The ALIVE editorial team is working on a feature about the most livable neighborhoods in STL, and we need your help! Tell us why your neighborhood is the best place in the city to live, and we may feature your answer in the story or as an online extra!
To nominate your neighborhood, just tell us why you love it so much. Why did you choose to live there? What makes it perfect for you? What makes you so proud to live there?
Leave a comment on this post or send an email to letters@alivemag.com to submit your answer. You can also use the hashtag #LoveMyHoodSTL and post it on Twitter or Instagram (if your love is best expressed visually).
We are particularly in need of proud locals from the following communities:
- Central West End
- Clayton
- Downtown
- The Grove
- Maplewood
- South Hampton
- St. Louis Hills
- Old North
- Tower Grove
- University City
- Webster Groves
So, spread the word! If you know someone who is a great advocate for one of these communities, we’d love to hear from them, too. Show us you STL pride, folks!
The Shaw neighborhood (Tower Grove from your list?).
You’d be hard pressed to find anyone that lives in our neighborhood who would have a negative attitude about it. It’s a wonderful place to live, within walking distance to both Tower Grove Park and the Botanical Gardens and, for that matter, South Grand and its amenities. We have several local “hang-outs”—The Thurman Grill (our version of Cheers, where everyone knows your name and there’s a bartender named Michael Jackson), Sasha’s on Shaw and for a nice place to eat good down-home food, Mama Josephine’s (an RFT “best of” winner). Sweet Art Bakery can satisy your need for a cupcake (or a vegan meal should you desire it—their vegan burger is one of the highest rated in the RFT polls).
It’s a neighborhood full of people who care about it, both in community pride as well as keeping the residents safe from crime. Not one, but two sites are used for communication of everything from the latest events, to “who’d you use to repair this?” to “what was that noise I just heard?”
We also have the long-running, famous Shaw Art Fair (which runs concurrent with the Best of Missouri Market and the garden) and a couple of new events to showcase the neighborhood. If you haven’t visited Shaw, you should!
I second Robin about Shaw neighborhood. I wonder why they did not include it in the list as a separate place.
We’ve lived in this neighborhood for 5 years and we can tell that Shaw is a treasure that has so many jewels awaiting your discovery . Not only it has a very active community, there is no other places in ST Louis that would offer sooo many walkable things to do.
In the Summer:
- every Wednesday we go to FREE Jazz concerts at the Botanical Garden.
-every Saturday we go to Tower Grove Park for Farmers Market and a Free yoga class, and splash fountains.
-Wednesday mornings there are free musical activities for kids with different instruments at Tower Grove Park,
-Every Monday, Free classical music concerts at Tower Grove Park,
Not to mention all kind of festivals: Botanical Garden Lantern festival, Japanese Festival, Chinese Festival, Festival of Nations, Shaw art Fair. The last one is organized by many Shaw neighborhood volunteers.
We love to be able to walk to all the activities and love to be part of the truly wonderful supportive community.
In my opinion, there’s just one place to live in St. Louis, and that’s the Shaw neighborhood. Tower Grove Park and Missouri Botanical Garden are two spectacular features that anchor our neighborhood and contribute to its beauty and elegance. The architecture in Shaw adds an additional aesthetic that is hard to beat. Our homes are lovely. We also have the gorgeous St. Margaret of Scotland church and the stunning Bavarian-style Mullanphy School. Sherman School is going green, which is to be expected in our progressive, forward-thinking neighborhood. Tower Grove Baptist Church, The Word at Shaw and Mt. Olive Lutheran Church each reach out deep into our community to serve the residents of Shaw through youth programs, food pantries, cooking classes, festivals and fairs and so much more. I guess what I love most about Shaw is the feeling of neighborliness. It’s a walking neighborhood where many of us all know each other and care about one another. We have a strong neighborhood association with committee chairs, a good set of block captains and businesses who are fully integrated into the every day lives of residents. I’m one of the community gardeners in Shaw, and I have to say that our neighborhood gardens are another feature we are proud of, along with our dog park. I can sum up Shaw in one word: Home.
