Moving to St. Louis discussion
Neutral reviews
Joyce H.
Staying in the CWE/U-City places you in the middle of everything. The weather works this way it changes winters single digits the next day its 65. The hottest months generally are late Aug and mid Sept. Lots of restaurants/bars to choose from (i.e. Italian (in the Hill area), steak houses ( in Clayton) and Indian (in Westport). STL is slow on the green collar jobs so your timing will help since they seeing the value. Job opportunities are pretty much in areas of education, health, government, job recruiters/training areas. Hope this help you out also check out the Riverfront Times its a free publication it will give you an idea of the the events to expect prior to your move it can be found online. Good Luck!
ete M.
I recently moved to Metro New Orleans from St. Louis. I have also lived in Nashville for 4 years, but STL is my hometown. Here's my two cents...For starter housing, I would recommend parts of South City - namely the Tower Grove Neighborhood, The Hill, or Dogtown. Most housing in U-City and CWE is apts/condos or very upscale townhouses. The Hill and Dogtown are a 5-10 minute drive from CWE and U-City anyway. I think the food scene in St. Louis is awesome, and underrated. I can't think of an ethnic cuisine that is not at least decently represented. The weather isn't so bad. January and February can be pretty ugly, but I think September and October in STL can be the best weather I have experienced anywhere. If you live near metro link, you can hit a large number of cool neighborhoods without driving. It doesn't go everywhere, but it does go to...Busch Stadium! Baseball is almost a religion in STL, and even if you are not fans, I recommend checking out a game or two just for the experience. My best advice for meeting people is to weed out the neighborhood type bars/restaurants and frequent a few. Sit at the bar and start talking. St. Louisans can be very neighborhood-centric. I think you will find that most people are really friendly. I can't think of any neighborhoods throughout the central corridor that don't have a decent number of cool down-to-earth bars to go to. Some of the best neighborhoods are Soulard, Lafayette Park, Tower Grove Park, Maplewood, and The Grove (East of Kingshighway on Manchester). And like someone else said - DEFINITELY try Imo's pizza. You either love it or you're WRONG!
Bill O.
I'm a St. Louis native who's visited Dallas on numerous occations. One thing i love about St. Louis is that you can pretty much get anywhere you want to go in about 20 minutes. I visited friends in Dallas and each time we wanted to go to a different bar or place to eat it was about a 45 minute drive. Didn't like that.
Someone else mentioned that Dallas' west end was better than St. Louis' Landing. While that may be true, the Landing is really just a string of bars and night clubs geared toward people in the early 20's. It's full of people who want to be seen and is really nothing more than a meat market. Even when i was in my early 20's i hated that place. If you're looking for a good time i would recommend checking out some of the local sports. Cardinal games are always a good time and getting a couple drinks afterwards at Paddy O's is a must. There are plenty of great places to eat all over the city. From the Uptown Cafe in Clayton, to Fortel's Pizza Den in Afton to Cunetto's on the Hill. That's one place i'm surprised nobody mentioned...if you're looking for great itialian food, you need to go to the Hill.
Like the first guy said, the winters are nuts...one day it'll be 2 degrees the next it could be in the 50's. We reletivly have ok winters, it can be pretty dreary, but we don't have anything close to Chicago, Minnisota or Michigan winters. "A lot" of snow is usually 6+ inchs but MoDot has gotten pretty good at clearning the streets. If there's a hint that it might snow they plows are out putting salt and chemicals down to prepare for the snow. 9 times out of 10 those hints of snow usualy go south or north of St. Louis. You'll often hear "St. Louis got about 2 inchs but 10 miles north (or south) got 12 inchs".
Aaron Cook
https://www.quora.com/What-advice-would-you-give-to-someone-who-is-moving-to-St-Louis-MO
As with any place, get out and explore. Take what anyone says about the area with a grain of salt. St Louisans have a tendency to disparage their community and stereotype people who are not in their circle (I guess that was a stereotype.). For example, not everything north of Delmar is a war zone. Explore cautiously, but explore. Be prepared to hear “Where’d you go to high school?”, although this will not really apply to you if you are from somewhere else. There are many family oriented attractions for cheap or free. Take advantage. Check out Crown Candy , Ted Drewes and Lion’s Choice. Skip Imo’s pizza. It sucks (Bet this one offends quite a few.). Mention the Rams only if you want to listen to a vitriolic rant.
