Small town by the big city
From the neighborhoods to the schools to the homes in which residents live, life in Troy typically is small. But, says Trudy Lacefield, a Realtor for Troy-based Re/Max Alliance, no one is complaining. “People like that Troy is a smaller town with a lot to do,” she says of the suburb about 20 miles northeast of St. Louis.
Sidewalks are uncommon in older developments, but wide, residential roads with low-speed limits prioritize pedestrian safety.
Adjoining villages have teamed up to serve residents with their own school system.
Nineteenth-century farmhouses combine with mid-century ranch homes and new custom builds to offer a range of price points, styles, and sizes.
"The highly rated schools brought us here, but we fell in love with the neighborhood and stayed here ever since,” said Jake Kline, a broker with eXp Realty, who moved to Troy in 1997.
Varied house styles
Troy's 150-year-old farmhouses and homes built through the 1960s typically sell for lower prices, the mid $100,000s to the high $200,000s. New builds are priced from $300,000 to $400,000 but remain the most popular with buyers, says Lacefield. “The new construction is selling faster than it was years ago. It’s slim pickings for existing homes.”
Triad Community Unit School District
Troy isn’t big enough to have its own school system, so it aligns with the nearby villages of Marine and St. Jacob to form the Triad Community Unit School District, which operates Henning Elementary School, graded an A-minus by Niche, Triad Middle School and Triad High School, both graded B-plus from Niche.
Tri-Township Park
Along the same lines as the school district, Tri-Township Park has something for everyone, says Kline. “For a community of 10 to 11,000, there’s a ton to do at the park. Between the sports fields, skate park, petting zoo and snow cone shop, it’s a nice place to spend an afternoon.” Kids can meet residents such as Chonky the Donkey, Lilly the Llama and Tom and Tina, a pair of turkeys, at the petting zoo. A track for remote-controlled cars and trucks attracts hobbyists to the park's woods to race at the RC Crawler Course.
St. Louis specials and grocery shops
Troy has several takeout restaurants, including multiple pizza spots. Like many Troy residents, Kline is a big fan of Italian cuisine—especially toasted ravioli, a St. Louis specialty. “The story goes that a chef in a downtown restaurant accidentally dropped a tray of ravioli in the deep fryer. The chef had to try it, just to see what it would taste like. No one expected it to be good, but it was delicious!” says Kline. “Now, ‘toasted rav’ is kind of a St. Louis staple. You won’t find it in many other places.”
Swing by Alfonzo’s Pizzeria to pick up the St. Louis special or a few pizza pies. After eating, grab groceries from Pete’s Hometown Grocery, both located in the shopping centers on Edwardsville Road. “Pete’s is a great little mom-and-pop store, perfect for swinging in and grabbing a few things to make dinner,” says Kline. Troy’s retail sector offers little more than the basics, but Lacefield and Kline say it’s easy for residents to drive 10 miles north to Edwardsville, where big-box shopping is more plentiful.
Commuting
A commute to St. Louis can take 25 to 35 minutes, along Interstate 55 -- a trip that leads both ways, Kline said.
“People come here to stay.''
Photography Contributed By
Alex Medina
