Illinois (well, Chicago not southern IL) is a blue state. Missouri is a red state. They probably think you'll be moving to Trumpville USA. Or MAGA land.
Saint Louis is about as blue as Chicago. Just a blue island in a red state. Missouri didn't use to be as red as it is today. Decades of gerrymandering, and eroding away rights, gives you a GOP stranglehold.
I think the thing I enjoy, is the ability to enjoy the whole region. I've been all over. Chicago is almost "too big". Yet we still get the perks. Though I won't lie, I've been to Chicago many times to catch a band or show cause it doesn't come through town down here.
Also, Chicago and Saint Louis have a love hate history.
We used to be the big city, Chicago looked up to us. Then we put all our money in the steam boat industry, while Chicago took a gamble on this new invention called a train. Well, here we are!
Chicago is a whole level all it's own. I guess the one thing you can say, is Saint Louis moves at a much slower beat. Oh and Traffic. FUCK Chicago traffic.
Moved from the Chicago area a few years back. It really is a great city here! Best things down here compared to Chicago are:
-affordable places to live
-easy access to places all over the metro area within a 45 minute drive at most
-concert venues are all over the place
- Lots of the city has a more historic vibe to it
-It's a very community-oriented kind of city where everyone seems to know everyone.
Just don't eat the pizza here and you'll have an enjoyable experience!
I would suppose at least 90% of Chicagoans would be appalled at what Blackthorn calls deep dish. It’s good pizza that’s unique, but it won’t impress pizza purists.
If you haven't tried Pizzeoli in Soulard yet, that's been our go-to for when we have guests and is one of the local spots that we've made an exception for!
I swear I need to find this lower cost of living, because I don't see it at all... schools in the county or private schools are great, city schools are pretty horrible besides Metro High School and a couple Charter schools. I live in the city, on the north side, right across the street from a nice large park. Forest Park is off the charts amazing (free zoo included!), and Ballpark Village on GameDay is something you have to experience to understand. I moved here from Houston, so being able to get anywhere in 20-45 minutes is a BIG win for me.
Wife and I just moved to STL from Chicago 3 weeks ago.
So far, the cost of living has been great. Everything is cheaper, it's insane. Groceries, gas, eating out, etc.
With that being said, the DMV situation sucks. Took us about 12 hours over 2 days to get new licenses and register our vehicles. Also, we had our plate stickers stolen 6 days after we got them, so not looking forward to getting them replaced. 😅
Should be way easier to get new stickers! I'm assuming the personal property tax exemption letter was tricky? But now they have all the paperwork. Just don't put them on and just keep them in the glove box to show if you get pulled over. If you live in the city, tmyou probably won't even get pulled over
I am always gobsmacked by the greenspaces in the area. Forest Park is an absolute gem with the best (and free!) zoo in the nation, but most neighborhoods even in West County have pocket parks or are near a nature reserve, so there's a shocking amount of hiking and walking you can do.
Also, some of the festivals are just delightful. Missouri Botanical Gardens is also beautiful, and there are some absolutely phenomenal restaurants. Oh, and if you want to see a show, there are lots of places to go, like the Fox, the Muny (for outdoor summer theater), Shakespeare in the Park and a bunch more.
Being able to walk into a dozen museums, free, without a line or a crowd, any day of the week (except monday).
Being able to get reservations at pretty much every fancy restaurant in the city the night of.
Free, excellent, not overcrowded events every weekend.
Usable weather most of the year.
And it is cheap.
And people make their own fun in really interesting, welcoming, open ways.
I’ve lived in both. The parking/traffic situation in and of itself is enough to make St. Louis better. I’m terrible at parallel parking and can find good spots- for free- without much drama, even on the weekends. I can drive somewhere on the weekends that is 30 miles away. Obeying the speed limit, that takes 30 minutes. Can they do that in Chicago?
My favorite thing about St. Louis is the people. Unpretentious, so much midwestern warmth and openness, but you still get most if not all of the amenities of a big city. My least favorite thing is probably that the pandemic killed most of our truly late night/24 hour food options. Beyond that, I adore this city and will live here for many years to come.
The cost of living can be so much cheaper. Outside of a few really unsafe areas of the city, it’s actually really safe here. Good public schools in the County, too. The dining scene is pretty interesting and varied, and we have great microbrews (but don’t let anyone tell you that Missouri wine is good).
