Please Help Me!!!! (St. Louis Relocation) - Saint Louis,MO

St. Louis is a large city with lots to offer. St. Louis City proper is downtown and midtown. St. Louis County covers a huge area and is broken up into North County, West County and South County. West County Center is in West St. Louis County in a nice suburban area. It is a large shopping development with Nordstroms, Macys and JCPenny's. There are plenty of apartment complexes nearby in either Ballwin, Kirkwood or Manchester (63021, 63011, 63122). All of those areas are within 10 or so minutes from West County Center. There are also daycare options within those areas. It just depends on if you want in home day care, a center, or preschool. The local school districts do offer half and full day preschool. Welcome to St. Louis from someone who has lived here all her life.

1 mom found this helpful

First of all BREATH........ Your husband's work will be 20 minutes from LOTS of places. Valley Park/Twin Oaks area will give you the most bang for your buck on housing and still be a great area. All the suggestions are great that you have been given. I'm sure you can contact anyone of us directly for moral support. I don't know the names of apartments but know there are some off of Big Bend at Hanna zip code I think is 63021. There is a day care there but I don't know anything about it. Contact me directly with questions if you want.

Des Peres has many wonderful things to offer. From there, you can get anywhere in St. Louis or St. Louis county with relative ease. Getting into down town St. Louis is still a bit complicated due to the Hwy. 40 shut down for reconstruction, but that is temporary. You could never be disappointed in the access you have to shopping. You can easily get to anything from Sax Fifth Avenue to Trader Joe's. The Legends is a wonderful community center right in the heart of Des Peres with a great variety of programs available. There is a beautiful cultural mix of people in this area and you are close to beautiful Queeny Park and Powder Valley Nature Center. A 20 minute drive from the West County Center can take you into neighborhoods with million dollar homes or neighborhoods with $75,000 condos. Most of them are very clean and beautiful.

I am a 10 to 20 minute ride away in a much less expensive neighborhood, Valley Park (zip is 63088). Near the intersection of Big Bend and Dougherty Ferry Road there is a beautiful variety of appartments and condos in an up and coming neighborhood. However, which side of Big Bend you land on will change the school district. If you like small schools with a small town sort of atmosphere, Valley Park does have its own very small school district. They provide wonderful pre-school programs and can boast of probably the best student/teacher ratio among public schools in the area. When my son attended the high school, the ratio was about 10-12 students per teacher. I think the largest class he attended had about 22 students. But, because it is so small, they do not have a football team. They do have baseball and soccer. So, if you want everything a larger district has to offer, Parkway is a very good district and the housing in Manchester is not much different.

I know many people who have moved here from Texas and found they truly enjoy this area better. I'd rather be in Seattle, myself, but I do appreciate much of what St. Louis has to offer. We have some really great Universities, one of the worlds 3 best botanical gardens, a fantastic zoo, a variety of great museums, and a fantastic variety of religious organizations and interfaith programs.

I moved several times the first five years we were married. Each time I was frightened. But, each turned out to be a great adventure. It will all work out!

J.,

Do not fear. West County is one of the best areas in St. Louis. Pretty much any town right arround Des Peres is a good area. We are in OFallon, MO which is about 20 minutes from Des Peres.

Hello, J.!

I don't really know much about West County in general. I moved here from Madison, WI, which for a State Capital and a Big Ten College Town, is pretty mild to St. Louis. I live in Hazelwood, which is in North County and love it here. I am in a really good residential area, even though the noise from the airport can be annoying. Especially at 4 am. LOL!

I have friends that live in Manchester and love it there. They were born and raised there. I like what I have seen of that and of Chesterfield. I think Kirkwood is beautiful but expensive.

The Kindercare System is wonderful. My daughter was with Kindercare when she was a baby/young toddler. She has also been with LaPetite Academy, which they have some great centers and some not so great centers. Having worked for LaPetite some years ago, my experience saw that they pick centers in a geographical area that are their favorites, and then forget about the other centers in that area. They do have a wonderful curriculum set up however. My daughter learned alot while she was there. Just make sure that you do your homework.

Good Luck!!!

Hi J.,

South County area is right off 270 and is about 15 minutes or so from Des Peres area- it is a nice area and have several wonderful housing and apartment neighborhoods.

If I am thinking correctly- Des Peres is a little pricier neighborhood- so it depends on your finances but South County would be really convienent drive wise and to anything else you would need. West County also has some nicer neighborhoods as well....depends on your budget!

