These days, even some of our most enduringly sought-after neighborhoods are feeling the housing-market crunch, with homes appreciating at rates we don’t much appreciate. With that in mind, we dialed up a range of real-estate insiders across the region and asked what neighborhoods we’ll be hearing—and speaking—more about in the coming years. Here are seven.
1. New Town at St. Charles
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It was 2004 when Whittaker Homes announced its plan for the $1.5 billion development called New Town at St. Charles: to carve a “new urbanist” community out of fertile St. Charles County farmland. The New Town ideal wasn’t to simply build new homes on virgin land; instead, the area was being hailed as a from-scratch community in the heart of the suburbs, with interlocking neighborhoods fanning out from a town square (featuring a sizable central obelisk), a series of waterways and even a traditional street grid.
Since then, local and national planners, as well as real-estate agents in St. Charles and beyond, have been tracking the progress. Completion’s 10 years away, but evidence already suggests the project could be as successful as it is large. Driving through the complex, you see construction workers zipping through building after building, including new additions to the town square. All along outlying streets, new houses are cropping up along well-delineated pathways. One question that remains is whether some of the town’s small, underwritten businesses can compete with larger marketers outside of the strict boundary lines of New Town.
That said, the future seems bright for this little corner of St. Charles. There are currently 2,500 residents living in 800 homes, with another 200 closings projected in the coming 12 months. Real-estate agents tell us that while some potential buyers find the project just too reminiscent of The Truman Show—and even forgo the scheduled interior tour—others find New Town an unexpected delight. Considering that the project calls for 5,700 total homes, Whittaker is betting big that the second group is larger than the first.
- Visit newtownatstcharles.com
2. Downtown Belleville
To drive through downtown Belleville—or, better yet, to walk through the same streets—is to sense a new energy emerging. “Something’s happening,” says Belleville native Michael R. Allen, a preservationist and architectural blogger. What he’s observing are many of the indicators of a downtown on the rebound.
“I see a vibrant commercial district on Main Street, a lot of involvement by artists, a storefront performing-arts center and several gallery walks,” he says. Also part of this momentum: a new bike trail, a handful of loft projects (including one that was featured on HGTV) and two completed near–zero-energy homes. Residents and visitors are also taking increased advantage of the nearby MetroLink stop, which is just five blocks from the main strip.
According to the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois, the region now has a record $9 billion in its development pipeline—an increase of more than 100 percent between fall 2006 and fall 2007. (Yes, billion.) And Belleville’s claimed a chunk of that, with $6 million spent on a downtown streetscape project that’s given some organization and color to that old-style shopping district.
Another positive is the old-fashioned charm that can come along with an old-fashioned business district. While the primary road into town, Route 159, is filled with dozens of new businesses, representing virtually every chain you can imagine, Belleville’s Main Street has an altogether different vibe.
The inclusion of some residential components alongside the revitalized business district—best illustrated by the revitalization of the historic Lincoln Theatre—has to be seen as a plus. Even for those wanting to buy near, rather than in, downtown, housing prices in the Belleville area give you considerable bang for the buck, with single-family housing consistently in the low $100,000s.
“It’s pretty striking,” Allen says. “There’s much more pedestrian life there. What I’m really seeing is young people hanging around during college, even after college, or moving to St. Louis for school, but coming home on the weekends. That wouldn’t have happened five years ago. Belleville seems back on people’s radar screens as a place to live. It’s fairly easy to get to; it sits along mass transit. The next five years might be even bigger years for Belleville.”
- Visit bellevillemainstreet.net
3. Olivette
To some, this town might be best known as the home of the Olivette Diner, one of the best-loved breakfast and lunch spots in St. Louis County. There’s no reason not to think of Olivette for that distinction, but there are plenty of other motivations to get to know the ’burb. For example, take the city’s housing stock. The third quarter of 2007 showed a jump of 33 percent in market value, with sellers getting 97 percent of their asking price. And those home prices aren’t necessarily on the low end, with an average asking price of $349,000.
That said, realtor Mike McLaughlin, an associate with Prudential Select’s office in Clayton, says that pockets of good buys still remain, with about 45 homes turning on a quarterly basis. “I think Olivette’s one of those sleepers,” McLaughlin says. “There are some really nice areas and some places where you can still get reasonably priced starter homes.”
The town of slightly fewer than 8,000 residents is nestled in near–West County, abutting University City and Creve Coeur, with which it shares a chamber of commerce. Olivette belongs to the Ladue School District, generally regarded as one of the best in the region and one of the main appeals to buying there. On the other hand, local control is seen with municipally run fire and police departments and a small parks and recreation department.
Erin Jung, whose family of four moved to Olivette from Wildwood in December 2006, describes the neighborhood as “a strong community that is religiously, racially and economically diverse.” She also says the location has reconnected them to the city. “We can go downtown to the City Museum or boating on Post-Dispatch Lake, and it’s not a ‘day-trip’ in,” she says. “When you’re tired on the weekend in Wildwood, it’s just not going to happen. We’ve just done so much more.”
