My family of 7 recently relocated to the St. Louis area. We have not purchased a house yet, but are looking in the Parkway North area. I like the diversity I have found here. We are also considering the Oakville area. You can get a lot more house for the money there. Does anyone have any input as to what the strenghts and drawbacks of each community might be? We are relocating from the Chicagoland area.
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I am always amazed at how many wonderful, generous moms are out there. My impressions of each community jive with what you all have said. I am very pleased to hear that Oakville feels warmer and more down-to-earth. We are currently living in temporary housing in Creve Coeur and I have found the populace somewhat snobby and distant--but, indeed, centrally located to all things we like to frequent. We are taking a look at some houses in Oakville today. If our decision were strictly based upon what we want in a school and community, we would choose Parkway North. But, the deciding factor has been the church we have found that is near Oakville. My dh's job is nearer Oakville. I have yet to find one, though the seeds of one were nearer to Creve Coeur and would require that 270 nightmare. The house sizes, too, are a large draw for us. We want our friends from Chicago to have a place to stay when they visit us!! Thank you again, dear MamaSource mammas.
I have friends whom live in both area's...the one that lives in Oakville is from Chicago as well. She loves it in South County. Good Luck!
I would say Parkway BY A MILE!! Parkway schools are the BEST!! Just be sure you move into a younger neighborhood with younger families. There are a wide variety of neighborhoods in Creve Coeur which is why you'll get some that have older folks whose kids are gone and therefore wont seem as chummy. There are nice people everywhere, you'll find them. But as far as the school districts, there's no comparison. Sorry.
I went to high school at Parkway North (lived close to the area in Maryland Heights) and lived in Oakville for a short time also. Creve Coeur is more expensive and the people can be a little "snobbish" at times...the people in Oakville are more down to earth and friendlier it seems...depending on what hours you work (if you do work) and you have to deal with highway 270 traffic...that would be a major thing to consider....270 is a NIGHTMARE during rush hour. Good luck and welcome to St. Louis! It's a wonderful city :)
I didn't see anyone point this out so...Mehlville and Oakville are the same school districts. I live in Mehlville. Oakville is nice but the traffic in and out of the Telegraph area is a nightmare. Depending on what size home you are looking for you can find much of the same in Mehlville. Just as some homes off of Christopher overlook the Mississippi there are homes off Tesson Ferry (HWY 21) that overlook the Meramec. It is all a beautiful area. I grew up in the north side of Mehlville and moved to the south side when I was married. Can't see living anywhere else.
So far as traffic goes where I am is perfect. I live off of Kerth. Two minutes to 55 and then I am anywhere. For whatever reason 55 doesn't have the traffic jams that 40 and 44 have so getting to the city is a breeze. It is actually easier to go down 55 and back over 44 to get to most parts of the city. I work off Manchester and as long as I time it right I can get here in 20 minutes. It takes me 15 minutes to get to SLU where I go to school. That should give you some idea how much faster the flow of traffic is on 55 as opposed to 270.
Good luck on the house hunting.
It is true that Parkway has a better school district than Oakville (which is not bad and certainly not the worst by any means)- but to be truly honest - not many school districts in St. Louis stand out as spectacular. I live in Mehlville which is right next to Oakville (I already knew I would be sending my child to private school). I really enjoy living in South County - of course I grew up out here. It is a very nice community and I feel it is the perfect distance from the city. It is a quick jump on 55 to get to the Forest Park and other attractions in the city, and we got more house and land for our money. Good luck to you.
We relocated to St. Louis in 2005 from a small town in West Tennessee. We lived in South City for a year, then purchased a house in Creve Coeur (Parkway North School district)...we actually live less than a mile from Parkway North and about 1/2 mile from Ross Elementary where our son attends school. We absolutely LOVE our neighborhood! Everything we do is within a 5-10 mile radius of our house - school, work, church, shopping, doctors, recreation...and it takes less than a 1/2 hour to get into the city to enjoy museums, baseball, zoo, etc. We're also only about 15 minutes from Chesterfield Valley with a gazillion stores. I can go weeks without ever getting on the highway! The schools are fantastic - we are delighted with the diversity of my son's class at Ross Elementary, the quality of the teachers and the gifted program. Not sure about Oakville....I know there are other areas where housing is a bit less expensive, but we wouldn't trade our community for anything! We love the area so much that we decided to buy a bigger house - ON THE SAME STREET (our current house will be up for rent the end of August)....
Parkway is one of the best school districts in St. Louis. I would choose Creve Coeur for that reason and it is closer to everything. I used to live in South County and everything always seemed so far away.
Frankly, yet not to upset anyone, Parkway School District is better. Creve Coeur is more centrally located, yet houses are pricier. Personally, I would choose Creve Coeur, but that's oly my opinion--not that there is anything wrong w/ Oakville! Many blessings to you!
Creve Coeur and the west county area is a more desirable area and your home will retain its value more than going South. Chesterfield is a wonderful area and is in the Parkway School District. Parkway is also a better school district than Oakville. Good luck with your search.
N.