Barry Wohl
https://www.quora.com/What-advice-would-you-give-to-someone-who-is-moving-to-St-Louis-MO
Born (1955) in StL, and raised in St. Louis County. Two things “in” StL you can’t get (exactly) elsewhere: 1) Lion’s Choice, purveyor of the perfect fast-food roast-beef sandwich. Just try it. You won’t ever want to eat anything else. 2) The Ozarks. Just 2+ hours’ drive out of StL you’ll find a bevy of clear, clean, protected, spring-fed rivers. I love them so much that I have flown to MO from my current location (Charlotte, NC) for the primary purpose of swimming in my favorite (Black River) — and to gorge on LC roast beef, too, of course!
bt12483
https://www.reddit.com/r/StLouis/comments/7e4brs/moving_to_st_louis/
Contemplating a move to St. Louis from the DCmetro area.
All of the cost of living calculators say that I can take a dramatic pay decrease and maintain the same lifestyle.
But during my recent visit to St. Louis I found that most common items likes groceries and fuel and similarly priced.
The one thing I saw that was significantly lower in price was...movie tickets.
So where are the savings coming from in St Louis?
I mean I know I could get more house for my money in St. Louis compared to the DCmetro area.
But I thought the cost of living difference would be more noticeable in other common expenditures in St. Louis.
anonymous
There are some excellent schools, colleges and universities for students to attend after moving to St. Louis.
Elementary Schools: Kennard Classical Junior Academy, Sappington Elementary and Truman Elementary are the top-ranked elementary schools.
High Schools: Some of the best high schools include Metro High, McKinley Classical Leadership Academy and Lindbergh Senior High.
Higher Education: College students can choose from a number of higher educational institutions including the University of Missouri–St. Louis, St. Louis University, Washington University in St. Louis, Ranken Technical College, St. Louis College of Pharmacy and St. Louis Community College.
anonymous
https://ask.metafilter.com/291994/Moving-to-St-Louis-vs-Nashville-in-your-mid-20s-pros-and-cons
St Louis is nearly double the size of Nashville. Bigger cities have more stuff, more arts, more food options, more diversity etc.
kevinbelt
https://ask.metafilter.com/291994/Moving-to-St-Louis-vs-Nashville-in-your-mid-20s-pros-and-cons
I moved to St. Louis just after I turned 30. There are pros and cons.
Pros:
-Forest Park is one of the most incredible urban places in the country. I can't stress this enough. It's a treasure.
-Great food. Pretty much everywhere I ate was delicious. It's pretty easy to find local places, and often they're not very expensive. Outsiders never think of STL as a food city, but I'd go back just to eat.
-Lots of fun old neighborhoods. STL is a pretty old city, and its cityscape reflects that. The architecture in delightful. Some of my fondest memories are of just walking around turn of the century residential neighborhoods admiring the houses.
-Local culture. People in STL are proud of STL (but see below). There's a real sense of place. You won't ever mistake STL for somewhere else, and there are tons of ways to express civic pride.
Cons:
-The people. So rude. I never got over how unfriendly so many of them are. Very cliquish and unwelcoming to outsiders, like the stereotypes of New England. This is not just for people who aren't from St. Louis; it's intra-city, too. People from other neighborhoods are considered outsiders as well. It's weird, and it's a big reason I discourage people from moving there.
-Racism. If your friend's a white dude, this won't affect him as much. But I'm a white guy from the North, too, and it really struck me. The city is extremely segregated, and people don't really hold back. The comments sections of local media are unbelievable. It's not a coincidence that Ferguson happened in Ferguson.
possibilityleft
https://ask.metafilter.com/291994/Moving-to-St-Louis-vs-Nashville-in-your-mid-20s-pros-and-cons
I grew up in the St. Louis area and still live here. The STL city/suburb relationship is really weird, probably because the city itself is not only very segregated but also because you often have very bad areas close to very good areas. Sure, it might be a mile from restaurants and bars, but that mile might mean he doesn't want to walk outside after dark. There are tons of abandoned buildings in the city as well, which I undersand is rather unusual for a major city.
