Top comments when people hear we are moving to St Louis (St. Louis: transplants, how much)

[SC616]

I am going to share because I have to get this off my chest. We are moving to Saint Louis with our family from the west coast, and here are the top comments I get:

1.) UGH!!!! Are you ready for those winters?
2.) the humidity!!! You do NOT know humidity and heat until you have lived in saint Louis
3.) oh, I am so sorry! How are your (local friends/parents/kids) taking it?
4.) well, you can always move back if it doesn't work out
5.) of all the places to have to move to!....

Now, here I go with my internal replies. Sometimes they slip out, but the truth is people tend to be focused on the sympathetic side rather than the excited side. I choose positive!

1.) I AM! We don't get snow or cool weather here, and we are looking forward to the four seasons!
2.) well, at least it isn't miserably hot year 'round! Just over the summer... Besides, you get the gorgeous fall colors to anticipate.
3.) my family and friends will be just fine! They will survive, and we will remain in touch-- just as we will make new friendships.
4.) I plan to LOVE it in our new home/neighborhood. The house will be more for our money, there are beautiful sprawling areas of land (unlike the side by side homes here), places to explore from parks to the city to neighboring states, the people have been just lovely when we have visited--- the most welcome and friendly I have met (out of NY, MA, FLA,CA, NV, and PA).
5.) We embrace this adventure, and to any naysayers I will reply that it is what you make of it!


Now if you would like to add anything you adore about saint Louis, please feel free. I am soaking up all the great things that people have shared about that area. And for the record, we will be residing in the Chesterfield/wildwood area...

[luckodeirish]

Well you and I may end up to be neighbors. I'm in the process of leaving Orange County for St. Louis. I don't really care what other people say about my decision but i have noticed that I can sort of loosely stratify responses:
1. Omg how awful! Said by friends who spend most of their time spending money at the high end mall and being worried that someone else may have something they don't have
2. Yuck no beach! Said by friends who live within blocks of the beach, thanks to inheriting a beachfront property from parents
3. You will hate the cold! From the people who dress in flip flops and shorts 365 days per year
4. I'm jealous: the friends who commute, pay high taxes, have to send their kids to private schools

Sort of all I jest, but you get the picture.
St. Louis has a lot to offer. Lean toward the positive and be happy for the time you spent in California.

See you there!

[DinsdalePirahna]

When I moved from Southern California to the Saint Louis Area, my new neighbors would ask "why?"

I began asking myself the same question.

I soon realized that I did miss The Beach. The Mountains. The Diversity. The Weather. The People. Good Mexican Food. Decent Pizza. I moved back within two years.

[mjtinmemphis]

For the most part when I tell people I'm moving to St. Louis, the response is mostly positive.

I hear...

So you're a Cardinals fan. (Mostly from cubs fans)

I love the city museum.

There are good parts and bad parts near each other.

St. Louis? Ugh, what a dump! (Mostly from people who have never been here)

I have family there.

You should just stay in Chicago.

Move to Nashville instead.

St. Louis??? (Puzzled look) isn't that worse than Chicago?

You are going to miss Chicago style deep dish.

What a fun place to live. How is the cost of living?

We go there a couple times a year.

How are the winters?

Too humid.

Don't they have a lot of little counties?

I love the arch! I didn't know people actually could ride to the top.

I love bar b que ribs.

I love bush stadium.

They have a good bar scene.

There are no offices downtown.

These are just a few comments that I hear.

[OuttaTheLouBurbs]

Why do people think the winters here are bad? They're really not (except for this year, but it was an outlier anyway). We even have the occasional 60-degree day thrown in the middle of winter too (I remember it being 70 in the middle of January as recently as last year).

[billiken]

I'm moving away from one of the more popular cities in the US back to STL. Lots of shocked people. Then there's the minority of mid-westerners who completely understand. Gotta show people the house we're buying in STL...there's lots of "uhhh.." and "woah" and "no way" responses. You have the right attitude (I find most of how much you enjoy a place is about how you approach it initially, the first few months are never easy). Wildwood can be very scenic, best of luck on your move!

[SC616]

Originally Posted by DinsdalePirahna

When I moved from Southern California to the Saint Louis Area, my new neighbors would ask "why?"

I began asking myself the same question.

I soon realized that I did miss The Beach. The Mountains. The Diversity. The Weather. The People. Good Mexican Food. Decent Pizza. I moved back within two years.

This is probably the norm for diehard Californians or transplants to CA who loathe cold weather or appreciate the vast amount of activities and scenery there. Also, depends on your stage of life. I have been there done that in terms of sunbathing at the beach, mountain trips, intense schools, and an active night life... Now I am looking for a more relaxed environment- down to earth people, outdoors without being surrounded by traffic, a break from 40 years of awesome Mexican food (ha) and looking forward to new experiences. Sometimes I think it just keeps your mind and soul energized to make changes, whether it be a move to a completely new place, get a new job,etc.

Again, I look forward to tackling the challenging aspects along with enjoying the benefits of our new home. And hope to hear more about the must see or must do in saint Louis!

[Dawn10am]

My list of MUST sees in St. Louis:

City Museum
The Hill
The Loop
Central West End
Soulard Farmer's Market
Forest Park
Arch/Riverfront (you don't necessarily need to go up in it. It's still really cool to just wander around the base of it)

There's obviously not as much to do here as in SoCal and the lifestyle is quite different, but there's still plenty to do to keep you occupied. Combine that with the friendly people and low cost of living and you've got yourself quite the "hidden gem," as the HuffPost would put it.

[glamatomic]

The most common ones I always got were "Why?" and "What's in St. Louis?".

One particular person used to keep giving me the business about wanting to live in "fly over country"... of course, he'd never been to St. Louis.

[bler144]

In general I think it's harder for West coast people to move anywhere else. You do have to be able to adapt to conditions you're not used to: regular summer humidity, mosquitoes/gnats/etc., winter snows and colder temps. But spring and fall are typically beautiful, and imo there is something reassuring about the cycle of 4 seasons.

As someone who lives on the west coast but isn't a native, I would definitely consider a move to STL. It's a pretty good city with more affordable COL, and some nice little towns with good schools, and woods and other things to do nearby. And for me the climate is generally milder than other places I've lived and survived.

If you're a born and bred SoCal person, then sure, it will be a bit more of a shock.