St Mary's is in a residential area of Dundee located in the extreme northwest of the city, to the north of Ardler and west of Kirkton.

The scheme was built on farmland during the late 1940s, 1950s and 1960s as part of the city's attempt to create new council housing for working-class Dundonians following the end of the Second World War.

De Niro's fish and chip shop is located on St Giles Terrace, as are two convenience stores, a post office and a hairdresser.

The area is served, along with Ardler, by Dundee West FC, a football club for boys and girls ranging from eight to eighteen years old.

Situated on the extreme northwest of Dundee, the area's proximity to the open countryside affords its inhabitants the opportunity to experience a more natural, rural environment.