Californians in St. Louis (apartments, transfer, living)

[chicagoerin]

I have to say you are right on here. You can defend St. Louis until you are blue in the face, but the overall reputation is not good. There is a reason for that. People come to town, go to school, and then decide it's not a place they want to live. When you compare it to other cities, it just can't compete. For those of us who have lived many places, we KNOW what other cities have to offer and what St. Louis is lacking, but the people who are in positions of power seem to want to sweep issues under the rug. I think St. Louis has amazing potential, but it has been failing for a long time. I am a recruiter for a Fortune 250 company and have recruited to cities all over the country (and not just the big fav's like Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, LA, NY, etc.) I have done a lot of work in Indy, Columbus, Omaha, Kansas City, etc and I can tell you that the reputation of St. Louis is very hard to overcome. Ask any recruiter..it's a tough place to get people to move to.

So while I can't pinpoint what can be done to help the city, (a better employment mix for white collar professionals would help) I second the thought that the city suffers from low self esteem. There are so many great things about it, but it seems the city just can't get it's act together to improve.

Originally Posted by SCB123

The college students you are referring to are not young inexperienced freshmen, but older grad students, who have lived in other areas of the country, and who have a wealth of life experience under their belt. So be very careful not to minimize their opinion or power to bring STL down even further, because that is exacility what is being done. Question is, it intentional, or unintentional? It believe it may be both.

Low self-esteem comes from poor leadership, and being powerless to change ones circumstances. This is overwhelming in STL. Pride in STL is not at the forefront of the residents who live here. Referring to the thread, (What you hate about STL), people have a lot to say, and it’s not just isolated to the people who post on this forum.

One can minimize what transplants have to say about STL, but who better to call attention to the issues? We, transplants, have not lived with STL problems until we moved here. If the people don't want to give outsiders a voice, and let us help change what is wrong with STL, then we can move on and let STL become a city like those found in other areas of the country, poor and destitute.

Keep in mind that even the people new to STL pay taxes and vote here, just like you do.

[Brickmama]

That may be because they only base it on what they heard and not by what they see when they actually visit. I disagree with the notion that STL doesnt compare to a lot of other cities. That is simply a baseless claim!!! Below is a snippet published in the RFT years ago...

"Losers, crybabies and unsettled souls love to blame St. Louis for their frustrations, as though something as nebulous as a city could be held responsible for a human being’s unhappiness. The losers await something, some other place, some “better” place, tapping their toes, blindfolded, while they save cash to get the hell out of this ’burg. That ain’t living. That’s waiting. And when you’re waiting for something, you’re living for nothing, because you can’t touch the future."

If you wanna go, don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out; it just opens more doors for those of us who are staying, those of us with the creativity to accept the challenge to build something . Our St. Louis ancestors willed us a playground, a laboratory, a canvas, a recipe, and then they left. It’s ours now, and in this issue we celebrate the opportunities we’ve created in their wake.

-- Randall Roberts, editor, “Best of St. Louis”

[Book Lover 21]

Bingo Brickmama! I will be happy no matter where I live. "Home" is wherever my family is. The minute my family came here *poof* - it became my home. If you are looking for a city to fulfill you, get used to disappointment.

So many people on these forums are unhappy and saying, "If only I was back in Dallas" -- "If only I was back in LA" etc etc etc. It isn't the place they long for (in my opinion), it is that sense of belonging, of being comfortable.

Now I'm not saying St Louis is perfect. In fact, I only work in StL, I live in IL due to the school problems. But it does have a lot to offer and you will only see these things if you are looking for them.

[Brickmama]

Thats just part of the article. I would have posted the whole thing but its way too long.

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by SCB123

I attend grad school at a local university. One day during a break this black woman started talking about how she was born and raised here, (STL). She moved to Boston shortly after earning her undergrad degree. She moved back to STL, because of the cost of living, so she could continue her education. After she is done with grad school she is moving back to Boston. Most of the class started saying how they do not care to live in STL, and are moving on after their degree is completed. What does this say to you all on this message board?

It's sad that most of the best and brightest are planning to move on and practice their professions else ware, but it speaks strongly to the problems STL has. Many who are advancing their education here in STL feel that they have nothing to offer, and that STL has nothing to offer them. This is far from isolated to this class.

