My NoCo Neighborhood: Spanish Lake

Shannon Howard | Aug 17, 2010 | Comments 8

With an active community association and some truly stunning natural beauty, Spanish Lake is one of North County's underrated jewels.

Spanish Lake, the historic North County community bounded by the Missouri River and the great Mississippi, is probably one of the most interesting areas in St. Louis County. Parts of it feel almost unchanged from decades past, with wide, rolling farm fields and quaint old storefronts. Other parts, especially the classic mid-century subdivisions and the secret properties along the bluff, represent what I consider some of the sweetest real estate in NoCo. Talk about a lot of house for the money! Here’s what local resident and NOCO contributor Jo Batzer has to say about her NoCo Neighborhood: Spanish Lake.

What is the name of your neighborhood and where is it located?
Spanish Lake, specifically the old Bellefontaine Place area just north of 270.

How long have you lived there?
Almost 15 years now. Moved here after a 2 year stint in St. Charles County after growing up in the Florissant area.

What’s the age & style of most of the homes?
The original Bellefontaine Place homes were mostly built in the 30’s, in the cottage revival style popular after WWI that dot the Spanish Lake area. Beautiful craftsmanship and character! After WWII, the rest of the adjoining neighborhood was completed with well built, solid brick ranch homes.

Overall, Spanish Lake has a broad range of homes, from modest ranch suburban homes built from the 50s through the 80’s, to new sprawling homes on private, gated roads. There is even a new “green” Subdivision off Trampe. Within 10 minutes of each other, the neighborhoods can range from a very urban feel, where you can walk to stores, restaurants or the dentist, to rural areas where people still grow crops and raise animals! [Ferguson Farmers Market vendor Sue Hodgson raises chickens in Spanish Lake.]

A charming vintage house in Jo's neighborhood, Bellefontaine Place

What do you like most about your neighborhood?
-Local amenities like Columbia Bottoms, Fort Bellefontaine, Larimore, Spanish Lake & Sunfish Lake parks as well as close proximity to Chain of Rocks Bridge and Trailnet. Plenty of opportunity to run, bike, hike, fish, boat, hunt or bird watch and with the added bonus of historical significance!

-The close proximity to 270 & 367; 20 minute access to downtown or Forest Park, 10 minutes to the airport or the Alton and Madison County areas of Illinois right across the rivers. Bike trails connect Spanish Lake from downtown St. Louis to Madison County trails across the Chain of Rocks Bridge or the Great River Road Trail over the Lewis and Clark Bridge.

-The quality of homes at affordable prices! You get so much more for your money in North County. When deciding to buy, we looked at similar styles of our homes in Kirkwood or Webster Groves that would cost 3x as much! Spanish Lake boasts many over sized yards, even with modest sized homes. If you garden, Spanish Lake has beautiful soil!

-Last, but not least, our great neighbors! We have helped each other out thru illness, death, storms and power outages. Birthdays, graduations, divorces and weddings. We have impromptu bbqs or dinners, do couple-only weekends out of town, and keep an eye out for each other; be it kids, pets or homes. I’ve lived in neighborhoods that were ‘nice’ but neighbors were always bickering, reclusive or just plain rude. I have never regretted a DAY after moving to Spanish Lake.

Does your neighborhood have an active neighborhood association and/or a strong sense of community spirit?
Spanish Lake has a very active volunteer community association with almost 300 dedicated members. It doesn’t take much to get a group of 70 or more to protest in Clayton or collect signatures over a cause. There are annual fundraising events and work days to clean up litter, weeds, etc…The most important project right now is the renovation of the Twillman House into a community center. The association purchased it in 2004, and the renovation is being done through many grants, private donations, union donations and hours upon hours of volunteer work.

What kind of people live in your neighborhood – families, retirees, artists, gardeners, bankers, etc?
Like the housing in Spanish Lake, there is a broad range of people. Good amount of retirees, but also singles and families. Many heath care industry professionals choose the area due to nearby Christian Hospital and the 20 minute commute to Barnes, Childrens, or Depaul. There seems to be a good mix from union workers to teachers, accountants, even lawyers. One thing I love about Spanish Lake is the diversity. We have people of all races, incomes and backgrounds. Diversity, just like in nature, makes a community stronger-not weaker.

Is there one special house in your neighborhood that’s currently for sale?
Only 1 on our street and it’s under contract! Plenty others in Spanish Lake though, like this one…

For more info about Spanish Lake, which is located in unincorporated North St. Louis County, be sure to contact the Spanish Lake Community Association. President Dora Gianoulakis is always happy to talk about her community and welcome new visitors!