lifetime New Yorker seeks Refuge! (Kansas City, St. Louis: sale, apartments, for rent)

[palermodude]

Like it really matters, but I have spent a lot of time in Central Illinois recently after spending the last 15 years living and working in Paris, Milan, Montreal, Prague, Mexico City, and NYC - and I just wanted to put a few cents in here. First of all, I am originally from Central Illinois (and I'm a Cards fan).
I have been able to drive down many times to STL the past few months, and I love the city.
The architecture is beautiful.
The ruins can even be beautiful.
The grittiness and industrial vibe is totally cool to me.
Poverty and vacant buildings don't shock me, the riverfront has unfulfilled potential, but I still love it.

But, I am a little afraid. I love change (I am always changing), but here is the deal - I am afraid with more people starting to discover this diamond in the rough, the city vibe will change. What I love about STL is what many people dislike about it.
The people.
STL people are fantastic to me. I love the fact that brash and arrogance is kept at a miminum. You cannot imagine how refreshing it is to do business in STL after being in Chicago or NY. Blowing your horn and bragging about yourself and accomplishments to people you barely know is kept to a minimum in STL. Modesty and privacy are valued, personal FACE-to-FACE relationships are the norm, it's very old world. Out of all the cities I have worked, Milano comes the closest to the behavior and that's a great compliment.
Generally, I like to take it slow - I don't do business with people I just met. I prefer to get to know them first and build trust, STL is perfect for that. STL has a lot of money - old and new - but people here don't flaunt it as much as other places I have seen.
Some people call it a self-esteem problem - I think it's lovely. It can also be cultured and civilized.
I have traveled the world and I prefer modesty, low-key and understatement - attributes that are found in abundance in STL.
Rome wan't built in a day.
I can take my time doing business at a slower pace in STL, but once I sign the deal, those clients are loyal until the end, and it's a long-term personal relationship. I am a complicated person - it takes time for people to get to know me, and I can work my magic on them little by little. Don't bite off so much at once.

Yes, it's about who you know in STL, and the city's opportunities are not as transparent as other places, but that's what I love. It's not for everybody, but it suits my personality perfectly.

PS - While STL has some awesome restaurants, the best food I have had has always been at private dinner parties around town in beautiful old homes.

...and the music scene is awesome, you just have to know where to look.

VIVE SAINT-LOUIS...

[leeharveyawesome]

For 250K you can buy two nice, historic homes and have some money leftover. I mean, seriously this is not a joke. Maybe even three.

[danabbw67]

I, too, am a native New York looking for a radical change but not sure what U.S. location is best for me in terms of 'settling down'. NYC is fast paced but I can't keep up with it anymore. Not that I'm progressively slow or lazy, I can do my job efficiently. However, commuting's quite a hassle so flexibility is a big plus for me. I'm 40 years old, single, no kids and looking for a fresh start.

Is there public transportation in St. Louis? I'm pretty sure I'll need a car but might have to rely on buses for a while if I decide moving there.

Thanks for your input!

Dana

[bronte16]

Yep to the public transportation! We have the Metrolink, a light train service, and lots of busses. I use the Metrolink all the time (my employer provides a free pass) but I have only used the busses on a limited basis. I love using the Metrolink (I live downtown!) to get to the Galleria, the park, or the Delmar Loop.

[danabbw67]

Originally Posted by bronte16

Yep to the public transportation! We have the Metrolink, a light train service, and lots of busses. I use the Metrolink all the time (my employer provides a free pass) but I have only used the busses on a limited basis. I love using the Metrolink (I live downtown!) to get to the Galleria, the park, or the Delmar Loop.

Thanks Bronte!

Living in NYC all my life, I'm spoiled by mass transit (MTA) and the thought of doing without it *totally* is a bit frightening if I have to move elsewhere. I've looked into SF and Austin where they also have public transportation. But not sure about moving SW or West Coast... but more mid west.

Bronte,

You live in downtown St. Louis? What's the market for a 1BR rental in that area? I currently pay a little over $900 a month (w/out utilities) in a northern Manhattan apartment.

Thanks again!

[aragx6]

Here's a one bedroom (over 800 sq/ft) right in the thick of things downtown for $850: First Month FREE Parking FREE Pool FREE (broken link)

I'd say 1 bedroom prices range from about 700 to well over 1300 in that area. There are many other vibrant neighborhoods in St. Louis that would also work well for a transplant inluding the Central West End (which is one of my personal favorites, and like downtown is well situated along the light rail system (metrolink) for easy commuting.

[bronte16]

I think aragx6 offered you a great response already! I am not sure about rental prices since I own a 2 bedroom but I will say that I got a great deal on my loft, thanks, I think, to some of the real estate problems that we are seeing everywhere. I pay about $1000 for my mortgage. But then, again, renting does give you tons more flexibility (and the Central West End IS a great part of the city!). But I think you will find great public transportation options here (but maybe not as great as NYC!).

[aragx6]

On the public transit topic:

St. Louis' isnot great. The bus system is fairly comprehensive, but not entirely so. If one lives in the more popular areas buses should generally be frequent. The metrolink, which hasn't really been around all that long, makes St. Louis much more mass-transit friendly, but it's not comprehensive at all. You can check out the route it follows and it's pretty basic. It doesn't run through some of the most established neighborhoods in South City.

For most people it is never going to be a viable door-to-door method of transportation, but I've known people that it works quite well for.

Oh and a shock to a New Yorker- it shuts down at midnight, far too early for it to be useful for getting home from the bars. That being said, there are typically cabs outside popular bar areas or neighborhoods and they're far cheaper than those in Manhattan.

[danabbw67]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Here's a one bedroom (over 800 sq/ft) right in the thick of things downtown for $850: First Month FREE Parking FREE Pool FREE (broken link)

I'd say 1 bedroom prices range from about 700 to well over 1300 in that area. There are many other vibrant neighborhoods in St. Louis that would also work well for a transplant inluding the Central West End (which is one of my personal favorites, and like downtown is well situated along the light rail system (metrolink) for easy commuting.

Thanks!

Is Central West End diverse as far as ethnicity? I'm a well educated African-American woman and don't live "ghetto" (sorry for saying).

Dana

[OA 5599]

I'd say St. Louis definitely has better public transportation than Austin. Austin has a decent bus system, and light commuter rail is on the way, but we have nothing like the Metrolink. You can easily get a more direct flights out of St. Louis too, while a lot of the flights in and out of Austin are to Dallas or Houston where you hop on another plane. St. Louis is also a real city - major league sports, museums, big music venues, while Austin is not. However, Austin has little/no abandoned buildings, decaying industrial areas, and lacks a lot of the problems that St. Louis does, and the vibe down here is pretty cool. Both are cool cities and I may very well move to St. Louis, but I would also encourage you to check out Austin if you are looking at cities - but beware housing in Austin can be quite a bit higher than St. Louis.