West county unquestionably has some of the most expensive real estate in Missouri, though, we must say, many of its residents have quite questionable taste. Then again, it’s all in the definition of west county. Many associate it exclusively with the rolling estates of Town and Country or with the diamond bracelet-clad matriarchs of Frontenac. Yet, it also includes more modest burghs like Champ, which is home to a giant landfill. Whatever the case, if you’re moving to west county you can mostly be assured of two things: 1) Your plot of land will be sizable, and 2) Your commute to the city will be unenviable.
It’s not the fanciest or the richest part of west county, but Ballwin is an excellent place to raise a family. There are great school districts, fabulous shopping opportunities and community spirit. Watch out for Ballwin cops, though — they’re legendarily hotheaded.
Breckenridge Hills is home to a convenience store named Quick Shop, where you can purchase liquor, pocket knives and whip-its all under one roof. Directly across the street at Overlord Military Collectibles, you can buy an old army helmet, a gas mask and a decommissioned grenade. Take this information and do with it what you must.
Champ only has 12 people, but it was founded on grand ambitions by a former shot put champion who envisioned building a sports stadium (thus its name). Unfortunately, the stadium never materialized, and now its main claim to fame is a giant landfill. Yes, the town is a literal dump. But it’s still better than Chesterfield.
If you want all of the brattiness and none of the style, Chesterfield is the place for you. The big-box shopping is convenient but comes with a side of “new money” attitude. That cold feeling you get in Chesterfield? That’s your soul leaving your body.
Clarkson Valley upgraded from a fourth-class city to a village in 1988. The current mayor, Scott Douglass, is the only mayor its ever had. It’s not known for much, other than 2007 litigation against the owners of a group home. The residents? A nun-like, consecrated lay group of Catholics. Weird!
Country Life Acres makes Ladue look like the slums. Comprising a single subdivision with a few dozen homes — about a one-third of which appear to have stables — Country Life Acres is where you go when Town and Country isn’t exclusive enough for you. It’s not nouveaux-riche though, despite being in west county. These aren’t McMansions but elegant older colonials and huge rambling farmhouses.
This wealthy suburb doesn’t have many charms, but beyond the chain dining and the ticky-tacky new construction are beautiful mid-century modern homes, not to mention pretty parks. It’s a great place to be a wealthy family of middling taste!
This postage-stamp sized town contains some of the last remaining affordable real estate in the Ladue School District, outside the northern half of Olivette. Sadly, that is changing quickly, as modest ranches and bungalows on tiny lots are being torn down to make way for mostly ugly, oversized homes, still on tiny lots. There are no businesses in this bedroom community and likely never will be.
Long before becoming mall-ville or, more charitably, a dinner-and-a-movie spot, Des Peres was Osage Nation land. French settlers later named it “The Fathers,” representing the Jesuit missionaries who settled there.
Is it incorrect to call Ellisville dog heaven? Sure, it’s got great parks for humans, but Bluebird Dog Park is a main attraction, and Ellisville’s Aquatic Center even hosts “pooch plunges,” where your pup can play in the pool with other furry friends.
As industrial pollution, manufacturing decline and white flight spurred an exodus from St. Louis city following World War II, mid-county began wielding…
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