University City, Missouri

University City is an inner-ring suburb in St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 36,847 in 2006. The city was shaped by Washington University in St. Louis, whose campus abuts the city to the southeast.

The city is one of the older suburbs in the St. Louis area, having been a streetcar suburb in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; much historic architecture remains in the southern, older portion of the city, particularly along Delmar Boulevard. The northern portions of the city, mostly developed after World War II, have more of a suburban feel with many shopping centers and other automobile-centered development.

University City has much municipal open space, dominated by 85 acre Heman Park (which includes recreation and community centers and public pool facilities) and Ruth Park (a public golf course and nature trails). The city has six elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. The University City school district is separately managed from other school districts in the area.

Geography
University City's southern border is approximated by Northmoor. The eastern border is approximated by Skinker Boulevard. The western border is approximated by old McKnight (some of which is now Interstate 170).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.2 km²), all of it land.

The Delmar Loop, an entertainment, cultural and restaurant district, is located along Delmar Boulevard, parallel with and six blocks north of the northern boundary of the university. The city is also home to the University City Olive Link, known for its high concentration of East Asian businesses and considered as a replacement for Chinatown, St. Louis. The highest point of U. City is the Western terminus of Delmar Boulevard, at the tri-border of U. City, Ladue, and Olivette.

The city also contains part of Midland Boulevard, which divides the watersheds of the Mississippi River and the Missouri River. Headwaters of the River Des Peres start in the hills near the U. City and Clayton boundary, which flows north, takes a strong turn at Ruth Park, then is controlled through underground tunnels as it passes through the city of St. Louis.

Highways
Major roads and highways in University City:

I-170, MO-340, Delmar Blvd, Forest Park Pkwy, Skinker Pkwy

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 37,428 people, 16,453 households, and 9,114 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,363.1 people per square mile (2,457.7/km²). There were 17,485 housing units at an average density of 2,972.6 per square mile (1,148.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 49.26% White, 45.35% African American, 0.16% Native American, 2.85% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 1.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.56% of the population. The city is considered (by inhabitants) to be divided roughly into three zones from north to south. North of Olive is predominantly Black, from Olive to Delmar is mixed, and south of Delmar is predominantly White. Because of the city's racial composition, it has not been part of the integration busing program between the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County.

There were 16,453 households out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.3% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.6% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,902, and the median income for a family was $52,539. Males had a median income of $41,588 versus $30,440 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,901. About 9.5% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

The city has long had a large middle-class Jewish presence. Jewish cemeteries and religious centers dot the city, such as Young Israel of St. Louis and Agudas Israel of St. Louis, serving U. City residents and those of nearby Clayton, which also has a high concentration of Jewish residents.



History
University City was founded by publisher Edward Gardner Lewis, who began developing the location in 1903 around his publishing complex for Woman's Magazine and Woman's Farm Journal. Historic buildings associated with municipal operations, including today's City Hall, were built by Lewis as facilities for his magazine enterprise. In 1906, the city incorporated and Lewis served as its first mayor.

Education
In 2009 voters in the school district approved a $53 million bond issue to upgrade district schools. The school district is being aided by Project Appleseed, a national organization based in U. City, in a $30 million alumni capital campaign to improve the high school athletic facilities. The goal is to establish UCHS as a major recreation center for a large portion of St. Louis County by the 100th anniversary of University City High School in 2015.

Culture
U. City is home to the COCA, a center for contemporary arts that has a nationally recognized pre-professional dance training program, with alumni dancing for Trisha Brown, Cecil Slaughter, Houston Ballet, Ballet Hispanico New York, Mark Morris, Alvin Ailey, the national tours of Wicked and Cinderella, and Tarzan on Broadway.

U. City has a public library, established in 1939, located at 6701 Delmar Boulevard. The library houses more than 150,000 volumes as well as music and spoken recordings, videotape and DVD collections, and numerous works of art. The library is open seven days a week, including five evenings.

Politics

 * Mayor: Shelley Welsch
 * City Manager: Lehman Walker
 * City Council:
 * 1st Ward: Stephen Kraft, Terry Crow
 * 2nd Ward: Lynn Ricci, L. Michael Glickert
 * 3rd Ward: Arthur Sharpe Jr., Byron Price

In July 2009, a group of residents calling themselves "University City citizens for Transparency and Accountability" said they would begin collecting the 2,233 signatures necessary to have the State of Missouri audit the City's finances. The City has been facing severe financial woes over the last few years and an attempt to balance the 2010 budget by creating a 0.25% sales tax was defeated by city voters on August 4, 2009.

Notable residents

 * Hallowell Davis (1896–1992), pioneer in studying the physiology of hearing.
 * Bernard Gilkey, New York Mets slugger
 * Ken Holtzman, Chicago Cubs pitcher, who threw two no-hitters and won 174 games, the most by a Jewish pitcher.
 * Nelly, a.k.a Cornelius Haynes, rapper.
 * Art Shamsky, Mets slugger
 * Robert Person, Mets pitcher
 * Tennessee Williams, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
 * Ike Willis, singer and sideman for Frank Zappa from 1978 to 1988.