Hello J.!!

First of all, calm down, you will be fine in St Louis.
I moved to St Louis from IN on 2007, and I am very happy living here. I think that the area where your husband will be relocated is very nice, but you will find close several places, safe and beautiful to live in. I am sure that you got pretty good responses here from moms and wives like yourself, I did not have time to read all the responses.
You can find very good places to live as far as 15 or 20 minutes from your husband's work. West County is a very nice and safe area and you will have access to many other different places to go. I really understand your fear because I have moved several times to different states, but what upset me the most was packing and get ready with two kids more than anything else!!. Nice people and nice neighbors are everywhere, so don't despair.
Des Peres, Town Country, Manchester, Ballwin, Ellisville, Chesterfield and Wildwood are very nice neighbors to live in.
Congratulations on your new moving, I know is not easy but it should not be so hard to support your husband's career. Remember is going to be your success too.
You and your family will be great here. Be patient, do not despair and start packing!
A.

You'll be fine, that is a good area of town. We aren't monsters up here. :)

Hi J.,
As the others have said, West County has some of the nicest and safest neighborhoods in St. Louis. Kirkwood and Webster are super nice old neighborhoods and very safe, but in general they are pretty expensive (still worth checking out though). Other areas worth seeing: To the east there's Brentwood, Maplewood, Rock Hill, etc. South county also has some nice areas and is somewhat less expensive. If you don't mind living a little ways from the city you can look farther west, like Ballwin. There you can find some really nice housing/apartments that are newer and much less expensive than those closer to the city. As far as daycares, my kids use to go to one that is in Rock Hill that I loved called Babysteps. They are farly small, but nice and relatively inexpensive...very family oriented. We really liked it there. Their number is ###-###-####. I know a big move like this can be so stressful, but St. Louis really isn't so bad. There are a lot of nice neighboroods, and so many great things for kids. Check out the Magic House, City Museum, Science Center, Art Museum, Botanical Gardens, Forest Park, the best Zoo ever...I could go on and on. Best of luck on your move. Hope you find someplace you love!

Des Peres is relatively quiet. Very nice but pricey area. West County in general is far removed from St Louis. I myself relocated my family from Rhode Island to Valley Park, MO which is not too far from Des Peres when we first came out here 4 years ago. We ended up buying a house in St Charles area.

I grew up in West County, and in my opinion it is the safest county in St. Louis. I would feel completely safe living in any neighborhood located in West County. Just to let you know, it is also the most expensive county to live in as well. I can't recommend any specific apartment complexes or daycares, but I'm sure you could look some up online. Good luck to you! St. Louis is a great place to live!

I think you've gotten a lot of good suggestions as far as places to live. Relax - that area is a nice area to live (and the surrounding communities). Day Cares are really dependent on your price range. One right in the middle of Des Pere is St. Paul Lutheran Church - they have a really good day care.

OK, ladies I live in West County and do not consider myself upper or upper middle class. I grew up in this area and there are pockets of us around depending on where you are looking. Manchester, Ballwin and Ellisville have some older quaint and less expensive neighborhoods along with great sized yards. Parkway and Rockwood School Districts are very good. South County is also a good area but I do not know anything about the schools in that area. As far as daycare with a 7 and a 14 year old I have been out of that system for too long. I would suggest going online and looking at homes to buy in your price range and see what is out there in these areas. If an apartment is more your style for right now do the same look at zip codes 63011, 63021, 63131. 63017, I think valley park is 63025. These are the ones I know. Our family is from Texas and we were in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and my parents love it here even after all these years. Do not panic. Get involved with a church as soon as you can, I think someone else mentioned the Parents as Teachers Program and there are several MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers)programs throughout the area. Plus there are great parks around to take your daughter and maybe meet area moms. good luck.

Hi J.,

Congratulations... I guess =). I know you are not looking forward to the move; but I hope that you like St. Louis.
Des Peres is a nice area as well as Town and Country, Manchester, Ballwin, Ellisville, and Wildwood. I listed the above towns in order from closest to furthest west. If you want to go east, Kirkwood and Webster Groves are nice areas as well. You'll need to speak with someone with regards to the better areas in the above towns.

I send my kids to Elegant Child daycare which is further west and may not be that realistic of an option for you. However, I have heard many people are happy with Kindercare daycares.

