St. Louis, MO

[BeakerBreaker 39]

I haven't used the circulator before, but based on the schedule (https://parking.wustl.edu/transportation/Documents/campus_circulator_102009.pdf) it looks like it does a loop every 20 minutes or so. There are two metrolink stops more or less right on campus, Ucity/Big Bend and Skinker. You'd probably want to take the metrolink to Skinker and then walk if you felt like it - the social work buildings are about a half mile from that stop.

 

If you're going to use Forest Park, you'd be looking at something like: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38.6437389,-90.2980986/38.6464414,-90.3059015/@38.6456034,-90.3019641,17z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e2 (hopefully that link works).  Winter isn't so bad if you have the right clothes for it. I'd be more worried about rain/storms or showing up to work sweaty on the 100+ degree days.  Occasionally, like once every two years, there's a big ice storm and walking around can be difficult if they don't clear it before you show up to work.

 

I think leaving your car in Forest Park is alright, especially fine during the day, but I would not really want to walk around there at night.

[pitafrita 0]

Some fun facts about St. Louis:

St. Louis has more free major tourist attractions than any other city in the country outside Washington, D.C. Visitors pay nothing to visit the art museum, the history museum, the science center and the zoo.

The Zoo was born after a bird exhibit for the 1904 World’s Fair proved to be hugely popular. The flight cage was originally commissioned by the Smithsonian, and instead of dismantling and shipping it back to D.C., St. Louis bought the exhibit for $3500.

The musical movie Meet Me in St. Louis, starring Judy Garland, takes place in the city and tells the story of a family who doesn’t want to leave town, or the World’s Fair, for a new life in New York.

Brown Shoe Company, known today as Caleres, was founded in St. Louis in 1875. The company was one of the first in the industry to create different shoes for men and women and the right and left foot.

The chain that the rest of the country knows as Panera started as the St. Louis Bread Company in 1993. The company retains its original name in the St. Louis area.

Alums of Sumner High School, the first high school for African Americans built west of the Mississippi, include Tina Turner, Chuck Berry, and Arthur Ashe.

The area known as the Hill offers some of the best Italian food in the country, and is the birthplace of the St. Louis specialty toasted ravioli.

The city hasn’t forgotten its French roots and hosts a huge Mardi Gras parade and festival every year, which is said to be the second-largest in the country after New Orleans.

[Clueless91 4]

Hi All,

I'm sure this might have been covered but I'm asking for your help (please!) I do not live in Missouri and I am not familiar with St.Louis at all. I currently am starting UMSL in the Fall and I'm looking for an apartment, preferably a 2 bed room or large one bedroom for $1000 or less. I have looked and found some places on Craiglist but I have no idea if these places are close to UMSL or even safe areas. Any advice would be helpful, Thank You!

[BeakerBreaker 39]

Put UMSL on the map and put your Craigslist apartments on the map and see if they are close first of all.  Then think about whether or not you need/want to be within walking distance, or walking distance of the light rail (which stops at UMSL).  Don't look anywhere east or north of UMSL.

 

Octoberstormxx's recommendations in post #122 are very good places to start:

On 3/7/2015 at 11:25 AM, Octoberstormxx said:

The sad part is U-City can be a great place to live, but without visiting I'd completely mark it off my list. In general I would say U-City can even be quite scenic.

I will say this, I've lived in Maryland Heights most my life and that borders Bridgeton, St, Anne, and Creve Coeur. Knowing these areas fairly well, I could suggest any of these counties with certainty they'll be safe for those concerned about danger.

 

If you have a car and you think a thirty minute commute is no big deal, you can live anywhere in the metro area. Otherwise you will need to prioritize what is important and let us know.  I'd say Octoberstormxx's suggestions are a good compromise between close to UMSL and not crappy parts of St. Louis.

 

[bsharpe269 450]

Do you guys know anything about safety of the Shaw neighborhood, near the Missouri Botanical Gardens? Do students frequently live in this area?

 

Also, I saw advice against first years living in tower grove. Why is this? I have seen some well priced, nice looking apartments there!

Edited May 8, 2015 by bsharpe269

[BeakerBreaker 39]

Students do live in the Shaw neighborhood. It isn't my first pick for first years or otherwise, but it is reasonably priced and reasonably safe.

