Questions About Columbia and Jefferson City

[aragx6]

A lot of folks work in Jeff City and live in Columbia, there's no reason you couldn't do that. It's a real easy commute.

Figure out where you'll be working and then spend some time in both cities and see one jives better with what you're looking for.

Personally, I think Columbia is a vastly more interesting place, and I've spent a good amount of time in both.

Oh, and in Columbia my SO and I paid $450/month for a 2 BR 1 1/2 BA apartment in a quadplex on the east side of town, a 10 minute drive or less downtown, and we paid $450/month.

There are some nice newer, student un-friendly apartment complexes (Katy Place being one off the top of my head) where you can get a nice 1 BR for about $500/month. You have to be (I think) 22 to live there so it's not overrun by undergrads.

[Peeperpuppy]

I live in a little town about 20 miles away from Jefferson City most of my life. I've lived in Jefferson City for 3 years. I would never live in Columbia. I like to visit Columbia. I'm not a party-girl. If I want to go do something interesting that J.C. doesn't have, I'll make the drive to Columbia.

As far as the state government issue, I work for the state & I live 20 miles away from J.C. You won't have to worry about diversity here. You've got the folks who work in the factories, the folks who work in Columbia, teachers, & don't forget the great military folks that live & work around Jefferson City. My husband retired out 20 years with the National Guard, he was full time (did his weekends & 2 weeks a year plus wearing the uniform every day & working out at Ike Skelton Training Center).

I always gauge a city by this: If you're car breaks down on the side of the road...

If you break down in Jefferson City & you're on one of the major highways. You're going to most likely get ladies stopping asking if you have a cell phone or need them to call in help for you. Or you'll get one of the many car guys stop. I've had people bring me a can of gasoline & wouldn't take a dime, I've had a tire changed for me once, & if a Guardsman sees you, you're likely going to get more help than anticipated. Only 1 time did I have trouble that I had an uncomfortable moment but the elderly couple shooed off them off by saying they'd called police for assistance. The truck containing the problem was from out of state.

There is one area in Jefferson City that I would recommend you be careful of & that's around JC Highschool, Lincoln University. I used to live on the 800 block of Jackson St. there & there's an elevated amount of crime that you never read about on tv. I didn't read about it... I lived there so I would advise NOT living in that area. Stronger presence of drugs & troubled kids (& some not kids) roaming the streets looking for michief. There's good people in that part of J.C. but there's an element there that I don't enjoy living around.

Other than that area, I think Jefferson City is a good place to have a family.

[dakota79]

Thank you for all the helpful insights.

I recently made my trip to visit both cities, and I definitely like Jefferson City. I could see that the city might not be right for everybody, but it would work in a lot of ways for me. It was great to be back in Missouri.

Living in Columbia and working in Jeff City or vice versa is not an option. I do not drive becuase of an eye disease. I walk, use public transit, take taxis, and sometimes bike.

I found Jeff City to be very friendly. I had no trouble walking along Missouri Blvd, using either sidewalks or parking lots. I felt very safe.

I found several nice, affordable apartments near my job site, and they are also convenient to other things I would need. It is very nice to have most businesses along one single road. And it is only a 30 minute walk to Downtown.

Columbia is just too sprawled out and too centered around the colleges. At one time, the younger, progressive crowd might have appealed to me, but now I am looking for a more mature, conservative surrounding.

[another Sue]

First, I encourage you to rent for two years before you lock yourself into anything. The way to get to the KC and StL airports from Jefferson City is by Amtrak train. It often is behind schedule by hours, so allow plenty of time, but it is only about $20. I don't know of a good way to get from Jefferson City to Columbia, if you don't have a car.
Public transportation is much better in Columbia than in Jefferson City. If you plan to rely on it, this is a serious matter. There is no service after 5pm and none on weekends in Jefferson City.
There are a lot of blind people in Jeff City, and if you can find a way to reach them, I'm sure their perspective would be helpful. (Don't all blind people know each other? LOL)
Jefferson City is backward in several ways, such as recycling and transit. There are good walking trails, such as the Katy trail, and some greenways that have good sidewalks. As for walking in neighborhoods, that varies greatly, as the city has not kept up with sidewalk repairs, and I doubt they will, in this economy. Also, for some strange reason, you cannot walk with ease from parking lot to parking lot in this town. They throw a curb or a greenbelt or a slope between two neighboring parking lots. In many places, there are no sidewalks, yes, along Missouri Blvd. There are few crosswalks as well, and you are taking your life into your hands if you try to cross.
Good luck!

[ajf131]

I've personally never taken much interest in either town...Columbia to me is a lot like Champaign, IL or any other Midwestern college town. Jefferson City to me is like a suburb of Columbia and feels halfway between a small-sized Midwest city and almost a rural town...I dunno..I guess I've always preferred the big city myself to the smaller ones.