St.Louis, Kentucky, or Nashville? (St. Louis, Laclede: homes, neighborhood, construction)

[DinsdalePirahna]

Florrissant, Saint Ann and Hazelwood are diverse, but they are also old and bit run down, with a heavy "urban' culture. I also haven't seen too many 1/2 acre tracts of land in that area.

I am familiar with West Saint Charles County where you can get a nice new or newer home on 1/2 acre in your price range. Wentzville and O'Fallon schools are top rated. Dardenne Prairie seems to be the most racially diversified of them all (O'Fallon schools).

Private communities like Like Saint Louis offer you great outdoor activities for you and the kids (sailing, swimming, fishing, kayaking, tennis).

There is also more of "handyman" culture out here where your husband my feel more comfortable.

All these communities are within 35 - 40 miles of StL

I am sure you can find similar areas when you head south of St. Louis.

This is still the Saint Louis Area. I think self imposed segregation is a better word than racism. And it exists here. I haven't seen much outright racism (except when I was guest of a remote Evangelical Churches out here - I heard the the "N" word at least 6 times within the walls of the church)

My advice to you would be too seek out neighborhoods with a better educated (more tolerant) population no matter where you choose to live.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by moorlander

um, haven't seen what?

Nashville - country music capital of the world
Kentucky and Tennessee - some of the strongest accents in the Country.
Trucks - you don't see many here - in the south you do
Southern pride and Dixie flags - don't see that here - you do in the south.


What's the arguement here? Once you cross over into Tenn and Kentucky You really start to notice that you are in the south. Not knocking it, just pointing it out. It's very different than St. Louis in my humble opinion.

It is my humble esperience that folks in STL try to distance themslves from the South because like it or not, their city has a strong southern influence. Missouri, especially southern Missouri, is just as southern as Kentucky both geographically and culturally. Some very poor counties are located in the Ozarks just like they are in Appalachian KY.

Keeping this in mind, big cities are different. You are simply stereotyping areas. Louisville and Nashville are very cosmopolitan mid sized cities. Nashville is pure southern, while Louisville is a Midwest/Southern hybrid.

[Brickmama]

Originally Posted by DinsdalePirahna

Why is a pick up any different than a car when it comes to parking?

Spend some time in a big city driving it around and get back with us.

[goat314]

Originally Posted by stx12499

It is my humble esperience that folks in STL try to distance themslves from the South because like it or not, their city has a strong southern influence. Missouri, especially southern Missouri, is just as southern as Kentucky both geographically and culturally. Some very poor counties are located in the Ozarks just like they are in Appalachian KY.

Keeping this in mind, big cities are different. You are simply stereotyping areas. Louisville and Nashville are very cosmopolitan mid sized cities. Nashville is pure southern, while Louisville is a Midwest/Southern hybrid.

St. Louis has a sprinkle of Southern culture. I really disagree it has a "strong Southern influence". Somebody from New Orleans or Atlanta is not going to feel at home in St. Louis. Those are real Southern cities with real Southern cultures and that is something St. Louis really lacks. Louisville does have some similarities to St. Louis, but overall it is a Southern town. I would say Louisville is 70% Southern and 30% Midwestern. While St. Louis is 90% Midwestern and 10% Southern. The whole "St. Louis is a covert Southern town, posing as a Midwestern city" is ridiculous and people really need to stop. I could think of a few major cities that have a more Southern vibe than St. Louis that never get confused for anything else but their region.

[Eyeam]

I would say that the area surrounding St. Louis has a stronger than it should have southern vibe to it, but I don't think the main or more modern parts of the city are particularly southern. I've spent some time in Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Florida, and I would say that there are plenty of areas not far outside of St. Louis (in both MO and IL) that are just as 'hillbilly' or 'redneck' as the cultures I've seen in those other states. But yeah, I don't consider the city itself to be very southern.

