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If you look at the links I posted, your belief is correct. Milwaukee is only dangerous in certain areas...the MSA is very safe. Most of the city is, as well. Like I said, just certain areas.
Well again, I pointed out metro data. Your links are all city only. The Milwaukee MSA is certainly very safe. The St. Louis MSA is even safer.
To its critics: yes, it does have the most blight of the 3. Yes, it's downtown, though attractive, is a bit on the quiet side.
That said, culturally, education, entertainment-wise and living wise, it is the strongest and most established of the 3. And even with the (slight) deficiency downtown compared to the other 2, none have a tourist attraction on the level of the Gateway Arch. The Arch is a Washington, DC-level attraction and draws visitors from around the country and is constantly buzzing with activity. St. Louis' top luxury hotels are on the grounds of the Arch and the entire area is a major downtown park. The ride to the top of the Arch involves getting a ticket and waiting in long lines -- it's just that popular -- and the ride itself is fun and the view from the top of the Arch, inside the tight quarters there is spectacular. Recently, St. Louis has expanded the base area of the Arch to include a large, very detailed museum chronicling the city's history back through Civil War times. It's all quite amazing.
Aside from the Arch, there are wonderful St. Louis neighborhoods and attractions. The huge Missouri Botanical Garden (which I missed my first visit there) is the largest and oldest urban garden of its type in the US. Forest Park at the western edge of the city hosts the main museums, including art. Nearby Central West End is a dense, Chicago-esqe bustling old/new walking district with beautiful old mixed-use retail and redbrick apts mixed in with elegant high-rise apt/condo buildings. Neighboring Barnes-Jewish hospital is a major medical/research facility tied in with prestigious Washington University at St. Louis.
Other bustling mixed-use districts include Delmar Loop (in neighboring University City), Lafayette Sq, Washington Street (downtown) and Tower Grove.
And, oh yeah, St. Louis is the only 1 of the 3 with a rapid transit system (actual rail, not bus) that effectively funnels passengers through downtown and the central area of the city -- directly serving Forest Park, Central West End and Univ. City/Delmar Loop -- as well as St. Louis' international airport. The cute little downtown tourist-y trolley lines of Milwaukee and Cincy don't compare.
To its critics: yes, it does have the most blight of the 3. Yes, it's downtown, though attractive, is a bit on the quiet side.
That said, culturally, education, entertainment-wise and living wise, it is the strongest and most established of the 3. And even with the (slight) deficiency downtown compared to the other 2, none have a tourist attraction on the level of the Gateway Arch. The Arch is a Washington, DC-level attraction and draws visitors from around the country and is constantly buzzing with activity. St. Louis' top luxury hotels are on the grounds of the Arch and the entire area is a major downtown park. The ride to the top of the Arch involves getting a ticket and waiting in long lines -- it's just that popular -- and the ride itself is fun and the view from the top of the Arch, inside the tight quarters there is spectacular. Recently, St. Louis has expanded the base area of the Arch to include a large, very detailed museum chronicling the city's history back through Civil War times. It's all quite amazing.
Aside from the Arch, there are wonderful St. Louis neighborhoods and attractions. The huge Missouri Botanical Garden (which I missed my first visit there) is the largest and oldest urban garden of its type in the US. Forest Park at the western edge of the city hosts the main museums, including art. Nearby Central West End is a dense, Chicago-esqe bustling old/new walking district with beautiful old mixed-use retail and redbrick apts mixed in with elegant high-rise apt/condo buildings. Neighboring Barnes-Jewish hospital is a major medical/research facility tied in with prestigious Washington University at St. Louis.
Other bustling mixed-use districts include Delmar Loop (in neighboring University City), Lafayette Sq, Washington Street (downtown) and Tower Grove.
And, oh yeah, St. Louis is the only 1 of the 3 with a rapid transit system (actual rail, not bus) that effectively funnels passengers through downtown and the central area of the city -- directly serving Forest Park, Central West End and Univ. City/Delmar Loop -- as well as St. Louis' international airport. The cute little downtown tourist-y trolley lines of Milwaukee and Cincy don't compare.
