Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
On the near South Side, the hottest areas are the walkable ones: Benton Park and Lafayette Square, as well as Shaw and the Tower Grove neighborhoods, where there are both serene Victorian parks and hopping business districts. The best deals are in Tower Grove East and The Gate District, the latter lying between Compton Heights and Lafayette Square. “You have terrific interstate access, you’re close to Saint Louis University, and you’re sandwiched between two very expensive neighborhoods, with price tags a fraction of theirs,” says Jenifer Garcia, broker-owner of Garcia Properties.
Sean Wiegert of Circa Properties describes Soulard, Lafayette Square, Tower Grove, and The Grove as urban-designed micro cities. “Commuting, walkability, and proximity to local businesses—none of that’s a fad,” he says. Gut rehabbing rises and falls in popularity, but given the age of most of the housing stock, city buyers are often willing to pick up a paintbrush.
Still, you might start to hear the sounds of hammering and buzzing saws throughout the area. Many people are watching to see what happens in Botanical Heights and Forest Park Southeast, which will likely be most affected by development around the new IKEA. Investors are looking at nearby lots that could be turned into new residential developments. And two developers, Pagano Land Development and HDC Homes Without Limits, are building sustainable, 2,200-square-foot homes on Gibson and Chouteau avenues.
The redevelopment of Botanical Heights is almost a fait accompli, which Garcia finds exciting—and a far cry from her perception of the neighborhood in the past. “Even two years ago, when I saw the new infill houses UIC was doing, I thought, ‘You guys are nuts. It’s like a war zone down here!’” she admits. “Now they have Olio and Chouquette and a Montessori school. We are seeing people move to that neighborhood just to get into that school.”
The transformation is mainly due to the husband-and-wife team of Sarah Gibson and Brent Crittenden, principals of UIC. They wanted the neighborhood to be a real community, and the charter City Garden Montessori School that they designed helped make that possible.
Elsewhere, the obvious place to develop residential housing in River City has always been along the river bluffs—but in South City, apart from a few hidden showplaces, development has seldom taken hold there. Now McBride & Son Homes has applied for two multifamily building permits, both sites on South Broadway overlooking the river. The Mississippi Bluffs condo development might have some flirty new neighbors generating buzz.
Amid all the newness, South City’s anchors remain unbudgeable. St. Louis Hills didn’t even wobble during the economic storm of ’08. “The neighbors are so proactive and so vigilant,” Garcia explains. “Southampton, North Hampton, Princeton Heights, The Hill—those are all still rock solid.” They’re getting a new kind of buyer, too. “For a while there, it was kind of depressing,” she says. “They were all first-time homeowners or couples without kids. Now we’re seeing a huge influx of couples with young children.” She pauses two seconds for the unspoken question, then answers it: “They’re becoming more educated about the schools. There are several St. Louis public schools that are awesome.” She mentions Kennard Classical Junior Academy and Mallinckrodt Academy of Gifted Instruction, magnet schools that are certified for gifted kids. “At that age, ‘gifted’ mainly means you have involved parents!”