As a new resident of STL it is very clear that this city has some deep rooted issues, and fixing them will not be easy. Every place does have its pros and cons, but STL is just one of those places that the problems have been swept under the rug for so long, that there is no more room under the rug for more dirt.

What does it say to you when a city alderman calls for citizens to conceal and carry a hand gun to fight crime?

I know several people who attended college in and near Boston, who to a person had many issues with their lack of racial acceptance. Most were Black and Hispanic. Many of them live in St. Louis, and others live elsewhere outside of Boston. I am not going to say What does this say about Boston. I'd rather listen to them, and explore Boston myself, as I have over the years and form my own opinions. I realize that several people don't speak for an entire top ten-ish metro area, and a few people don't encompass the Stl metro area of almost 3 million.

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by Book Lover 21

Well, I have been here in St. Louis for a little over a month now. From my personal observation, it seems like St. Louis has a collective low self-esteem. As soon as people find out I moved here from California, they all have the same reaction. "WHAT? WHY? WHY would you leave California to come here??"

Of course, this makes me wonder, 'Why do they react this way, what's so bad about St. Louis?'

I mean, obviously, you have the weather issue. But, duh, I think I knew that before I came and was prepared for that. Other than the weather, why does everybody in St. Louis react this way to my leaving California?

You didn't ask me, so technically you didn't speak to everyone, nor a majority of the almost 3 million people. I wasn't there, and I wasn't a part of your conversation.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by SCB123

I attend grad school at a local university. One day during a break this black woman started talking about how she was born and raised here, (STL). She moved to Boston shortly after earning her undergrad degree. She moved back to STL, because of the cost of living, so she could continue her education. After she is done with grad school she is moving back to Boston. Most of the class started saying how they do not care to live in STL, and are moving on after their degree is completed. What does this say to you all on this message board?

It's sad that most of the best and brightest are planning to move on and practice their professions else ware, but it speaks strongly to the problems STL has. Many who are advancing their education here in STL feel that they have nothing to offer, and that STL has nothing to offer them. This is far from isolated to this class.

This goes both ways. I too left Missouri after college and you know what? In the years since then I have met or know no fewer than 15 people who intend to move back to St. Louis just as soon as it it possible for them.

Originally Posted by SCB123

What does it say to you when a city alderman calls for citizens to conceal and carry a hand gun to fight crime?

The only thing it says is that he's a moron. Crime is down in St. Louis; it has been going down for years. Is there work to do? Hell yes, but using one man's words to speak for an entire city is simply too basic.

Honestly, the years since college have taught me one thing I hold very dear to me: Love where you live, live where you want and leave the childish politics, the name calling and the baseless rants to yourself.

There are a lot of things I have come to dislike about Chicago, but bitching about them endlessly and needlessly to those who love their city is spiteful and a completely futile endeavor. At the end of the day, those who stay put in Chicago don't mind the winters or the politics or the gruesome cost of living, because for them, it is home.

At the end of the day I don't mind the stigma or the weather or the different way of life (though I do take extreme exception to the notion that women are not as well treated as on the coasts, because that is straight up horse crap.) because you know what? St. Louis is home.

[SCB123]

Originally Posted by Book Lover 21

Bingo Brickmama! I will be happy no matter where I live. "Home" is wherever my family is. The minute my family came here *poof* - it became my home. If you are looking for a city to fulfill you, get used to disappointment.

So many people on these forums are unhappy and saying, "If only I was back in Dallas" -- "If only I was back in LA" etc etc etc. It isn't the place they long for (in my opinion), it is that sense of belonging, of being comfortable.

Now I'm not saying St Louis is perfect. In fact, I only work in StL, I live in IL due to the school problems. But it does have a lot to offer and you will only see these things if you are looking for them.

O.K. I'll ask you, what does STL have to offer?

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by SCB123

So, as I sit here in front of my computer, living in the past, I'll ask you, what (specifically) does STL have to offer?

And I sit here and ask you, what do you have to offer St. Louis?

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by SCB123

O.K. I'll ask you, what does STL have to offer?

I would suggest reading some of the threads on this topic on this forum instead of going completely off of the original topic of this thread.