And with Olive Street Road running through the town, there’s no lack of retail and dining options. For more whimsical amenities, add in a bowling alley (Olivette Lanes), a picturesque cemetery (St. Paul’s) and, of course, the diner.
- Visit olivettemo.com
4. Gaslight Square
Ask thousands of St. Louis expatriates and those who passed through our town as tourists in the 1950s and 1960s about Gaslight Square, and you’re likely to get a variety of themes covered in your answer: The intersection of Boyle and Olive and the 4200 block of Olive (briefly dubbed Gaslight) served as the entertainment hub of St. Louis—a version of Beale Street and the French Quarter in the heart of the city.
Of course, that time period’s now a few decades removed, with the final businesses of note leaving the Square in 1972. Between that time and around 2004, different plans were discussed for the old commercial structures along the strip, though few were funded and fewer were even given a public vetting. This decade, U.S. Bank funded an ambitious redevelopment plan that would bring nearly a dozen name developers onto the block, many of them not seen in city action in some time.
That 4200 block of Olive is now a combination of row houses, condominiums, town houses and a few single-family structures—all built from scratch between 2004 and today. The largest remaining building from the former Gaslight Square, the old Selkirk Auction space, has been turned into a large condo building.
A total of 150 residential units are being planned, which would have some of the developers on the block spilling off of Olive and onto neighboring blocks like Sarah and Whittier, with pockets of development still waiting for landowners to determine their plans.
Already, a neighborhood association has formed, with volksmarches to The Grind coffeehouse on Lindell. And in the most direct nod to the old Square, the St. Louis Actors’ Studio has debuted the Gaslight Theater on Boyle, with five performances slated for the debut 2007–08 season.
“The people moving into the Square are both young and older professionals that have a passion for urban city living,” says resident and neighborhood leader Sonja Dulick. “There is a sense of community because we have monthly neighborhood gatherings, town hall meetings whenever issues need to be discussed.”
During construction, developers and city officials stated that the Gaslight Square development had to link Grand Center with the Central West End. Considering that units continue to be built, with price tags up into the $300s, the market responded to the bet that an old name would bring some of the magic back to the Square, under a new and different guise.
5. Old North St. Louis
Located just a jaunt from downtown and possessing an interesting blend of new housing and historic structures, Old North St. Louis has seemed to be forever on the cusp of becoming a neighborhood to watch. Fortunately for all parties involved, the intriguing North City neighborhood is now seen as a bankable bet, with a mix of old-timers and energetic newcomers making the nabe click.
“I think one of the big things you’ll hear a lot about in 2008 is Old North St. Louis,” says Christopher Thiemet, founder of Circa Properties. “It’s been ‘in the works’ for quite some time. But now that so many people have put their blood, sweat and tears into slowly rebuilding and rehabbing properties, they all seem to be blossoming at the same time.”
Thiemet says that small architectural details often set the homes apart. One on the market at press time was a three-story row house from the turn of the last century. “The building follows the curve line of the street that it sits on,” Thiemet says, “so as you enter the unit, it gets wider and wider as you go towards the back. A small detail like that showcases how much went into the original construction of this part of town. You literally see the art from the front doorstep.”
For years, Old North was known to many as the home of Crown Candy Kitchen and … well, limited potential. Today, the area’s seeing everything from the active $35 million redevelopment of the 14th Street Mall to the creation of a blog, newoldnorth.blogspot.com, which offers readers a steady stream of news, commentary and photos. It all adds up to a renewed sense of confidence, with what officials say is nearly $50 million invested in completed and current projects.
- Visit onsl.org
6. Rock Hill Trails
For green building to become more than a passing fancy in the local building trades, the concept of sustainability in construction needs to be applied in all zones of residential construction in the region: urban and suburban, exurban and rural. As proof positive that the trend is gaining traction in the latter categories, Belcher Homes is establishing the Rock Hill Trails development in the eastern end of Wood River, Ill., a 170-acre project that abuts the Belk Park Golf Course, located a few minutes from I-255 and 15 to 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis. The ambitious plans here call for a three-phase rollout of housing, with the first phase incorporating single-family, dual-family and multifamily housing, along with a small amount of corner commercial development. (A note to parents: The homes will be part of the Edwardsville School District.)
The 280-unit project will also include a lake and nature trails, along with 7-plus acres of biofiltration land and 19 acres of prairie. While some of the project will include standard suburban designs, like rolling cul-de-sacs, other parts of the development will feature new-urbanist touches, like “activity nodes” and urban-style street grids. Among the green concepts to be incorporated in the buildings: geothermal heat pumps, operable windows to use airflow for cooling and deep roof overhangs to shield the summer sun. The price? Current estimates are upwards of $175,000, with a variety of home styles in play.
While Rock Hill Trails is an in-the-works project, the first open house has already taken place, and the models are scheduled to be finished in May, with the first residents moving in by the beginning of September.
- Visit rockhilltrails.com
7. Eureka
Flip through photos of the older version of Eureka, and you’ll see grain silos, worn farmhouses, rolling rivers and a charming, tiny downtown. But these days, the city—at the southwestern end of St. Louis County, just north of Jefferson County—is experiencing growth that is outpacing many other municipalities in the western portion of our region. Since 2000 the population has grown 18 percent, to over 9,000, with many new residents relocating to be part of the respected Rockwood School District. Another figure that suggests the town will continue to grow: The average household income, as estimated in 2005, was $79,000, nearly twice the statewide average.