Good luck... I hope everything works out for you. My husband and my goal is to eventually go to Chicago; so I understand you wanting to get back to San Antonio.

J.,
Well I hope I can help. Me and my family relocated here to St. Louis four years ago from Albuquerque. Where you are going to is a great part of St. Louis. I go to the gym in Des Peres!! Anyway, I am 41 with three kids, 16,6, and 4. My husband and I are both engineers, but now I'm home enjoying the kids. I was concerned about the area here, too, especially with respect to the school districts and my oldest. We live in the city of Ballwin, which bumps up on the west side of Des Peres. There are a group of cities that I would recommend looking in, but the simplest rule I have found is stay in either the Parkway or Rockwood school ditricts. Of course this is my opinion only. Parkway is a phenominal district that we we live in and I was shocked at how amazing it is. If you are like me you are planning to get back to the southwest as soon as possible - which may mean you will discount the school district stuff. But please don't...one of the amazing things here is the great education. I do know the schools in San Antonio are also great ( I have a friend that teaches middle school music out there) - but the change from New Mexico was night and day. I know, blah blah blah. Here are the cities I suggest you look at and feel free to e-mail me to get my specific take on the economic/diversity/layout/social scenes of each of these places. They each have pros and cons - but the cons are VERY minimal. Look at the cities of Chesterfield, Manchester, Ellisville, Ballwin, Clayton, Ladue, Des Peres. All are far enough from the inner-city chaos and crime which, I assume, is what you worry about (that's where I was four years ago). I know it's not San Antonio, but I really like where we are and I never thought I could handle the midwest.
PLEASE feel to e-mail me at ____@____.com and I will be happy to hook you up to some internet links that can also help. You are not alone!!!
Sincerely, M.

West county is nice. You may want to look at south county though. It's still nice, but a little more affordable.

Welcome to the state of Missouri! I don't live in the city so I can't help with apartments or neighborhood locations. I think you will be surprised with what our St.Louis and surrounding areas have to offer families. Texas has some great cities and Austin and San Antonio would be two choices for me. However Missouri is another of God's fabulous works. We have lots of water (creeks,rivers,ponds, lakes)flat lands for farming and rolling hills (some even say mountains) there are so many caves that it might be another nickname for Mo. Our parks, zoo, science center, magic house, botanical gardens all can compete with most other cities. Many small communities close to St.Louis can offer weekend get aways to shop, visit wineries, explore and enjoy your new location. The best to you and your small family. k

I don't have time to look at all the responses but if no one has pointed this out, the area around West County mall is also very expensive. I am sure there are less expensive homes mixed it. I work off Manchester, which is the major road that runs past the mall. Well ok 270 is pretty major as well. I live in South County. It is pretty much middle class. Unless I am foolish enough to head down 270 between 7:30 and 8:30 in the morning it only takes 20 minutes to get to work. It would be 15 to the mall.

I grew up in south county and even if I won the lottery I would not move. People are very nice and talk to each other. They also look out for each other. I don't know if you see that in all communities in StL. By the way, there is no East county, we try to act like Illinois doesn't exist.

Hi J., I'm here in St. Louis and I promise it's not a bad place to be! Now it's not Texas by any shape or form, but you could be in worse places. Where you hubby is going to be working at is a good place to live at. West county, Chesterfield, Ladue, Any area around there is really great actually. It will take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it will be fine. I don't know of any daycares in that area-sorry. Hope that helps you, if you have any questions that i can help with, feel free to ask! Have a great day and happy moving!!

J.,
Relocating is always difficult, but you are relocating to a nice enough place! West County is very nice. Comparable to the really nice parts of Arlington, that being said it is an expensive place to live. I grew up in St. Charles and spent the last 5 years in Fort Worth. The both have ups and downs. While your husband wants to live close to work, you may want to consider a short drive to save money! In most parts of Arlington and Texas, the bad neighborhoods are sometimes just across the main road from the goos ones and they tend to alternate. It isn't so much that way here. The good and bad areas are better defined. You may want to try an online apartment search. There aren't really good rules, like the one to stay outside loop 820. Stay in the county. Will you be able to come visit places before you have to move? If so, there are websites that have people that will help yo ufind the kind of apartment in the kind of area you are looking for. I used aparmentsearch.com when I was in college. I had an affordable apartment in the nicest part of St. Louis, just not the most fancy apartment. There will be things you miss about Texas. I came back to Missouri a dew months ago and I really miss a lot of things (the lack of snow being one of them ; however, there are a lot of things I had missed about Missouri too (there are 4 complete seasons here). There will also be lots for you and your daughter to do and they come with a better price tag....FREE! The St. Louis Zoo has free admission, as do most of the ciy's muesems. Good luck on your new journey! I hope you enjoy it!

