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Good grief, I would move home in a heartbeat if I could! Orlando is an overgrown cowtown, no culture to speak of. I wont even go there anymore because of the crime! Not to mention the tourists and transplants.....
St. Louis and the surrounding areas are charming and beautiful, lots to do, great state parks, museums, theatres, and all things cultural.... dont even get me started on the wonderful restaurants!
If you enjoy Winter Park and College Park, you will looooove St Lou, think those areas of Orlando times 100.
Go, enjoy, report back.......
Wow.. another Orlando local with the same viewpoint as me. I've been in Orlando for over 5 years, and have lived in parts of Florida for most of my live. I lived in St. Louis for a couple years when I was a kid and have visited frequently since. I've been all over the country and feel very strongly that the Midwest is easily the friendliest place to live the American dream. If I can manage to convince my amazing girlfriend what a wonderful town STL is, I'd love to move there in a few years. She's from Ohio and loves Atlanta and Washington-DC, so I've got to do my best to 'sell' STL to her when we visit in May... I've already got a list of things to show her when we're up there...
Wow.. another Orlando local with the same viewpoint as me. I've been in Orlando for over 5 years, and have lived in parts of Florida for most of my live. I lived in St. Louis for a couple years when I was a kid and have visited frequently since. I've been all over the country and feel very strongly that the Midwest is easily the friendliest place to live the American dream. If I can manage to convince my amazing girlfriend what a wonderful town STL is, I'd love to move there in a few years. She's from Ohio and loves Atlanta and Washington-DC, so I've got to do my best to 'sell' STL to her when we visit in May... I've already got a list of things to show her when we're up there...
May I congratulate you on your good taste? I totally agree with what you said about the Midwest. I have lived in several states, and in Europe, and you just cant beat the Midwest. Housing prices and cost of living is wonderful!
So, what are you planning to show your girlfriend? If you are really gonna sell her, you have to be at the top of your game, there are sooooo many fabulous places to go in and around SL, please share!
May I congratulate you on your good taste? I totally agree with what you said about the Midwest. I have lived in several states, and in Europe, and you just cant beat the Midwest. Housing prices and cost of living is wonderful!
So, what are you planning to show your girlfriend? If you are really gonna sell her, you have to be at the top of your game, there are sooooo many fabulous places to go in and around SL, please share!
Well, the trip will be for 5-7 days sometime in April to July - not sure exactly when yet. I'd prefer to make it in May for perfect weather. My sister lives in Millstadt, IL with her husband and kids, and my cousin lives in the neighborhood just north of the 255/Telegraph exchange in south STL with her husband and kids.
First, I'll have to show her some culture. She loves what Atlanta and especially DC have to offer, so the first day or two will probably be spent around Forest Park - the Art and History Museums, The Muny, Zoo, Jewel Box, Botanical Gardens, and Science Center. Coming from a Catholic family, a visit to the St. Louis Cathedral would be great, and I'd like to get a peek of the Washington University campus and Delmar Loop. Since it's close, dinner someplace at The Hill would be nice.. I hear Charlie Gitto's and Lorenzo's Trattoria are great and resonably priced, but I'm open to suggestions! I know I'll be pressed for time, but I'd like her to at least get a glimpse of all there is in this area.. hopefully just enough to make her want to come back!
I can't make a trip to STL without seeing the Cards, so a trip to Busch (haven't been to new Busch yet!) is a definite. How difficult is it to get tickets? Every game I saw on TV looked sold out. We'll use the Metro from the Belleville area to show her how easy it is to get downtown from the IL side. A tour through Anheuser-Busch would be fun, but we'll definitely head to the top of the arch before the game, and Union Station would be another place I'd like to see again.
Seeing certain downtown parts of the city will be mandatory while we're there, for the restaurants, bars, shops, and architecture - Central West End, Laclede's Landing, Washington Street, and Soulard.
Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in a camping trip with the rest of my family to Meramec Park again - beautiful scenery while floating down the river! I went to Grant's Farm about 20 years ago, so that's another idea.
If we visit for July 4th, fireworks on the riverbank would be mandatory. I still remember them when I lived there around age 5-7 and I still haven't seen fireworks more impressive. I'm not sure if this is still a big deal or not there..
It'd be fun to take a trip to Columbia (I have old family-friends in tiny Boonville), since college towns have their own special atmosphere. I lived in Gainesville, FL and have visited Lawrence, KS and Boulder, CO and had a blast in them all.
The final part of the trip will have to be checking out various suburbs that I'd consider moving to. I already know the Illinois side quite well.. Columbia/Waterloo/Millstadt to Belleville/Fairview Heights/O'Fallon/Shiloh, so I've come up with these areas of interest (in no particular order), and I welcome comments and other suggestions:
- University City
- Clayton
- Maplewood
- Webster Groves
- Kirkwood
- Fenton
- Ballwin
- Manchester
- Chesterfield
- Eureka
- St. Charles
- O'Fallon
- Lake St. Louis
I'm currently leaning toward the Fenton / Eureka / Ballwin areas based on what I've read and their location - outside the city with great schools and easy transportation along 255 to visit family in IL. Since I'd like to pick a location to buy a house and stay there, even if I have to commute for job changes, I like this somewhat central location. However, the public school systems are very important to me since I plan on having kids in the future. I'm a software engineer for government military simulations, and I haven't yet looked into job locations. I don't have a preference of continuing government contract work, but it'd be nice to continue my software engineering career in some capacity. I know Northrup, Lockheed, and Boeing have a lot of employees in the area, so they could be possibilities. Houses I've looked at in the nicer parts of the Orlando area range from $250k to $400k, so a 4 bed/2+ bath/3 car garage with 2500+ sq.ft and unfinished basement (for me to customize!) would be perfect. I haven't looked into pricing in the towns I listed yet.. but I know that $250k gets a lot of house on the Illinois side in great school districts of Millstadt, O'Fallon, or Shiloh.
