The Central West End is one of my all time favorite parts of St Louis. Yes, yes…I lived there for 7 years and made friends of a lifetime but even without those fantastic people, just the neighborhood alone would have been worth it. So close to Forest Park that we in fact rode our bikes to fantastic events such as the Great Forest Park Balloon Race and the Shakespeare Festival.
One of the other great parts of the Central West End is the difference in kinds of housing that you can get in the West End. There are some really large, beautiful homes in the West End. There are some medium range homes, and there are lots of condos. Part of the beauty of the West End is just, there is a little bit of everything for everybody. The street that we are on here is called McPherson.
I am partial to McPherson because I lived on this street for almost seven years. I will tell you, it was probably one of the best times of my husband and I’s life. We loved our neighbors. We loved being able to walk to all the bars and restaurants, and being so close to Forest Park. Like I said, there are lots of housing options in the Central West End though. There are lots of condos. There are apartments. There’s a really good rental community in the Central West End because there is such a big population of medical residents and med students, all affiliated with Barnes Jewish Hospital. They all typically are looking for something that is walkable to the hospital, and just the urban feel of the neighborhood is really nice for people that are looking for something that want a walkable community.
The housing prices in the Central West End also offer a little bit of something for everyone. You can find a small studio or one bedroom apartment or condo, usually pretty inexpensively if you’re looking for something to rent. I know my husband, before we got married, rented a studio in the Central West End that was around $650 a month. I will say it was very small, but he was able to get something pretty affordable at that point. If you’re looking for a condo, there are usually condos and on the smaller side, maybe something that needs a little bit of work for around $150,000 to $175,000, and then the housing market goes all the way up to the millions. You’ll find some of these houses that you see here are mostly in the range of $500,000 to $800,000. There are some larger streets in the Central West End, the Portland Westmoreland neighborhood to be specific where the homes are upwards from a million to two million.
The historic homes in the Central West End are by far some of the most fantastic architecture that St Louis has to offer. There is so much attention to detail in these old homes. The brickwork, the moldings, the glass and marble and hardwood. House parts that are no longer made part of modern construction. Conversely the Central West End is home to some of the best modern architecture in St Louis. Buildings such as The 100 building and the elegant and modern condo at the 4545 Lindell building are keeping St Louis on the map with cutting edge new construction.
The Central West End has a fantastic neighborhood association as well that keeps community members engaged and informed.
One of the main draws of The Central West End is it’s proximity to Barnes Jewish Hospital, Washington University and Cortex.
Barnes is not only one of St Louis Cities biggest employers, it also partners with Wash U to provide some of the highest ranked medical education in the country AND world class health care. Part of the Barnes campus includes other institutions such as the Siteman Cancer Center , St Louis School of Pharmacy and the Goldfarb School of Nursing.
The Cortex Innovation Community is just to the east of the Barnes campus and also a major part of the Central West End although a newer addition to the community. The Cortex Community is a 200 acre hub of businesses focused on growth, innovation and technology with the idea that being closer in proximity with each other offers opportunities for growth and learning. Oh, and there happens to be a bunch of great dining on site as well.
Some of St Louis’ best dining also happens to be in the Central West End. No matter what part of the West End you find yourself in, throw a rock and you’ll hit something delicious to eat.
The variety of cuisine in the Central West End is outstanding. On the southern end of the CWE are establishments such as Brasserie and BBQ Saloon. I have to add here that the best sushi in St Louis is located in this part of the CWE as well. Sushi Koi always has the absolute freshest sushi in town and some of the best rolls I’ve had. Insider tip…they close between 2:00 and 4:00 every day to prep so if you’re looking for an early happy hour…you’ll have to go somewhere else.
On the north side of the CWE are tow of my other favorite places to have a bite and a cocktail, Pi Pizzeria and Mission Taco. Insider tip at Mission Taco…order the side dish of black beans with your chips and salsa as a makeshift bean dip appetizer.
