Pros/Cons about Cape Girardeau (Kansas City, St. Louis: crime, home, theatre)

[collegestud06]

Hello, everybody! I am a Mississippi native planning to live and to attend college at Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) in Cape Girardeau. My favorite cousin asked me to live in Jackson with her and go to college there. I think it's a wonderful idea but I need to make sure. Before I make the final decision to move, I would like to know a bit more about Cape Girardeau. I would appreciate to hear any pros, cons, facts, and even complaints about the City of Cape Girardeau and the state of Missouri. I have been through the area once but never got the chance to visit the city or SEMO. I would like to know the following things about Cape Girardeau: Although Cape has a pop. of 40,000, does it has many big city/college town amenties? How friendly and open-mind are the people there out in town and on the campus? Is it a Bible Belt like my home state MS with alot of bible thumpers, in which I have to worry about the locals judging and telling me what to do with my own life? Most important of all, the city have to have excellent restaurants, at least a shopping mall, hunting, fishing, lakes, a recreational center with swimming pool, and plenty of culture & art amenties & activities surrounding the campus of SEMO? It would be awful for me having to drive all the way to either Memphis or St. Louis for everything else that Cape Girardeau doesn't have. I know this is alot to ask from the locals about the city but just take your time to reply me because I still have plenty of time to make my decision. Thank you very much and have a great day.

With appreciation,
CollegeStud06

[guitardude1985]

Hello, I tried posting that I'M moving to cape myself from MA. So far no replys. I may also attend SEMO myself. I can't really say to much considering I have not been through cape since I was a little kid and can't really remember much, any if at all.

[Rason44]

I personally wouldn't live in Cape. I have been there many, many times. My grandmother use to live there (my mother grew up there and I still have lots of family there) and about 10 years ago we moved my grandmother from there. The crime was terrible, IMO. They do have a mall (small one) a Walmart supercenter and places like that. But it is a small town so you will be limited on a lot of things. If you are wanting any sort of big city culture then you may need to take a day trip to St Louis or Memphis.

If you are looking for a good college in southern Missouri then I would check out Missouri State University (formerly SMSU - Southwest Mo State University) in Springfield. The Springfield area is a much better place to live and is VERY college student oriented. There are several colleges/universities in the Springfield area. I think it's much more what you are looking for. All of your requirements can be found in Springfield.

But I would steer clear of Cape Girardeau. You couldn't pay me to live there. Just my $.02

[hollikee]

Wow! A lot of downers here for Cape Girardeau. I personally like Cape. Of course there are going to be bad areas to live. That's like anywhere in the country though. There are good subdivisions to live also. As far as the shopping goes, I love it here. The mall is not huge, but it has a niceness about it that some of the biggest malls I've been to hasn't had. They built a nice new theatre beside the big Supercenter Walmart. Kohls, Best Buy, Goodies, K's Merchandise, (etc..... it has all the shopping of any place). Roads do get worked on. However.....Where in the U.S. do roads NOT get worked on constantly? I'm just saying don't knock Cape off your list just yet. Take your time, visit there yourself, and wait until you get more feedback. Just my opinion.

[southerngurl]

I was born and raised (40 years) in southwest Miss. Now live 30 miles west of Cape. Been here 8 long years. If you have a southern accent, you will get "looks" or rude comments from some of the locals. I personally hate it here as there seems to be an air of superiority here from some. Yes, there is still people that think southerners are ignorate, uneducated, etc. I would say that this is a northern state even though some insist that SE Missouri is the south. NO no no, southern Mo but NOT the south.
Needlessto say, we are leaving as soon as possible; in a southern direction.
Don't worry about bible thumpers; that is lukewarm here. The younger people at SEMO would probably be more accepting and friendly. Of course there are jerks and snobs in every state.

