St. Louis and surrounding areas (Fulton, Mexico: transplants, real estate, mortgage broker)

[songinthewind7]

Please share with me your likes and dislikes....

[ktCakes]

You might check out this link...
//www.city-data.com/forum/st-louis/746142-positives-negatives-living-st-louis.html

I'm not sure how to answer your question. What information are you looking for?

[songinthewind7]

Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

I was basically not looking for information so much but more of why people like or dislike the St. Louis area and the areas surrounding it.

This link is not pulling up. Maybe it's expired.

[DinsdalePirahna]

I think the link was pulled because it went negative.

This is pretty much of what it was all about:

This is what you'll get from the local/native population:

Great architecture
Great museums
Rich History
Great zoo
Great Restaurants
Lots of things to do.

and I will agree with most of them/ but architecture is OK but not great; and the things to do list is a little short)

and thats about it.

This is what you will get from transplants like me:

Friendly population.
Lack of proactivity in the business community (try to get an automotive dealer, mortgage broker, real estate agent, government service worker or potential employer to provide proper paper work, return your calls or emails).
Half-arse way of doing things / Lots of incomplete or unmaintained projects scattered about.
insularity and parochialism to the highest degree.
Compared to other places i've lived, the topography here is rather bland and unexciting (and if you are coming from New Mexico you will immediately know what I mean).

You better have a job lined up before you move here.

Take it for what its worth.

[ShadowCaver]

link referred to above is actually: //www.city-data.com/forum/st-lo...-st-louis.html

Some other threads that may help answer your question:
//www.city-data.com/forum/st-lo...-st-louis.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/st-lo...ghborhood.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/st-lo...-st-louis.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/st-lo...-st-louis.html
etc...

Now, question back to you - what brings this question here? Anything specifically sparking your interest?

Likes:
good town, relatively inexpensive area, relatively easy commutes, wonderful sports, good/rich history, hidden & great architect & buildings, people, close to many outdoor activities, great & unique food, interesting & communities in and around the area...

Dislikes:
freezing rain/sleet/ice, slow at times to really improve, lack of visible leadership, idiotic city-county split, the potential of many features [ex.: the Rivers] are ignored if not spat upon, the Landing is degrading, the Admiral is dead, bike trials are poor [shows some signs of improving], public transit is hurting...

[DeBaliviere]

Originally Posted by DinsdalePirahna

Lack of proactivity in the business community (try to get an automotive dealer, mortgage broker, real estate agent, government service worker or potential employer to provide proper paper work, return your calls or emails).

I've never found this to be a problem.

[DinsdalePirahna]

Originally Posted by ShadowCaver

...the potential of many features [ex.: the Rivers] are ignored if not spat upon, the Landing is degrading...

This is one of the saddest things about St. Louis and the immediate river valleys. With so much history based on the rivers, the overall attention to them is pretty pathetic. Even small cities like Charleston, WV capitalize on the assets of being a river front city. Pittsburgh also plays their rivers into nice cultural and recreational amenities. Being on what the Coast Guard Classifies as Western Rivers, both cities are prone to flooding. Saint Louis really has no excuse.

The best Saint Louis can offer is a broken down riverboat (Admiral) in front of a poorly maintained "Entertainment District" (Lacledes Landing). I would seriously suggest that Saint Louis City planners visit Poughkeepsie NY; Philadephia and Pittsburgh; PA and Fulton's Fishmarket in NYC to see how revitalizing a riverfront is done.

[DinsdalePirahna]

Originally Posted by DeBaliviere

I've never found this to be a problem.

its not a problem if you can except waiting for more that 18 hours for an answer (if you get one at all).

[DinsdalePirahna]

Originally Posted by DeBaliviere

I don't know, people usually call me back pretty quickly.

Not going to turn this into a he said/she said.

Back on track:

If you like sports, especially baseball you will be in heaven here. Win or lose the town is cardinal crazy. The Blues also have a very loyal fan base.

Football fans are fair weather. But being from Southern California, I know how easy it is to give up on the Rams.

[stlcitygirl]

Dinsdale,
Instead of sitting behind your computer all day and night complaining about St Louis, why don't you get out and try to change it? I am not from STL, but I thought the city had a ton of potential. I moved to the city and I sit on the board of my neighborhood. We are working hard at making our space a better place to be. You have a lot of good ideas and could bring an interesting perspective to the table. There are several committees you can sit on, from Downtown improvements to making STL more biker friendly. You have said before you are "stuck" here because of your wife. Why not try to improve your situation? You may find things about the area worth staying for.