May move to St. Louis
 

I found a post from 9/00 about someone moving to the St. Louis area and found it quite useful. However, I wonder if anyone can update the information on real estate prices, school systems, etc. Has much changed since 9/00? We may be moving to the St. Louis area in the next year or so and it would be useful to have updated information. <BR>Thanks. <BR>

Bonnie, <BR> <BR>You don't say where you are moving from, so it's a little difficult to give you a comparison. I moved here from MS last year and I find it congested and expensive, but if you're moving from the East or West Coast you might find it peaceful and a bargain. There are all kinds of issues from taxes to housing prices that could affect your decision to live on the MO side or the IL side of the river. Where are you coming from?

Bonnie, <BR> We love St. Louis. My husband and I were both born in the NY area. He lived there through college. I have lived in NY, SC, and Chicago so I have a few places to compare it to. We chose to move and stay here. I agree with the above poster that in comparison to the coasts you will find St. Louis slower paced and less expensive (by far)and that compared to the South St. Louis is faster paced and more expensive. We have found it to be an excellent happy medium and a great place to raise children. We enjoy good schools, affordable housing and land,and lots of family friendly activities (sports, museums, zoo, theater, etc.) <BR> Though I don't know what info you have read, the quality of different school districts in St. Louis in '00 and now has not changed. The St. Louis Post Dispatch prints an extensive school district evaluation each year that you might find helpful. Contact them for a copy. Keep in mind that though Clayton and Ladue spend the most per student, that doesn't make them the best district for every child. Brentwood for example has an excellent reputation due to its small size allowing for more personalized attention especially in the upper grades. I would be happy to give you info. from our experiences if it would be helpful to you. <BR> Feel free to e-mail me if I can help answer any specific questions you might have. <BR> Good luck! <BR>Wendy

We are moving from the Northeast. We currently live in a neighborhood of &lt;10 year old homes and lots of kids of all ages. With some kids of my own, I think that would be a good start -- looking at neighborhoods with children. (we have 2 boys preteen and teen)who like sports among other things. <BR>What kind of acreage can be found around the homes? We have nearly three acres in our neighborhood. What are the taxes like in the St. Louis area? What kinds of major stores (shopping/home goods/food) are in the area? <BR>I've never been to St. Louis and I've heard the midwest is rather flatland. Is this true of the St. Louis area? We live on a hill overlooking a forested area, so how will St.L differ? <BR>Any advice on what to expect will be appreciated. Thanks.

yes, you're moving to a plains state. i suggest you check on line for a realtor for tax and home prices. as with any place the further you move out the more chance of finding larger lots. <BR>i'd check with dh/your co and see where others live, then check those communities. <BR>most school dists are on line and you can access them to check test scores, etc. don't know what part of the ne, but there is generally less snow, but hot and humid summers.

we move to st. louis three years ago and love it. we are in west county on a lot that is 1/2 acre with a hill that backs up to a creek and common ground so there are areas where there are homes on land. if you want rolling hills you could check out farther into west county in augusta, missouri area. some residential areas are springing up in that area and it is beautiful. disadvantage maybe if someone works downtown because drive from augusta to downtown would be 45 minutes on a good day. <BR> <BR>st. louis has all the malls and stores of any major city. lots of diversity with eats throughout city. great italian area (the hill) talked about in other posts. <BR> <BR>only update from 9/00 post would be that the downtown keeps getting better and better with extensive renovation.

Are there any developments in the area that aren't 1/2 acre? I thought that St. Louis was part of the wide open plains of mid-America. Gee, the thought of leaving 3 acres for 1/2 seems claustrophobic. <BR> <BR>Wendy, you said there was affordable housing and land where you live. In which town/area are you located?

Bonnie, <BR> I said that I think you will find the prices for land and homes "affordable" compared to North East metropolitan areas like NY or Boston. Land in rural areas is always less expensive ,like in rural Pennsylvania or even upstate NY. St.Louis is a city. It is not Little House on the Prairie. The further west you go in St. Louis, the less expensive the land is. Near west county is filled with new developments crowded together with little land (but lots of families and lots of kids). Check into St. Charles and St. Peters for possible larger lots as well as the suggestion you already received to look further west. A St. Louis realtor can give you all this info. as well as sample home prices and lot sizes. St. Louis has really sprawled in the last decade. I live closer east in the Ladue/Creve Coeur area. A 1 acre lot with a 10+ yr. old home can be purchased for in the $300's. This is a city (though a small one). Please don't expect a wide open plain. Barnes/Jewish Hospital (part of the Washington University Medical School complex) is yearly ranked as one of the top 10 hospitals in the US. We have major league baseball, football, and hockey teams. We have opera, theater,symphony orchestra,art,science and history museums. We don't have mountains but many areas are hilly. We don't have oceans but we do have lakes and rivers for water sports.There are plenty of parks with green space for a variety of activities.We may not be the fashion center of the world but you will find Saks,Neimans, Lord&Tylor,Sears, Penny's, as well as Famous Barr ( a May Co. store), and Dillards (a Texas based department store). Nordstram is opening soon. You would not be familiar with the names of our two main grocery chains (Dierbergs and Schnucks) but I believe you will find that the beef is better and less expensive here than in the NE, the produce is just as good, and the seafood is not as fresh. When you ask a realtor about taxes, you might also want to ask for info. on insurance rates (auto. is way lower here than we paid in the NY/NJ area), and utility rates (our water and electric are half of what we paid in the NY/NJ area).Oh, and entertainment prices tend to be less here also (check the web for sample ticket prices to theater, movies, sporting events, concerts). <BR> Good luck in your moving plans. A trip to St. Louis would go a long way in giving you a clearer picture of what this area really has to offer. <BR> <BR>Wendy <BR> <BR>