I'd have to agree with kevinbelt as well that people here are very cliquey. If you're not from the STL area it can be hard to make friends, and you are often seen as an anomaly. One of STL's favorite questions is, "Where did you go to high school?" If you don't give the right answers, people don't know where to slot you into the social hierarchy.
As a late twenty-something I'd never live in the city. Most people tend to move out to the suburbs when they want to buy houses/raise kids, or if like me you grew up in the suburb, you don't want to live in the city. Lots of white flight, lots of prejudice, etc. STL is the only major city I know of where people clamor to escape to the suburbs, not to move into. It is actually pretty cheap to live within city limits because of this. Everything in the STL area is very spread out and car commutes of half an hour or longer are not unusual. Public transportation really sucks here as well. There are some buses, and a very short metrolink with very few stops.
I've never lived in Nashville, only visited, but based on a few visits, my opinion is that the music scene was better, the city itself feels safer, and there seems to be a lot more to do.
I lived in the Delmar Loop, and I'd recommend that to your friend as well. Lots of live music and nightlife, not expensive. The Central West End is pretty cool, too, and Midtown, although I didn't spend as much time there. Longer-term, look at Dogtown as a place to settle down. The parts of Clauton closest to the park are nice, too, depending on your friend's budget. I don't think I'd buy a house more than a mile in any direction from the park. I had a friend in Carondelet (far south), and while it was a cute neighborhood, it felt so far removed from everything.
Positive reviews
anonymous
National talk of hot job markets rarely includes St. Louis. It's not Raleigh Durham's "Golden Triangle" or a boomtown for job growth like Las Vegas. But that's just because St. Louis is a modest Midwestern town that doesn't like to brag. According to Forbes, St. Louis is actually one of the best cities for young professionals.
Sarah P.
St. Louis has a lot to offer. I still love living here, and I've lived here all my life. The winters aren't that bad. I mean, they're nothing compared to in Minnesota or places like that. It's not hot in the summer unless you've spent a long time in the sun. The pool is a fun summer spot.
I think one place that might be fun to live at is Kirkwood. It's very historic. The only thing is there has been a lot of violence there in the past few years. Michael Devlin lived there. He was a vicious kidnapper. There was also a city hall shooting a bit more than a year ago. It's scary, because I go to school there.
Another benefit from Kirkwood is they have loads of delectible dining areas. My personal favorite is P.J.'s. My dad's high school jacket is hanging on the wall in there. He want to Lindberg (Forgive my spelling).
Also, if you have children, the Magic House is a fun place to visit. They just opened the expansion, which is amazing. Me and my 14-year-old friends had a blast there.
I hope you choose St Louis as your future home.
anonymous
https://www.unpakt.com/blog/moving-st-louis-big-little-city/
St. Louis has a lot of attraction for its residents. The city has several professional sports teams including their MLB team the St. Louis Cardinals, NFL team the St. Louis Rams, and the National Hockey League’s team the St. Louis Blues. The historic Anheuser-Busch Brewery is located in St Louis as well as a trendy casino which adds a cool vibe of the city. There is also Grant’s Farm, the SLAM art museum, Six Flags and a lot of historic sites surround the city. St Louis also has excellent public transportation, shopping, schools, and parks so no matter what your favorite hobbies.
keepitwithmine
https://www.reddit.com/r/StLouis/comments/9aiauc/anyone_else_here_not_really_want_to_live_in_stl/
Do you have other options? Building out a very good quality of life in the St. Louis, but avoiding the crime and poor schools is a must.
JaksonPolyp
https://www.reddit.com/r/StLouis/comments/9e8ymt/moving_to_st_louis_in_a_year/
move to St. Louis. As others have pointed out, there are really great up and coming neighborhoods in the city with lots of parks and walkability and great old architecturally significant housing stock.
Robbie06261995
https://www.reddit.com/r/StLouis/comments/7e4brs/moving_to_st_louis/
St. Louis is nice because we’re in the middle of everything. Several other major cities are a 3-4 hour drive away so even if there’s a weekend where nothing interesting is going on, a trip down 70 to KC or up 55 to Chicago isn’t too out of the question.
anonymous
https://www.zumper.com/blog/2018/07/why-st-louis-mo-should-be-on-top-of-your-rental-agenda/
St. Louis is close to a plethora of beautiful natural wonders you might have not even heard of including natural springs and caves that are planted throughout the state, national forests and rivers in every direction. We even have a couple of small mountains.
