What you hate about St. Louis (University City, Rock Hill: neighborhood, public schools, university)

[aragx6]

My issues are with the metro area more than the city, but:

1. What A Johnston said about the county kids who complain about St. Louis sucking even though they've been into the city 4 times in 7 years.

2. The racial divide -- I mean how far west can you all move when Dardenne Prairie is not longer white enough for you?

[oscottscotto]

Originally Posted by aragx6

2. The racial divide -- I mean how far west can you all move when Dardenne Prairie is not longer white enough for you?

Although St. Louis is a little more obvious than most other cities, I must say welcome to anytown, USA. Whether it be White vs Black or White vs Other Minority (in the Western half of USA), almost every city has a majority white section, a diverse/mixed section, and a majority minority section. It's actually very interesting to see this phenomenon in each city though and figuring out the various geographical layout correlations each time.

[aragx6]

Scott, I definitely agree to a certain extent, but I think St. Louis' distinctions are often a bit more obvious than Anytown USA.

The key reason being its Midwestern rust belt roots -- places like Chicago and Cleveland tend to have the same problems.

You also have to take note of my roots. I grew up in St. Peters and yet I cringe when I have to take my SO to my step family's house that lives down off Kisker or my best friend's boyfriend's house in O'Fallon (I could cite no fewer than 4 other examples) -- why? Because everyone there came from NoCo and in their minds they truly were "run out" by the blacks.

Poor SO gets to have a bunch of people assume that just because he's not black he must be just as racist as they are. It sucks, and it makes me dislike going home.

My friend who lives in Jennings -- her entire family has moved out to the Dardenne Prairie area, another friend who went to McCluer North -- his family moved out that way too.

My parents moved out to St. Charles/Peters in 1984 and it wasn't running away from anything other than the high West County prices, but it really bothers my mom sometimes. She actually didn't buy a house in a new subdivision they were building down off Dingledine at one point because she had not one, but two different people who were buying houses there say something about having to head west because the county was "getting a little dark for them"

Are there people like this everywhere? Sure ... I have heard some terrible things in non-mixed company all over this country on occasion, but not to the same extent. That doesn't mean I don't want to move back to St. Louis, because I really do, but I will choose my next home carefully.

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by mklein49

first off, i want to say i really love st. Louis. But, after living in seattle for a few years, i really wish they would ban smoking in bars and restaurants.

+1

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by stlsmoore

I really dislike the lack of diversity compared to other cities, it's pretty much a black and white town

+1 from a racial standpoint, and also from an immigrant standpoint outside of Bosnia.

The Hispanic population will be increasing in much bigger numbers in the near the future. And, to a lesser extent the South Asian population will be increasing as well.

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by jskirwin

Speaking of St. Louis County... Too many municipalities with their own police forces. These tend to be much less professional than the St. Louis County PD that patrols the unincorporated areas. There are more speed traps in St. Louis County than any other county I've lived in the USA. It's not that they nail people racing through their towns, but pulling people over for minor speeding just to pad their municipality's coffers. Worst offenders: #1 - St. George. They even made the national news with their cop's bullying. A close second is Bella Villa.

Every time I visit and drive from the airport on 170 it seems like St. Ann has someone pulled over. Where I live now it's illegal for any cop other than the highway patrol to run radar on interstates.

St. Louis has good cops; the County's are top notch. But Maplewood? Kirkwood? Valley Park? Sunset Hills? I'm sure there are decent cops on these police forces but if you have a small town with a large police budget, the only way to balance it is by running a speed trap. That's not about public safety - it's about extorting money from strangers who don't know the area.

One more thing I hate about St. Louis: the political division between county and city. This pretty much has strangled the city, and I don't see it as benefiting the county all that much either.

Rock Hill is up there for worst offenders for speed traps. I am unfamiliar with the actual specifics, but I was told they have an older cop who has some sort of National record for giving out speeding tickets in a year. I can promise anyone driving in Rock Hill, the speed limit is 30...don't go anywhere near it.

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by zoomzoom3

Winter.

They are horrible here. We don't get much snow, but the temperatures are only a little bit better than Minneapolis, Green Bay, Chicago, etc.

St. Louis winters are extremely more friendly than any of the places you just mentioned, not even close. I've lived in Chicago, Milwaukee, and I've a great deal of time in the Twin Cities as well as Green Bay WI. St. Louis is not in the same stratosphere as far as winter.

The obvious, is the less amount of snow. Combine that with the fact that it rarely gets above freezing in those other places for months at a time and you have rock hard snow and ice that never leaves the ground. And don't get me started on the wind, the single under-represented thing about winter differences in those places and St. Louis. It's all about the wind, which makes it feel significantly different. When you have to walk backwards in one direction a few blocks to make the train, let me know. These other cities also do not have anywhere near the amount of sunshine in the winter as does St. Louis. And, yes, even when it's cold sunshine is welcomed and helps a lot of people.

St. Louis doesn't have what I would call ideal winters, or even great to good ones, but there is a significant difference between winter in St. Louis and winter in any of those other places, not even close.

[aragx6]

Ziggy!!! I grew up in Rock Hill so I am VERY familiar with good ol' Ziegler.

Seriously Ziegler in Rock Hill is a trip. He's at least 60, he rides around on his motorcycle until it gets too cold, and he has no problem giving out tickets for going 4 or 5 over the speed limit. He's a legend around there.

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by oscottscotto

Winter sucks here & too many structures are made out of brick.

Besides that, it ain't bad.

I'll agree with the brick comment. At the very least more of them could painted from red to other colors, while still keeping plenty of the red brick structures.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by Fishtacos

St. Louis winters are extremely more friendly than any of the places you just mentioned, not even close. I've lived in Chicago, Milwaukee, and I've a great deal of time in the Twin Cities as well as Green Bay WI. St. Louis is not in the same stratosphere as far as winter.

The obvious, is the less amount of snow. Combine that with the fact that it rarely gets above freezing in those other places for months at a time and you have rock hard snow and ice that never leaves the ground. And don't get me started on the wind, the single under-represented thing about winter differences in those places and St. Louis. It's all about the wind, which makes it feel significantly different. When you have to walk backwards in one direction a few blocks to make the train, let me know. These other cities also do not have anywhere near the amount of sunshine in the winter as does St. Louis. And, yes, even when it's cold sunshine is welcomed and helps a lot of people.

St. Louis doesn't have what I would call ideal winters, or even great to good ones, but there is a significant difference between winter in St. Louis and winter in any of those other places, not even close.

Ditto. Is it -9 there like it is in Chicago. If not, get back to me when it is.
I have been dreaming about St. Louis' winters!!