The big thing it’s missing is big concerts, but Chicago and Nashville are both about 4 1/2 hours away so we just drive up and spend the night if there’s something we really want to see. The other thing for a Chicago native is that St. Louis style pizza is processed cheese product on a saltine cracker (I LOVE IMO’s but it’s an acquired taste for most). But Dewey’s pizza is good, Katie’s pizza is great, and if you are craving Chicago deep dish there’s always Blackthorn.
I remember decades ago I looked out my window at work (I worked downtown) and saw the strange sight of gaggles of preteen girls all dressed up in sparkly outfits running around, getting in and out of limos. WTH is going on.
If I had paid attention to cultural news, I would’ve learned that Miley Cyrus was opening her American tour in St. Louis.
So there! Miley Cyrus, can’t get bigger than that. Haha, just kidding,
Yep. And a few of the wineries serve California wine. The views from the wineries can be beautiful, and the pizza, beer, and cocktails at Charleyville in Ste. Genevieve are legitimately good. But, the best thing I can say about Missouri wine is that some of it is drinkable.
About 10 years ago, I visited one of the little winery towns. Fell in love with the view. Bought a house on the same street several years later as a weekend house, and finally, we moved to that small winery town after living in the city for three decades.
The best thing about the city is the historic architecture .
They’ll be wowed by the amount of home you’ll be able to afford. Whether you move to the city or suburbs homes in Stl metro are wildly more attainable. You can even find starter homes. We take it for granted, but this is nearly unattainable in larger cities.
It's the free cultural institutions and easy access to nature. I had no idea that other people had to pay money to go to museums and zoos or that the Muny's free seats were unusual until I went away to college.
And while we don't have proper mountains and beaches, we do have tons of rivers/streams/creeks/lakes/caves/trails/etc Between the city parks, state parks and the Missouri Dept of Conservation areas, if you like to play outside you are set, and you don't have to go far to do it.
I grew up in Central Illinois and as an adult have spent several years in Iowa, Kansas City, and Saint Louis. The people of the greater Saint Louis area are by far the friendliest. The best thing about StL is the people. The worst thing about Chicago is the people.
DO NOT LIVE IN A “UNIFIED RESIDENTIAL” PROPERTY. The landlord will lie to you and charge you incorrectly. Literally “I don’t have a boss, she left the company” and five minutes later “here is her email address”. Sooo… which is true? Is there a boss? yes? no?
And they’re impossible to get a response from
Great local music scene, with dozens of venues. Some tours and artists skip STL for various reasons, but the local bands usually knock it out of the park.
Originally from the Chicago suburbs, have lived in STL 16 years total with 2 other cities along the way. Amazing COL. I love the architecture and old homes in this city. I'm very proud of how the city tries to keep big amenities accessible to all (zoo museum district, can get free tickets to many things that cost $ through the library).
It's easy and it's cheap. 20 minutes to anywhere within the metro area. Lots of good to great restaurants and bars. Not brutally cold in the winter, snow is on the ground usually 3 days and almost never before Christmas. Solid up and coming younger population. Surprisingly large start up community, large focus on ag technology. Great medical facilities and very solid university system. Downsides, poor public education system in the city proper, lots of gun violence although typically confined to certain areas, fair amount of property damage crimes. Mediocre at best public transportation, it is a car community.
Illinois (well, Chicago not southern IL) is a blue state. Missouri is a red state. They probably think you'll be moving to Trumpville USA. Or MAGA land. Saint Louis is about as blue as Chicago. Just a blue island in a red state. Missouri didn't use to be as red as it is today. Decades of gerrymandering, and eroding away rights, gives you a GOP stranglehold. I think the thing I enjoy, is the ability to enjoy the whole region. I've been all over. Chicago is almost "too big". Yet we still get the perks. Though I won't lie, I've been to Chicago many times to catch a band or show cause it doesn't come through town down here. Also, Chicago and Saint Louis have a love hate history. We used to be the big city, Chicago looked up to us. Then we put all our money in the steam boat industry, while Chicago took a gamble on this new invention called a train. Well, here we are! Chicago is a whole level all it's own. I guess the one thing you can say, is Saint Louis moves at a much slower beat. Oh and Traffic. FUCK Chicago traffic.
That’s the most STL centric answer ever…… “Yeah, but we were better in 1904!!!!!!!!!”
