St Louis is Best City for College Grads (St. Louis, Maplewood: salaries, living)

[Brickmama]

Kudos to STL. A city that takes a beating in national polls and surveys finally gets some good recognition. Hopefully it's just a start.

St. Louis named best city for college grads | ksdk.com

[stlcitygirl]

Yeah Yeah!

[Chicago76]

This is certainly well deserved. If a college grad wants the following:

-a variety of opportunities
-four seasons
-an true urban environment that has most everything a city should have with the exception of maybe 6-8 larger metros in the country
-a very affordable cost of living

Then St. Louis needs to be at the top of anyone's list along w/ places like Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Minneapolis-St. Paul, etc.

That's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but it should be attractive to a wide variety of people.

[BoomBoxing]

Originally Posted by Chicago76

This is certainly well deserved. If a college grad wants the following:

-a variety of opportunities
-four seasons
-an true urban environment that has most everything a city should have with the exception of maybe 6-8 larger metros in the country
-a very affordable cost of living

Then St. Louis needs to be at the top of anyone's list along w/ places like Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Minneapolis-St. Paul, etc.

That's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but it should be attractive to a wide variety of people.

This is exactly it. St. Louis just isn't on many young grads radar for a variety of reasons. Yet peer cities like those you cited, along with Seattle, Charlotte, and a few others are. What are these cities doing that St. Louis isn't? Unfortunately I think a lot of it just has to do with perception. People just don't realize what real urban St. Louis looks like nor do they realize some of the great opportunities present there.

[Chicago76]

Originally Posted by BoomBoxing

This is exactly it. St. Louis just isn't on many young grads radar for a variety of reasons. Yet peer cities like those you cited, along with Seattle, Charlotte, and a few others are. What are these cities doing that St. Louis isn't? Unfortunately I think a lot of it just has to do with perception. People just don't realize what real urban St. Louis looks like nor do they realize some of the great opportunities present there.

I don't want to turn this into a rail on STl thread, because the city has a ton going for it, and I like it very much (otherwise we wouldn't have moved). But since you asked, for all of the urban amenities and history and inexpensive living, most of those other cities (and many others not mentioned) seem to be more "open" playing fields.

The region's general attitude is in some ways a victim of its rich history. It was a star. It hasn't really regressed, but it has just sort of drifted at the same elevation. The pie hasn't grown, so people in general are just sort of complacent with respect to how things are rather than how they could be.

I see it in business here. I see it in politics. I see it in the arts. I see it in policy. There are some incredible people trying to push things here, but the general pop isn't as open to the possibilities. In the business world, the culture I sense more than I have in other cities is one where people try to protect what they have rather than working in a more concerted effort to "increase the pie". There is some underachievement in that sense. A B+ amenitiy region that basically seems inclined to stick with old ideas and methods that produce C+ results.

[AZOperson]

Originally Posted by Chicago76

...The region's general attitude is in some ways a victim of its rich history. It was a star. It hasn't really regressed, but it has just sort of drifted at the same elevation. The pie hasn't grown, so people in general are just sort of complacent with respect to how things are rather than how they could be. ...

Agreed. Someone should follow-up with these new grads 5 years from now and see if they're still hanging around.

[BoomBoxing]

Originally Posted by Chicago76

I don't want to turn this into a rail on STl thread, because the city has a ton going for it, and I like it very much (otherwise we wouldn't have moved). But since you asked, for all of the urban amenities and history and inexpensive living, most of those other cities (and many others not mentioned) seem to be more "open" playing fields.

The region's general attitude is in some ways a victim of its rich history. It was a star. It hasn't really regressed, but it has just sort of drifted at the same elevation. The pie hasn't grown, so people in general are just sort of complacent with respect to how things are rather than how they could be.

I see it in business here. I see it in politics. I see it in the arts. I see it in policy. There are some incredible people trying to push things here, but the general pop isn't as open to the possibilities. In the business world, the culture I sense more than I have in other cities is one where people try to protect what they have rather than working in a more concerted effort to "increase the pie". There is some underachievement in that sense. A B+ amenitiy region that basically seems inclined to stick with old ideas and methods that produce C+ results.

You may be on to something with regards to complacancy. I was recently reading about transit-oriented development (TOD) plans for the Sunnen metro station in Maplewood. I could hardly believe what I was reading. A car dealership and commuter parking lot were the main features. WHAT?! That is the very opposite of what TOD means! This stop has long been a joke as anyone who takes the blue line to Shrewsbury will tell you. Then there are other examples like the new Arch grounds plan, Ballpark village, the foodland site, that have all been huge disappointments.

I really wish St. Louis had a Mark Zuckerberg-esque benefactor with big ideas and more importantly, a ton of money. Jack Dorsey, care to invest in your hometown?

[billiken]

My husband and I found STL to be a great spot to begin our careers...but after nearly 7 years in STL, we concluded it was time for something new. Because this isn't a very entrepreneurial city with many start ups, his career was kind of at a standstill--we were far from doing badly, but realized we needed to move for that "next step" growth opportunity. So now we live somewhere where the growth is happening, but the cost of living is a bit higher with a barely existent cost of living adjustment. Making what is essentially less money for the next big opportunity is a bit risky, but worth it in our minds.

Things that in my opinion make this a great place for new college grads: Low cost of living with pretty generous salaries for new graduates, plenty of stuff going on around town, easier to get recognized for hard work and talent in our experience (easier to be a big fish in a smaller pond).