You'd be surprised what a big draw Lake Michigan is in Milwaukee. Right downtown...beautiful beach, beautiful parks, and cars parked from many, many states. It's not an "attraction" per se, with bells and whistles, but trust me, it attracts, and it's stunning. Kind of like Chicago...a downtown on an endless body of water.
You'd be surprised what a big draw Lake Michigan is in Milwaukee. Right downtown...beautiful beach, beautiful parks, and cars parked from many, many states. It's not an "attraction" per se, with bells and whistles, but trust me, it attracts, and it's stunning. Kind of like Chicago...a downtown on an endless body of water.
Oh yeah, I was very impressed with Milwaukee's downtown lakefront and nearby beaches. They've done a nice job and highrise apts on the Lower East side are sprouting left and right.
I've been to all three of these cities and it's a close call.
I'd say Milwaukee wins in one way, by looking at just the area from downtown up to lakeside suburbs Shorewood and Whitefish Bay. Downtown is clean and feels safe. The neighborhoods immediately north of downtown are nice and urbane; there is no bad area separating downtown from this area. After that the suburbs start with Shorewood and Whitefish Bay. These communities also feel urbane, with tree-lined streets, nice little Main Street areas and stunning lakeside locations. It's hard to beat this area anywhere.
The only downsides I can think of in Milwaukee might be that the western suburbs are a large area and nice but somewhat nondescript. The other potential negative would be the winters.
Cincinnati's best feature is its stunning historic architecture that stretches from downtown out to countless historic neighborhoods each with their own quaint business districts. The setting overlooking the river is beautiful. The suburbs are perfectly nice. And the city is right across from Kentucky, and thus not quite so far north from a weather perspective.
My negative for Cincinnati would be that the run-down areas follow the safe areas somewhat closely until you get outside the interstate loop, and there is a bit of a distance between downtown and the beginning of the safe areas around Hyde Park.
St. Louis has tons of character but what stands out to me is the St. Louis suburbs. If you drive through town from north to south (through Chesterfield and Creve Coeur) as I did recently. the city is mile after mile of lush, green, rolling hills much like Atlanta. Brand-new, modern office buildings line the interstate along with hotels etc. St. Louis suburbs are by far the best planned, in terms of feeling wooded, hilly, and with unsightly commercial areas contained into small areas.
The inner suburbs are full of giant, 1920s mansions. There is also the whole area around Washington University and Forest Park. The city is full of red brick row houses dating back to the 19th century. I don't particularly like that the city is rough around the edges and the downtown, while loaded with historic buildings, is rough-looking.
It's somewhat of a toss-up but for me the sheer size of St. Louis' beautiful, lush-green suburbs, at once leafy green/ wooded and laced with modern buildings filled with financial services companies, and location far enough south for decent winters, would probably be my choice.
I think it’s fair to say post COVID Cincy has pulled away a bit. In many ways it’s a nicer city than before COVID while I get the sense COVID made a lot of issues in St Louis/Milwaukee worse.
I will say one knock I have in Cincinnati is OTR is more of an entertainment district than neighborhood. As even as it gets busier and busier it’s housing units and population is declining.
I think it’s fair to say post COVID Cincy has pulled away a bit. In many ways it’s a nicer city than before COVID while I get the sense COVID made a lot of issues in St Louis/Milwaukee worse.
I will say one knock I have in Cincinnati is OTR is more of an entertainment district than neighborhood. As even as it gets busier and busier it’s housing units and population is declining.
Not sure about Cincinnati, but Milwaukee is actually thriving. The world headquarters of Northwestern Mutual, located in downtown Milwaukee, is bringing 2,000 more employees downtown to work. Also, Milwaukee has cranes in the air downtown. New condos and apartment buildings, and a cool new hotel in the Deer District, which is where the Bucks play. Milwaukee was set to be the location of the Democratic Convention, but Covid got in the way of that. HOWEVER, it will be the location of the Republican Convention in 2024. I'd say Milwaukee is doing just fine.
I'll attach one of the new buildings...the largest timber building in the world, I believe. https://www.ascentmke.com/
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