Cheltenham - Saint Louis, MO

Founded in 1798, Cheltenham has an incredibly rich history. The neighborhood hosted attendees of the 1904 World's Fair that put St. Louis on the world map. Until the late 1990s, the St. Louis Arena offered sports fans professional hockey games and sports tournaments, such as the NCAA Final Four. After the city tore down the arena, the Cheltenham neighborhood changed from one of residential development to a neighborhood that attracted service-oriented businesses in spacious office buildings.

Residents of the neighborhood cross a pedestrian bridge to reach world-class cultural attractions that include the St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis Science Center and Muny Opera, an outdoor venue that hosts summer theatrical productions.

Manchester and Hampton roads act as the restaurant hub for the neighborhood. Quick service and casual fare venues dominate the restaurant scene on both busy roads. Residents who want to expand their culinary horizons travel less than a mile up a gently sloping hill to reach one of the most popular restaurant destinations in St. Louis, The Hill. Known for its high-end Italian inspired menu, Giovanni's attracts diners wanting to explore the restaurant's signature dishes of Salmone Affumicato con Marscapone and Farfalline del Presidente Reagan, a house favorite named after President Ronald Reagan.

Cheltenham's nightlife comprises of bars that operate on Manchester Road. Nick's Pub remains open until 3:00 in the morning, which is the latest any bar can stay open on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River. It serves as both a dining destination for sports fans and a place where dancers can groove to music spun by a DJ. Nick's offers classic Irish pub fare, including Newcastle fish & chips and Dublin Shepherd's pie. Other small bars serving ethnically inspired cuisine sit less than a mile from Cheltenham in the Dogtown neighborhood. Cheltenham residents who want to release pent up energy in a bustling nightclub or dance to live music travel to the Central West End or downtown to Laclede's Landing.

A wide variety of transportation options makes Cheltenham a popular place to live for busy St. Louis professionals who do not want to spend considerable time commuting to and from work. Numerous St. Louis Metro buses either slice through or pass by Cheltenham. Hop on the number 90 Hampton for trips through Forest Park and to businesses along Hampton Avenue, a road that skirts the western edge of The Hill. Take the 58 Manchester line to the public transportation hub located in downtown St. Louis. The light rail line at the Hampton stop splits into two lines that navigate to the Airport and the suburb of Shrewsbury.

Cheltenham provides residents with ample walking space on meticulously maintain sidewalks. However, the neighborhood does not offer cyclists lanes on the busy roads. Cyclists typically park their vehicles on Cheltenham side streets and take their bikes on sojourns that cross Forest Park into the Central West End.

Cheltenham's convenient central corridor location puts it at the doorstep of Interstate 64, the primary east-west highway that takes commuters to and from Clayton and downtown St. Louis. Parking costs drivers by the hour on busier streets, such as Macklind and Oakland roads. Uber sevices the area, and Cheltenham residents also enjoy quick access to taxis, as the major cab companies hover around bustling Forest Park and the hospitals within the Central West End.

Although there are no parks in Cheltenham proper, beautiful Forest Park sits directly across from Cheltenham on the other side of Interstate 64. As the second-largest urban park in the United States, Forest Park spans dozens of acres of premium urban real estate and features bike and walking trails, lakes and ponds for fishing, and recreational venues that attract people from throughout the metropolitan area. Located on the eastern edge of Forest Park, dwarfed by the majestic hotels and condominiums that line Central West End streets, Steinberg rink provides the quintessential winter outing.

Cheltenham parents take their kid's to play at nearby Berra Park, located in The Hill neighborhood. Dog lovers bring their pets to Shaw or Southwest City dog parks, both of which sit about two miles from Cheltenham. Forest Park costs nothing to enter, and the same business model applies to the smaller neighborhood parks adjoining Cheltenham. Annual events that draw visitors to Forest Park include an Earth Day celebration and the Great Forest Park Balloon Race held each September.

The demand for housing and the relative scarcity of units combine to drive the price of a one-bedroom apartment higher than the average cost of a one-bedroom unit in other St. Louis neighborhoods. Cheltenham residents can expect to pay, on average, $1,280.53 per month for a one-bedroom apartment. The overall cost of living sits nearly 35 percent higher than the cost of living for St. Louis, but Cheltenham residents still enjoy a cost of living that falls 5.8 percent below the national average. Public transportation, whether you take a bus or the light rail system, costs $2 for a two-hour fare that includes one transfer. A gallon of gas at Cheltenham pumps cost four percent more than the national average. Suds also run higher in Cheltenham than in most other St. Louis neighborhoods. A 12-ounce glass of beer typically costs $2.75, with a 50-percent discount during happy hours.

A lengthy strip mall that sits on the south side of Manchester road represents the shopping hub of the Cheltenham neighborhood. Big box national retailers, such as Wal Mart, operate in the strip mall area. Cheltenham residents who want to shop at high-end boutiques and specialty stores travel less than a mile to reach the Central West End. Halbert Rug Gallery on McPherson sells hand-woven oriental rugs that enhance the ambiance of any room. Jenny Walker Jewelry caters to gem enthusiasts who know the difference between a carrot and karat. Park your vehicle or take the Metro to the Central West End to window shop the dozens of specialty stores that sell products not found in at big box retailers.

Foodies head down to Soulard to shop for locally grown organic produce at the historic Soulard Farmers Market. Schnuck's on The Hill acts at the primary grocery store for Cheltenham residents.