BTW, I fly the confederate flag in my yard, keeps snobs away in general. Only had one person try to MAKE me explain why I had it. He was on my property at the time. I'm sure he'll remember me for a long time. I tried for 2 years, I don't ever meet a stranger, will always be an "outsider" because I, my parents,etc. were not born here. Did I mention that I hate it here?

You probably won't have any major problems. Get your education; that's most important, then move if you want to. Good luck; come and visit the area if you can.

[poprocksncoke]

My best friend went to SEMO for two years. She hated it.
Spend the extra money and come to Saint Louis. It is not in the middle of nowhere, and there is much more to do

[sakuya]

Originally Posted by southerngurl

I was born and raised (40 years) in southwest Miss. Now live 30 miles west of Cape. Been here 8 long years. If you have a southern accent, you will get "looks" or rude comments from some of the locals. I personally hate it here as there seems to be an air of superiority here from some. Yes, there is still people that think southerners are ignorate, uneducated, etc. I would say that this is a northern state even though some insist that SE Missouri is the south. NO no no, southern Mo but NOT the south.
Needlessto say, we are leaving as soon as possible; in a southern direction.
Don't worry about bible thumpers; that is lukewarm here. The younger people at SEMO would probably be more accepting and friendly. Of course there are jerks and snobs in every state.

BTW, I fly the confederate flag in my yard, keeps snobs away in general. Only had one person try to MAKE me explain why I had it. He was on my property at the time. I'm sure he'll remember me for a long time. I tried for 2 years, I don't ever meet a stranger, will always be an "outsider" because I, my parents,etc. were not born here. Did I mention that I hate it here?

You probably won't have any major problems. Get your education; that's most important, then move if you want to. Good luck; come and visit the area if you can.

Even if you get an education people still judge you, why do you have the confederate flag? Is it pride? Or racism?? Another downer to Cape Girardeau Mo, there are kkk meeting in towns close by, if you want freedom, Try Truman State or Kansas City, in the Northern parts, I personally lived in the boondocks in Oak Ridge, (about 30 minutes from Cape) and now I am in college and in my last year getting ready to move to New York, away from Missouri - ick Nice quite place but boring as hell

[Inoxkeeper]

Originally Posted by southernly

I was born and raised (40 years) in southwest Miss. Now live 30 miles west of Cape. Been here 8 long years. If you have a southern accent, you will get "looks" or rude comments from some of the locals. I personally hate it here as there seems to be an air of superiority here from some. Yes, there is still people that think southerners are ignorate, uneducated, etc. I would say that this is a northern state even though some insist that SE Missouri is the south. NO no no, southern Mo but NOT the south.
Needlessto say, we are leaving as soon as possible; in a southern direction.
Don't worry about bible thumpers; that is lukewarm here. The younger people at SEMO would probably be more accepting and friendly. Of course there are jerks and snobs in every state.

BTW, I fly the confederate flag in my yard, keeps snobs away in general. Only had one person try to MAKE me explain why I had it. He was on my property at the time. I'm sure he'll remember me for a long time. I tried for 2 years, I don't ever meet a stranger, will always be an "outsider" because I, my parents,etc. were not born here. Did I mention that I hate it here?

You probably won't have any major problems. Get your education; that's most important, then move if you want to. Good luck; come and visit the area if you can.

You fly the confederate flag in your yard and can't understand why people think you're an uneducated redneck or "ignorate" to use your misspelled term. You're kidding right? The word obtuse comes to mind.

To the OP...The poster with the MO State comments is on the mark. MO State and Springfield are better than Semo/Cape IMHO. Springfield is "newer"
and has Bass Pro's headquarters. If you hunt and fish that and the fact that you are very near several lakes should sway you.

Do yourself a favor and visit the campus's before making a decision. I don't know how you could pick a school without a visit to make sure it's a fit for you. What your cousin wants may not be the best for you.

[aragx6]

I agree wit everything negative people have said about Cape. And I don't know what mall hollikee went to, but I've been to Cape's mall and its pretty barren.

Plus, SEMO is not a very good school. It's not even regionally well-respected.