My partner and I moved to St. Louis from Canada this past summer. We bought a house in Benton Park about a block up from Cherokee Street. We love how quiet Benton Park is and how friendly all of our neighbors are. We love having easy access to really wonderful restaurants. We also love the energy of Cherokee Street. It seems to be always changing. There are some great shops and restaurants along Cherokee Street so there is never a need to go far. We couldn’t be happier that we’ve settled here!
Dutchtown! This special little gem just south of the Tower Grove area is a wonderful city neighborhood. We have the best neighbors, who truly care about developing the area. We have fantastic shopping/business districts along Meremec and Virginia. We have excellent restaurants like Urban Eats, Iron Barley, Grbic’s and The Feasting Fox. We have the original South Grand Ted Drewes and Merb’s Candy. We are one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city with tons of immigrants from all over the world. We have an active neighborhood association and business association, both of which are hard at work all the time to bring in new residents and new stores and restaurants and other businesses.
I love my South Hampton neighborhood because it is so accessible. My husband and I are vision impaired and do not drive. We chose this neighborhood back in 1987 because of the good bus transportation which I needed to get to my job in Kirkwood. as well as the fact that we could walk to grocery shopping as well as Target and Wallgreens. The sidewalks are in good condition for the most part and we walk allot. I now walk to my current job at the Service Club for the Blind on Watson every day. This helps me feel more independent and a part of the comunity. It is very well lit at night and the neighbors are very friendly and we are very happy and feel safe here.
My husband and I love living in Forest Park Southeast and have lived only in this neighborhood since we moved to St. Louis in 2008. We started in a rental apartment in 2008 and loved the neighborhood so much that we bought a home here in 2009. We can’t imagine living anywhere else! Our proximity to some of the greatest places in the St. Louis area is unbeatable and having the ability to run a quarter mile and be in Forest Park is wonderful. We frequent restaurants in The Grove often and love seeing how much The Grove business district has expanded since we have moved into the area. We are involved in the neighborhood association as well and have been impressed with the motivation of neighborhood residents to come together and create change. There is so much happening in Forest Park Southeast and I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
The Central West End! We can walk to anything – best restaurants in St. Louis, library, groceries, pharmacy, wine store, etc. We are just one block from one of the most beautiful public parks in the nation which happens to house several museums as well as one of the top hospitals in the nation.
It’s obviously Soulard. There is literally nothing we don’t have. Groceries: Walgreen’s, Soulard Market, Vincent’s. Restaurants: What are you in the mood for? We have it. Seafood: Riverbend, Pizza: Epic, Mexican: Chava’s, Irish: McGurk’s, and everything in between. Nightlife: it’s what I love the most. Karaoke, live music, fun! Everyone is welcome everywhere and you will constantly meet new people and find a fun, new event. With lots of small shops, like Luanne at Sweet Treats. She talks to everyone who walks by. People who live in Soulard care, and it shows. Soulard rocks!
Ellendale Neighborhood is often overlooked but I love it. I moved here from Madison Wi 7 years ago and wanted to be in the city but accessible to my job which was in Town and Country especially during the Hwy 40 rebuild. Ellendale is between both 44 and 40, is a 5 minute drive to the Garden, the Forest Park, and a 5 minute walk to the shops and restaurants of Maplewood. Plus, with a Maplewood zip code, it’s a great way to talk to people about the little nook of the city that most people assume is not the city.
Ellendale sounds perfect!! Thanks for submitting your answer!
Soulard is great, and from your answer, it sounds like it is just as charming as it looks!
The CWE is such a great location, thank you for your submission!
Being so close to so many things is terrific, thank you for your submission!
This sounds like a perfect area that fits all of your needs! Thank you for your submission!
Dutchtown has great things to offer (especially frozen custard!) Thank you for submission!
Benton Park is such a great up-and-coming area, so much to do and see! Thank you for your submission!
It’s such a well-rounded area with so much to offer, thank you for your submission!
This area is so charming! Thank you for your submission!
Food, shops, parks and community–this neighborhood has it all! Thanks for your submission!
