less safe as a girl. The police on campus have a system where you can call them if you feel unsafe walking home and they'll give you a ride anywhere in the CWE at any time of the night. Sometimes people just use it when they don't feel like walking back after a long night of studying .

As for the queer-friendly comment...it's not San Francisco, but it's about as queer-friendly as you're going to find in the midwest. It's a typical liberal university community. I have never seen any sort of gay bashing. It's not like Missouri is the Deep South