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I think all three have the low wage thing. The history of the union may push up certain occupations like city bus drivers and construction workers pay in St. Louis. I've heard of some bartenders in Nashville cranking out some serious cash that is on the higher end of bartending nationally. I know St. Louis had a much higher minimum wage until the state of Missouri shot it down. Since then I noticed many businesses are still starting at 10 to 11 an hour to flip burgers. Much of that is due to a labor shortage. I am not sure what the graduation retention rate from Vanderbilt in the Nashville area but it has improved at Washington University in St. Louis a little. The outward migration patterns for St Louis proves that many young people are relocating to NYC and Chicago after graduation to start their careers and higher starting salaries. Nashville has virtually no out migration to the big cities but some to Atlanta.
Some people think growth means a city is progressive. Others think having a Chinese transgendered mayor in and of itself is progressive. I think it's a combination. I don't think a progressive city would have turned down a transit referendum like Nashville did. But there again, Nashville's plan was sloppy at best. I don't know that I would have voted for it. St. Louis passed theirs last year with a 2 billion dollar expansion plan on the board without a thought because there was a proven need for a n/s LRT route. On the same ballot in St. Louis was public funding for a soccer stadium that was shot down because they only wanted to get funding from the city and not the county. Nashville passed their soccer stadium without public vote and now has a team that St. Louis doesn't have.
St Louis is a lot more established city. It doesn't brag on increasing airline traffic at its airport because it's a city that has seen ups and downs in business. Nashville is the new kid on the block that wants to be a major player on the national scene. Nashville and Tennessee knows how to promote and sell Nashville. Missouri hates St. Louis and will never admit that St. Louis is the economic engine for the state of Missouri. St Louis has a lot of potential. When it figures out how it plans to grow it could easily become a 4 to 5 million metro. It has the infrastructure to be a big city that Nashville doesn't.
As far as what city you prefer should depend upon where you are on your journey. Look at the corporate base of the three cities. Look at the options that each city offers while you are continuing your education and make a decision. New Orleans, St. Louis and Nashville are all great options but offer some differences that needs to be considered.
Yeah bartenders and wait staff in New Orleans can make a really decent living too.
I just didn't think of Nashville as liberal or progressive city, New Orleans isn't hyper progressive by any means but I figured it would be more than Nashville.
Yeah bartenders and wait staff in New Orleans can make a really decent living too.
I just didn't think of Nashville as liberal or progressive city, New Orleans isn't hyper progressive by any means but I figured it would be more than Nashville.
It would be hard to conceive that a city which has as one of its nicknames "The Protestant Vatican" would be more liberal than New Orleans.
That listing maybe accurate.
St Louis is pretty liberal as a city. That works against us when we fight with our state. Nashville is more in line with the state of Tennessee and mainstream America. Even though I have both liberal and conservative values, I prefer a liberal city as long as people don't throw their liberalness at me and start trying to tell me who I should vote for because I am Black. Nashville seems too conservative for my taste.
I don't know much about New Orleans. I can only comment on what I am familiar with.
Last edited by JMT; 07-13-2018 at 05:59 AM..
Reason: Memphis is not part of this thread.
St Louis is pretty liberal as a city. That works against us when we fight with our state. Nashville is more in line with the state of Tennessee and mainstream America. Even though I have both liberal and conservative values, I prefer a liberal city as long as people don't throw their liberalness at me and start trying to tell me who I should vote for because I am Black. Nashville seems too conservative for my taste. The Pentecostal Protestant Southern Baptist thing more than irritated me.
I don't know much about New Orleans. I can only comment on what I am familiar with.
It's funny I used to think the same thing as a black man until I starting visiting Nashville. Nashville does not feel like a Conservative city by any means and too diverse to be so. Its seems to be a pretty progressive and liberal city. Some suburbs may be but that pretty much all over the south and is the same way here in Georgia. I think people have this thing In there minds that Tennessee is just this overwhelming Conservative state by stereotypes when it's not especially by City level.
Modcut: Atlanta and Memphis are not part of this thread.
Yep, plus several Christian denominations are headquartered or have administrative offices there (Southern Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention USA, United Methodist Church, etc), many Christian/Gospel music recording companies are located in Nashviile, and the city is home to a plethora of seminaries and colleges/universities affiliated with Christian denominations.
I think people have this thing In there minds that Tennessee is just this overwhelming Conservative state by stereotypes when it's not especially by City level.
Nashville may not be as conservative as the state as a whole but that doesn't negate the fact that Tennessee IS quite conservative as a state, and even more so than your own. The same good ol' boy, Dixie politics is happening at the Capitol in Nashville.
Although Tennessee has pulled some stunts that have been to Nashville's disadvantage, Nashville hasn't caught the kind of hell from its state legislature that New Orleans and St. Louis do, with demographic differences being a major reason. And you can be sure this move by the Tennessee legislature will only hasten the demographic changes already well underway in Nashville due to rampant gentrification. Nashville deserves some credit for attempting to address the issue but too bad the Republican supermajority in the legislature doesn't see things the same way.
New Orleans seems kind of like a cult TV show; most people would pass on it, but the ones who like it are devoted. Louisiana outside of New Orleans is very holy roller evangelical, and I've heard these evangelicals say that that city is the most sinful place in the US. Part of that is due to the religious difference with Voodoo and partying, but part of it is related to the corruption and crime and domestic problems that plague the metro. It seems like a very bi polar state.
New Orleans does have a really alive, partying, and outgoing vibe though. It's really unique. It's also in the swamp physically, which some people like for the bio life, and others can pass on. Myself I would pass on living there (It's always a cool spot to visit) due to the terrible location for disasters and the crime and corruption.
New Orleans is by far the most Fun, Nashville is by Far the most Livible and is also alot of Fun, St Louis isss well let's just say this is Between Nashville and New Orleans
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