 

The reason it isn't recommended for first years is because it puts you further away from campus and the center of grad student activities (both socializing and work-related, almost all of which will happen in or near the CWE).

[bsharpe269 450]

Students do live in the Shaw neighborhood. It isn't my first pick for first years or otherwise, but it is reasonably priced and reasonably safe.

 

The reason it isn't recommended for first years is because it puts you further away from campus and the center of grad student activities (both socializing and work-related, almost all of which will happen in or near the CWE).

 

Thanks for the info! What about the Demun neighborhood? I've seen on here that Clayton is nice and it is right next to there so my guess is that it is a good area too?

[BeakerBreaker 39]

Demun is even better in my opinion. Everything bordering Clayton is nice except for parts of U. City

[bsharpe269 450]

Demun is even better in my opinion. Everything bordering Clayton is nice except for parts of U. City

 

Thank you!!

[MermaidturnedMSW 5]

I wanted to thank everyone for answering all of my questions. I was able to find a great apartment in a safe area thanks to all of your experience!

[glow_gene 70]

I wanted to thank everyone for answering all of my questions. I was able to find a great apartment in a safe area thanks to all of your experience!

 

Whoo! I'm glad you found a place and, if you're in town, I hope you're enjoying this gorgeous weather .

[Klonoa 8]

I don't know if people have already posted what I'm about to post, but I thought I would add my two cents as I have lived in the St. Louis metro area for 15+ years.

 

- St. Louis isn't public transportation friendly. Well, at least not on the level of Chicago, San Fransisco, or New York. The buses and MetroLink do not get you close to your job or cool social areas. Its public transportation gets you somewhat close to your college campus, such as SLU, WashU, Webster, and UMSL. STL is easier to navigate with a car, bottom line.

- STL is very family friendly. There are many museums, a really nice zoo, active sports centers, and beautiful parks.

- Easy to find career in higher education, but difficult to find a career outside of higher education. There are many universities and colleges in STL, but also many across the bridge in Illinois such as Southwestern Illinois College, Lewis & Clark College, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and McKendree University. Major companies/establishments outside of higher education worth looking into: Purina, Ameren, Anheuser-Busch, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and Boeing.

- The  St. Louis AmTrak station links north to Chicago, Illinois and links south to Dallas, Texas.

- There are many nice and affordable apartments and duplexes in Maplewood. Maplewood has a cute boutique environment where there are small independent shops, restaurants and bookstores. It is also close to downtown area.

[Dr. Brains 33]

Recently accepted to Wash U for Cog Neuro PhD! Haven't officially accepted yet as I have one other recruitment weekend to attend but will more than likely be attending Wash U in the fall =] 

I've been looking at Clayton on the Park, Lofts at the Highlands, and Cortona at Forest Park for apartments. Only concern is transportation to Wash U from the Lofts and Cortona (though it's only a 15 min bike). Tips?

[BeakerBreaker 39]

I live about the same distance as Clayton in the Park and drive to the med campus every day (I'm assuming this is where you're headed - neuro in DBBS?). Also, yay for WashU!

Biking is okay during fair weather and daylight hours, although St. Louis isn't the most bike friendly of places. With some of those apartments, you could cut through forest park and it would be a nice ride.

[Dr. Brains 33]

On 2/26/2016 at 12:11 PM, BeakerBreaker said:

I live about the same distance as Clayton in the Park and drive to the med campus every day (I'm assuming this is where you're headed - neuro in DBBS?). Also, yay for WashU!

Biking is okay during fair weather and daylight hours, although St. Louis isn't the most bike friendly of places. With some of those apartments, you could cut through forest park and it would be a nice ride.

My PI's lab is on Danforth campus so it seems like it would be about a 15 minute bike through Forest Park and worse comes to worse, I can take an uber since the apartment is only 8 min away (according to google maps)

 

I'm just going to go ahead and post this here. It's the map I send to first year/prospective students who are looking for housing near the med campus (so it's highly med-campus focused). Hopefully it will help some people. If anyone is more familiar with the Danforth side, please feel free to update/save/repost a version of the map with more details on that side of Forest Park: 

 

Here's the map I refer to in this e-mail (let me know if you have trouble viewing it): https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=znSq18U6Bxo4.ka_fNS8CoCMQ

 

Just to orient you on the map: The medical campus is the green square to the right of forest park (large green rectangle). I've also labeled metrolink stops with red markers. There's a blue marker that marks the 4444 building, which is where many of the genomics labs are located (though many of them will be moving to the main campus in the next year or two). 

