Tell me great things about St. Louis

[mommin]

DH and I are flying to St. Louis in a couple weeks for an in-person interview. He's been laid of for 5 weeks, which has been stressful, but I'm really looking forward to this and very hopeful since they seem to like DH a lot. My biggest concern is that we have four kids and the farthest any of them has moved was across town and now we are talking about a 1500 mile move.

I want to talk up all the great things they might love about a new city to prepare them if (when, hopefully) this turns in to a job offer. We have a 13 y.o. son, 10 y.o. daughter, 7 y.o. daughter, and 5 y.o. son. So far the oldest two are excited about Ted Drewes frozen custard because they have real priorities. Haha.

Also, they're supposed to set me up with a tour of the city and surrounding areas while DH interviews. I'm assuming they will know the best family-friendly areas to take me but in case they ask my opinion, does anyone have neighborhood/town suggestions? From my internet research it seems that west St. Louis County and maybe some parts of eastern St. Charles might fit the bill for schools, family-friendliness, etc. The job will be near St. Louis University, if that matters for commutes and stuff.

Thank you all in advance. This is a life-changing time so I'm trying to be as proactive as possible.

[pinkly]

I may be biased, but you may want to consider the Illinois side as well. We have some good public schools if you go far enough east, and his commute wouldn’t really be all that much different, I don’t think.

ETA That said, I’ve lived in this area all my life except for college and one year after. I know St. Louis can get a bad rap, but it is home. There are lots of kid-friendly and family-friendly venues/activities. The zoo, Grants Farm, Magic House, City Museum, Science Center, Botanical Gardens, Eckerts, Meramec Caverns, etc. I’m sure tons more I am forgetting. And of course, for sports fans - the Cardinals and the Blues. And soon to be an MLS team.

Another ETA - what kind of community are you coming from? What about the size/type of schools the kids will be leaving? Any special challenges they face? Any extracurriculars they participate in?

[Patsy Baloney]

I don’t live there but have family and friends in the St. Charles area and Lake St. Louis area. There is a lot to like about St. Louis.

There are really great places to visit - the St. Louis Zoo is one of my very favorites. The Science Center, Botanical Gardens, The Muny, Powell Hall for the St. Louis Symphony, so many other concert and show venues, too. The museums are wonderful. The arch and riverfront are great. I’m a Cardinals fan and the Blues are defending Stanley Cup champs. There are so many great restaurants. If they need another fun food place to be excited about, Fitz’s bottles their own root beer and has milk shakes as big as my 6YO, lol. It’s a great place for beer, too! Schlafly’s kolsch is my favorite.

I hope you all enjoy your visit and that, if you do end up moving, it’s a great place for you!

[sproctopus]

I love St. Louis-- born and raised there. It's incredibly family friendly, and many attractions are free.

I hate when people recommend St. Charles (and really West Co) for St. Louis living. St. Charles isn't St. Louis and really has the population it does today because of white flight (same for West County) in the early 90s. There are plenty of great places to live inside the other counties of St. Louis. I also think that if the job is at SLU, there are lots of good options near there for living.

[jackie011]

While I haven’t lived there in over 15 years, I was born and raised in St. Louis and, personally, think it was a pretty great place to grow up! I grew up in Chesterfield and attended (and taught in) Parkway Schools. My sister and her husband bought a home in the Rockwood district, and I don’t think you can go wrong with either one. I have noticed that the Olivette area is really getting more popular with friends who work downtown or more central, like Clayton. Kirkwood is also very popular. It’s all about budget and the type of community you want to find. There are so many great neighborhoods in the city limits, too. (The places I mentioned are in St. Louis County, which doesn’t include the actual city of St. Louis.)

Growing up in St Louis jaded me as far as paying for culture, as Forest Park is home to the zoo, science center, history museum, art museum, and more and is all free and wonderful! Sports are HUGE, the Cardinals (baseball) and Blues (hockey) are very popular and I know there is an MLS (soccer) team coming soon. There are wonderful restaurants and shops and lots of character all over town. You’re not far from Chicago or Kansas City for weekend getaways and in the summer the Lake of the Ozarks is a fun trip.

[y4m]

The zoo is AMAZING and free.
There are no better baseball fans.
Lions choice!!
Blueberry hill!
Pi pizza!
The hill / toasted ravioli
Ted Drewes of course!

I guess mainly I eat in St. Louis.

[Dumbledork]

I have a 10yo dd. We moved here from NC when she was 7yo.

