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Both of these cities seem affordable, dense, and filled with interesting things to do.
I've notice Saint Louis people/the city is similar to Pittsburgh, which I feel is also a good match up to Providence.
So when it comes to Saint Louis, MO vs Providence, RI which city is better for urban living, with walkable neighborhoods, good density, architecture, and amenities?
Saint Louis is a much bigger metro area (although, Providence is a part of the Boston CSA, and is on Boston's commuter rail line) and thus has more "big city" amenities, but in terms of dense urban living, walkable areas, and architecture, I'd say Providence wins in a landslide. Not sure about affordability though.
St. Louis metro pop. 2.8 million
Providence metro pop. 1.6 million
St. Louis GDP: 145.9 billion
Providence GDP: 61.8 billion
St. Louis annual visitors (TripAdvisor 2014): 23rd most-visited city in the US
Providence annual visitors (Trip Advisor 2014): ??? Not even on the list
St. Louis media market size: 21
Providence media market size: 52
St. Louis Fortune 500 HQ: 9
Providence Fortune 500 HQ: 3
Non-stop destinations from STL airport: 59
Non-stop destinations from PVD airport: 19
St. Louis miles of local rail transit: 48
Providence miles of local rail transit: 0
St. Louis major league sports: 3
Providence major league sports: 0 (or 1 if you count New England Patriots, which it shares with Boston, a much larger metro)
And for those who question St. Louis' strength in terms of urban neighborhoods, have you ever even visited? By 1900, St. Louis was the 4th biggest city in America. Providence was 20th. The urban core of St. Louis is a lot bigger and denser than you care to admit.
StL is definitely a bigger and more prominent metro. In my experience, Providence has just about every big city amenity you could want, as does StL. Both have dense and urban areas, but I actually think StL has more urban neighborhoods overall (it was a much bigger city at one point than Providence). Providence is better located, in my opinion, but I could live in either. All in all, I think a better sized match up might be Indianapolis v. Providence.
Last edited by Maintainschaos; 01-23-2015 at 09:12 AM..
StL is definitely a bigger and more prominent metro. In my experience, Providence has just about every big city amenity you could want, as does StL. Both have dense and urban areas, but I actually think StL has more urban neighborhoods overall (it was a much bigger city at one point than Providence). Providence is better located, in my opinion, but I could live in either. All in all, I think a better sized match up might be Indianapolis v. Providence.
Well, raw numbers are one thing. Doesn't really tell you much about the feel, day to day use, fun, and so forth of an area.
Sort of just leapfrogged places like Indianapolis since it's similar in metro size, but (at least to my knowledge) isn't known as a vibrant place to live with a good quality of life.
I still remember coming back from my Minneapolis trip and entering into Indianapolis. The energy and attractiveness just sort of fell off. But the upper Midwest is certainly different so I'm sure there were other factors.
Places like StL, Pittsburgh, and others have a similar city character, nightlife, and are desirable places to live without (IMO) trying to make a complete apples to oranges comparison.
I still remember coming back from my Minneapolis trip and entering into Indianapolis. The energy and attractiveness just sort of fell off. But the upper Midwest is certainly different so I'm sure there were other factors.
Places like StL, Pittsburgh, and others have a similar city character, nightlife, and are desirable places to live without (IMO) trying to make a complete apples to oranges comparison.
Yes, in terms of physical layout and infrastructure, Saint Louis has plenty of "urban" neighborhoods. But today, Providence seems more alive in terms of hustle and bustle.
But, my time in Saint Louis was in 2010, so perhaps things have changed by now.
I'm thinking people are greatly underestimating the quality of St. Louis architecture in comparison to Providence. Providence has good urban form, but its frame architecture pales in comparison to St. Louis' ornate brick architecture. St. Louis' architecture also seems way more distinct and unique to me. Providence's architecture is comparable to any other New England city.
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