 

I'm sure you've heard quite a bit about the Central West End (purple and red on map) during the interview process. It's a great place and I highly recommend looking there for apartments. Some of the older buildings have extremely reasonable prices, while some of the newer ones can get pretty pricey. The Del Coronado is (in my mind) the gold standard of what you will find in the CWE. It's new, super close to campus and has a parking garage...but its prices reflect those benefits. I do, however, think it serves as a good comparator when looking at other buildings. If you have a car I highly recommend putting affordable, provided parking high on your list; parking in the CWE without an assigned space or garage can be a bit crazy. 

 

I live in the Debaliviere (DEB) area, which is north of forest park (Blue on map). It's right next to the metro link and I metro to work most days. If you live in either the CWE or DEB, there is a shuttle that runs every 30 mins from campus from 5pm-midnight:30 (M-F) that will take you directly to your door on your way home. I love living where I do. It's not as frequently-travelled as the CWE, parking is easier and I feel very comfortable walking around at night. The CWE is generally safe but it has a lot more foot traffic coming through. 

 

There's an area between the CWE and DEB that is highlighted on the map in pink. A good number of students live there but it's not immediately adjacent to any metrolink stop so transportation may be a bit more difficult, though there are some beautiful buildings in that area. 

 

Another place you might want to look is The Grove (brown pentagon on the map). There is lots of affordable housing in The Grove and it's an area that is getting nicer over the years...but it's not a place I feel 100% comfortable walking on my own at night. I do, however, know a lot of people who live there and have never had any problems. There are several apartments outside of the pentagon that are perfectly safe/nice but I can comfortably vouch for the brown-covered area being filled with happy graduate students. 

 

Also highlighted in green is St. Louis University (in orange). There are tons of apartments in that area, but again, you have the commuting issue that isn't a problem in DEB or CWE. I also highlighted the Tower Grove area (in black) at the bottom right. This tends to be a place students move to in their second or third years. I wouldn't recommend it during your first year.

 

In yellow is the undergraduate (Danforth) campus and the Delmar Loop area. There are labs that some students may want to join on the Danforth campus and the Delmar loop is a great place to live. Unfortunately, I don't know much about the area. I recommend living close to the medical campus (green) for your first year at least since so many of your classes/journal clubs will be there.

[nevermind 184]

On 2/26/2016 at 12:56 PM, Dr. Brains said:

My PI's lab is on Danforth campus so it seems like it would be about a 15 minute bike through Forest Park and worse comes to worse, I can take an uber since the apartment is only 8 min away (according to google maps)

Forest Park is reasonably bike friendly most of the year. STL is kind of weird to bike in the winter though, as roads aren't really plowed if there's snow and it's mess. The Metro is getting much more reliable though and public transportation is improving!

[Dr. Brains 33]

Greetings fellow forum users,

I just found out that I've been accepted to the PhD program in political science at Washington University in St. Louis (beginning August 2017). Given that I am primarily interested in Cognitive Neuroscience and Gender Studies, I'm fairly certain that I'll end up attending WashU for graduate study. That said, I'd like to try and get in touch with other individuals that have also been accepted by WashU just so I might get a head start in getting to know my cohort. So, if you or anyone you know has also been accepted to the PhD program in Psychology at WashU, please contact me!

 

[Lward15 0]

I have recently been accepted to both MSW programs at Washington University in St. Louis and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I'm trying to make my decision between the two and am looking for any thoughts or suggestions on either program!

