Looking to move to St. Louis area - Page 2

[Marsupialmom]

I would also call around UMSL for housing. I live in Florissant and love it. Hazelwood is good also. The problem will be the drive. If you live in the North County area that morning and after school commute will be a @#$#@ . I would look into Maplewood/Brentwood area. If my kids were going to school were yours are. If you google "Brentwood Promenade Court, Brentwood, MO" You will find the area I am talking about. That Shopping mall has a Trader Joe's, not to far from an Aldies, Target, metro-link connection.

Cordell Hill would be good -- traffic to school a little stressful but not for as long if you live farther north. The traffic is why I would pefer Maplewood, Webster Groves, area of St. Louis.  

Originally Posted by fairejour

How is the area north of I-70 around "Normandy" (is that an area?) or "c" (Maybe "Northwoods", I have no idea, I'm reading this off a map)? This is where an apartment we are looking at is. It seems to be outside the city, towards the north.

Edited by Marsupialmom - 12/13/10 at 3:23pm

[stlmomof2]

I really have to say that "North County" is not unsafe.  There are large, healthy, safe, middle class suburbs up there that happen to be inhabited by large numbers of African Americans.  There are poor areas which are probably less safe, but that would be true of South county as well.  

You'd have a hard time finding any unsafe parts of south county, while north county is mixed but has quite a few unsafe areas.  And if you lived there, you'd inevitably end up driving through bad areas a lot, even if you lived in a nice area.  If you look at where the murders happen in the St. Louis area, it's mostly the city (north, south, central), north county, and the metro east.

[RiverTam]

 I don't agree that North County or the Illinois side are dangerous, but  if you want to check crime statistics for St. Louis County, you can do so through the St. Louis County Police Dept. website:

http://maps.stlouisco.com/police/

It's really unfair to equate a neighborhood like Edwardsville, Illinois (ranked one of the best 10 places to live in the US by Family Circle magazine with East St. Louis and to say that "the Metro-East is dangerous."

And to suggest that someone shouldn't live in Edwardsville or any other neighborhood, because they might have to drive past East St. Louis on their way to work or school is beyond ridiculous. It's not like there are marauding zombie hordes that attack cars on the highway on a regular basis. 

[greenmagick]

oh be afraid of the murders!  Dont even take into account how many are NOT random.  There is safe, and there is paranoid or perhaps even something else going on here.  

And I live in south county, definitely not my favorite part of the metro area.  Its sprawly, not very eclectic and more.  I feel safe here sure, but I felt just as safe in south city and u city...oh and in florissant and ferguson and st ann where my dad has lived.  

[Tobeborn]

Originally Posted by RiverTam 

And to suggest that someone shouldn't live in Edwardsville or any other neighborhood, because they might have to drive past East St. Louis on their way to work or school is beyond ridiculous. It's not like there are marauding zombie hordes that attack cars on the highway on a regular basis. 

Thanks RiverTam, I had a good laugh at that :)  I use highway 70 to get from my place in north county to south city and south county, which takes me through north city. I have to say, I never think about what could happen.  If I did, I might never go anywhere.  I have a feeling that a lot of folks who think certain areas are super scary have never actually spent any time in those areas.  

Agreed Greenmagick, a vast majority of the murders are not random.  And like I said before, being afraid of being a victim of a random crime seems silly to me.   You do your best to protect yourself and your family, and you can't worry about the random chance that something might happen.

[stlmomof2]

I'm not saying that I'm really scared of places like north county, south city, and the metro east (I work in NC every week day, lived in SC for most of my life) but that it's disingenuous to say that these places as safe as south county.  Based upon statistics, they are not.  And based upon statistics, the few murders that occur in south county and west county are nonrandom (e.g. estranged ex husband kills ex wife).  The other places have a lot more crime like shootings where innocent people get caught in crossfire or are victims of robbery/larceny.  To a woman who would caring for her children without a spouse, it makes sense to just admit, "South county and west county are the safe places in St. Louis," even if it seems unPC or racist.   

[greenmagick]

Ok, if one ONLY looks at the metro area in general areas, sure, statistically west and south county are safer.  We are not doing that...we are talking specific neighborhoods and areas, most of which being recommended are just as safe as anywhere else.  That is the point.  It is disingenuous to say certain neighborhoods in south city, dogtown, etc are not safe because they are not south or west county.  I used to work in Ronnies Plaza,...I felt I was way more at risk driving home from there then I ever do driving on the interstate through ESTL.  There are a ton of teenagers who drink and then cruise and race up and down lindbergh.  I know of multiple fatal car crashed involving kids at lindbergh highschool in just the last several years....so I could say anyplace around there is totally not safe for a single mom.  There are also a lot of drugs in west and south county...and meth I know is pretty rampant in south county...definitely not safe.  Kirkwood is often recommended as one of the best places to live in the area (and I agree its lovely) but lets see, not only was there a random shoot out at a council meeting, there was also a kidnapping pedophile living there...oh yeah, speaking of pedophiles, have you searched areas of west and south county for registered sex offenders?  I dont want to keep going on because it may sound to the OP like nowhere is safe and that is just not true.  However, St. Louis is a large metro area so there are a lot of people all smooshed together, crime happens.

Looking at the OPs needs...budget friendly, school and hospital around kingshighway and 40, etc I am sorry, most areas in south and west county are not practical.  The neighborhoods mentioned, especially like Dogtown, parts of Maplewood and U.City even, etc are very safe and family friendly.