The Tour

When we first realized that a St. Louis move was inevitable, we began to think about where we wanted to live. At first, we thought we would embrace the completely urban lifestyle of a downtown apartment. We looked online at lofts downtown on Broadway and around Washington Avenue. Those were great places, but once we visited the one on Broadway, we realized that it wouldn't suit the needs of our family. We wanted more of a neighborhood feel. More walking options and hopefully a kid-friendly environment.

We ended up driving through and falling in love with the Clayton/DeMun neighborhood. It's just off Skinker, West of Forest Park. We began making phone calls and looking online specifically at apartments in this area. It seemed like in order to get into the area, we'd have to settle for a two bedroom apartment. I was willing to do it if it would be a better place for all of us (especially Sophia). Then we stumbled upon an apartment in our price range with three bedrooms, hardwood floors, and nearly as much space as our house!

Our neighborhood is everything we hoped. Just a block or two from restaurants, a coffee shop and several great parks! Sophia loves it, as you could see from a previous post.



We're on the second floor, with three grad students above us and three student below us. Sophia is dying for some kids, so I'm hopeful that a park visit will one day turn up some friends for her.



It was quite a process to go from empty...



to full...



to livable...



I have been so amazed and pleased at how well our things seem to fit and help us feel at home in our new place.



We have more wall space in the apartment than we did in our house, so I get to exercise my decorating muscles a little bit. Good times are ahead. I'll let you know how that goes.



There have been some things to get used to in our apartment. The building went up in the late 1920's, so, along with the character and cool factor, we are discovering some quirks. We've never had radiated heat before. I like it, but it's a change.



If I could change one thing about the apartment, it would probably be the kitchen. It's not as much a nemesis as I originally thought, but it's an adjustment for sure. Few cabinets, the washer/dryer stacked in the corner, the original gas oven (well, I don't know that for a fact, but it sounds about right) all add up to a challenge. One that I'm willing to attack on account of the awesomeness of the rest of our place.



This is our place. I am feeling at home inside these walls. You're welcome to come see it for yourself at any time!