St. Louis, MO

[LoveND]

I've been considering the Master's in Elementary Ed with post-baccalaureate certification degree program offered at Maryville. Does anyone have any experience with or knowledge of this school/program? Thanks!

[SeriousSillyPutty]

I've only heard about Maryville's school leadership program (or whatever they call the program designed for wannabe principals), and that it has a reputation for making it *relatively* easy to get a doctorate. (But that was what I heard from someone who doesn't go there, so take it with a grain of salt.)

I don't know about their certification programs, but since in general Maryville markets itself as a a good fit for working professionals, I would imagine their programs designed for certification would also be focused on being practical.

I hope you can find someone on here that can comment with real information!

[postsovietgraf]

I Couchsurfed during a conference in St Louis. It went very well. I would recommend a place that sounds quiet and has a private bedroom (vs. sleeping on someone's couch). It was also important, in retrospect, to be somewhat close to the conference location - as I ended up needing rides at the inconvenience of my colleagues. Both couch surfing and hotel life are nice at conferences - the former means that, after you present and you want a beer, you'll have people your own age to celebrate with, and hotel life is better for being well rested and preparing for your presentation the morning of. It's a toss up.

Edited April 1, 2012 by postsovietgraf

[coriander]

Hi all,

I'm an MFA candidate finishing up my first year, considering a PhD in Rhetoric---and I'm forty-one. Is this ridiculous? On paper, I look good, other than being late to the game. I teach secondary school, but would prefer to teach college while working on my own research and creative projects. Although an MFA is a terminal degree, the market is flooded with them, and the PhD seems like my only course. Any thoughts or advice?

Thank you.

Edited April 5, 2012 by gratis quo

[XXXXXXphd2021]

So, anyone going there?

You could PM me or facebook me ! There is a facebook group of WUSTL Brown School 2012 students~!

Brown school doesn't offer dorms. So maybe we could become roommates.

 

[magicflute]

north or south of Delmar would be ideal. but don't know whether there are any vacant rooms when we arrive...

[Chen Song]

Today, I learned that The St. Louis Muny is the first and largest outdoor musical theater in the United States. I thought that was a pretty cool fact about St. Louis.

[Loc Nguyen]

Currently an undergrad CS-major at UMSL now, I would say the St. Louis is a great choice for anyone to come and study because (i)The cost of living here is not expensive compared with CA or FL and (ii)There are several decent schools here, such as WashU, St. Louis U, and UMSL.

It is WashU in St. Louis, MST, or Mizzou to be the Phd program that I will be attending.

However, CA (Los, San Jose), Florida, and Texas (Houston) are my preferred choices to work and live because of the weather and food

[Cleo]

Does anyone know, if it will be difficult to find a place to stay with a lease that is only for the academic year? In other words, will most places have a lease that goes from September to September?

[Marie1441]

Hello! I was just accepted into grad school at WashU and I had a few questions regarding the area.

1. What is a great area for a young 20 something female to live and be around other young professionals? And what it a reasonable amount of $$ for a 2 bedroom apt?

2. Is a car a must for St. Louis? I don't currently own one, but I'd like one. However, I'm not going to shell out money for a used car if I don't absolutely have to have a car if I attend WashU.

3. Is there a lot of fun things to do around WUSTL? I used to live in Chicago and Columbus and in both of those cities it's not difficult to find fun and exciting things to do. I was hoping St. Louis and the immediate area around WashU would be the same.

 

Thanks!

[amlobo]

I live in the St. Louis area, and I think I can help a bit with your questions.  

 

I would say that the best places to live for a WashU student are, not surprisingly, the areas close to WashU - University City (the "good" parts... basically close to/south of Delmar = better; north = bad!) and Clayton (higher priced, but ample apartments close to WashU... no bad areas of Clayton, really).  If you are more of a city person, try Central West End or downtown.  WashU is a 10-15 minute drive from downtown, but Central West end is more like 5.  I can't speak to prices, as I never rented in these areas.  I rented farther out in the burbs, and 2br were $1000 or so.  

