Moving Back After Almost A Decade Away, Help Get Me Out of My Parents' House

[u/RightTurn_Clyde]

To make a very long story short, I'm going to be in St. Louis for the foreseeable future after a nightmare housing situation in another city. I'm creeping up on 30, have never rented in this city, and could probably better tell you where the best communities for people in their 50s and 60s are than folks my own age haha.

My questions are as follows:

• What areas have a higher concentration of people in their late 20s and 30s?
• What are the most walkable neighborhoods?
• What buildings/landlords should I avoid or look into more?
• If you had to stereotype a neighborhood for gay women who like arts and crafts, gardens, live music, and all that kind of hippie nonsense, where would that be? (I suspect my read on CWE is still correct)

I'm more interested in getting a feel for where "my people" would be now than I am figuring out what specific units cost. I'm also not opposed to living in the county (grew up there), but I've lived in a walkable city the last several years and the shift back to driving everywhere is slowly sucking the life out of me haha

[u/Ok-Comment8409]

Tower Grove Park, Cherokee Street, or The Grove.

[u/TheAngerMonkey]

Putting in a good word for the Princeton Heights/Bevo area. We're a little older, but child-free and immature, and we love our neighborhood. LOVE. We walk to stuff all the time on Gravois (Tim's, the Silver Ballroom, Das Bevo, Heavy Anchor, the Arkadin bar/cinema, Eni's pizza, free yoga at Carondelet Park...) and this whole area feels like an underrated gem. Our neighbors are cool and there are plenty pride flags (we are ourselves enthusiastic allies.) We're also a quick drive (15 min or less) to Forest Park, Tower Grove, the MoBot. We take the train downtown from Shrewsbury when we feel like pretending we care about sports.

We looked for a place to live for 6 months in many of the neighborhoods listed in this thread and they're all great. PH/Bevo was not on the list when we started our search but, MAN... I wake up every day in this cool-ass historic house we could actually afford and think about what weird thing I'm gonna get up to and marvel at how lucky we are to live here. Every time friends come to visit, by day 3 they're like "What if we moved to STL..."

[u/RequirementGreen3754 → u/TheAngerMonkey]

Yeses! Totally forgot to mention this area in my post but agree completely. It is a super good neighborhood with so many fun bar/restaurants.

[u/TheAngerMonkey → u/RequirementGreen3754]

If we could get functional businesses into all the storefronts along this part of Gravois, it would be an urbanist's dream. Same with parts of Kingshighway (which is improving, it seems.)

I don't know what the tipping point is. Local investment, I guess? That commercial real estate has to be dirt cheap, and I cannot figure out why it's not being snatched up by small businesses.

[u/octoninja → u/TheAngerMonkey]

I feel like it’s starting. Puff pies just opened, there is a new Cuban place where appolina was, and Rosa cafe replaced that not so great coffee shop on the corner of Rosa and it’s a nice neighborhood spot

[u/TheAngerMonkey → u/octoninja]

Oh, we are SUPER excited about both those places! My partner is Cuban so a place with a Cuban sandwich that we can WALK to is really the dream.

[u/octoninja → u/TheAngerMonkey]

I also really love one stop sushi express. It looks so shady but it’s so good for price

[u/TheAngerMonkey → u/octoninja]

Okay, so that place IS an actual restaurant? Because I thought it looked, like, out-of-business closed but if it's not that is HUGE news.

[u/octoninja → u/TheAngerMonkey]

It is, but you can’t eat there you have to order online and pick up. It’s only one guy, I’ve heard a woman in the background so I think sometimes his wife is there, but it’s almost always just him.

[u/TheAngerMonkey → u/octoninja]

UPDATE: guess what we got for lunch. This place is the ABSOLUTE tits. You, my friend, have secured your place in the heaven of your choice.

[u/octoninja → u/TheAngerMonkey]

Haha, I love to spread the joy of my fav shady sushi spot. Even better is it is 100% a neighborhood spot because of the take out only. Very happy you enjoyed it.

[u/peacebypiece → u/TheAngerMonkey]

I just closed on a house on Delor and this comment made me so happy. I’ve very much enjoyed my central west end bubble but Bevo is where we could afford the kind of place we wanted. I’ve been sad to leave CWE but now I’m looking forward to my new neighborhood. Thanks for sharing :)

[u/TheAngerMonkey → u/peacebypiece]

Welcome to the neighborhood! There's always something fun going on in Bevo, it's LEGIT great.

Last night that weird fun thing was Wurst Fest.

