Downtown West

Living downtown is a positive and a negative. The location to the school is amazing, but other than that it is not the most ideal place to be right off of tucker. I do hear gun shots from time to time, mostly at night, but have also had some weird experiences walking around downtown.

However, there are also great restaurants downtown and schnucks is walkable, so that is very convenient.

Downtown near the school on Washington Avenue. Busy at night, safe to walk home from school.

I so far have had a good experience with the neighborhood. I have felt safe when walking around and have found many places to grab food or drinks. It has a fun atmosphere during sports seasons as well.

Currently, with the pandemic a lot of restaurants and shops are shut down so the downtown area is quiet, boring, and there is no traffic. I am not from STL so I am not sure what the downtown area is normally like. There are lots of beautiful but abandoned building as well as a large homeless population. However, the homeless don't bother you, but it is still sad to see it everyday. It doesn't seem like the city is making any attempts to do anything about the large homeless population either.
Another problem with living downtown is that whenever you need to go grocery shopping or run errands, you have to drive 20 minutes. I have to drive to Brentwood whenever I need to go to Target or Walmart. After awhile you get used to it.

Great because it's next to the law school, but the crime rate isn't great.

I am used to living in cities and I tend to be able to turn a blind eye to random acts of violence because in any city it is tough to feel 100% safe. There are shootings down here as well as more petty crimes. People are desperate just as they are anywhere that packs people in but does not have enough well-paying jobs or mental health clinics to support the population. The neighborhood is getting better though, as I have seen many businesses pop up since moving here 8 months ago. These businesses have been primarily black-owned which is amazing to see and the diversity of the neighborhood is wonderful. I hope that it does not lose its charm as it becomes more popular.

You do have to be aware of your surroundings in downtown St. Louis, make smart decisions and don't walk alone at night, but there is plenty to do and enjoy in the area - great restaurants on Wash Ave, Chris's in the law school building, etc.

There used to be a fantastic bar in Park Pacific, but it closed due to COVID and never re-opened.

Very close to a ton of bars and restaurants as well as sporting events

While close to SLU and to the ballpark and hockey arena, there are a lot of abandoned buildings and it’s not the best neighborhood to walk alone at night. However, you are close to Wash Ave and it’s nice to walk to school.

I normally am not outside at night, so I have never felt unsafe living down here. You can’t beat the proximity to school.

downtown is on the upswing but there's other neighborhoods that have a better food and drink scene as of 2021

Close to fun late-night events, but a sizable crime problem and lots of homeless/panhandlers on the street. You will see this anyway given the location of the law school, but it does limit comfort level with walking/running with earphones in. For that, go to the burbs, but dealing with parking and the commute is more than enough to make living at Park Pacific worth the neighborhood.

Close to Wash Ave Restaurants and the SLU law school, but my personal preference is to get out of the city for a more suburban feel. Being downtown so much got old, and could sometimes feel a little unsafe.

A lot of homeless people in the park next to my building, but they don’t really cause a problem.

It is downtown St. Louis.

In terms of convenience for school - it's GREAT. Everything else is terrible. There are very limited food places around here. Most places span to 10-25 min drive depending on what you want. Same with grocery stores. The downtown and soulard bars are close which is nice. However, in the 3 years I have lived here, there have been 4 shootings on the street outside, my car has been broken into twice (in the connected parking garage), and I was harassed by a building janitor. It's not worth it.

5 minute drive from school. 15 minute walk. Many restaurants on Wash Ave

Overall it's in a good location. It is great being right across the street from the school and to be able to walk to either the Cardinals or Blues games. another additional perk is that it is a quick Uber right if you want to go out in Soulard, The Grove, or Central West End. The only "downside" is that there is not that many food options near you, so you likely would have to drive to get food.

Adjusting to STL downtown is easier than you would expect. Hopefully COVID ends soon so we can enjoy the full benefits of living so close to Enterprise, Busch Stadium and everything in between.

I have never had any real problems with the neighborhood. If you aren’t causing trouble everything should be fine!

During Covid, the neighborhood is not the best. There is barely anyone around and the city is very quiet.
The lights are on timers and a lot of people are inpatient and run red lights and speed down Tucker and side streets.
Sometimes, people have gotten into the parking garage and broke into people's cars, so the parking garage does have some weakness with people getting in.

Great food options. Close to the highway. Everything I need is within a 15 minute drive.

There’s not much nightlife, not a lot of walkable places, not super safe to walk alone at night. However, I’ve never felt unsafe in my building. It’s very worth it to live so close to the law school and live near other law students.

Everything is close downtown but it is also living downtown.

Downtown West is lovely. However, the city should consider ways to mitigate the homelessness problem in the area.

Overall:

The streets in Downtown generally are somewhat clean. There are also many restaurants & coffee shops in downtown, and it is very walkable/bike-able during the daytime hours.
Safety: St. Louis' reputation for being unsafe precedes it, and is a bit exaggerated. But not entirely off-base, from my personal experience. From about sunrise to sunset, speaking as a man, I am comfortable walking outside. Foot traffic is generally very light and most streets have sufficient sidewalk space. Not to fearmonger, but I have personally erred on the side of caution when it comes to going out at night. I do go out to Bar Reviews and friends' house parties once a month or so. I tend to get home anywhere from midnight to 2am. I have never seen any violence, or concerning behavior, with my own eyes. Anecdotally, I have heard from another friend in Downtown that they have seen people cruising around in a car with guns on one occasion, very early in the morning/late at night. Gunshots are not rare, but also not frequent. My personal estimate is that I hear what could plausibly be gunshots once every two weeks or so. They occur most often in the midnight to 4am block of time. Car-break-ins were the second-most raised point about safety in Downtown. I have not been the victim of a break-in myself. However, I have seen cars parked in the same spot on the street all day go from having an intact window in the morning to a busted window by the end of the school day. I strongly recommend securing garage parking if you have a car, either in your own apartment complex or a nearby external garage. Downtown St. Louis has a homelessness problem, unfortunately similar to most other major cities in the US (Austin, TX and Los Angeles, CA come to mind). The homeless & city have a tragic cycle of homeless people occupying the parks near the law school & city hall, then being cleared out by city officials when a major event is being held at or near the parks, and drifting back in, days or weeks after the event. I have seen homeless people sleeping along the St. Charles St. side of the building, and further up the street. I have never been personally accosted by anyone, but it can contribute to feelings of overall decreased safety.

Some scary occurrences, but have always felt very secure in my apartment.

Near everything

Great location for going out downtown or going to a sports game. It's terrible for safety.

Would never walk alone at night