urbanSTL

kromers451 wrote:How decent is the area north of Calvary Cemetery and southeast of Riverview Blvd/Dr., North Riverfront Park?



Any good housing in that general area? Safe?

That is a very rough area, my friend. I was just up there (Lillian @ Arlington) with Boeing/Rebuilding Together rehabbing the house of a very lovely elderly women. Unfortunately, the neighborhood is very bad. A couple of the other homes that were to be renovated had to be nixed because the volunteers were being threatened by the trash in the neighborhood. You could tell that Union @ Lillian was once a bustling urban center as it has various brick store fronts and probably facilitated street cars and regular autos with ease.

^they all do!

ttricamo wrote:

Moorlander wrote:Juice,

If you're living in Dogtown, I assume you'll likely be shopping at the schnucks on Clayton and the Wal-mart in Maplewood.



Take the fam to turtle park, and a stroll down Demund.

That Wal-Mart blows.

The Sam's Club is better and where I stock up on staples. Any Wal-mart generally isn't great, but products are cheap there. Target is a bit better.

Hey! I finally moved and I finally got to get my new user name! (thanks MattnSTL)

Congrats, Juice. I know it's been a long, strange trip.



City population +3.

That it has, Framer, and thank you

I wish I would have read this topic earlier.



There's an easy rule of thumb for the city: The borders of most officially designated neighborhoods are completely arbitrary, so those meaningless neighborhood designations shouldn't be used to measure things like crime or home value.



I live in Dutchtown, but that doesn't mean much. The neighborhood, which happens to be one to the largest in area in the city, varies considerably from one end to the other. Just because there is lots of drug crime in one pocket several blocks away means nothing. (After all, there's plenty of nastiness -- perhaps a good deal more -- that's much closer to the most desireable addresses in the city: Portand and Westmoreland; Hawthorne and Longfellow; Shaw Place; and Benton Place to name a few)



So, when making sweeping and general comments about the safety of a place and -- by implication -- whether infanticide is a big problem there, please try to be a tad more geographically precise. Some neighborhoods are homogenously upscale and safe or homogenously crummy and murderous, but most vary block to block. Just like the city generally.

Well I've been reading this board for a while now and figured I should jump in with a post. My wife and I are considering putting an offer in for a house in TGE, close to the intersection of Sidney and Virginia. We're fairly new to St. Louis, we don't know a ton about the area. It looks like there are some really nice homes in TGE if you stay west of Compton, but there are plenty of run down places too. Also, while my wife loves the idea of city living and I'm certainly interested, I'm having a hard time shaking some of the fears left from my suburban upbringing. We're in UCity now and love the area, but can't afford to buy there. Can anyone fill me in on life in TGE (Walkability, Safety, etc)? Thanks.

mudu wrote:Well I've been reading this board for a while now and figured I should jump in with a post. My wife and I are considering putting an offer in for a house in TGE, close to the intersection of Sidney and Virginia. We're fairly new to St. Louis, we don't know a ton about the area. It looks like there are some really nice homes in TGE if you stay west of Compton, but there are plenty of run down places too. Also, while my wife loves the idea of city living and I'm certainly interested, I'm having a hard time shaking some of the fears left from my suburban upbringing. We're in UCity now and love the area, but can't afford to buy there. Can anyone fill me in on life in TGE (Walkability, Safety, etc)? Thanks.

I'm surprised none of our TGE posters has chimed in yet...

DeBaliviere wrote:

mudu wrote:Well I've been reading this board for a while now and figured I should jump in with a post. My wife and I are considering putting an offer in for a house in TGE, close to the intersection of Sidney and Virginia. We're fairly new to St. Louis, we don't know a ton about the area. It looks like there are some really nice homes in TGE if you stay west of Compton, but there are plenty of run down places too. Also, while my wife loves the idea of city living and I'm certainly interested, I'm having a hard time shaking some of the fears left from my suburban upbringing. We're in UCity now and love the area, but can't afford to buy there. Can anyone fill me in on life in TGE (Walkability, Safety, etc)? Thanks.

I'm surprised none of our TGE posters has chimed in yet...

Me too. We're going to take a second look at the property tonight and I'd love to hear an insider's perspective. So far, all our friends here cringe when they hear we're looking in the Tower Grove area.

Well, I lived for a few years in Tower Grove South and really liked it - and it's even better now.



We have several friends who live in TGE and are very happy. Like you said, parts of it are still a little transitional, but everyone I know who has moved there has been glad they did.