Hi J.,
I agree with everyone about West County. It's a nice area to live in. There's a website that I have that can help you with daycare. It's www.childcarestl.org - I used this when I went back to work after my maternity leave. I was able to find an in home licensed child provider. She was a great child care provider! But the website will give you price ranges for the surrounding areas. I got lucky with mine - she was $150 a week in the Crestwood/Webster area. It gives you rates for both Daycare Centers and Child Care Homes.

Hi J.-
There are bad parts of town, that's true (which is the case in most large cities)...try to stay away from some parts of Downtown...especially East St. Louis...and some parts of North County...where your husband works is a "nice" part of town...West County is good...Maryland Heights is nice too...welcome to the neighborhood...I'm sure everything will be fine...

West County is a very nice and safe area. All of the surrounding areas are nice as well. For a 12-15 minute drive, and maybe less expensive, you could look at the South County area. That's where I live. It's a quick ride up the highway 270, and a very good school district (Lindbergh school district is very recognized) West County Center is a very busy and well-established shopping center, he should do well in his new job. Best of luck to you both. When you get settled in, contact your local school district about signing up for the Parents as Teachers program for your daughter; it's a great way for you to meet other moms and kids in your area. Best wishes!

J.,
You will love living in the area. The West County Mall is a great place to shop!

J. - you are in luck!! He couldn't be transferred to a nicer area!

The basic layout of St. Louis is like a wheel with St. Louis City/downtown/the Arch at the center of the wheel and then all the different areas are centered around it. While these are all generalities (so don't flame me if you live in a certain area & don't like my description), East St. Louis, one of the worst crime cities in the country, lies on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, and St. Louis County wraps around the outside of the city on the Missouri side. North County used to be nice and is now considered more run down and dangerous, South County is more suburban and is a middle class area. West County is the affluent area of St. Louis, on the whole. Very typical white, middle to upper class neighborhoods are found here. There is some ethnic diversity, if you are looking for that, but not much.

Des Peres, itself, is divided by a large highway, I-270, with not much crime at all. West County Center mall is on the east side of the highway. There are some older neighborhoods with lot of charm and diversity on that side in the Kirkwood area. They would be in the Kirkwood school district - a great district. On the west side of 270 is the rest of Des Peres and it adjoins Town & Country, Manchester & Ballwin. These are in the Parkway district - one of the top rated school districts in the entire state!

If you are looking for affordable apartments close to WCC, I would suggest looking at the Twin Oaks/Valley Park area. (Your hubby would go one exit south on 270 to Dougherty Ferry Rd & take that road 2 miles west to Big Bend. There are 5 or 6 complexes right there off Big Bend & two large grocery stores & a Walgreens just past the apartments. Some of these may fall in the Parkway school district & others may be in Valley Park district which is much smaller. Sorry I don't know anything about daycares, other than I know that there is one at Big Bend & Dougherty Ferry - a LaPetite or KinderKare or something.

I live very close to this area, so feel free to PM me if you have any other questions! Welcome to West County!

Des Peres is a very nice area. I'm sure if you contact a realtor in that area, they would be more than happy to help you with apartment rentals or homes in that area. Just google Des Peres, Missouri and I'm sure something will come up for you.

I used to work in Westport and now live in North County. If I knew then what I know now I would have looked for a home in West County or South County. So the area you are refering to is not a bad part of town. Chesterfield MO is close and is a real nice area. Just do some searching and if you plan to be in MO a while definaltely look at schools before you purchase a house. If you plan on renting you can always move if it is not the "right" area for you and your family.
Good luck in your travels.

Three other zip codes not yet mentioned (and these are very nice areas, but to the north of West County Center), 63141, 63132 and 63146.

You also might want to pick up a copy of CitySmart Guidebook: St. Louis (available on amazon or from other online booksellers). Even though it might be a bit outdated as far as restaurants, admission hours and other specifics, it gives a good overview of life in St. Louis.

Welcome.