Favorite Thing about St. Louis (Ballwin, Kirkwood: middle-class, new home, neighborhood)

[anr_black]

My favorite things about this city (and I mean the city, not the burbs) are the friendly people, the architecture and all the great things to do that are free!

My least fav. thing is the traffic. The amount isn't bad, but I think people drive too fast around here.

As for the smoking thing, I'm a non-smoker, but I voted against the proposed ban on smoking in city bars. The main reason being, it has to be done on a state wide basis, otherwise we the revenue from people heading across the city lines to the burbs to go out (or, as I suspect the gamblers are now doing in reverse on the riverfront).

[Sleeping in Skyscrapers]

Originally Posted by LancasterNative

You just reminded me of another thing I love about St. Louis! Well, Missouri in general... whether it's alcohol or tobacco-related, I love that St. Louis still believes in individual freedom and personal choice!

This is an excellent point. Individual choice and freedom are being attacked in so many other places in the US. It is important to remember and St. Louisans should be extremely proud of this and defend it. Illinois and New York (amoung other states) have banned smoking in public. Where will states like IL and NY draw the line? Next, drinking and bars will be illegal (just as deadly as smoking). Next, fast food will be illegal because it "kills" people. Then, any (peaceful) public sign of commitment to a religion will be illegal because it offends certain groups. Then driving will be illegal because it causes so many deaths. My point is: This mode of thinking is a very dangerous and slippery slope. Everything is is potentially risky. Everything will potentially offend someone. Get over it. Like it or not, these things are what makes life interesting and worth living - its what makes us free. Thats all I gotta say - but again excellent point Lancaster

[LancasterNative]

Originally Posted by aragx6

It's been gone since 1986.

Thanks, that sounds about right. Shame, too...

Very few cities left with >1 daily paper anymore—and in most cases, it's the crappier one that survived

[LancasterNative]

Originally Posted by Sleeping in Skyscrapers

This is an excellent point. Individual choice and freedom are being attacked in so many other places in the US. It is important to remember and St. Louisans should be extremely proud of this and defend it. Illinois and New York (amoung other states) have banned smoking in public. Where will states like IL and NY draw the line? Next, drinking and bars will be illegal (just as deadly as smoking). Next, fast food will be illegal because it "kills" people. Then, any (peaceful) public sign of commitment to a religion will be illegal because it offends certain groups. Then driving will be illegal because it causes so many deaths. My point is: This mode of thinking is a very dangerous and slippery slope. Everything is is potentially risky. Everything will potentially offend someone. Get over it. Like it or not, these things are what makes life interesting and worth living - its what makes us free. Thats all I gotta say - but again excellent point Lancaster

A-men!!! You expanded on my point perfectly. If we're going to forego freedom for "safety" in one area, it's easy to see where that'll eventually lead.

I'm just glad there are still people out there who think like us—with a good concentration of 'em in St. Louis!

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by Sleeping in Skyscrapers

This is an excellent point. Individual choice and freedom are being attacked in so many other places in the US. It is important to remember and St. Louisans should be extremely proud of this and defend it. Illinois and New York (amoung other states) have banned smoking in public. Where will states like IL and NY draw the line? Next, drinking and bars will be illegal (just as deadly as smoking). Next, fast food will be illegal because it "kills" people. Then, any (peaceful) public sign of commitment to a religion will be illegal because it offends certain groups. Then driving will be illegal because it causes so many deaths. My point is: This mode of thinking is a very dangerous and slippery slope. Everything is is potentially risky. Everything will potentially offend someone. Get over it. Like it or not, these things are what makes life interesting and worth living - its what makes us free. Thats all I gotta say - but again excellent point Lancaster

Actually, no, it's not the same. Drinking doesn't harm other people's health. Getting into a car after drinking and driving it can do so, but not the act of drinking itself. The act of smoking does, and many states figured this out long ago. Most people are smart enough to get a ride home or take public transportation home when drinking.

These aren't close to being the same thing.

[aragx6]

Can we please not get into the smoking issue on this thread? It was such a nice happy optimistic thread. If you want to get into this either start a new thread or start reading the almost 200 posts in the Illinois thread on the issue.

And although it's off topic- most people aren't smart enough to use alt. transport when drunk- I read once (wish I could remember where) that it's one of the most oft broken laws in our country.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

Agreed. Let's not start that in this thread. It's great that we have freedoms and rights that we think other places don't have, but this really isn't the thread for it.

[Fishtacos]

And although it's off topic- most people aren't smart enough to use alt. transport when drunk-

I don't agree. I believe many people do so every day. There are also many who don't. But I'd disagree with your opinion here.

Also, I responded to a post in this thread one time. It isn't as if I made dozens of posts about it. I haven't deemed it necessary to start a thread on it in a St. Louis forum to this point, but it would be entirely relevant in this forum. Being named Forbes magazines best city for smokers is a significant issue for St. Louis regardless of what sides of the isssue one is on....

[STLCardsBlues1989]

I'm just saying let's try to stick to topic.

And a thread about smoking in St. Louis is fine by me, I just don't know that it belongs in here. We weren't off-topic for very long, I just wanted to steer us back to topic.

Just a thought.

[aragx6]

Things I love about St. Louis part Two:

1. That the city is becoming more public transit friendly - it's not perfect, but remember 15 years ago? I have a friend who doesn't have a car (voluntarily) in St. Louis because he says he doesn't need it. That would have been impossible a few years ago.