Before I ever sold a home, I lived in the neighborhoods that taught me how St. Louis works.
I’ve spent time in North City, Jennings, Ferguson, West County, and the U-City, Midtown, Clayton, and Richmond Heights area. Each one taught me something I couldn’t have learned from a book. Here’s the path, in order. Now I’m a realtor, and I use all of it to help people buy, sell, and invest across the city and the county.
North St. Louis City: My Roots
North City is where I’m from. It’s where a lot of my family is from. I spent my early years there, and I was back and forth the whole time I was growing up.
It’s also where my first investment property was. That property came from my aunt, so it was a generational asset transfer.
Two memories from the North Side stick with me.
The first is Natural Bridge. My grandmother’s house was there, and so was my aunt’s house, which I later owned. Natural Bridge was the street the Annie Malone May Day Parade came down, and we lived right on that main street. So every year we had front row seats. That was before they moved the parade downtown.
The second is over in the JVL, still on the North Side, closer to downtown. My aunt lived in the apartments there. That land is now the NGA campus, a project worth well over a billion dollars. Back then, we were ripping and running through there. We went to the candy store on the corner, tumbled on the mattresses out in the alley, and played basketball on crates my cousin nailed to the light pole behind the apartments. I still hang on to those memories.
Jennings: Watching Migration Patterns Happen
I spent my early years in Jennings, and it shaped how I understand migration patterns. I was too young to experience the white flight out of North City, so Jennings was the first time I got to see it firsthand, instead of just reading about it.
When my family first moved into the neighborhood, it was primarily white. By the time we moved out, it was primarily Black. That’s a lot to take in as a kid, and I’ve carried it into my work ever since. People move for reasons, and the market follows them.
I still remember our neighbors. To the right was an older white woman, and I want to say her name was Miss Francis. To the left was a middle-aged white man who had a Great Dane. We were always over there playing with that dog, and he even made me and my brother cookies.
Directly across the street was Mr. Jack, one of the last ones who stayed. He put us to work. Every year we shoveled his driveway to make an extra buck or two. He also drove a box Chevy, the same car my cousin drove.
Those were my neighbors. As the neighborhood changed, I watched the people on my block change with it.
Ferguson: Seeing It From the Inside
Everyone knows Ferguson. It gained global attention during the Michael Brown case. I lived there part of the time, mostly as an adult, and I took a couple of classes at Florissant Valley.
But I spent time in Ferguson long before that. The YMCA I went to as a kid, all the way back, was in Ferguson. So I spent a lot of time there before I ever lived there, and before I interned there.
My internship was in public relations, and I worked alongside city officials. I can’t remember if it was my junior or senior year of college, but I know it wasn’t my freshman or sophomore year. I came out of college in 2010.
West County: Bused Out, Bused Home
From kindergarten through 12th grade, I went to school in West County, mostly in Fenton and Wildwood, with Chesterfield in the mix. I was part of the deseg program, which meant I was bused out every morning and bused back home every afternoon.
The intention of the deseg program was to bus kids from one community to a different community here in St. Louis. It was primarily from the city out to the county schools, and from the county schools to the city schools. I was one of the kids bused from the city out to the county.
I spent my days in one part of St. Louis and my nights in another. That was my routine from kindergarten through 12th grade. I learned how to move between both worlds, and I still do.
U-City, Midtown, Clayton, Richmond Heights: Home Base
This is my primary part of town. U-City, Midtown, Clayton, and Richmond Heights are where I live, work, and know the market best.
It was part of my upbringing, too. I spent a lot of time here as a kid.
U-City is where my family and I live. We love it because it’s right in the middle of everything. The stores we go to the most are right here: Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Dierbergs. It’s walkable too, and we like to get out and walk the parks, the neighborhoods, and the Delmar Loop.
Olivette and Creve Coeur: Where My Sights Are Set
We have four young boys, so family culture is big for us. We’re not set on going too far out into the suburbs. Olivette is right next door to where we are now, and Creve Coeur is right next door to Olivette. As we outgrow our current place, we’ve got our sights set on both, and I plan to live in Creve Coeur or close by.
We love that Olivette is central too. It’s not too far out. In Creve Coeur, we love the parks and the stuff it’s known for, like the pumpkin patch, Creve Coeur Lake, Creve Coeur Park, and the lantern event at the lake. There’s always something to get out and do.
Why This Matters When You Hire a Realtor
I’ve lived in the city and the county, and I interned alongside city officials. I bring all of that to every client.
If you’re buying, I’ll help you find a home that fits your needs, your budget, and how you live. If you’re selling, we’ll price and market your home using real data, not emotion. If you’re investing, I’ll walk you through the numbers on each deal.
I use market data every day. Put that together with what I’ve lived across St. Louis, and you’ve got a realtor who can guide you with both.
What It All Taught Me
I didn’t learn St. Louis from a report. I learned it from living in it, from North City to West County and everywhere in between.
That’s why I don’t just look at the numbers. Every neighborhood has a history. When I help someone buy, sell, or invest, I’m looking at the data and the story behind it.
Thinking about a move in St. Louis? Text me your name and how I can help you: 314-350-4376.
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