Sydney and Virginia is where the community garden is (so you get a lot of positive foot traffic and eyes) and also where the old Einstmann House is located (currently abandoned, but being actively pursued by the neighborhood association). Also, you have Barnett's Market right there which is a little bit ghetto, but I have never had a problem (there is usually a cop in there and the workers are nice) and you really get a cross section of the neighborhood patronizing it. I think that definitely you want to stay west of Compton in TGE, but the neighborhood is great. You are right at S. Grand, Tower Grove Park, and about 2 miles from Soulard Market and even closer to Lafayette Square. I have lived in the area for about three years and know many many of my neighbors. The neighborhood association is very active, there are lots of young couples around. Van Gohz martini bar and the just-opened Shaved Duck are great assets to the neighborhood. We also have KDHX (at least for now), Stray Dog Theater, and lots of intelligent and friendly neighbors. Fortunately there have not been the high profile shootings that TGS has had lately in TGE, but there is crime. Your basic city bullsh*t (if you have a garage you won't have to deal with the vast majority of crime in the neighborhood) and the occasional stick-up or burglary (rare). The housing stock is fantastic, and the neighborhood is stable and only getting better. The safest parts of the neighborhood IMO are Shenandoah between Compton and Grand, as well as basically everything west of Compton down to about Arsenal. I encourage you to buy in TGE, it is a great neighborhood with a very bright future.

What neighborhood is nicknamed Dogtown?



Franz Park or Clayton-Tamm?



Never mind, explaination here (fourth paragraph):



http://stlouis.missouri.org/claytontamm/

I have discovered that living in the city, I no longer have a need for Wal Mart, because enough options are out there, and Wal mart just isn't as convenient as it used to be. I'm loving it. My wife loves it too because she knows how bad I hate Wal Mart. They bother me so bad because they seem to have the Ameren state of mind; we have no competition, so we can do what we want. I think Ameren has excellent customer service but their rate increases are ridiculous.



Any way, just throwing it out there. Now it's Save-A-Lot, Shop N' Save, Target, Schnucks, and Walgreens. All chains still, but all (I think Shop N Save is in Maplewood) A) Not Wal Mart and B) in the city.

Well, for what it is worth, I just moved into my first home in TGS (off Juniata) four days ago. I love it! Coming from West County (like 10 years ago), then Dogtown and most recently Brentwood, there is no doubt that TGS is different…but almost entirely for the better. Granted I’ve only slept in my home Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday night, but I feel like I have so many more options living there…if not for the park alone. Anyways, probably my only complaint would be how the area goes from being so established to so crummy in all of about 2 miles. night and day difference.

I moved to Fox Park in the city from St Charles a year and a half ago and love it. Its still affordable and the neighbors are awesome. It is still up and coming but its in a great location. I would definitely check out Fox Park if you are looking for a house in the city.

I think...Anything within a few minutes walking distance of morganford or the south grand business district is a great investment...walkability to vitality.

JuiceInDogtown wrote:What is the most walkable, and still safe neighborhood in the city? Soulard? The Hill? Where I live in Dogtown is somewhat walkable, but not really. I can't really walk to groceries...I live only a few blocks from Dogtown Liquor where we get milk, ice, etc, which is right by Seamus McD's, Felix's, Cardea's etc...but the walk isn't very convenient. West Park is down a hill then up a hill and it has no sidewalks, and we aren't the type of people to walk through other people's yards.



We may be looking to move (again) in a few months, and renting again. We were thinking of going contract-for-deed somewhere, but we haven't decided (or know) what we will be able to afford in a few years regarding schools for my son. I have no issue with Dogtown at all, in fact, I love Dogtown, great location all around, but I figure if we are going to move to get some more room in 6 months or so, may as well experience another part of the city.



We have a house in Dogtown, but it has no storage whatsoever (no shed, garage, etc) and it's only 750 sq. ft....so tiny.

What is your timeframe? My house could be for rent. I live three doors down from St. Ambrose on the Hill, and I find the Hill to be one of the most walkable neighborhoods in the city. PM me for details.

I also second Carondelet and Tower Grove South.

Any thoughts on Olivette? We'd like to get in the Ladue school district and most of Olivette seems to be part of it. Seemed like a nice area when we drove through... larger lots with a mix of 50's ranches and some new construction, right off 170, lots of parks. Didn't give off the suburbia vibe, at least what we saw.