St. Louis isn't that Racist...But it does suck hard culturally!

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by robertjohnson

The sad truth is most people oppress themselves.

Thats the most profound truth I have read in many, many years.

[SoStLouis]

thats anywhere bud. i got buddies from the metro that are scared to hit the county because they think the cops are out to get them for being some "from the ghetto *****s".. just as many whites have the irrational fears of the metro, getting robbed, raped, killed, harassed by the police etc.

Well, I am a 21 year old white, I hail from North county, lived there from age 1-18. lived on the northside of town (goodfellow/kingshighway) for about a year and recently moved back to Maryland Heights.

It took me a minute to be accepted down there, I'll admit that. Northside is hands down the roughest part of the city. Most killings, rampant drug use and sales and robberies. First few weeks, I got jumped and robbed once. Once I got to meet people and let them know what I was about, word got around I was a decent, respectful and most importantly real person. Since then I have been shown nothing but love from a dominantly black area. I get invited to all the parties, I get invited to hang out, just as they help one another out, they do the same for me, as I do for them.

What it comes down to is respect and being yourself, being real. Don't start acting like Snoop Dogg just because you're in the hood and quit bein a *****. Humans can sense fear too you know.

Only ******* get pushed around, I don't care if youre in STL, Cali, or jail that's the code.

[SoStLouis]

oh and to any idiot who says they "dont bat an eye" when you drive through different parts of Chi.. guess you havent been to the real hood.

the projects in Chi are ridiculous. every black person either mugged at me as hard as they could or tried to flag me down to sell me drugs. I've been pulled over 4-5 times all my life in st louis, i was pulled over twice in Chicago's projects and I only saw two cops. Saw two cops, got pulled over two times.. In st louis I've seen thousands of cop cars out on the road, what does that tell you? Chi sucks! in st louis you might get some stares from the blacks but they can expect the same when communiting deep into the county.. thats how life works (unforunately).

[SoStLouis]

Originally Posted by Northwoods Voyager

Hello from a native St. Louisan. We moved to the country because of my husbands job. St. Louis is my home town and always will be. One thing some of you may want to consider is St. Louis has no place to expand to. I've seen other major cities be able to 'expand'. No river on one side, no dividing line between the city and the surrounding counties. Everyone mentions the suburbs. Well, of course. When businesses, shopping, entertainment, and other industries seek to expand, just where is it they can go? To the east side, across the river? Out of Missouri? I think not. To other Missouri counties? Sure, why not?

Tax incentives, newer homes, highways, and land to build on. I spent part of my youth in the CWE, Bartmer, Euclid, and part in North St. Louis, Marcus Ave. Aunt and Uncle and cousins living on 19th and Cass. Other relatives on South side near Cherokee. Mixed groups all over there. Never once did I ever experience racism nor the 'where did you go to H.S.' thing. I also worked at Wash. U. and my department had employees of many different backgrounds and races. I wont say that we were one big happy family, but before you say, see, I told you so, we were like family. Different attitudes, opinions, personalities and such. Just like families.

Still think that are many places to go for good entertainment and enlightenment.

gosh, a well articulated, rational, intelligent post??? what a surprise

[sixtwobaldguy]

Sostlouis,

I agree chicago has some rough areas you won't see any cops. The streets are lined with people dealing or pushing shopping carts and they are shocked, literally shocked to see a white person and assume I am there to buy. It's like Brooklyn, IL only 20x bigger.

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by SoStLouis

gosh, a well articulated, rational, intelligent post??? what a surprise

NW Voyager is always the calm, cool voice of reason on these threads, with much wisdom

[ollivander11]

As someone who has lived in San Francisco, Madrid, Shiloh IL, Springfield MO, St. Louis, most recently San Antonio then back to St. Louis, as well as being White Hispanic/Black, I have been disappointed in the rate of racial inclusiveness in the St. Louis area. North County, downtown, and the East Side have large black populations but everywhere else is mostly white.