Neutral reviews
Joyce H.
Staying in the CWE/U-City places you in the middle of everything. The weather works this way it changes winters single digits the next day its 65. The hottest months generally are late Aug and mid Sept. Lots of restaurants/bars to choose from (i.e. Italian (in the Hill area), steak houses ( in Clayton) and Indian (in Westport). STL is slow on the green collar jobs so your timing will help since they seeing the value. Job opportunities are pretty much in areas of education, health, government, job recruiters/training areas. Hope this help you out also check out the Riverfront Times its a free publication it will give you an idea of the the events to expect prior to your move it can be found online. Good Luck!
ete M.
I recently moved to Metro New Orleans from St. Louis. I have also lived in Nashville for 4 years, but STL is my hometown. Here's my two cents...For starter housing, I would recommend parts of South City - namely the Tower Grove Neighborhood, The Hill, or Dogtown. Most housing in U-City and CWE is apts/condos or very upscale townhouses. The Hill and Dogtown are a 5-10 minute drive from CWE and U-City anyway. I think the food scene in St. Louis is awesome, and underrated. I can't think of an ethnic cuisine that is not at least decently represented. The weather isn't so bad. January and February can be pretty ugly, but I think September and October in STL can be the best weather I have experienced anywhere. If you live near metro link, you can hit a large number of cool neighborhoods without driving. It doesn't go everywhere, but it does go to...Busch Stadium! Baseball is almost a religion in STL, and even if you are not fans, I recommend checking out a game or two just for the experience. My best advice for meeting people is to weed out the neighborhood type bars/restaurants and frequent a few. Sit at the bar and start talking. St. Louisans can be very neighborhood-centric. I think you will find that most people are really friendly. I can't think of any neighborhoods throughout the central corridor that don't have a decent number of cool down-to-earth bars to go to. Some of the best neighborhoods are Soulard, Lafayette Park, Tower Grove Park, Maplewood, and The Grove (East of Kingshighway on Manchester). And like someone else said - DEFINITELY try Imo's pizza. You either love it or you're WRONG!
Bill O.
I'm a St. Louis native who's visited Dallas on numerous occations. One thing i love about St. Louis is that you can pretty much get anywhere you want to go in about 20 minutes. I visited friends in Dallas and each time we wanted to go to a different bar or place to eat it was about a 45 minute drive. Didn't like that.
Someone else mentioned that Dallas' west end was better than St. Louis' Landing. While that may be true, the Landing is really just a string of bars and night clubs geared toward people in the early 20's. It's full of people who want to be seen and is really nothing more than a meat market. Even when i was in my early 20's i hated that place. If you're looking for a good time i would recommend checking out some of the local sports. Cardinal games are always a good time and getting a couple drinks afterwards at Paddy O's is a must. There are plenty of great places to eat all over the city. From the Uptown Cafe in Clayton, to Fortel's Pizza Den in Afton to Cunetto's on the Hill. That's one place i'm surprised nobody mentioned...if you're looking for great itialian food, you need to go to the Hill.
Like the first guy said, the winters are nuts...one day it'll be 2 degrees the next it could be in the 50's. We reletivly have ok winters, it can be pretty dreary, but we don't have anything close to Chicago, Minnisota or Michigan winters. "A lot" of snow is usually 6+ inchs but MoDot has gotten pretty good at clearning the streets. If there's a hint that it might snow they plows are out putting salt and chemicals down to prepare for the snow. 9 times out of 10 those hints of snow usualy go south or north of St. Louis. You'll often hear "St. Louis got about 2 inchs but 10 miles north (or south) got 12 inchs".
Aaron Cook
https://www.quora.com/What-advice-would-you-give-to-someone-who-is-moving-to-St-Louis-MO
As with any place, get out and explore. Take what anyone says about the area with a grain of salt. St Louisans have a tendency to disparage their community and stereotype people who are not in their circle (I guess that was a stereotype.). For example, not everything north of Delmar is a war zone. Explore cautiously, but explore. Be prepared to hear “Where’d you go to high school?”, although this will not really apply to you if you are from somewhere else. There are many family oriented attractions for cheap or free. Take advantage. Check out Crown Candy , Ted Drewes and Lion’s Choice. Skip Imo’s pizza. It sucks (Bet this one offends quite a few.). Mention the Rams only if you want to listen to a vitriolic rant.
