St Louis Doesn't Suck (St. Louis, Clayton: 2013, crime, house)

[stlcitygirl]

Hey you guys!
St. Louis Doesn't Suck - Yahoo! News

[Snake Plissken]

"Affordable housing" isn't exactly a good thing in terms of general perception of the city, since it means there is relatively low demand for living there.

[mjtinmemphis]

I agree with the article that St. Louis doesn't suck. If you are looking for a city persons city, NYC, Chicago and L.A. may be better choices. If your looking for southern hospitality, Nashville or Charlotte may on your list.

If your looking for a good medium, or your looking for a big city version of a small town and or a great place to raise a family with out the hassle of big city living without the isolation and bordom of a small town, St. Louis will make a great choice.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by Snake Plissken

"Affordable housing" isn't exactly a good thing in terms of general perception of the city, since it means there is relatively low demand for living there.

But would you not also say that it's a good reason to consider moving to St. Louis? I don't think most people are particularly obsessed with living in the single most popular place on Earth -- they want a place where they can live a good life on their salary whether they be single or married with a gaggle of chilldren, or anything else in betewen.

Chicago was a great town and SO and I loved living there, but we realized pretty quickly that unless we were going to make significantly more than either of us were really hoping/planning to, it was going to be really hard to raise a family in Chicago.

[chicagoerin]

Thanks for sharing.. it's an interesting article. I thought his description of the crime numbers and why they might be skewed was one of the better that I have seen..makes more sense now.

I think it's a good effort on his part to promote St. Louis..it acknowledges that there are some major perception issues, which is what I have been trying to say. Interesting to me too, that he specifically calls out the same concerns that I did yesterday with the Chamber site! So true...

I do disagree that him calling out Clayton, Ladue and private schools equates to a good education system. Most people can't afford to live in Clayton or Ladue or still don't want to pay top dollar for a small house in Olivette to be in Ladue schools (housing dollar still doesn't go far there). And who wants to pay private tuition these days? People are more strapped than ever for cash. The "affordable" housing that St. Louis is known for tends to be in very undesirable school districts. As someone on the board pointed out, there are some good magnet schools in those areas, but magnet schools are a gamble. Most people who apply, do not get in.

Bottom line is that when trying to recruit people to St. Louis, "St. Louis doesn't Suck" is a start but still makes it hard to sell someone on the area. It's good to know, that even though they didn't want to move here, they like it. THAT is something I can use when recruiting people to the area. Still is an uphill battle, but if the City/County tries to make some of the changes he outlined, it might get easier.

[jskirwin]

Why do you want to recruit people to the area? It's a great place to live now, but it won't be if it booms - with traffic, skyrocketing housing, etc.

Let people think it sucks - and enjoy the good schools (public and private), decent commutes and low cost of living.

[Dawn10am]

Well, we knew that already St. Louis is the best-kept secret in the country.

[moorlander]

Originally Posted by chicagoerin

Thanks for sharing.. it's an interesting article. I thought his description of the crime numbers and why they might be skewed was one of the better that I have seen..makes more sense now.

I think it's a good effort on his part to promote St. Louis..it acknowledges that there are some major perception issues, which is what I have been trying to say. Interesting to me too, that he specifically calls out the same concerns that I did yesterday with the Chamber site! So true...

I do disagree that him calling out Clayton, Ladue and private schools equates to a good education system. Most people can't afford to live in Clayton or Ladue or still don't want to pay top dollar for a small house in Olivette to be in Ladue schools (housing dollar still doesn't go far there). And who wants to pay private tuition these days? People are more strapped than ever for cash. The "affordable" housing that St. Louis is known for tends to be in very undesirable school districts. As someone on the board pointed out, there are some good magnet schools in those areas, but magnet schools are a gamble. Most people who apply, do not get in.

Bottom line is that when trying to recruit people to St. Louis, "St. Louis doesn't Suck" is a start but still makes it hard to sell someone on the area. It's good to know, that even though they didn't want to move here, they like it. THAT is something I can use when recruiting people to the area. Still is an uphill battle, but if the City/County tries to make some of the changes he outlined, it might get easier.

Good feedback. I like hearing your feedback as a recruiter.

There are some really good schools not mentioned. Parkway, Rockwood, are two strong districts. I also know that not all private schools are terribly expensive. And many of the expensive ones offer scholarships to underprivilaged students just like the universities - especially if you're talented in arts, music, or sports.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by jskirwin

Why do you want to recruit people to the area? It's a great place to live now, but it won't be if it booms - with traffic, skyrocketing housing, etc.

Let people think it sucks - and enjoy the good schools (public and private), decent commutes and low cost of living.

it's her job.

As for not sharing our secret, I'd love if we could find a happy middle. Some new blood is never a bad thing, but I don't want to be Atlanta either.

[MUTGR]

Good read.

I'm sorry, I still like IMO's pizza. The snobs can thumb their nose at it all they want.