 

[HarmonTJ 0]

Things to love about St. Louis:

Central West End,Forest Park, Affordable Public Transportation System, Free World-class Art Museum, Free World-class Zoo, International airport, World Class Universities (WashU, SLU) Gateway Arch, Sled riding on Art Hill,The St. Louis Symphony, Missouri Historical Society,The Muny. Opera, The Fox Theater, Union Station, Laclede's Landing, Ted Drews, Toasted Ravioli, Soulard, The Hill, The Delmar Loop, The architecture, The diversity, Tower Grove Park, The Farmer's Market, The Science Center, Grant's Farm, The Missouri Botanical Gardens, The Cardinals, The Rams, The Blues, escape rooms, delicious BBQ and The Gateway Arch.

Proximity to:
Six Flags over Mid America, Laumeier Sculpture Park, Onondaga Caverns, Meramac Caverns, Lake of the Ozarks, Pere Marquette State Park, Cahokia Mounds, Herman Wineries, and Augusta Wineries.

 

[tkid86 40]

I didn't apply to WUSTL, but if you have any questions about the Lou, I'll try to answer them here or you can shoot me a PM.

[KateZ 0]

Thanks everyone for all the information!

[allastirperception 0]

The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum on WashU’s campus houses one of the most distinguished university collections in the country, including works from Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock. WashU’s Barnes-Jewish Hospital is consistently one of the top-ranked hospitals in the country which means St. Louis has some of the best health care.

[zeshresh 0]

St. Louis is a great balance between the coasts. It is affordable and diverse, and your life can be tailored any way you like it based on where you choose to live. The metropolitan area is about 2.5 - 3 million people so it qualifies as a "big" city. The weather will be a bit of a shock to a California native but the upshot is that you get FOUR seasons and the Spring and Fall are phenomenal in STL.

Brentwood, University City, Richmond Heights, Maplewood, St. Louis Hills, Dogtown and  The Grove tend to be the most popular, liberal, and diverse. Clayton and CWE are also really nice areas.

[Sandip3 0]

I think it’s impossible to talk about St. Louis without talking about Forest Park which is close to both WashU and SLU. According to Wikipedia, “Forest Park is a public park in western St. Louis, Missouri. It is a prominent civic center and covers 1,326 acres. Opened in 1876, more than a decade after its proposal, the park has hosted several significant events, including the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904 and the 1904 Summer Olympics”.

In many ways, Forest Park is the heart of St. Louis, Missouri. The 1,300-acre park is home to some of the city's top cultural institutions and hosts many of the region's most popular annual events. In the summer, there are free concerts, outdoor Shakespeare, and a huge hot air balloon race. Winter means sledding down Art Hill and ice skating. Forest Park also has a large network of trails that are wonderful year-round.

There’s the Saint Louis Art Museum which is free. It features more than 30,000 great works of art. Some of the works here include pieces by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, Jean-François Millet, and more.

There’s the St. Louis Zoo which is considered to be one of the best zoos in the country and they have more than 20,000 animals and is a leader in saving endangered species and their habitats. Admission o the zoo is free.

The MUNY is the oldest outdoor theater and they produce seven musicals each year which is often compared to Boadway.

There’s also a six-mile dual trail. One of them is designed for joggers and walkers; the other for bicyclists.

Forest Park even has its own social organization to restore, maintain and sustain it with the city.  More of what it has to offer can be found here.

 

[Guest joshw4288]

There is something for everyone in St. Louis. The culture is diverse, there is a decent mix of art including museums, music and theatre. There are amusement parks and the #1 Zoo in the country (and its free). The science center and forest park are awesome. Saint Louis has the river front, casinos and many historic areas.

Housing costs are low compared to other cities, they have a lot of highly rated school districts, and plenty of parks, trails, and green space. St. Louis has 4 distinct seasons, aren’t struggling with limited water supply like a lot of other places, and has a ton of various museums, different music offerings, and theater.

There is a booming craft beer scene, and growing technology sector. St. Louis has high quality pro sports teams with knowledgeable and rabid fan bases.

There are many free things to do: parks, sculpture gardens, public events like the St Louis Faire, in beautiful Forest Park. There are free time slots at the Botanical Gardens, and at the Art Museum, both outstanding venues. Free Shakespeare in the Park happens every June, and other events all summer long. Every year, there’s also International Institute’s Festival of Nation. Its goals are to build a more inclusive society that recognizes and appreciates the contributions of all its many and diverse peoples.