Now I'm very liberal and quirky, a vegetarian, book lover, and very interested in the arts. I like downtown. Its getting gentrified with all the old buildings and former factories being converted into luxury condos and lofts, but it still has a ways to go. The most cultural part of St. Louis is the neighborhoods surrounding Forest Park: Midtown, the Loop, Central West End, Dogtown, and a little further away, Tower Grove Park. I spend much of my time in the CWE. These neighborhoods are the only real hubbubs of eclectic culture due to the large student populations from SLU, Wash U, and Fonetbonne, as well as a large gay and gay-friendly population, artists, and other liberal-minded types. I LOVE - I repeat - LOVE Forest Park. Its the jewel of this city. Its beautiful, free, and the view from Art Hill is breathtaking day or night. On the flip side, it can be rather modcutonce you cross into St. Charles, Eureka, and Fenton where McCain snd unapologetic Confederate bumper stickers abound.

Heck, even in San Antonio - deep in the heart of Red state Texas - had much more diversity. I was surprised to see the amount if interracial couples and different nationalities. And in many parts of STL, you can still get that either curious or WTF-look when dating outside your race, which is frustrating considering that since I'm biracial I will always be in an interracial relationship. :-) North County has a fair amount of interracial couples because there are still whites there but they're definitely not moving in. Also, being a mixed-raced person in San Antonio I didn't stand-out in the way I do here. Here I get that what-are-you stare that I find uncomfortable as well as extremely rude. I've had on countless occasions had to suffer the indignity of people asking me point-blank, "What are you?" Never any where else have I encountered this. Not even in friggin' Spain!

Bottom line: while its no London or NYC, STL does have a fair amount of culture. It's just regulated to a few neighborhoods and the rest of it is pretty blah and hee-ha.

[Marksman84]

Originally Posted by ollivander11

As someone who has lived in San Francisco, Madrid, Shiloh IL, Springfield MO, St. Louis, most recently San Antonio then back to St. Louis, as well as being White Hispanic/Black, I have been disappointed in the rate of racial inclusiveness in the St. Louis area. North County, downtown, and the East Side have large black populations but everywhere else is mostly white. North County has the most "race-mixing" as white people still live there but aren't moving there.

Now I'm very liberal and quirky, a vegetarian, book lover, and very interested in the arts. I like downtown. Its getting gentrified with all the old buildings and former factories being converted into luxury condos and lofts, but it still has a ways to go. The most cultural part of St. Louis is the neighborhoods surrounding Forest Park: Midtown, the Loop, Central West End, Dogtown, and a little further away, Tower Grove Park. I spend much of my time in the CWE. These neighborhoods are the only real hubbubs of eclectic culture due to the large student populations from SLU, Wash U, and Fonetbonne, as well as a large gay and gay-friendly population, artists, and other liberal-minded types. I LOVE - I repeat - LOVE Forest Park. Its the jewel of this city. Its beautiful, free, and the view from Art Hill is breathtaking day or night. On the flip side, it can be rather hillbilly and hee-ha once you cross into St. Charles, Eureka, and Fenton where McCain snd unapologetic Confederate bumper stickers abound.

Heck, even in San Antonio - deep in the heart of Red state Texas - had much more diversity. I was surprised to see the amount if interracial couples and different nationalities. And in many parts of STL, you still get that either curious or WTF-look when dating out your race, which is frustrating considering that unless I'm dating another White Hispanic/black person I'm always dating outside my race. :-) Plus, I didn't stand-out in an Antonio the way I do here. Here I get that what-are-you stare that I find uncomfortable as well as extremely rude. I've had on countless occasions had to suffer the indignity of people asking me point-blank, "What are you?" Never any where else have I encountered this. Not even in friggin' Spain!

Bottom line: STL does have culture, it's just regulated to a few neighborhoods and the rest of it is pretty blah and hee-ha.

'
Speaking as a partner in an interracial marriage (White Male - Black Female) STL for many years - just expect to get the glare/stare for being different. Especially if you wander into North or South County.

[sixtwobaldguy]

I think at the heart of all this is people have come to believe that someone noticing them is inherently an evil thing which I do not agree with (although I understand it sometimes can be done in a hostile manner which is very inappropriate).

There are also some people who have taken to holy war of trying to elevate one group of people over another (sexual orientation, racial, what have you) which can be done in order to gain approval, for political reasons, or in an effort to divide people.

When on one hand you call people hillbilly but make no negative connotation of any other group you really reveal an intention to flame racial, geographical, and/or classist fires. Thinly guised and easily seen through, fortunately this attempt failed miserably thus far, although I may have just fed it