[OA 5599]

Originally Posted by goat314

St. Louis has a sprinkle of Southern culture. I really disagree it has a "strong Southern influence". Somebody from New Orleans or Atlanta is not going to feel at home in St. Louis. Those are real Southern cities with real Southern cultures and that is something St. Louis really lacks. Louisville does have some similarities to St. Louis, but overall it is a Southern town. I would say Louisville is 70% Southern and 30% Midwestern. While St. Louis is 90% Midwestern and 10% Southern. The whole "St. Louis is a covert Southern town, posing as a Midwestern city" is ridiculous and people really need to stop. I could think of a few major cities that have a more Southern vibe than St. Louis that never get confused for anything else but their region.

I agree...any southern influence in St. Louis is hard to find. I work with several transplanted southerners (from former CSA states) and they would laugh if someone suggested St. Louis was a "Southern city". Unsweetened tea, lots of Catholics, predominant German ancestry, and little to no accent all point to St. Louis being a solidly Midwestern city.

Having personally grown up in far southern Missouri, the only cultural similarity I see between most of metro St. Louis and the Ozarks is that people tend to marry young. Other than that, I cannot stress just how different the regions are culturally.

However, the southern influence comes on strong once you leave St. Louis...many Rebel flags and thick accents can be found in Washington County, MO, just 60 miles from St. Louis.

[DinsdalePirahna]

Originally Posted by Brickmama

Spend some time in a big city driving it around and get back with us.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

I drove it in LA and NYC Cities much bigger and with more traffic than STL.
Comparatively, Saint Louis has no traffic and no matter how much you try to kid yourself, it isn't a big city.

I'm not in town as much has I used to be, but when I am I never have a problem in a pickup truck

[Brickmama]

Originally Posted by DinsdalePirahna

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

I drove it in LA and NYC Cities much bigger and with more traffic than STL.
Comparatively, Saint Louis has no traffic and no matter how much you try to kid yourself, it isn't a big city.

I'm not in town as much has I used to be, but when I am I never have a problem in a pickup truck

I wouldn't try and tell too many people that if I were you. I am not kidding anyone. Just calling it how it is.

I am not neccessarily referring to driving in traffic but more so living in a dense city neighborhood while the only option being on street parking. Having to parallel park a pick up day in and day out can be more difficult than a compact car.

[OA 5599]

Originally Posted by Brickmama

I wouldn't try and tell too many people that if I were you. I am not kidding anyone. Just calling it how it is.

I am not neccessarily referring to driving in traffic but more so living in a dense city neighborhood while the only option being on street parking. Having to parallel park a pick up day in and day out can be more difficult than a compact car.

I would not want to park a fullsize pickup on the street infront of my apartment in the city. I have several neighbors who do drive fullsize trucks, but I have enough problems parking my midsize car on the street, and I miss the compact car I had before. Many of the streets in my neighborhood are only one-lane wide when cars are parked on both sides of the street.

[DinsdalePirahna]

Originally Posted by Brickmama

I wouldn't try and tell too many people that if I were you. I am not kidding anyone. Just calling it how it is.

I am not neccessarily referring to driving in traffic but more so living in a dense city neighborhood while the only option being on street parking. Having to parallel park a pick up day in and day out can be more difficult than a compact car.

Saint Louis isn't as dense as you think it is. NYC is. Pittsburgh is. Long Beach, CA is. I have never had a problem driving and parking when I lived in those cities. Why do red flags go up in Saint Louis?

Is there a perceived notion that a pickup truck parked in front of their apartment will remind the locals of their redneck roots?

I have a Ranger and a 150. We also have an Escape. The Ranger gets the best mileage and is by far the most efficient and easiest to drive in urban settings. The 150 isn't much bigger and is still easy to drive, although the mileage sucks. The Escape is the wife's car. I only use it when meeting or entertaining new/or potential clients

I guess to be accepted in downtown you need a POS ten-year-old American-made sedan. I sure see a lot of them downtown.