 

I know people without cars, but hardly anyone.  St. Louis is a driving city - not a ton in the way of public transportation.  I can't imagine trying to get around without a car.  It's possible, but difficult.  The people I know without a car use a car-sharing program... they work at WashU, so I'm not sure if it's affiliated with the university or a private company.

 

WashU is right by Forest Park, which is where a ton of free activities are.  The park itself is huge and gorgeous, and it houses the zoo, art museum, history museum, science center, outdoor theater, and most things are free!  WashU is also close to "the Loop" in UCity, which has restaurants, concert venues, indie film theater, and funky shops - kind of the mecca for WashU students (walkable from WashU).  Of course, there are a bunch of different neighborhoods to get to know, and which are known for different cuisine/bars/etc., which is easier if you have a car.  If you have a car, there are more things you could drive to, as well... lots of wineries, breweries (go figure), more museums (the City Museum is fun), parks and biking trails.  

 

I lived in Chicago for a long time, and St. Louis doesn't have near the amount of activities, but St. Louis is also a very small city in comparison.  You do have to "seek out" activities a bit more, but I think there's a little bit for everyone here.  WashU's campus is beautiful, too.  

[Sparky]

Yup, U City or the Central West End, which is actually where WashU's med school is. If you want any shot at living car-free, those are pretty much your only options. But it is a SUPER car-requiring city. The light rail line...well, it tries. (It does stop right along the main campus as well as at the med school/hospital--but you can't get very many places on it.) The bus system is consistently losing funding. Apartment price in the CWE varies really, really widely due to the nature of the neighborhood (age of building and safety of location--the city is gentrifying along certain boundaries and it REALLY shows in housing price!), so it really depends on what you're comfortable in. Come to think of it, this is *almost* as equally true of U City.

A lot of the city social scene for our generation is actually downtown in the loft district. There is some fun to be had there. The Loop wants very, very badly to be a cool city somewhere else (sorry...I grew up in StL and the Loop is SO tainted with high school memories for me; I have a hard time seeing it as a place where anyone older than that hangs out!), but there are some nice concerts in various venues there. Like amlobo said, Forest Park is AMAZING, and it is basically 2 miles of lovely bridge between WashU's main campus and med campus.

[amlobo]

Sparky's right... I feel too old for the Loop, but I know undergrads still like it.  Depends on your tastes.  I always say I'm not "hip" enough for the Loop.  There are a few restaurants that skew older that I like there  And, forgot about you probably being at the med school... which is not on the main campus.  So, Sparky's right again...Central West End would definitely be best option in that case.  Best of luck!  

[Marie1441]

amlobo and sparky, thank you so much for your advice! I really appreciate it!

[OhMySocks]

1. What is a great area for a young 20 something female to live and be around other young professionals? And what it a reasonable amount of $$ for a 2 bedroom apt?

2. Is a car a must for St. Louis? I don't currently own one, but I'd like one. However, I'm not going to shell out money for a used car if I don't absolutely have to have a car if I attend WashU.

3. Is there a lot of fun things to do around WashU? I used to live in Chicago and Columbus and in both of those cities it's not difficult to find fun and exciting things to do. I was hoping St. Louis and the immediate area around WashU would be the same.

 

I went to WashU as an undergrad and still live in the area a few years later so I'll try to answer.

 

The answer to 1 and 2 are related. As mentioned UCity is not bad. Apartments on Forsyth Ave, west of WashU are pretty nice and safe, though they're a little difficult to get if you don't know people that are giving up their apartment. My roommate and I payed 950 for large 2 bedroom, Just a few minute walk to campus. If instead you look north, its not a bad area, but its fairly well populated with undergrads. Most of these apartments go around 400-600 per bedroom. Also, a short walk to campus.

