Moving to Missouri from California (Kansas City, St. Louis: loft, neighborhood, wages)

[pacificwhim]

Wow, the hate on this thread is disappointing. For the record, I lived the first 44 years of my life in California, and I'm damned proud of my home state. It's the most vibrant, progressive, forward thinking state in the country, and the comments here absolutely reek of ignorance and conservative intolerance for anything not about "guns and God." I also relocated to Kansas City not because there was anything wrong with California but because my wife and I have lots of family here. There are great people, great lifestyles and great opportunities to be found in both places. So can we dial back the hate, please?

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by pacificwhim

Wow, the hate on this thread is disappointing. For the record, I lived the first 44 years of my life in California, and I'm damned proud of my home state. It's the most vibrant, progressive, forward thinking state in the country, and the comments here absolutely reek of ignorance and conservative intolerance for anything not about "guns and God." I also relocated to Kansas City not because there was anything wrong with California but because my wife and I have lots of family here. There are great people, great lifestyles and great opportunities to be found in both places. So can we dial back the hate, please?

I also find the hate distressing, unnecessary and ugly. However, there are those of us who posted tongue-in-cheek making fun of some of the misperceptions, stereotypes and rumors regarding California and Californians.

That being said, and also for both the record and the sake of balance, I am a native Californian who spent the better part of 50 of his almost 68 years there. For much of that time I also loved and was proud of my native state. Now, not so much. However, after almost 20 years working for the state in the political arena (not as a politician), I know first-hand how it really works which is why it doesn't anymore. "Progressive" and "forward thinking" are merely gussied-up synonyms for "liberal" as used above and all too characteristically followed by insults for those whose values may differ. It is precisely that type of arrogance and demeaning approach that turns tongue-in-cheek "funnin'" and eye-rollin' into distaste.

Dial back the hate indeed! Thank you.

[cephalopede]

Yep, that sure was a....fun ride.

My partner has family around Joplin and was floating the St. Louis area as a potential for relocation after I graduate. I can handle being in a conservative area (also spent most of my life in California's Central Valley) as long as people are respectful of me and mine, but reading all this? Nooo. Nooo way.

Shame, really. You folks in Missouri have some nice places.

[Cali BassMan]

Lets bring up a 3 year old thread, and be upset about a few tongue on cheek comments.........
In all seriousness though, a move from Cali to Mo should be well thought out, and not a spur of the moment deal...

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Cali BassMan

Lets bring up a 3 year old thread, and be upset about a few tongue on cheek comments.........
In all seriousness though, a move from Cali to Mo should be well thought out, and not a spur of the moment deal...

Quite right. We've had no problem at all!

[cephalopede]

Sorry about that. This thread was near the top, and being a Californian considering Missouri, I figured it would be enlightening.

Boy was it.

[Cali BassMan]

Originally Posted by cephalopede

Sorry about that. This thread was near the top, and being a Californian considering Missouri, I figured it would be enlightening.

Boy was it.

I'll be moving to Missouri in the summer of 2015, we started considering Missouri quite some time ago. Most of my relatives live there, and my wife has family in NW Ark.
Having spent many a summer on my Grandpa's farm in SE Missouri, I spent the next 3 years bringing my California girl wife out to visit in the Summer, and the last three years visiting in the fall, early spring and this year in Winter.
If you go back and read my previous post as an attempt at humor, it does spell out several differences one must concider before making the move...
For us Native Californians, the weather is a big factor, I new some people that moved out to Missouri and hated it because of bugs, I'm just saying to spend as much time as you can wherever it is you want to move to. Moving twice would suck...

[MJ7]

Originally Posted by shash

Thanks for all your replies. I know it might sound a little crazy moving to somewhere I have never been but I hate California pretty much. Dont like the people, the traffic, the weather ect lol I wont miss the beaches either... I want a big change and from everything you all have said about Missouri sounds like what I want.

After the fuzzies are done and gone you will miss Cali, trust me. I grew up on the beaches in FL, after my time there I was hungry to get out (the traffic, the people, etc). I moved to Philly and then from Philly to St. Louis. I live in the most affluent place in MO and it has it's plus and minuses. The pluses are it has shopping and everything you would need luxury wise. The bad part St. Louis is Isolated. Direct flights do not exist for most locations, you'll have to fly to Atlanta or Houston and catch a connector. You will have to drive 4-5 hours just to get to another city (Kansas City, Chicago, Memphis). I thought I would never in a million years miss the beach, but I most certainly do. Whenever I get a chance to head to FL I just miss the place so much more. There are things to do here, but it definitely isn't big city living. St. Louis has most activities all the other larger cities do, such as sporting events, concerts, festivals, etc., but the midwest is the midwest. It is much cheaper to live here compared to pretty much anywhere. The weather has drastic fluctuations. In the later fall/early winter you'll be at 70 degrees one day and the next day it will be 23 degrees and snowing. Overall St. Louis is not a bad place to be, there are worse, but if you are moving to MO and not in St. Louis I would highly reconsider, especially someone from LA. It will be a huge culture shock. Also, I wouldn't recommend moving here without a job lined up (I wouldn't recommend anyone moving before they had a job). Good luck.