We live in the city in South City and love it.

We’re 3 minutes from her school, 10 minutes from my work, and 20 minutes to his work.

Her school is fantastic. I loved the one we left in NC more, but I’ve been very happy with her current school. It’s helped her thrive in math, it’s incredibly diverse in both staff and students, and she’s made great friends.

I love living actually in the city because we can do so many amazing things. If we lived in the county, we wouldn’t do half the stuff we do now because of the drive.

In the summer, she goes to day camp at the science center, the zoo (which includes an overnight!), ranger camp at the Y, and a few other great options. We wouldn’t be able to fit those into our schedule if we lived in the county.

Plus, Cardinals games on a whim, soon to be xfl and mls games, movies on Art Hill, pedal boats in Forest Park, laughing at the trolley on Delmar, and we’re a short walk from Clementine’s creamery so it’s easy to grab while out walking the dog.

In the winter, ice skating under the Arch, Blues hockey games on a whim, sledding on Art Hill. We started a Christmas morning tradition here of ice skating at Steinberg’s after we open presents.

She’s been in the Kids Club for the Cardinals and the Blues. The extra perks being that she got to paint a city bus, run the bases, paint the ice, meet some players, and get some autographs.

For adults, I love the Muny, Fab Fox Theater, so many restaurant options, the bike trails, the awesome parks, the Pageant, dinner on The Hill, and having everything so close.

There’s a difference between living in the city and the county. Both have perks and draw backs, but they’re not the same. I, like pp, get annoyed when people suggest them as if they are.

[meagain]

I second city museum. Great place my kids always loved it. There is also Six Flags not to far out.

I do not live there but go as often as I can.

[jenna]

Lots of great Ideas mentioned above.

I will add:

Frisco Train store - for 5 year old - local toy store with free play area featuring wooden trains  www.facebook.com/FriscoTrainStore/

Lego Store in West County Mall

The Minifig Shop in Kirkwood  www.facebook.com/theminifigshop/

Amtrak train station - I took my train loving son on a short day trip

Transportation Museum -- tnmot.org/  -- includes neat indoor portion featuring classic cars

I grew up with Fritz, so I am partial to their frozen custard.  fritzsfrozencustard.com/

Summer time miniature train rides -- www.wfprr.com/

Older kids might like this indoor ramp park.  www.rampriders.net/

Lot of diverse areas. I lived in South City near the Botanical Gardens and South Grand for a few years.

Live in Chesterfield, MO, now.

Lots of biking trails and parks.  Faust Park/ Butterfly House is one we frequent.  Has a merry-go-round.  www.stlouisco.com/Parks-and-Recreation/Park-Pages/Faust

[Deleted]

The City Museum is amazing.
Sauce on the Side is a fantastic calzone restaurant.

The summer weather is the absolute worst I have ever experienced. Have you ever felt a heat index of 129? Because holy fuck.

[jenna]

Super cute home goods store

www.facebook.com/stl.rescuedfurnishings/

Facebook Page to find local contractors if you buy a home and need help.

www.facebook.com/groups/HandymanSTL/

[jenna]

www.thestlouiswheel.com/ -- Just opened, haven't been yet, but have heard good things

www.sodafountain-stl.com/

www.stlmag.com/dining/soda-fountain-opens-at-st-louis-union-station/

An aquarium is supposed to open, soon.

[carmenere]

My family lived in St. Louis for five generations (before my dad took a job in central MO and I eventually moved to the south for good). My mom grew up in St. Charles and I visit there every year. If we weren’t planted here because of H’s family I would definitely move back to the St. Louis area.

I don’t know the area as well as some of the PPs and they’ve given some good insights. Did anyone mention that the zoo is FREE?! Forest Park is nice. Also the aquarium and other things planned for union station look really cool, and I’m excited that St. Louis is getting a MLS team. The city where I live recently got a team and it has been really amazing for the community.

[dirtyred]

Also chiming in to rec the Illinois side. Property taxes are higher, but you'll get WAY more house for your money. Columbia has very highly ranked schools (yes, it's very white but is becoming more diverse) and is close to South county shopping and SLU.

[jlt19]

Nov 23, 2019 15:07:40 GMT -5 sproctopus said:

I love St. Louis-- born and raised there. It's incredibly family friendly, and many attractions are free.

I hate when people recommend St. Charles (and really West Co) for St. Louis living. St. Charles isn't St. Louis and really has the population it does today because of white flight (same for West County) in the early 90s. There are plenty of great places to live inside the counties of St. Louis. I also think that if the job is at SLU, there are lots of good options near there for living.