So I've rambled long enough.. let me know if I'm missing another great aspect of the city or if something I've listed isn't worth visiting in such a short trip.
I haven't been here long enough to give you any great information, but don't completely count out city living or inner-ring suburban living (Maplewood, U City, Clayton, Richmond Heights). I live in Fairview Heights and regret not moving closer to my work in Creve Coeur. Hopefully that will change in the coming months.
Another reason I wish I would have chosen a place like Maplewood, Clayton, U City, etc, is because of the urban atmosphere and lifestyle. I'll probably end up in Olivette though, because we found the perfect apartment and it's only a 5 minute drive up Olive Blvd to my office. I especially look forward to driving to downtown attractions, the CWE/U City/Maplewood restaurants, etc, without touching a major highway. Right now I take 64 (what part of it isn't closed, that is), and driving on the highway just isn't for me. I drive faster than most on the highways, and I do a bit of bobbing and weaving in traffic, but it's still too dangerous for me. I hate driving ont he highway
So I've rambled long enough.. let me know if I'm missing another great aspect of the city or if something I've listed isn't worth visiting in such a short trip.
Sounds like you have a lot of it covered! If you get a chance, go over to st charles, main st, little hills winery and restaurant, its very romantic, make sure you sit outside!
Does she like to shop or antique? If so, Cherokee St. and Central West End are wonderful, I always enjoy going there.
I hope you all have a lovely time!
Last edited by kshe95girl; 01-02-2008 at 05:28 PM..
Reason: misspell
I haven't been here long enough to give you any great information, but don't completely count out city living or inner-ring suburban living (Maplewood, U City, Clayton, Richmond Heights). I live in Fairview Heights and regret not moving closer to my work in Creve Coeur. Hopefully that will change in the coming months.
Another reason I wish I would have chosen a place like Maplewood, Clayton, U City, etc, is because of the urban atmosphere and lifestyle. I'll probably end up in Olivette though, because we found the perfect apartment and it's only a 5 minute drive up Olive Blvd to my office. I especially look forward to driving to downtown attractions, the CWE/U City/Maplewood restaurants, etc, without touching a major highway. Right now I take 64 (what part of it isn't closed, that is), and driving on the highway just isn't for me. I drive faster than most on the highways, and I do a bit of bobbing and weaving in traffic, but it's still too dangerous for me. I hate driving ont he highway
I love a house and yard and will require a 3 car garage, so that's why I'm primarily looking toward areas outside the 270/255 loop. I'm past my time of sharing walls, floors, and ceilings with neighbors.
Sounds like you have a lot of it covered! If you get a chance, go over to st charles, main st, little hills winery and restaurant, its very romantic, make sure you sit outside!
Does she like to shop or antique? If so, Cherokee St. and Central West End are wonderful, I always enjoy going there.
I hope you all have a lovely time!
I don't know too much about St. Charles, so I'll look more into what it has to offer. A few years ago I went to Oktoberfest in Hermann and it was a lot of fun, so perhaps a trip to wine country is in order. She's not into antiques, but loves window shopping, even though she's not big into actually spending money very often! (Wow! How rare is that?!)
She loves the Park Ave area in Winter Park in Orlando, so I'm hoping CWE is something like this now.. it's been so long I really don't remember too much about it since I was about 7 years old, except I do vaguely remember a dark, dungeon-like Italian place that was awesome.. I have no idea what it was except it had really low ceilings and I think it may have been a basement of a building - I remember walking down stairs from street level to get to it.
I don't know too much about St. Charles, so I'll look more into what it has to offer. A few years ago I went to Oktoberfest in Hermann and it was a lot of fun, so perhaps a trip to wine country is in order. She's not into antiques, but loves window shopping, even though she's not big into actually spending money very often! (Wow! How rare is that?!)
She loves the Park Ave area in Winter Park in Orlando, so I'm hoping CWE is something like this now.. it's been so long I really don't remember too much about it since I was about 7 years old, except I do vaguely remember a dark, dungeon-like Italian place that was awesome.. I have no idea what it was except it had really low ceilings and I think it may have been a basement of a building - I remember walking down stairs from street level to get to it.
Yes, CWE is like Winter Park, only much better! St. Charles-Main Street is historic and lovely, lots of window shopping, the place I mentioned in last post is very romantic, she would have a ball on Cherokee St window shopping!
Have fun!
moving from florida to missouri will definately be a change for you. we have extremely HUMID summers and cold winters. the crime rate is high and the housing is costly. the traffic is horrible..another highway closed for reconstruction....but on the good side...am going to have to think on that one..Good Luck
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it will be a change..for sure