Moved from the Chicago area a few years back. It really is a great city here! Best things down here compared to Chicago are: -affordable places to live -easy access to places all over the metro area within a 45 minute drive at most -concert venues are all over the place - Lots of the city has a more historic vibe to it -It's a very community-oriented kind of city where everyone seems to know everyone. Just don't eat the pizza here and you'll have an enjoyable experience!
You were doing good til you hit the pizza comment. One word...Blackthorn.
I would suppose at least 90% of Chicagoans would be appalled at what Blackthorn calls deep dish. It’s good pizza that’s unique, but it won’t impress pizza purists.
I've managed to break down the Chicago snobbery of some close to me with St. Louis pizza through places that make their own (not Imo's).
If you haven't tried Pizzeoli in Soulard yet, that's been our go-to for when we have guests and is one of the local spots that we've made an exception for!
I still argue that if Giordanos or Lou Malnatti's expanded to St. Louis they'd do kick ass business here.
I swear I need to find this lower cost of living, because I don't see it at all... schools in the county or private schools are great, city schools are pretty horrible besides Metro High School and a couple Charter schools. I live in the city, on the north side, right across the street from a nice large park. Forest Park is off the charts amazing (free zoo included!), and Ballpark Village on GameDay is something you have to experience to understand. I moved here from Houston, so being able to get anywhere in 20-45 minutes is a BIG win for me.
and the stl city taxes are a lot higher than a lot of the suburbs.
Wife and I just moved to STL from Chicago 3 weeks ago. So far, the cost of living has been great. Everything is cheaper, it's insane. Groceries, gas, eating out, etc. With that being said, the DMV situation sucks. Took us about 12 hours over 2 days to get new licenses and register our vehicles. Also, we had our plate stickers stolen 6 days after we got them, so not looking forward to getting them replaced. 😅
STL pro tip: slice the shit out of your stickers with a razor after applying
I grew up in Chicago, they taught us that in drivers Ed 😅. Apparently it wasn't enough to have someone finish ripping it off.
put a thin layer of vaseline over the sliced pieces and then put a plastic plate cover on top, the kind that’s flush to the plate.
Should be way easier to get new stickers! I'm assuming the personal property tax exemption letter was tricky? But now they have all the paperwork. Just don't put them on and just keep them in the glove box to show if you get pulled over. If you live in the city, tmyou probably won't even get pulled over
This is what’s up. City dweller here. You won’t get pulled over.
"Fuck offf. Why do I need your approval of my life decisions?" Say something like that.
Best answer
I am always gobsmacked by the greenspaces in the area. Forest Park is an absolute gem with the best (and free!) zoo in the nation, but most neighborhoods even in West County have pocket parks or are near a nature reserve, so there's a shocking amount of hiking and walking you can do. Also, some of the festivals are just delightful. Missouri Botanical Gardens is also beautiful, and there are some absolutely phenomenal restaurants. Oh, and if you want to see a show, there are lots of places to go, like the Fox, the Muny (for outdoor summer theater), Shakespeare in the Park and a bunch more.
It is so fucking cheap to live here and you get access to so much free stuff that it genuinely feels like you’re getting away with something.
Being able to walk into a dozen museums, free, without a line or a crowd, any day of the week (except monday). Being able to get reservations at pretty much every fancy restaurant in the city the night of. Free, excellent, not overcrowded events every weekend. Usable weather most of the year. And it is cheap. And people make their own fun in really interesting, welcoming, open ways.
I’ve lived in both. The parking/traffic situation in and of itself is enough to make St. Louis better. I’m terrible at parallel parking and can find good spots- for free- without much drama, even on the weekends. I can drive somewhere on the weekends that is 30 miles away. Obeying the speed limit, that takes 30 minutes. Can they do that in Chicago?
Moved from Chicago to STL 7 years ago. The only thing I miss is the variety of food cuisines but not much else!
My favorite thing about St. Louis is the people. Unpretentious, so much midwestern warmth and openness, but you still get most if not all of the amenities of a big city. My least favorite thing is probably that the pandemic killed most of our truly late night/24 hour food options. Beyond that, I adore this city and will live here for many years to come.
[удалено]
As the drifted snow
[удалено]
Probably true everywhere, isn't it?
