Baden is located on the City’s Northside, bounded by Calvary Avenue on the South, the Wabash- Norfolk-Western Railroad on the Southwest, and Hall Street on the East.

Baden’s early development grew out of its location at the intersection of two important roads: Bellefontaine Road (now North Broadway) and Halls Ferry Road. Bellefontaine Road was the principal route between St. Louis and the 18th century Spanish fort, Don Carlos Tercero Del Rey at the mouth of the Missouri River. Traffic from a farming area of more than 100 square miles in northern St. Louis county followed these roads and funneled through the area towards the St. Louis market. This made it a natural location for a settlement, which apparently had its beginnings in the early 19^th century. However, it was not until the extensive German migration to the St. Louis area in the 1840s and 1850s that Baden began to assume importance. So many Germans settled in the area that it became referred to as "Germantown." The name of Baden is generally associated with Frederick Kraft, a pioneer settler in 1852, who was born in Baden-Baden, Germany. Kraft, operator of a saloon, submitted Baden as the name for the first post office in 1860; the name was officially adopted when he became the postmaster. The first market house was built in 1862 and Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church, the first church, was founded in 1862. By the 1870s, the surrounding farming community and a local population of 400 supported eleven stores and three wagon shops in Baden and by 1876, the town was incorporated into the City of St. Louis.

The Baden neighborhood is located along the Mississippi River at the northern tip of St. Louis City. Its residents boast a slightly higher than average employment rate and median household income in comparison to the surrounding neighborhoods. There exists a stable racial balance as well as a diverse mix of young families and long-time residents.

Baden provides its residents with a stable commercial district, as well as affordable and diverse housing. The housing stock consists of a variety of sizes and styles. These range from Federal style homes, built in the late 1800s, to 1950s ranches and bungalows, in outlying sections of the neighborhood.

Baden has a variety of churches and religious institutions that provide spiritual and community strength to its residents. Area churches include St. Stephen United Church of Christ, Prince of Peace Episcopal Church, Our Lady of the Holy Cross Catholic Church, Ebenezer Lutheran Church, and several others.

An important neighborhood organization is the Baden Improvement Association. It has a long history, over 20 years, of active involvement with the community. The Baden Community Housing Corporation is another important community asset that provides resources and services to existing and prospective residents.

Other community assets include the Baden Business District, Baden Marketing Group, Badenfest Community Corporation, Lutheran Altenheim Society of Missouri, and the Baden St. Louis Public Library.

Schools in the neighborhood include River Roads Lutheran School and Baden Elementary School. Veasleys Tender Loving Care, Strawberry Hill Day Care, Church of God at Baden, and Magic Moments Learning Center provide childcare services. Scout meetings are held at the Harris House, Judivine Center for Autism and the Baden Fast Community Center. Big Brothers-Big Sisters is also located within the neighborhood boundaries, providing youth services and afterschool programs. Hickey Park is located on the northeast side of Baden and provides space for recreational activity. A new post office has also been built recently on Broadway.

The Meyer Company has recently completed and sold five single-family homes in Baden. Currently, Operation Impact is rehabbing buildings at 8116 Church and 1247 Baden. There has been a great deal of commercial activity in the North Broadway Redevelopment site, such as a new Sterling’s Market, a banquet facility, a pool hall, retail shops, and an Auto Zone to be completed soon. There is also a new Save-A-Lot market at 8960 Riverview. There continues to be scattered site development throughout the whole of the Baden neighborhood. There are still sewer and drainage issues within the community. Hickey Park is also in need of new lighting, plumbing, and landscaping.