Barry Wohl
https://www.quora.com/What-advice-would-you-give-to-someone-who-is-moving-to-St-Louis-MO
Born (1955) in StL, and raised in St. Louis County. Two things “in” StL you can’t get (exactly) elsewhere: 1) Lion’s Choice, purveyor of the perfect fast-food roast-beef sandwich. Just try it. You won’t ever want to eat anything else. 2) The Ozarks. Just 2+ hours’ drive out of StL you’ll find a bevy of clear, clean, protected, spring-fed rivers. I love them so much that I have flown to MO from my current location (Charlotte, NC) for the primary purpose of swimming in my favorite (Black River) — and to gorge on LC roast beef, too, of course!
bt12483
https://www.reddit.com/r/StLouis/comments/7e4brs/moving_to_st_louis/
Contemplating a move to St. Louis from the DCmetro area.
All of the cost of living calculators say that I can take a dramatic pay decrease and maintain the same lifestyle.
But during my recent visit to St. Louis I found that most common items likes groceries and fuel and similarly priced.
The one thing I saw that was significantly lower in price was...movie tickets.
So where are the savings coming from in St Louis?
I mean I know I could get more house for my money in St. Louis compared to the DCmetro area.
But I thought the cost of living difference would be more noticeable in other common expenditures in St. Louis.
anonymous
There are some excellent schools, colleges and universities for students to attend after moving to St. Louis.
Elementary Schools: Kennard Classical Junior Academy, Sappington Elementary and Truman Elementary are the top-ranked elementary schools.
High Schools: Some of the best high schools include Metro High, McKinley Classical Leadership Academy and Lindbergh Senior High.
Higher Education: College students can choose from a number of higher educational institutions including the University of Missouri–St. Louis, St. Louis University, Washington University in St. Louis, Ranken Technical College, St. Louis College of Pharmacy and St. Louis Community College.
anonymous
https://ask.metafilter.com/291994/Moving-to-St-Louis-vs-Nashville-in-your-mid-20s-pros-and-cons
St Louis is nearly double the size of Nashville. Bigger cities have more stuff, more arts, more food options, more diversity etc.
kevinbelt
https://ask.metafilter.com/291994/Moving-to-St-Louis-vs-Nashville-in-your-mid-20s-pros-and-cons
I moved to St. Louis just after I turned 30. There are pros and cons.
Pros:
-Forest Park is one of the most incredible urban places in the country. I can't stress this enough. It's a treasure.
-Great food. Pretty much everywhere I ate was delicious. It's pretty easy to find local places, and often they're not very expensive. Outsiders never think of STL as a food city, but I'd go back just to eat.
-Lots of fun old neighborhoods. STL is a pretty old city, and its cityscape reflects that. The architecture in delightful. Some of my fondest memories are of just walking around turn of the century residential neighborhoods admiring the houses.
-Local culture. People in STL are proud of STL (but see below). There's a real sense of place. You won't ever mistake STL for somewhere else, and there are tons of ways to express civic pride.
Cons:
-The people. So rude. I never got over how unfriendly so many of them are. Very cliquish and unwelcoming to outsiders, like the stereotypes of New England. This is not just for people who aren't from St. Louis; it's intra-city, too. People from other neighborhoods are considered outsiders as well. It's weird, and it's a big reason I discourage people from moving there.
-Racism. If your friend's a white dude, this won't affect him as much. But I'm a white guy from the North, too, and it really struck me. The city is extremely segregated, and people don't really hold back. The comments sections of local media are unbelievable. It's not a coincidence that Ferguson happened in Ferguson.
possibilityleft
https://ask.metafilter.com/291994/Moving-to-St-Louis-vs-Nashville-in-your-mid-20s-pros-and-cons
I grew up in the St. Louis area and still live here. The STL city/suburb relationship is really weird, probably because the city itself is not only very segregated but also because you often have very bad areas close to very good areas. Sure, it might be a mile from restaurants and bars, but that mile might mean he doesn't want to walk outside after dark. There are tons of abandoned buildings in the city as well, which I undersand is rather unusual for a major city.
I'd have to agree with kevinbelt as well that people here are very cliquey. If you're not from the STL area it can be hard to make friends, and you are often seen as an anomaly. One of STL's favorite questions is, "Where did you go to high school?" If you don't give the right answers, people don't know where to slot you into the social hierarchy.