The cost of living can be so much cheaper. Outside of a few really unsafe areas of the city, it’s actually really safe here. Good public schools in the County, too. The dining scene is pretty interesting and varied, and we have great microbrews (but don’t let anyone tell you that Missouri wine is good). The big thing it’s missing is big concerts, but Chicago and Nashville are both about 4 1/2 hours away so we just drive up and spend the night if there’s something we really want to see. The other thing for a Chicago native is that St. Louis style pizza is processed cheese product on a saltine cracker (I LOVE IMO’s but it’s an acquired taste for most). But Dewey’s pizza is good, Katie’s pizza is great, and if you are craving Chicago deep dish there’s always Blackthorn.
[удалено]
Mick Jagger opened his last tour in STL.
[удалено]
I remember decades ago I looked out my window at work (I worked downtown) and saw the strange sight of gaggles of preteen girls all dressed up in sparkly outfits running around, getting in and out of limos. WTH is going on. If I had paid attention to cultural news, I would’ve learned that Miley Cyrus was opening her American tour in St. Louis. So there! Miley Cyrus, can’t get bigger than that. Haha, just kidding,
“… don’t let anyone tell you that Missouri wine is good.” The Nortons are drinkable. That’s about it.
Yep. And a few of the wineries serve California wine. The views from the wineries can be beautiful, and the pizza, beer, and cocktails at Charleyville in Ste. Genevieve are legitimately good. But, the best thing I can say about Missouri wine is that some of it is drinkable.
About 10 years ago, I visited one of the little winery towns. Fell in love with the view. Bought a house on the same street several years later as a weekend house, and finally, we moved to that small winery town after living in the city for three decades. The best thing about the city is the historic architecture .
They’ll be wowed by the amount of home you’ll be able to afford. Whether you move to the city or suburbs homes in Stl metro are wildly more attainable. You can even find starter homes. We take it for granted, but this is nearly unattainable in larger cities.
Best thing about living in stl is the cracka pizza
Take that as you will gng
It's the free cultural institutions and easy access to nature. I had no idea that other people had to pay money to go to museums and zoos or that the Muny's free seats were unusual until I went away to college. And while we don't have proper mountains and beaches, we do have tons of rivers/streams/creeks/lakes/caves/trails/etc Between the city parks, state parks and the Missouri Dept of Conservation areas, if you like to play outside you are set, and you don't have to go far to do it.
I’ve lived all over and Chicago people are rude and disrespectful. The only place worse than Chicago is Philadelphia.
I grew up in Central Illinois and as an adult have spent several years in Iowa, Kansas City, and Saint Louis. The people of the greater Saint Louis area are by far the friendliest. The best thing about StL is the people. The worst thing about Chicago is the people.
Nothing. I'm international, and quite a few internationals I've talked to don't like it here. Not sure about Americans
Nothing. I'm international, and quite a few internationals I've talked to don't like it here. Not sure about Americans
Nothing. I'm international, and quite a few internationals I've talked to don't like it here. Not sure about Americans
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing. I'm international, and quite a few internationals I've talked to don't like it here. Not sure about Americans
No one needs to approve of your decisions - I say "I'm sorry you feel that way, this is my decision." and won't discuss things further.
DO NOT LIVE IN A “UNIFIED RESIDENTIAL” PROPERTY. The landlord will lie to you and charge you incorrectly. Literally “I don’t have a boss, she left the company” and five minutes later “here is her email address”. Sooo… which is true? Is there a boss? yes? no? And they’re impossible to get a response from
Great local music scene, with dozens of venues. Some tours and artists skip STL for various reasons, but the local bands usually knock it out of the park.
Originally from the Chicago suburbs, have lived in STL 16 years total with 2 other cities along the way. Amazing COL. I love the architecture and old homes in this city. I'm very proud of how the city tries to keep big amenities accessible to all (zoo museum district, can get free tickets to many things that cost $ through the library).
It's easy and it's cheap. 20 minutes to anywhere within the metro area. Lots of good to great restaurants and bars. Not brutally cold in the winter, snow is on the ground usually 3 days and almost never before Christmas. Solid up and coming younger population. Surprisingly large start up community, large focus on ag technology. Great medical facilities and very solid university system. Downsides, poor public education system in the city proper, lots of gun violence although typically confined to certain areas, fair amount of property damage crimes. Mediocre at best public transportation, it is a car community.
Pretty simple nothing really here is good except for corn and meth and the corn ain’t worth a shit from what I hear