I live in the Shaw neighborhood and adore it! It has an amazing feel that is incredibly friendly, it’s family friendly but it’s great for younger kids and couples as well, there’s amazing food over on South Grand, Sasha’s is great for a date night over a glass of wine, and the park is blocks away. We have Food Truck Fridays in the summer, it’s incredibly dog friendly year round, and St Margaret’s church is truly awesome. And the cupcakes from Sweet Art…omg
Benton Park ALL THE WAY! Love the architecture, great restaurants and historic architecture — those are all reasons we first moved here. I never expected though that I would grow to appreciate the neighbors so much! Benton Park has such an awesome group of giving volunteers who make great things happen every year… concerts in the park with great bands, a totally awesome 80s themed 5K, Taste of Benton Park, and so much more. As a cyclist, I also love that the Gateway Cup hosts its final leg of the bike race here. My husband and I love this neighborhood, and with a new daughter to round out our happy life (we now appreciate the parks & playgrounds all the more), we look forward to raising our family here in Benton Park.
Benton Park is truly a wonderful place to live. After renting in Soulard for 5 years, we bought a house in Benton Park and couldn’t be happier in this neighborhood. It is close to all the good stuff the city has to offer, is eclectic and interesting and has a quiet, safe atmosphere. With easy access to highways 55, 44, and 40, you are able to get to most anywhere in the metro-area in 20 minutes. You can bike to the ballpark, smell the brewery, easily take advantage of the endless great restaurants and bars in the Soulard/ Lafayette Square/ Benton Park area, and enjoy fun neighborhood events including summer concerts in the park, Cinco de Mayo, bike races and 5-ks. Every day, you notice a new piece of architecture or pop of art that makes life a little more interesting. The streets are quiet and feel safe, parking is not an issue and your neighbors look out for you. Overall, the neighborhood offers great food, good music, unique retail, great scenery, fun people and a cool vibe. It’s also family friendly. Oh, and Blues City Deli and Venice Cafe are two of the best spots in STL and quite possibly, the world.
Benton Park- all the way! What is great about my hood is the people! We have all tried hard to make our hood a great place to live. Our neighborhood is diverse and full of fun loving humans. It is also the best place in the world to walk your dog.
I live in Benton Park and it has my vote. I love the unique architecture displayed throughout the neighborhood. The area is quiet and safe with a friendly vibe. I love having access to some of St. Louis’ best restaurants within walking distance. The neighborhood hosts several civic events each year including a 5K run, concerts in the park, and Cinco De Mayo fun. I love my neighborhood and would recommend it to anyone looking for the best of city life.
Benton Park…by far the most walking friendly part of St. Louis, with entertainment to meet all needs….coffee shop, bars, live music, restaurants, parks and friendly neighbors. Also one of the lowest crime rates in the city.
Why were you in particular need of proud residents of CERTAIN communities? Just curious.
The proud locals for those specific communities were to be used a component of the print story in our April issue, but we are all set on that front now—so it’s a free-for-all neighborhood love fest!
I loves the Benton Park too! Why the Benton Park? It’s like living in a small town in the city. It lacks the traditional cliquishness of St. Louis so it is easy to get to know your neighbors. Plus, we have pretty awesome neighborhood events.
I moved from Northern CA to STL last Christmas. We lived in Clayton for a year and it was nice but not great. We just bought a home in U-City in the Historic U-City Heights neighborhood and we absolutely love it. Everyone in our neighborhood is friendly and welcoming. Every single time I look out the window I see someone walking the dog, power walking, pushing a stroller, riding bikes, a big group walking towards the loop. Kids playing basketball and baseball and chasing dogs. My neighborhood is very active and U-City itself is very active. Once the sun shines down, runners emerge from the underground and pound the pavements. I love living by the loop because its the closest thing to San Francisco for me. The lively streets, the little shops, the eclectic mix of people. It has a big city feel with a small town love. It has taken me a long time to get used to living here and I think a big part of what makes me fall in love with STL more and more is living in U-City.
I have live many places over the years; South Hampton, U-City, CWE…In all the years of city living, no place has compared to the Hill. The people are friendly, take care of one another and their property. Plus, of course, the incredible cuisine all around the neighborhood. I work at an ad agency downtown, and the commute is short. My band plays on Cherokee often with the Beggar’s Carnivale, and that drive is even shorter. Quick access to highways, Kingshighway, etc…Oh, and we have the best Schnucks, with live music and wine and beer samples galore. It’s even 75% hipster-free (a pretty good percentage in this city) I don’t plan on leaving this neighborhood…ever.