Neighborhoods

The Central West End (CWE) is the area where the Medical Campus is situated, so it is a very short walk (10-15 minutes) from many apartment buildings and living complexes in the neighborhood that are popular among med students. It’s also conveniently located on the east edge of Forest Park, so you have easy access to all the running and biking trails, fields, and attractions that the park has to offer. In the other direction is downtown St. Louis, which is only about a 10-minute drive away. The CWE itself boasts a ton of great restaurants, stores, and coffee shops, in addition to a movie theater and library, among other things, including a centrally located Whole Foods.

Demun is a wonderful little neighborhood just off the western side of Forest Park. Living in Demun sandwiches you between the aforementioned Forest Park and a lesser-known beauty in Concordia Park. Demun is famous for having the original Kaldi’s Coffee location, as well as a slew of great dining (Louie’s is a must-try!) and hangout spots (Sasha’s Wine Bar and Barrio). The neighborhood also has Clementine’s Naughty and Nice Creamery (On Oprah’s O List)! Demun is centrally located, with Richmond Heights just below it and the Delmar Loop located a short drive above it. You can bike through Forest Park to the Medical Campus when the weather permits, but realistically you would need a car to get around. I’ve found rental prices in the neighborhood to be a little cheaper than in the Central West End. Among medical students, this neighborhood flies under the radar a little bit, but you should look into it — I love it here and plan on staying for all four years.

Living near the Delmar Loop is a unique experience — you get a slice of the bustling excitement of the WashU undergrad life, where you see students walking around drinking boba tea or eating sandwiches in front of their laptops. Local residents are also seen lining up for their favorite burgers at Blueberry Hills and vibing to a musician playing his saxophone. University City offers a kind of diversity that provides both comfort and experience, as you can be part of anything but still find room to explore new things.

Jenny is the first friend I made in St. Louis. She moved to University City thirty years ago because she was hoping to raise her adoptive children in a diverse neighborhood. She wanted her two children to grow up in a place where they were accepted, where they did not stand out as strangers because of the color of their skin. When I was looking for a place to live, she told me about University City. “Come live near with us,” she said, “you’ll love it here.”

I can’t say if it is the great restaurants, cool cafes, and boba stores that will make you like this place, the affordable apartment housing dominated by lively undergrads but scattered with graduates, or the Midwest hospitality of your neighbors too keen to take me and my family under their wings. If you like listening to local musicians play at Kingsbury Avenue on summer afternoons while eating Cuban sandwiches with your neighbors, that works. If you are more of the secluded type and like to play games in your little den eating to-go Thai food, that works too. Whoever you are, you will see yourself belonging here.

We love living in this neighborhood. Pershing Ave has a row of apartment buildings where many medical students and graduate students from the Danforth Campus live. My partner and I are just a 5-minute walk from the Missouri History Museum located in Forest Park, and we’re fairly close to the Danforth Campus gym if you need a break from studying or want to walk through the park while re-listening to that lecture. There is a MetroLink stop just down the street that takes me right to the center of campus, and the Delmar Loop is right around the corner. This neighborhood offers much more affordable housing than the Central West End but is still conveniently close for biking or taking the Metro. If you’re worried about traveling at night, WashU offers a free shuttle that will take you back to your apartment. It’s a great spot!

The Grove has so much character and charm and has been a fantastic place to live! It is right across I-64 from the medical school, so it is incredibly close to campus. From award-winning, Southern fried chicken at Grace Meat and Three to Afghani food at Sameem, there are so many restaurants, breweries, and bars that are within walking distance of my apartment. If you need a study break, The Grove is also close to both Forest Park and Tower Grove Park, depending on where you live in the neighborhood!