STL vs KC (Kansas City, St. Louis, Liberty: real estate, to rent, lofts)

[robrobinson1]

I was just curious as to which city has a better downtown area. This includes everything from entertainment to rent cost to safety. I would like to hear from people who have spent time in each city as well as residents from both. I am from Cinti, OH and visited STL last spring. The city reminded me a lot of Cinti, but seemed more visually pleasing. Maybe its just because I am from Cinti where we don't have much green space in downtown, or such a famous monument. I stayed at the Union Station hotel which looked really cool on the outside and inside. It also had a great mall connected to it. This is unlike anything in Cinti, and I was wondering if KC had anything like it? I am planning a move within the next couple of years and would like to hear about the pros/cons of each city's downtown area.

[razzy]

I've been robbed in downtown St Louis before - two blocks from Busch stadium where I had left early from a Cards game, and one block away from the busy thoroughfare of Market St, so if you're asking me, downtown is not generally safe, unless you park close to where you are going and stay with the crowds of people.

The mall in Union Station is slowly dying. Last time I was there, I saw a lot of empty storefronts. Kansas City has a very familiar venue called the Crown Center. It is a mall with a nice hotel attached to it. It is located just south of downtown and the mall is in better shape and has a better selection of stores than Union Station in St Louis does, and the hotel is nicer.

There are lofts and condos in the downtowns of both cities. St Louis probably has more nightlife downtown, and more things to do downtown in general, since the sports stadiums are all located there, plus you have the Arch. I dont know much about rents or anything in each city.

Best I can say about the downtown of either city: Be careful

[brightmidnight]

I'm sorry that Razzy was robbed-- that's unfortunate. However, I've lived close to STL my whole life and I've walked around, even at night, with no problem. It's one of the safest big cities you can find-- if you avoid the one or two neighborhoods that are bad, just as in any other city. I've been to NYC, Chicago, Indianapolis, Boston, DC, Phoenix, Atlanta, Miami, and Raleigh's downtowns, and St. Louis is much safer than any of the above. There's so much to do in St. Louis that is free and there's a great transportation system with the MetroLink.

I can't speak about Kansas City, but I do have a friend that hates it and much prefers St. Louis. He says there's nothing to do in KC.

[razzy]

Do you work for the mayor of St Louis, by any chance?

And how can you say that St Louis has a safer downtown than any of those other cities? Just because you went to those other cities, you then declared St Louis's downtown area safer than the others? Based on what?

Walk around downtown St Louis, all by yourself, every night for a week, and come back here and tell us your experience, okay?

[brightmidnight]

Nope, don't work for the mayor of St. Louis In fact, I've just moved to North Carolina.

I'm basing this on the fact that my whole life, I lived close to STL and walked around --usually with my mom-- without having any problems or feeling unsafe in the downtown area. I do not feel the same way in Chicago or even Raleigh. I would not walk around by myself in St. Louis or any other big city except in the daytime by myself. Unless I had my gun with me, of course. I have a concealed carry permit in NC that would probably work in Missouri as well.

Walk around St. Louis for 25 years and then come back and tell me your experience, ok? I'm sure there will be few incidents to speak of. You were giving your anecdotal evidence so I gave mine in return.

[razzy]

Well, sure. I stated in my post above that at night time, if you are around alot of other people, and park close to where you are going, then you are probably safe. Same goes for daytime hours when there are hordes of people downtown working, shopping, or whatever.

I've seen the crime data for downtown St Louis. It isn't a pretty sight. So I'm basing my opinion on not only actual experience, but also on the crime data that I have seen.

[RickMG]

I live in St. Louis, but go to K.C. many times a year and stay just across the street from Union Station. I can say without a doubt that St. Louis has the best places to live in the downtown area WITH a nightlife around it. To me that means within walking distance, and we have a metrolink that you can use to go from downtown to the Central West End that has great restaurants and nightlife. I also believe the St. Louis downtown is just as safe as K.C.

Now, if you are talking about areas that you can EASILY drive to for entertainment AND shopping, I would have to say K.C. has it all over St. Louis with Country Club Plaza, Westport and lots of casinos just a few minutes drive from downtown, but downtown seems a little deserted and thus a little scary at this time. They are working on that though it seems.

[Mr. O]

I would personally prefer Kansas City over St. Louis. I have been to both cities many times I also visit Kansas City often.

First off, go here //www.city-data.com/top27.html (look for #9, & #2 is just across the river). Like razzy said Union station is indeed dying they are loosing store fronts and all. Crown center is about the same, however Kansas City has the Country Club Plaza which is a large area of the city (just south of downtown) that has very nice shopping, dinning, theaters, parks etc... It's a very nice chunk of real estate through there. Now one draw back of Kansas City is that it is a very large city as far as land area, population is up there as well. The city is over 300 sq. miles it's huge so It takes a while to get around & there highways are complicated to those who aren't familiar with large capacity highways. It took me an hour to get from Liberty, MO (just north KC) to Grandview (just South of KC) driving on interstate 435.

Kansas City downtown Isn't as exciting as St. Louis's downtown, KC's is mostly all commercial property. So St. Louis has the prettier downtown as well as funner. St. Louis also has the Metrolink train running through all of St. Louis, makes getting around in that city much easier.

Hope this helps