Relocating to St. Louis, MO? Here Are a Few Helpful Things Every St. Louisan Should Know

The core of St. Louis city is located at the eastern side of St. Louis, bordering the Mississippi River, and is where most people settled when St. Louis saw an influx of immigrants in the mid-19th century. Life in city limits is very urban, and it’s home to several great neighborhoods; Tower Grove, Lafayette Square, Dog Town, Soulard, The Hill, and The Grove, just to name a few. Another perk for residents in a few lucky pockets of the city is that these areas are real estate tax abated, meaning owners are exempted from real estate taxes for a certain period. Trying to find things to do in the city isn’t hard either, from nightlife to nice strolls in Forest Park (with 1,300 acres and being larger than Central Park, it’s one of the largest urban parks in the country).

 

Sports run the city, with the St. Louis Cardinals bringing tens of thousands of residents into the city every week during the baseball season. Even if you don’t have field-side seats, the recently built Ballpark Village has just as much excitement. There’s no off-season for sports here, as we are also the home to the St. Louis Blues (the 2019 Stanley Cup winners), and a soon-to-be-built stadium that will pass us our very own Major League Soccer team. What to do after the games are over? The busy Washington Blvd is lined with shops, restaurants, cafes, and some of the best loft living in the area. If you’re looking to bask in some culture, you can walk under the sea lions at the St. Louis Zoo (which is free!), see a Broadway play at The FoxTheater or The Muny, explore with the kiddos at the City Museum, or go to the top of the Arch and look out for miles. Or do it all, everything is pretty close in proximity, and we haven’t even scratched the surface of all the possible activities here.

 

Right outside of city limits is where St. Louis County begins, which spreads farther out towards the west. Life in St. Louis County is more suburban, with some of the older neighborhoods like Webster Groves, Kirkwood, and Clayton still giving you that urban vibe, however. The county offers great neighborhood living with excellent schools available, both public and private, and great parks. Lambert Airport is also located in this area, so whether you’re going somewhere or need to pick up visitors, it’s usually a quick drive away. And for things to do, the County does not fall short. There’s the Magic House, Grants Farm, and endless opportunities to shop and dine, at some of the greatest restaurants in the country we might say.

 

Another tip: when St. Louisans are getting to know each other, they don’t ask “Where did you grow up”, they ask “What high school did you go to?”. Why do we do this? There’s no true explanation. But it does sum up a lot about a person pretty quickly. Mutual connections are often discovered. And usually where a person went to high school also aligns with the neighborhood they grew up in. And what about age? Usually, the next question is “What year did you graduate?”. We are kind of like detectives here, without being overly “nosey” of course.

 

On the other side of the river from St. Louis County is St Charles County, which is also part of the larger St. Louis Metropolitan area. While St.Charles has gained the majority of residents most recently, over the past 30 years or so, it has been around a little longer than St. Louis, with St.Charles being founded in 1769 and St. Louis being founded in 1812. If you’ve ever visited Main Street St.Charles, there’s no denying the rich history of the cobblestone streets. Outside the Downtown Mainstreet St.Charles area, St.Charles County was mostly farm fields, until that most recent boom we mentioned, influenced by further suburban growth and more affordable market rates across the river. St. Charles truly is the “sister city” of St. Louis, and it is continuously ranked one of the best places to live in the US!