Sunset Hills City: The Home of the famous bakery chain Panera Bread.
Sunset Hills is a city in St
Sunset Hills City: The Home of the famous bakery chain Panera Bread.
Sunset Hills is a city in St. Louis County, in the state of Missouri. Cityhood for Sunset Hills was granted in 1957 and its area continued to expand with community annexations made from 1994 to 1997. The largest addition is South Gravois and part of eastern Meramec River made up of 980 acres. Sunset Hills now covers a total area of 9.10 square miles. It is uncertain who gave the city its name, except that an old lady clamored for it in awe of the lovely sunset views from her bedroom window. But for all its many nature-inspired gifts, the city is more popular as the headquarters of Panera Bread, the highly successful chain of bakery-cafes operating 1,500 chains across 40 states in the US, with expansions in Canada.
Sunset Hills is among the best cities in which to live and work in St. Louis County. It has a highly organized city management, excellent public services, the best-ranked schools in the state, recreational facilities that promote health and wellness and great community and housing plans.
Whether for employment or business reasons, moving to Sunset Hills is easy. The city is business-friendly as seen from its outstanding commercial profile. The top industry is actually retail trade, while other businesses came from manufacturing, food, construction, healthcare and finance. As such, there are high employment opportunities in management, sales, services and banking.
Vacancy rates in Sunset Hills can vary depending on the area you prefer to live in, whether you're eyeing an apartment for rent close to the business districts or a rental housing in a subdivision to move your entire brood.
Increase your chances of securing your Sunset Hills home by preparing well ahead of your move. Organize your proof of income, credit history, and have on hand the contact info for past landlords who can vouch for your dependability.
Once you have everything settled, plan your Sunset Hills move-in date carefully. It is important to consider weather conditions in Sunset Hills as they may be erratic. The city shares the county's continental climate with generally warm temperature throughout the year, the hottest being July and early August. November rains are descriptive of the city, turning into intermittent snowfalls by December. Springtime is particularly unstable, generally a wet season but can be severe with winter storms. Tornadoes occurred in 1959, 1967 and 2010.
Economic and residential development in Sunset Hills owe largely to the Meramec River. Then and now, it links the city and nearby towns to downtown St. Louis. Communities sprang around the river and on access roads, notably the Butler Hill Road and Watson Road.
House rentals in Sunset Hills are more prevalent than an apartment for rent, but there are new developments from the city center up to old settlement areas that are being developed into modern accommodations, including apartment complex.
Tapawingo: This is a growing resort-themed neighborhood anchored on the Tapawingo National Golf Club on Gary Player Drive, home to various golf courses such as the Meramec, Prairie and Woodland. Residential developments here consist mostly of big, multi-level homes with 4 to 5 bedrooms on rolling terrains. Some have gorgeous views of the Meramec River.
Crestwood/Sappington: This neighborhood is along Gravois Road and leads to Clamorgan Springs. It is the site of new apartment developments, notably the Southwoods Apartment built from the old big barn in the estate of the pioneering Sappington family. One bedroom apartments to the errant studio apartment for rent may be found here.
Sunset Manor: This is a subdivision area northeast of the city, just off Interstate 44 characterized by mid-size modest homes. The land was once a vineyard and orchard property, and old pear trees still line some streets. One third of homes here are occupied by renters.
Valley Park/Fenton: This is a neighborhood on the western boundary of Sunset Hills that developed from the original grants of land to the first French-Canadian settlers on the Meramec River. It is an essentially hillside neighborhood with charming English Manor-style houses.
Sunset Hills is accessible via Interstate Highway 44, while Amtrak stations in Kirkwood and St. Louis provide public transit connection. For those coming farther from St. Louis, there's the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.
Average travel time in Sunset Hills is 15 to 20 minutes one way. Residents prefer driving their own cars rather than use public commute. Some neighborhoods have carpool services.
The city's commercial and recreational district lies on the strip of Lindbergh Boulevard and Watson Road. Enjoy retail therapy on southern Lindbergh with The Shoppes at Sunset Hill and The Plaza at Sunset Hills Shopping Center. Choices of restaurants, cafes and bars abound here. For some golfing action, a short distance away are the Twin Lakes Country Club and Sunset Hill Country Club.
Park development is high on the city agenda, and the 23-acre Watson Trail Park on Watson Road is the council's pride, offering a 9-hole disc golf, two tennis courts, a fishing lake and park shelter. Providing green space for weary travelers along the busy Interstate 44 is the Lynstone Park, the city's first park.
Sunset Hills has a rich landscape with abundance of fresh water from the Meramec River splitting into numerous springs and lakes. There's the Windsor Spring at the end of Geyer Road where in the old days, people troop to camp and get their fill of pure spring water, said to have therapeutic effects. There are also various greenhouses remaining in Vianney, Venture and Maryhurst areas.
For more nature tripping, there's the Claire Gempp Davidson Memorial Conservation on Sappington Road, great for wetlands and prairie trails, butterfly gardens and flower paths.