Well to be fair white flight to the county started around WWII. I just think the population has grown and yes pushed further west and south. Now Wentzville and Imperial are getting huge and they were the country 20years ago.

I grew up in South County, South City, and now live in St. Charles. We moved here because of the year round schools (that are gone). When they stopped that we would have moved back south but our equity tanked. Now that we're back positive, we have friends and the kids are established out here, not to mention DHs job. But my commute to South City sucks daily and will only get worse if I take a job downtown.

[jlt19]

Nov 23, 2019 20:27:11 GMT -5 dirtyred said:

Also chiming in to rec the Illinois side. Property taxes are higher, but you'll get WAY more house for your money. Columbia has very highly ranked schools (yes, it's very white but is becoming more diverse) and is close to South county shopping and SLU.

And pot is legal 😉

[Pibs]

Husband is from STL and I love visiting. I love Ted Drewes and other custard, toasted ravioli, the butterfly garden, the zoo (it also has holiday lights). I feel like when we go the brewery and restaurant scene is expanding which is nice. Budweiser is actually good in STL, especially at a Cardinals game. The Blues are fun to watch and like others have said soon to be MLS. City Museum is super fun even for adults.

I'm going to make husband take me to someplace for Provel when we're there for the holidays this year! The inlaws really like Muny and the symphony.

Plus traffic there is a breeze compared to Portland. We were there a couple years ago and nervous about making dinner in rush hour traffic until we ended up going like, 55mph. We would have been at a crawl here in PDX.

One thing you might want to look into since you've got kids is the west lake landfill fire. It sounds bad to me and my inlaws are upset since they're a town or two over, but I'm not sure what the real deal is.

ETA:  Oh!  And we got engaged at the Botanical Garden.   

[sproctopus]

Nov 23, 2019 23:27:34 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Nov 23, 2019 15:07:40 GMT -5 sproctopus said:

I love St. Louis-- born and raised there. It's incredibly family friendly, and many attractions are free.

I hate when people recommend St. Charles (and really West Co) for St. Louis living. St. Charles isn't St. Louis and really has the population it does today because of white flight (same for West County) in the early 90s. There are plenty of great places to live inside the counties of St. Louis. I also think that if the job is at SLU, there are lots of good options near there for living.

Well to be fair white flight to the county started around WWII. I just think the population has grown and yes pushed further west and south. Now Wentzville and Imperial are getting huge and they were the country 20years ago.

I grew up in South County, South City, and now live in St. Charles. We moved here because of the year round schools (that are gone). When they stopped that we would have moved back south but our equity tanked. Now that we're back positive, we have friends and the kids are established out here, not to mention DHs job. But my commute to South City sucks daily and will only get worse if I take a job downtown.

Yes. The point I was really trying to make, although maybe not well, wasn't so much city vs county. People (in general) often suggest St. Charles and West County and they are the whitest places to live in that area. Rarely does anyone suggest South City or North County-- and those places have a lot to offer too.

[RoxMonster]

I've been a visitor to STL a few times (living a few hours away in IL), and every time I've gone, I've thoroughly enjoyed it! Like many others have mentioned, I was shocked at how much cool stuff was totally free! The zoo is awesome, we loved the whole Forest Park area. We saw a musical at The Muny (in some of the worst hot and humid weather EVER but it was still neat!)

On another trip, we saw a concert at The Pageant and stayed at the hotel next door (forget the name of it now), but that whole area was neat to walk around in as well.

[jlt19]

Nov 24, 2019 10:50:25 GMT -5 susquehanna said:

I don't personally know anything about St. Louis. However, one of my neighbors here in suburban Pittsburgh grew up in Webster Groves and she graduated from Nerinx Hall in Webster Groves. She talks a lot about how much she misses all of this. I'm under the impression that this was some sort of affluent area, the way that she talks it up so much. 

It is because it's expensive and highly desirable. Close to major hwys and the city, gorgeous homes with a lot of character and walkable restaurant/bar areas (though Kirkwood is better for this and right next to Webster). Nerinx is a private girls HS so anyone can go there if they pay.

[jlt19]

Nov 23, 2019 15:57:13 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

I have a 10yo dd. We moved here from NC when she was 7yo.

We live in the city in South City and love it.

We’re 3 minutes from her school, 10 minutes from my work, and 20 minutes to his work.