Liz Tibbets, a Realtor with RE/MAX Associates Plus who has lived in the area for 60 years and worked it for 15, says that vast tracts of Jefferson County will soon reflect the growth seen by Eureka, with that town’s own movement not stopping soon. “Right now, Eureka is seeing a huge subdivision being built,” she says, referring to a 700-acre, 1,400-home project known as Ashton Park. “In Eureka itself, the town has really grown significantly. There are plans for a Target and Home Depot, and there are many new homes going up in the area. Every time you go over there, a new building is being built—and being built well.”
Tibbets admits that the city’s slogan of “Proud Past—Promising Future” is somewhat loaded, as a few old-time residents may pine for the days of less. Ironically, perhaps, it’s the longing for a bit slower speed that she says is, at its core, driving Eureka’s charge. “A lot of these people have lived in the city, and they want a little less hustle and bustle,” she says, noting the high commuter rate of residents. “They want to be a bit farther out and enjoy a bit more land. You’ll always hear some people object to subdivisions, to giving up land and all that. But Eureka’s wanting development, they’re making it happen to grow the city budget.”
- Visit eureka.mo.us
For Your Consideration
Need to move now? Here are seven more ’hoods, matched with seven buyers’ profiles
First-Time Buyer | Affton
With bustling Gravois serving as the main tributary into and out of Affton, the small, unincorporated St. Louis County township has seen considerable growth in recent decades, with about 20,000 residents today, spread across the demographic map. Affton’s strengths are considerable: plenty of retail, steadily rising home values, amenities like Grant’s Trail and an admired, self-contained school system. As some of the community’s older population moves on, the deals can still be found in Affton, though it’s also safe to say that Affton’s days as a “hidden gem” are in the rearview.
Restless Empty-Nester | The Loft District
If you hang out in downtown St. Louis’ coffee shops and breakfast nooks, you might find yourself running into an interesting demographic. While you’ll find the expected thirtysomething professionals, you also might run into that generation’s parents. Having sold the weed whacker and cleaned out the kiddies’ closets, urban-enthusiast baby boomers are taking root in the loft district, opting for a neighborhood that’s walkable, interesting and increasingly full of services and amenities.
Single With Cash Flow | Clayton
Visiting the happy-hour scene of Clayton during a normal weekday afternoon, you feel a bit like you’re watching the ’70s film Logan’s Run, with no one in the rooms looking a day over 30. We exaggerate. But increasingly in Clayton—once the haven of business types who traveled home after work—you’re likely to find pockets of activity from evening into night, as rooms like Barrister’s, BARcelona, Café Napoli and Miso are taken over by “available” drinkers and diners. Speaking of pockets—if yours are deep enough to score a home or condo in this neighborhood, you should rarely be bored. We forecast nights of wine and roses.
Risk-Taker | Cherokee
A year after a contentious aldermanic race on this block, the renaissance that’s been occurring along Cherokee Street in South St. Louis seems to be continuing. Arguably the best indicator for a rebounding neighborhood’s success is the arrival of artists; Cherokee’s got that covered, with galleries like Boots and phd taking root on the block and music venues inhabiting the basements of Apop Records and Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts. The bohemians don’t just stop through, either—many young, funky residents are settling in full-time to lead the rebirth of this classic urban street.
Public Transit Fan | The Loop
Sure, we could promote the Loop—the commercial and spiritual hub of University City—for its diversity. Or its bars, or its restaurants, or its live-music venues. But it’s not for nothing that the Loop is named for its relationship to public transit, with the actual “Loop” once serving as one of the key turnaround points for St. Louis’ trolley system. Today, the Loop continues to be one of MetroLink’s busiest stops, with bus lines intersecting in-and-around and plenty of sidewalk parking for bicycles. And when Loop patriarch Joe Edwards has his way, there will even be a streetcar adding to the diversity and flexibility of transport along marvelous Delmar Boulevard.
Public School Parent | Fenton
Still a growing school district, Rockwood has impressively become the largest in St. Louis County, with over 22,000 students spread out over 11 communities. One of the towns making the biggest strides in population—and in commercial development—is Fenton, which has gone from being just a drive-through village in the county to being a big part of the I-44 corridor. Though still fewer than 5,000 residents call the town home, they all have access to the Rockwood system, with Rockwood Summit High School anchoring the well-regarded district.
Lawn-Loather | DeMun
DeMun’s a neighborhood known by generations of Washington University grad students (as well as some Fontbonne undergrads and certainly a few Concordia seminarians) who’ve gravitated toward the urban oasis on the cusp of St. Louis and Clayton. Home to restaurants, delis, the original Kaldi’s coffeehouse and other amenities, DeMun’s a true city-style neighborhood, with hosts of apartment buildings allowing the residents a chance to sample urban life, without the need to keep a mower in the basement. On that count, St. Louis’ largest lawn, Forest Park, is just down the block, its green grass always available.
