St. Louis - I'm in Love! (Chesterfield, Ste. Genevieve: new home, neighborhood, taxes)

[bissit]

For over a year now I've been preparing for my move to St. Louis with my 2 little girls and relied heavily on this board. After 5 days in my new city I am officially IN LOVE!!! My new home in TGS is more than I imagined (bought it online!) and my street is so diverse that I have every kind of person imagineable on it. My neighbors have invited me to brunch and the Pride parade, I know my postman and policeman, and everyone I encounter is genuine. The city has SO much to do that we will never be bored. The food - oh man - choices, choices, and choices. I can't begin to list all the ways I love this area but I will never go back to California except to visit and escape this ungodly humidity for a week

Thanks to all who helped me here. I feel liberated from the endless laws and taxes and bills and fake people in CA. A little (a lot) of humidity is certainly worth it. Can't wait for my first TGS farmer's market tomorrow.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

Welcome! I'm glad you're enjoying the city!

[AJohnston_STL]

Welcome to the city. I've been in the city for over a year now and have never regretted my decision to move to it. I came in from the suburbs (on the Illinois side - I'm assuming Marksman84 is a 25 year old who was born and raised in Chesterfield) and don't miss the burbs at all.

Where did you move from specifically?

And just an fyi, we do have days like this in the summer - but heat waves this extreme aren't terribly common.

[bissit]

Specifically I'm from Sonoma County, CA. It is beautiful there and the wine is awesome but that's it. I will ignore comments by certain people Just got back from the Soulard Market and was blown away. Thanks for the welcome!

[Jill61]

Originally Posted by bissit

Specifically I'm from Sonoma County, CA. It is beautiful there and the wine is awesome but that's it. I will ignore comments by certain people Just got back from the Soulard Market and was blown away. Thanks for the welcome!

Take a drive out to either Augusta or Hermann, MO and check out the wineries there.

Augusta Missouri (I particularly like the Montelle Winery there. I recommend trying the Cynthiana Port - excellent!)
Historic Hermann, MO, Heart of Missouri Wine Country

P.S. Have you found your neighborhood meetings yet?

[BoomBoxing]

Very cool, I don't live in TGS myself but i enjoy driving and walking around that neighborhood. It is really vibrant and there's so many cool bars/restaurants/shops. Not to mention one of the city's great gems in Tower Grove Park. Welcome to the city!

[AJohnston_STL]

I was at the Soulard market today as well..love going there. I started off with a haircut right there 2 blocks from the market. Can't beat a men's haircut for $6.75!

[SouthCity09]

how can anyone not love St.Louis, where else do you see 40,000+ people pack a baseball stadium in 100 degree weather and stay 3 hours. Whenever i go to a Cards day game in the summer, there is no point of going to the gym, you lose like 15pounds by just sitting there

[Central Illinois 1]

Originally Posted by bissit

For over a year now I've been preparing for my move to St. Louis with my 2 little girls and relied heavily on this board. After 5 days in my new city I am officially IN LOVE!!! My new home in TGS is more than I imagined (bought it online!) and my street is so diverse that I have every kind of person imagineable on it. My neighbors have invited me to brunch and the Pride parade, I know my postman and policeman, and everyone I encounter is genuine. The city has SO much to do that we will never be bored. The food - oh man - choices, choices, and choices. I can't begin to list all the ways I love this area but I will never go back to California except to visit and escape this ungodly humidity for a week

Thanks to all who helped me here. I feel liberated from the endless laws and taxes and bills and fake people in CA. A little (a lot) of humidity is certainly worth it. Can't wait for my first TGS farmer's market tomorrow.

I agree that STL is a great city. In fact, I love STL and lived in the area for many years. However, once your honeymoon with the area is over, you will learn that it also has laws, taxes, bills, and fake people here and there. CA does not have a monopoly on these things. That's the story anywhere.

[northbayeric]

Hey, I'm 41 and originally from North St. Louis County, so y'all are safe with me! As a resident of the same area the OP just left, well not to sound like Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, but I feel like I've been Left Behind!!

While the OP's honeymoon is still in full swing though, I'll just add to what some others have written here. In Hermann, be sure to check out Stone Hill Winery and try their Steinberg White wine. At Hermannhof Winery, give their White Lady of Starkenburg (that's a wine, not a female individual!) a try. There are a number of others, but those people who say to themselves, Oh, forget those white wines--I'm only a red wine drinker, are really missing out on some great riesling-type white wines where Hermann-area wines definitely shine. The prices are fantastic too compared to all the big bucks you fork out at most Napa Valley wineries after you've gotten elbowed a few times from being so squished in at the tasting bar!

Sonoma County wines are still king when it comes to cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, merlot and pinot noir, but the somewhat sweeter white wines you'll find in and around Hermann (and maybe Ste. Genevieve to the south as well--I'll have to let KSHE-95 Girl educate me on this) are very nice.

Do this when you have a chance, Bissit: Head up to I-270 and Riverview Drive. At the north side of the freeway about where Dunn Road begins, go spend some time at the Missouri Welcome Center and load up your bag with gazillions of maps and pamphlets. Now on the south side, go a short distance and pull into the small parking area on the left where the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge is located. Route 66 fond memories at their very finest as you walk on one of the longest pedestrian/bicycle bridges in the whole world! Enjoy the great view of the Mighty Mississippi and downtown St. Louis way off in the distance. Come back to this forum often and tell us about your new adventures!