Her school is fantastic. I loved the one we left in NC more, but I’ve been very happy with her current school. It’s helped her thrive in math, it’s incredibly diverse in both staff and students, and she’s made great friends.

I love living actually in the city because we can do so many amazing things. If we lived in the county, we wouldn’t do half the stuff we do now because of the drive.

In the summer, she goes to day camp at the science center, the zoo (which includes an overnight!), ranger camp at the Y, and a few other great options. We wouldn’t be able to fit those into our schedule if we lived in the county.

Plus, Cardinals games on a whim, soon to be xfl and mls games, movies on Art Hill, pedal boats in Forest Park, laughing at the trolley on Delmar, and we’re a short walk from Clementine’s creamery so it’s easy to grab while out walking the dog.

In the winter, ice skating under the Arch, Blues hockey games on a whim, sledding on Art Hill. We started a Christmas morning tradition here of ice skating at Steinberg’s after we open presents.

She’s been in the Kids Club for the Cardinals and the Blues. The extra perks being that she got to paint a city bus, run the bases, paint the ice, meet some players, and get some autographs.

For adults, I love the Muny, Fab Fox Theater, so many restaurant options, the bike trails, the awesome parks, the Pageant, dinner on The Hill, and having everything so close.

There’s a difference between living in the city and the county. Both have perks and draw backs, but they’re not the same. I, like pp, get annoyed when people suggest them as if they are.

You live right by my sister in laws coffee shop!

[pinkalicious]

I know nothing about St. Louis except that I have 2 amazing referral partner realtors there. 1 works both the Illinois and Missouri sides, the other is strictly Missouri. If you’ll need someone there, please let me know, I’ll be happy to get you in touch with one of them. They are both top agents, and highly recommended by many agents.

[macmars45]

The museums and zoo etc are free because you pay taxes for them as a resident. Same as library, police & fire. As a visitor, yes they are completely free. My sister & BIL lived in St Louis for 5 years so all I know I get from them. I only visited once personally. Unfortunately for me I visited with a healing sprained ankle so that hindered my ability to do things.

[jlt19]

Nov 24, 2019 15:13:31 GMT -5 macmars45 said:

The museums and zoo etc are free because you pay taxes for them as a resident. Same as library, police & fire. As a visitor, yes they are completely free. My sister & BIL lived in St Louis for 5 years so all I know I get from them. I only visited once personally. Unfortunately for me I visited with a healing sprained ankle so that hindered my ability to do things.

St. Louis City tax is actually paid by everyone that works within city limits not just residents. And it's 1% so, not outrageous. I'm sure real estate taxes also pay for these amenities as well but I've never heard of anyone complaining about the amounts. This isn't a European vs. US tax difference here. I would venture to guess they're a lot less than some of the county tax rates in certain areas.

[macmars45]

Nov 24, 2019 15:20:27 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Nov 24, 2019 15:13:31 GMT -5 macmars45 said:

The museums and zoo etc are free because you pay taxes for them as a resident. Same as library, police & fire. As a visitor, yes they are completely free. My sister & BIL lived in St Louis for 5 years so all I know I get from them. I only visited once personally. Unfortunately for me I visited with a healing sprained ankle so that hindered my ability to do things.

St. Louis City tax is actually paid by everyone that works within city limits not just residents. And it's 1% so, not outrageous. I'm sure real estate taxes also pay for these amenities as well but I've never heard of anyone complaining about the amounts. This isn't a European vs. US tax difference here. I would venture to guess they're a lot less than some of the county tax rates in certain areas.

I didn't say it was bad and I had no idea how much the tax is or who exactly pays it. My sister & BIL were residents and paid so I assumed it was just residents. I'd love it if all cities approached it this way, personally.

[zelda25]

Nov 23, 2019 15:39:29 GMT -5 jackie011 said:

While I haven’t lived there in over 15 years, I was born and raised in St. Louis and, personally, think it was a pretty great place to grow up! I grew up in Chesterfield and attended (and taught in) Parkway Schools. My sister and her husband bought a home in the Rockwood district, and I don’t think you can go wrong with either one. I have noticed that the Olivette area is really getting more popular with friends who work downtown or more central, like Clayton. Kirkwood is also very popular. It’s all about budget and the type of community you want to find. There are so many great neighborhoods in the city limits, too. (The places I mentioned are in St. Louis County, which doesn’t include the actual city of St. Louis.)