 

Central west end is a nice "hip" area, its populated largely with young 20-somethings, a lot of grad and med students and the like. The apartments there are a bit pricier (I paid 650 for a studio here) but its a fun place to live. There is a metro stop that goes directly to campus, and there is a grocery store a few blocks away so you can get by without a car (though I would recommend at least a bike). Theres a lot of restaurants and bars and coffee shops in the area and its fun.

 

If you're willing to have a car, you can also look into the tower grove and dogtown regions. They are a bit quieter areas, though there are still a decent amount of students around. They don't have as much of the bar scene. It probably around a 10 minute drive to campus, maybe a little further out near  tower grove, but not unreasonable. These apartments are a lot cheaper and often a lot bigger. I never lived there, but I know people that are living in nice, large (albeit old) apartments for 300 per bedroom. 

 

As far as recreation goes, there are a lot of things to do if you go looking, especially during the spring and summer. Forest park has been mentioned already. There are a ton of bands that come through and play various venues, there are a ton of theaters if you're into that, there are great museums. For a lot of theaters you have to go into the city and downtown to find them out. A lot of people at WashU go through all 4 years without never finding these things. Anyway, its not Chicago, certainly (I used to live in Chicago too), but I would venture to guess that it probably has a better cultural scene than Columbus. 

 

If you want a taste, look up the Riverfront Times. Its a paper which gives a very good overview of what is going on in St. Louis in terms of events. 

[lisasimpson]

I am living in St. Louis now...about for two years. I don't drive - I can't as I don't have a license. Living without driving is inconvenient but not impossible. If you become "savvy" in taking metro and buses, things are not as bad as you might imagine. So, give it a try to live without a vehicle, and you may decide if you need one.

 

I live in a house in university city, around Big Bend station, and it seems that there are a lot of students sharing a house in my neighborhood. There are also a lot of apartments in delmar loop area.

 

Some of my colleagues are living in downtown St. Louis - around 8th and Pine station. You can find affordable lofts, and grocery stores and restaurants are within walking distance in downtown.

 

St. Louis is quite an affordable city considering its amenities and quality of life.

[PHDmaterial]

I also am accepted to WashU, and I'm guessing I'll be at the med center.  Did you all just get lucky and know people that were vacating their places, did you call around and look, or use a realty service?  

 

Someone mentioned a light rail.  Any opinions on whether it's possible to live near a rail stop and function without a car everyday?

[Norman G]

On 1/31/2013 at 12:01 PM, PHDmaterial said:

I also am accepted to WashU, and I'm guessing I'll be at the med center.  Did you all just get lucky and know people that were vacating their places, did you call around and look, or use a realty service?  

 

Someone mentioned a light rail.  Any opinions on whether it's possible to live near a rail stop and function without a car everyday?

 

Yes, I would say it would be "possible" to live in St. Louis (especially around WashU) without a car. Your admission to WashU will come with a yearly pass for unlimited Metro-Link rides (which includes all buses and the train). The Metro can get you from downtown to the airport in about 25 minutes. However, parking is fairly available in the downtown St. Louis area (when compared to other large cities)--so, if you decide to bring a car you should be able to do so at a fairly reasonable cost. Best of luck!

[Sparky]

On 1/31/2013 at 12:01 PM, PHDmaterial said:

Someone mentioned a light rail.  Any opinions on whether it's possible to live near a rail stop and function without a car everyday?

 

It very, very much depends. Metro (the light rail) has extremely limited coverage but has great coverage around WashU. One line goes from the airport to downtown; the other starts in a south-esque inner suburb, curves up to pass somewhat near a mall (...somewhat), and then meets up with the other line between WashU's main and med campuses. That's it. There is a Metro stop right at Barnes (world renowned hospital owned by WashU), so you would have that going for you. The big problem is grocery store proximity, so you would want to plan accordingly when finding an apartment or have contingency plans (a wagon and the time to walk; a bike with a basket; the organizational skills to order your grocs off the Internet; a friend with a car). At the grocery stores on the edge of poor neighborhoods (St. Louis has recently witnessed a pattern of the stores actually in those neighborhoods closing in favor of new or expanded locations in the ritzy suburbs and reviving/gentrifying downtown), you regularly see people loading their groceries into the trunk of a taxi, or very obvious carpool groups.