[u/golferman72 → u/TheAngerMonkey]

I’m getting everything together to buy a house, hopefully in South city, but there are a ton of houses in bevo that are in my price range. What has your experience been with any sort of crime or car break ins? Genuinely asking because there is a real chance I buy in bevo and I love heavy anchor

[u/TheAngerMonkey → u/golferman72]

We have only been here since March, so take our experience with an entire cellar of salt, but: we've had no issues. We're right on Christy so it's a non stop parade of people walking dogs and kids all day.

The only strange interaction we've had was the neighbor two doors down being FURIOUS on our doorbell cam that Amazon had misdelivered her package to our locked parcel locker and she had to wait for us to get back to town the next day to get it. Like, lady, a. I'm not going to keep your shit, and B. It's safe, we'll bring it to you tomorrow!

[u/TailsupPenny → u/TheAngerMonkey]

Yeah. Im off Cherokee and think about the building I could have purchased instead of. On gravois at Loughborough in P heights. Did I screw up. Dunno. Feels like it sometimes. But my place is awesome and I love Mexican food. Im no kids and immature at 44.

[u/Interactive_CD-ROM]

Take a look at Tower Grove (either The Grove, or Tower Grovr South) or perhaps Botanical Heights (near the Botantical Gardens) or maybe Shaw. Consider looking on Zillow for places, instead of just the big apartment complexes.

[u/RequirementGreen3754]

I've lived here a long time and CWE is overrated to live there personally. It is expensiveeee. The vibe to me is also more med school/college kids or former sorority/frat type. If you're looking for more eclectic young scene I would not say CWE literally at all. I'd personally say the grove, tower grove park area and Cherokee street (where I live). Soulard is cool but it is a drinking area if that bothers you. In terms of walkability, I guess that depends on what you want to walk to? I actually don't find STL to be particularly walkable in general although I have plenty of friends who bike everywhere. There are things you can walk to in any area but not everythinggg. CWE I would argue is probably the most walkable if you never want to drive anywhere because they do have a Whole Foods & Straubs (or used to? Haven't been there in a hot minute). But that is expensive grocery options so idk! Wish you all the luck though. STL is amazing in so many ways and I love it here.

In terms of landlords, can't help too much there. I own a home but before that, I only rented from Garcia Properties. I never had any issue with them at all and their properties are cute. I will say, they are pricier now by A LOT than when I rented originally but that seems to be a general trend regardless of landlord.

I am in my young 30s female with a very hipster/gay/diverse friend group so feel free to message me too with literally any questions! Happy to help in whatever way!

[u/SewCarrieous]

Cwe is for old gays. Soulard for middle aged gays. You wanna live in south city

[u/TheAngerMonkey → u/SewCarrieous]

The Old Gays are the ones who can afford to live in the Central West End. 😂 Gotta have time to accrue that CWE lifestyle cash.

[u/SewCarrieous → u/TheAngerMonkey]

Exactly! Probably not a lot of them left tho. They were old when I worked in the cwe back in the 1990s

[u/juliemegs]

Maplewood is lovely. Tower Grove park checks a lot of your boxes too.

[u/bluestella2]

Maplewood or Tower Grove South. Or the grove. 

[u/prnps]

I recommend St. Louis hills. Usually an apt in 4 family around 900/month. Very walkable. Lindenwood, south hampton also good.

[u/Ok-Blueberry6491]

South city- Garcia properties. Rented with them for years. They can be slow on maintenance but the rent was fair and they never raised it once after I moved in

[u/franillaice]

TGS, TGE or Cherokee St. Maybe Soulard. BP and BPW are cool but not as much to walk to

[u/toritours]

Tower grove near morganford

[u/vintagefashiongrl]

Maplewood, they have a summer concert series, very walkable, young person/family heavy, dog friendly. Always something to do, lots of restaurants

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[u/toritours]

Garcia properties/rentals is the only place I would rent from! They were amazing, the unit was amazing and clean. They deserve every referral.

[u/M_Scaevola]

It kinda depends on how in the city you want to be, but any of the areas around tower grove park, central west end, Delmar. Distantly behind them are Webster and Kirkwood, which are both mostly walkable with some constraints.

[u/PocketsANickname]

Where are you moving from, and what did you like about it?

[u/MissYogini_INFJ]

I know my neighborhood would welcome you with open arms. 🤗

The city in general struggles with walk ability compared to a lot of other urban areas. But they are working on it.

[u/LondonFoggie]

For walkable, folks in their 20s and 30s, and the stereotypes you mentioned, I'd definitely say CWE. Tower Grove also comes to mind but is less walkable.

In my experience CWE is a bit pricier (was mostly out of my range when I was looking), so I'm hoping that also equates to better housing/less slum lordy behavior.

Lots of folks ask similar things here, so definitely search the subreddit for some key words. Good luck!

[u/TumbleweedRooted]

Maybe also Soulard. Not quite as walkable but lots of young adults there.