Resting just beyond St. Louis city limits is a neighborhood that offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of a commercial urban area in exchange for a place with tons of greenery, space to spread out and immediate highway access. "It's county living compared to city living," says Realtor Kevin Vaughn of Coldwell Banker, who has sold homes in and around Moline Acres for over 15 years.
The neighborhood starts north along Chambers Road and spreads out from a central artery of Lewis and Clark Boulevard as it passes south over parkland, which makes up most of the neighborhood's southern boundaries. That parkland extends throughout the rest of the tree-shaded neighborhood, shrouding a collection of midcentury ranch-style homes with larger yards and driveways leading to a one- or two-car garage. For a suburban-like neighborhood just outside city limits, Moline Acres has a relatively affordable price range of under $30,000 for a fixer-upper home to a little over $150,000 for refurbished homes.
While the neighborhood has amenities for shopping and some weekly necessities, it does leave something to be desired if one is seeking trendy eateries and lounges. However, Moline Acres sits roughly between downtown St. Louis and Ferguson. "There's a lot of development coming through Ferguson and Dellwood right now," says Vaughn. "Moline Acres people can go over towards Ferguson, which is probably about six or seven minutes away, for entertainment at places like restaurants and cigar bars." But when they prefer to stay nearby, residents might choose to visit familiar local establishments, such as St. Louis Q. If they need necessities such as groceries or healthcare, most locals head south to the Save A Lot located just outside of Moline Acres. Those living in the north end of Moline Acres are more likely to travel north for essentials, as Chambers Road has several locations for grocery stores, laundromats, gas stations and pharmacies.
Moline Acres belongs to the Riverview Gardens School District, which offers 100% free or reduced lunch to all students. Young neighborhood students begin their educations at Meadows Elementary, which earns a score of D from Niche. After elementary school, students age up to Riverview Gardens Middle School, which earns a Niche score of D-minus. Upon reaching Riverview Gardens High School, which earns a D-plus score from niche, students can enroll in the school's community-driven clubs and extracurricular activities, such as the school library's book club.
Bella Fontaine Park forms most of Moline Acres' southern boundary and provides a wealth of activity. On the east side, the park's Fountain Lake Softball Center offers visitors six fields to practice on, while tennis players are accommodated with amenities of their own. On the west side of the park, a playground, basketball courts and an athletic field help to disperse activity over the park's 210 acres. The intersecting Maline Greenway currently offers cyclists and hikers a scenic path to travel, which is planned to eventually extend 7 miles and connect with the Mississippi and St. Vincent Greenways. And even on rainy days, neighborhood residents can still exercise at the Bellefontaine Recreational Center, which houses an indoor exercise room and pool, as well as pickleball courts and a mini golf course.
Reaching amenities from Moline Acres will require a car, as although there are bus routes on the neighborhood's boundary streets, getting to them on foot is not terribly easy. That said, the neighborhood's parks and greenways do offer travelers the ability to shave off a few minutes when heading south. Car ownership is further recommended considering the neighborhood's central artery, Lewis and Clark Boulevard, which can be used to reach Interstate 70 within a drive of less than 6 miles.
Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to , an experienced agent in this area.