Growing up in St Louis jaded me as far as paying for culture, as Forest Park is home to the zoo, science center, history museum, art museum, and more and is all free and wonderful! Sports are HUGE, the Cardinals (baseball) and Blues (hockey) are very popular and I know there is an MLS (soccer) team coming soon. There are wonderful restaurants and shops and lots of character all over town. You’re not far from Chicago or Kansas City for weekend getaways and in the summer the Lake of the Ozarks is a fun trip.

I graduated from Parkway South

Sent from my SM-G960U using proboards

[ellipses84]

It’s a lovely Midwest city with a lot of amenities. We have family/friends that live near there. The ones near the city choose to live on the Illinois side, which is a short commute, and they are from another city in IL originally. The others are maybe an hour + from the city in smaller cities/towns in Missouri, and it’s definitely more rural, whether they are 10 minutes from a town or 30 minutes from a town on a lot of land. One just built their dream house on land for what I consider really cheap! It definitely gets hot/humid in the summer (and even spring). I remember visiting there and being surprised by it, although I later lived in a humid southern city where it never really bothered me much.

[Patsy Baloney]

Another thing to add - you’re on a great train line from St. Louis to Chicago. My brother’s family and my family do this fun thing where they get on in St. Louis, we get on in Springfield and meet them on the train, and we all ride up to Chicago for a long weekend together.

This area is pretty cool because you’re never too far from the nearest big city, if that makes sense?

[eport]

I grew up in the St. Charles area. My parents moved out that way from North County when my dad got a job out that way.

I love the St. Louis metro area. Everything is so accessible for families. People above covered so much. I would like to re-highlight The Muny. Each summer they do 7 musicals and they are of the highest quality. Over the years, I have seen celebrities, locals, Tony award winners on that stage and for theater, it is so affordable. There are even 1500 free seats at EVERY performance that are first come, first serve. I have seen theater elsewhere and this is still my favorite place to go see theater. There is something quite magical about watching live theater while the sun is setting/under the stars.

While visiting, go to the Hill (Italian neighborhood) and get toasted ravoli and provel cheese on a salad. There's some really good Bosnian restaurants too.

I agree about St. Charles being waaaay too white and most of it started with white flight. My brother and I both chose to attend Catholic high schools on the St. Louis side of the river. Our high schools (I went to an all-girls school [Incarnate Word] and my brother chose an all boys school) were way more racially diverse than the public school we were slotted to attend. Our friends lived all over the metro area: city, county, various suburbs. At the time, our friends there thought we lived way country. Now the suburbs go out even further.

Find a neighborhood that is right for you. St. Louisians are a tribal bunch so the part of the metro area where you live becomes an identifier of sorts, even for people who move away (especially for my NorCo [north county] friends).

Also, be prepared for people to ask where you went to high school. It's a thing, really. St. Louis people ask this question, it helps identify how you might know a person-ie my brother's girlfriends' counsin's mom went there or we played you guys in X. *Rolls eyes*

[circa1978]

I grew up in the St. Louis metro area (west county, haters) and moved back here 10 years ago for my H to take a job. We thought we'd only stay a few years and here we are. If anything, my H, who is from Chicago and spent most of his adult life in NYC, loves it more than I do.

In addition to what others have said, St. Louis also has a really active cultural and food scene and is a hot place for tech startups. Our symphony is both awesome and accessible to children. There are tons of theatre venues and we get a fair number of artists through our large venues and small clubs. Chicago is an amazing food city and a lot of people leave there to open restaurants in STL because its' more affordable, so we've got a thriving food culture too.

We have two excellent research/medical schools and some of the best-rated hospitals. Having lived in other areas of the country (Florida and Chicago) I realized I took that for granted growing up here. Fantastic children's hospitals.

One thing that surprised my husband when we relocated here (in addition to the affordable cost of living/housing stock, which will probably be a pleasant surprise if you are moving from a bigger metro area) is the private school culture. Although public schools are very good in many areas of the region, it's very common among a certain demographic to have your child or children in a prep school or Catholic school (even if you aren't Catholic). Where you choose to send your child to school tells people in STL a lot, which is why just about everyone will ask you where YOU went to high school - it's the way people here decide where you fit socioeconomically.

The other thing to note that is a little weird is that the city of St. Louis is independent of the county of St. Louis. (I think Baltimore is another example of this but it's pretty rare.) A lot of people (including me) think it should merge but it can throw off certain statistics, like crime, income and population in comparison to other cities. You want to consider the metro area as a whole when thinking of those things, rather than the city, because the bulk of the region's population is technically in St. Louis County (and now a few adjoining counties.)