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The Gateway Arch, which soars 630 feet as it sits on the banks of the Mississippi River, is of course the icon of St. Loius
but there is so much more to the city. There’s the commerce and
character of the waterfront, the historic Anheuser Busch brewery, a renowned
zoo, world-class museums, professional sports and more parkland per capita
than almost any other U.S. city.
Many may not know that peanut butter, iced tea and the ice cream cone made
their debuts in the city, and the legend — many swear it is fact
— that the practice of putting chocolates on hotel pillows originated
with actor Cary Grant’s courtship of a female friend staying at a swank
hotel. Then there’s the housing, among the most diverse in the nation
at some of the best prices.
The St. Louis
region continues to be one of the more affordable places in the nation which
is great news for home buyers. The median home price is about $150,000. The
average sale price for a 2,200-square-foot house with 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2
bathrooms, a family room and a two-car garage, is about $250,000. Renters get
a similar good deal with the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment
running about $800.
The diverse neighborhoods of St. Louis are as varied as the housing stock.
We picked these great neighborhoods: Mid-century charm in the suburban city
of Kirkwood; sprawling new homes in St. Charles; cosmopolitan luxury in the
Central West End; or help pioneer the urban renaissance of the booming
Washington Avenue Loft District, once the hub of the city’s garment
industry.
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