Forest Park Southeast Neighborhood: A Suburban Oasis in the City of St. Louis

Forest Park Southeast Neighborhood: A Suburban Oasis in the City of St. Louis Home to one of St. Louis’s most beautiful parks—a park that is even larger than NYC’s Central Park—Forest Park Southeast is a suburban oasis in the heart of St. Louis. There are actually many other parks within the community, like Adams Park, Eads Park, and Tambo Park. This neighborhood is a young, lively area, home to many families and singles, and features lots of attractions for residents and tourists. Universities, small businesses, restaurants, and shopping options are also at home in this diverse neighborhood.
Forest Park’s Historic District (currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places) features stunning turn-of-the-century architecture, including Colonial Revival and Romanesque styles. The district includes many different types of buildings, like homes, a meeting hall, a specialty store, and a religious structure. The history of the neighborhood dates back to the 1850s with the arrival of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, which made the neighborhood much easier to access. Major development of the area began at the beginning of the 20th century, and was marketed as the first true “subdivision” and an oasis for many of those who worked in downtown and other larger neighborhoods who wanted a quiet place to live with close proximity to their workplace. Commercial development of the community started during the 30s and 50s.
One of two of the neighborhood’s largest attractions is Forest Park, for whom the community is named. It is one of St. Louis’s largest parks, and is actually even larger than NYC’s famed Central Park. This park is home to the St. Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, the St. Louis Science Center, the St. Louis Zoo, and the Muny, which is America’s largest outdoor theater. All these different attractions are located in the park, right in and nearby the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood. Residents and tourists can take advantage of the museums, and the park’s natural attractions like lakes, walking and biking trails, lots of open space for events like picnics, weddings, and family reunions, and even annual events like the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis (held in late May/June) and the LouFest, which is a celebration of modern music and living “green” (held in August).
The St. Louis Zoo is a famed attraction in the city; it contains more than 18,000 exotic, rare and endangered species of animals, and an excess of 700 species that represents all of the countries of the world. It’s a free attraction that St. Louis natives and tourists can take advantage of year-round, except during holidays.
The neighborhood’s demographics are primarily African American (64%), Caucasian (30%), and Asian (2%). The average household income was around $43k in 2010, with a median home value of $148k. Although the crime rate in the community can be somewhat high than in other neighborhoods, efforts are slowly being made to revitalize the area, and a shift can be seen by the number of young families entering this neighborhood. Busy professionals, as well, are in this community, due to the proximity to downtown, and the low housing costs.
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