[pacificwhim]

Originally Posted by MJ7

After the fuzzies are done and gone you will miss Cali, trust me. I grew up on the beaches in FL, after my time there I was hungry to get out (the traffic, the people, etc). I moved to Philly and then from Philly to St. Louis. I live in the most affluent place in MO and it has it's plus and minuses. The pluses are it has shopping and everything you would need luxury wise. The bad part St. Louis is Isolated. Direct flights do not exist for most locations, you'll have to fly to Atlanta or Houston and catch a connector. You will have to drive 4-5 hours just to get to another city (Kansas City, Chicago, Memphis). I thought I would never in a million years miss the beach, but I most certainly do. Whenever I get a chance to head to FL I just miss the place so much more. There are things to do here, but it definitely isn't big city living. St. Louis has most activities all the other larger cities do, such as sporting events, concerts, festivals, etc., but the midwest is the midwest. It is much cheaper to live here compared to pretty much anywhere. The weather has drastic fluctuations. In the later fall/early winter you'll be at 70 degrees one day and the next day it will be 23 degrees and snowing. Overall St. Louis is not a bad place to be, there are worse, but if you are moving to MO and not in St. Louis I would highly reconsider, especially someone from LA. It will be a huge culture shock. Also, I wouldn't recommend moving here without a job lined up (I wouldn't recommend anyone moving before they had a job). Good luck.

Well, maybe the OP won't have your same experience. Everybody's different. I lived in Southern California for 44 years and moved to Kansas City in 2012, and I really like it. Do I miss Cali? Sure, sometimes. I lived at the beach for 14 years before leaving and then on the water in Seattle, so I've had my fill of the ocean for now. I miss the mountains and hilly drives up the coast, but I don' t miss much else.

OP, consider Kansas City. As a fellow California expat, I can tell you that there's a LOT here: a fantastic food scene, an equally great arts scene, a very hip music scene, a strong entrepreneurial community, gorgeous old neighborhoods, wonderful people, etc. There's plenty to do, believe me. Are there deficiencies? Sure, but that depends on what you're into. In terms of scenery, outdoor options and such, MO can't hold a candle to California, but few places can. I wish there were more bookstores, but they're dying everywhere. I wish there wasn't such a profound racial divide in the city and so much poverty on the East Side, but that's common in many older big cities.

But if (and it's a big IF, because not everyone is an urbanite like my wife and I are) you want a cool, vibrant, creative urban environment where there's always something happening, and a manageable city to navigate (unlike LA, which is impossible) with an affordable COL and traffic that pales in comparison to the 405 at 7 pm, then KC is pretty great.

[MJ7]

Originally Posted by pacificwhim

Well, maybe the OP won't have your same experience. Everybody's different. I lived in Southern California for 44 years and moved to Kansas City in 2012, and I really like it. Do I miss Cali? Sure, sometimes. I lived at the beach for 14 years before leaving and then on the water in Seattle, so I've had my fill of the ocean for now. I miss the mountains and hilly drives up the coast, but I don' t miss much else.

OP, consider Kansas City. As a fellow California expat, I can tell you that there's a LOT here: a fantastic food scene, an equally great arts scene, a very hip music scene, a strong entrepreneurial community, gorgeous old neighborhoods, wonderful people, etc. There's plenty to do, believe me. Are there deficiencies? Sure, but that depends on what you're into. In terms of scenery, outdoor options and such, MO can't hold a candle to California, but few places can. I wish there were more bookstores, but they're dying everywhere. I wish there wasn't such a profound racial divide in the city and so much poverty on the East Side, but that's common in many older big cities.

But if (and it's a big IF, because not everyone is an urbanite like my wife and I are) you want a cool, vibrant, creative urban environment where there's always something happening, and a manageable city to navigate (unlike LA, which is impossible) with an affordable COL and traffic that pales in comparison to the 405 at 7 pm, then KC is pretty great.

We share a similar sentiment when it comes to MO, but that is because we both live in the two largest cities (STL-KC). This would be very different if the OP were talking some other small town. But, you never know maybe someone is looking to go rural (hard to imagine someone from LA wanting that, but to each their own).