So I guess my answer is yes, it's possible--with very careful advance planning and/or caring friends with wheels.

I'm very familiar with the Central West End (WashU med area), so if anyone wants apartment references send me a PM. In generally, you will pay a little more there than you would in the next neighborhood south, Forest Park Southeast, but don't underestimate the value of convenience (or a really, really awesome neighborhood).

[Taco Superior]

I'm curious to hear from current or former WashU students about their opinion of on campus grad housing versus living off campus. I know grads often like to live off campus to have more of a life of their own away from undergrads etc. I've had a life of my own for 12 years out of school and at this point I don't care about that: my main priority is convenience in terms of coming and going to class and library etc. Has anyone lived in grad housing and if so, what should I know?

Thanks.

(I actually havent looked it up on the school website yet even, but it seems more fun to ask here...)

[DStory247]

I have been accepted to WashU's Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering PhD program, so I will be in the engineering building and library most of the time-

My dad grew up in St Louis, so I've visited before, but they lived in StL county, not the city. (Think Webster Groves, Kirkwood...) But that was 40 years ago, so he admits he is not much help when it comes to knowing driving distances/times as they currently exist.

 

Are these suburb communities too far for someone who wants easy access to the school at the drop of a hat?  My girlfriend and I will be there together, and I want her to be in a safe place. Also, I have 3 dogs that I will be bringing (non-negotiable). These are the main reasons I've thought I may need to venture out to the suburbs. But we'd be willing to rent an apartment near Forest Park that we could take the dogs, or one near any dog park for that matter. We'd like to keep the rent under $650/mo.

 

What do y'all think?

Thanks!

[DStory247]

2013 Revival!

 

I was accepted to WashU's Energy, Environmental, & Chemical Engineering PhD program, and right now it is my first choice!

I found a separate St. Louis topic in the City Guide forum, but a general search for St. Louis keeps bringing me to this one, so in efforts to reach as many people as possible, I'm trying to bring this back to the forefront.

 

I haven't seen anyone mention dogs as a living concern, so I will put it out there. Those of you who know the area well, here are the things important to me:

Safe- I'll be bringing my girlfriend and 3 dogs

Place to take the dogs for walks- Is Forest Park open to dogs? I'd like to let them play outside every day if I could, so renting a house/duplex may be more likely than an apt., but I'm wide open right now.

Proximity- I'd like to live closer than a 20min. drive to school (not med center) and within the same range of grocery stores

Price- I'm from TX, so I'm used to the lower cost of living that StL offers, and I'd like to pay less than $650/mo if possible.

 

Who else may end up at WashU in Fall2013??

[Taco Superior]

 

Who else may end up at Wash U in Fall2013??

 

Me!

I'm trying to figure out whether to just go for grad housing for the first year for the sake of convenience, or to look elsewhere. Visiting weekend (march 27-30) will probably help me figure this out I suppose...

 

See you there!

 

(incidentally I'm from the bay area CA and I'm NOT used to such cheap rent: it's like $1000 for a studio here, so I'm amazed at the midwest prices.)

[DStory247]

WUSTL is my top choice for Fall 2013 as it stands right now!

How has your first year been? I earned my BS in Physical Sciences with my teaching certificate in Texas, so we can relate somewhat    I'm going for my PhD in Chem Engineering though.

Can you help me with questions about where to live??

[DStory247]

Congratulations paul! My visit is March 1-2, so I am also hoping to find a place during that time. I will be looking off campus, as I have already been told by the housing department that they have nothing that fits my needs (3 dogs)

You'll have to let me know how your visit goes!