As a late twenty-something I'd never live in the city. Most people tend to move out to the suburbs when they want to buy houses/raise kids, or if like me you grew up in the suburb, you don't want to live in the city. Lots of white flight, lots of prejudice, etc. STL is the only major city I know of where people clamor to escape to the suburbs, not to move into. It is actually pretty cheap to live within city limits because of this. Everything in the STL area is very spread out and car commutes of half an hour or longer are not unusual. Public transportation really sucks here as well. There are some buses, and a very short metrolink with very few stops.
I've never lived in Nashville, only visited, but based on a few visits, my opinion is that the music scene was better, the city itself feels safer, and there seems to be a lot more to do.
I lived in the Delmar Loop, and I'd recommend that to your friend as well. Lots of live music and nightlife, not expensive. The Central West End is pretty cool, too, and Midtown, although I didn't spend as much time there. Longer-term, look at Dogtown as a place to settle down. The parts of Clauton closest to the park are nice, too, depending on your friend's budget. I don't think I'd buy a house more than a mile in any direction from the park. I had a friend in Carondelet (far south), and while it was a cute neighborhood, it felt so far removed from everything.
Positive reviews
anonymous
National talk of hot job markets rarely includes St. Louis. It's not Raleigh Durham's "Golden Triangle" or a boomtown for job growth like Las Vegas. But that's just because St. Louis is a modest Midwestern town that doesn't like to brag. According to Forbes, St. Louis is actually one of the best cities for young professionals.
Sarah P.
St. Louis has a lot to offer. I still love living here, and I've lived here all my life. The winters aren't that bad. I mean, they're nothing compared to in Minnesota or places like that. It's not hot in the summer unless you've spent a long time in the sun. The pool is a fun summer spot.
I think one place that might be fun to live at is Kirkwood. It's very historic. The only thing is there has been a lot of violence there in the past few years. Michael Devlin lived there. He was a vicious kidnapper. There was also a city hall shooting a bit more than a year ago. It's scary, because I go to school there.
Another benefit from Kirkwood is they have loads of delectible dining areas. My personal favorite is P.J.'s. My dad's high school jacket is hanging on the wall in there. He want to Lindberg (Forgive my spelling).
Also, if you have children, the Magic House is a fun place to visit. They just opened the expansion, which is amazing. Me and my 14-year-old friends had a blast there.
I hope you choose St Louis as your future home.
anonymous
https://www.unpakt.com/blog/moving-st-louis-big-little-city/
St. Louis has a lot of attraction for its residents. The city has several professional sports teams including their MLB team the St. Louis Cardinals, NFL team the St. Louis Rams, and the National Hockey League’s team the St. Louis Blues. The historic Anheuser-Busch Brewery is located in St Louis as well as a trendy casino which adds a cool vibe of the city. There is also Grant’s Farm, the SLAM art museum, Six Flags and a lot of historic sites surround the city. St Louis also has excellent public transportation, shopping, schools, and parks so no matter what your favorite hobbies.
keepitwithmine
https://www.reddit.com/r/StLouis/comments/9aiauc/anyone_else_here_not_really_want_to_live_in_stl/
Do you have other options? Building out a very good quality of life in the St. Louis, but avoiding the crime and poor schools is a must.
JaksonPolyp
https://www.reddit.com/r/StLouis/comments/9e8ymt/moving_to_st_louis_in_a_year/
move to St. Louis. As others have pointed out, there are really great up and coming neighborhoods in the city with lots of parks and walkability and great old architecturally significant housing stock.
Robbie06261995
https://www.reddit.com/r/StLouis/comments/7e4brs/moving_to_st_louis/
St. Louis is nice because we’re in the middle of everything. Several other major cities are a 3-4 hour drive away so even if there’s a weekend where nothing interesting is going on, a trip down 70 to KC or up 55 to Chicago isn’t too out of the question.
anonymous
https://www.zumper.com/blog/2018/07/why-st-louis-mo-should-be-on-top-of-your-rental-agenda/
St. Louis is close to a plethora of beautiful natural wonders you might have not even heard of including natural springs and caves that are planted throughout the state, national forests and rivers in every direction. We even have a couple of small mountains.