Cathy Dey Cooney
The Hermann London Group, Llc
(618) 221-4691
78 Total Sales
1 in Moline Acres
$89,000 Price
Gary Seid
Keller Williams Marquee
(314) 582-2798
188 Total Sales
2 in Moline Acres
$35K - $60K Price Range
Amanda Alejandro
Realty Shop
(314) 310-0446
680 Total Sales
1 in Moline Acres
$45,000 Price
Janee' Kendrick
Williams Claytor Realty, LLC
(888) 923-0753
81 Total Sales
2 in Moline Acres
$85K - $102K Price Range
Deshaun Curry Tilson
Curry Tilson Estates
(502) 754-3554
70 Total Sales
5 in Moline Acres
$16K - $110K Price Range
Shalon Gates
Stowers Realty Group LLC
(314) 451-7984
55 Total Sales
1 in Moline Acres
$135,000 Price
With a population of around 4,500 people and just 12 miles from downtown St. Louis, Castle Point offers definite appeal to a certain kind of buyer who needs quick access to necessities and is prepared to enter the world of home ownership. “It’s real close to shopping and bus lines. It’s commutable. Housing is more affordable than in other nearby neighborhoods and there are opportunities for people to invest,” says Rebecca Harrington, a Realtor with RE/MAX who lives not too far from Castle Point and sells houses in the area. “It would be a good place for a first-time homebuyer to buy a home and build some equity.” With the low price of homes here, purchasers can have budget space left to update their homes. And for the buyer looking to invest in property, modest Castle Point is a place with many options. As the neighborhood is in transition, there are more vacant houses than in the average neighborhood. “It’s good for rental investors because there’s a lot of housing stock available,” Harrington says. On a drive through Castle Point, someone shouldn’t expect to find much housing diversity. The typical home here is a ranch-style house with one or two bedrooms. Most properties feature a one-car garage, although some houses may have a carport. The backyards lean towards the spacious side. “For under $50,000, you can get a 950 to 1,000 square foot home," Harrington says. "It’s not a big house. But, if you just need to get out of an apartment, the price you’d pay is less than people are paying on a two-bedroom apartment.” The median price for a single-family home here is around $75,000, with most houses selling in the $60,000 to $90,000 range. Castle Point is commuter-friendly, with residents able to catch a Metro bus from multiple bus stops on Halls Ferry Road along the community’s western edge. There are many bus stops to the south as well on Chambers Road. Otherwise, the neighborhood borders Lewis and Clark Boulevard, which doubles as Missouri Route 367, and is a minute or two from Interstate 270. From this location, drivers are 15 to 30 minutes from most local venues, including the St. Louis International Airport and downtown St. Louis. Riverview Gardens School District serves Castle Point Children. Niche rates the district D-minus. Students attend Lewis and Clark Elementary School and R.G. Central Middle School, both of which Niche ranks D-minus. High school students attend Riverview Gardens Senior High School, which Niche rates D-plus. The school has a 61% average graduation rate and an active Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program. There’s no shortage of places to find a meal in Castle Point. Most of the eating spots are toward the community’s southern edge on Chambers Road. Most of them are of the fast-food variety. Imo’s Pizza is a regional institution with locations throughout the St. Louis area and serves St. Louis-style pizza, which serves square slices of pie with Provel cheese. The White Barn is shaped like a barn and has drive-through and delivery options and many satisfied customers. As for shopping, residents are within a 5-minute drive of the Buzz Westfall Shopping Center, which has a Schnucks supermarket as well as a collection of retail stores like Foot Locker. Castlepoint County Park, in Castle Point, features two basketball courts, a playground for kids, a pavilion and a multipurpose field. It’s not uncommon to find residents visiting nearby Florissant Valley Community Park just north of here. It has a soccer field, playground and plenty more open spaces to spend time with the family or walking the dog. As well the Bellefontaine Conservation Area is just across Lewis and Clark Blvd. The 133-acre public park is on forest and grassland and features fishing ponds and conservation education. Castle Point typically doesn’t host events of its own. Residents tend to participate in the ones hosted by neighboring Ferguson, which has a variety of events throughout the year, including a summer concert series and the Taste of Ferguson festival.
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Total Population
2,265
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Median Age
37
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Population under 18
29%
Above the national average
23.8%
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Population over 65
18.7%
On par with the national average
19.1%
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Median Household Income
$43,958
Significantly below the national average
$79,597
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Average Household Income
$48,140
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High School Graduates
87.3%
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College Graduates
10.4%
Below the national average
34.1%
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Advanced Degrees
4.7%
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% Population in Labor Force
49.9%
Below the national average
64.9%
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Annual Precipitation
42''
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Average Winter Low Temperature
24°F
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Average Summer High Temperature
90°F
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Annual Snowfall
15''
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Bikeability
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Transit
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