Possible Move from San Diego to St. Louis - Help! (Washington: best school districts, live in)

[redbud]

I can't imagine a native Californian being comfortable anywhere in Missouri. I live in an area with many Californians who have fled the state. There are no INnOUTS, no Trader Joes, no Pacific Ocean, ... just 4 real seasons with all of the extremes in weather that those seasons bring, and lovely conservertive people with midwestern to southern manners, roots, and demeanor who don't want their , real estate, cities, towns, and way of life destroyed by the California Exodis that has recently destroyed states like Colorado, Arizona, Washington, etc.

[chitownwarrior]

Originally Posted by redbud

I can't imagine a native Californian being comfortable anywhere in Missouri. I live in an area with many Californians who have fled the state. There are no INnOUTS, no Trader Joes, no Pacific Ocean, ... just 4 real seasons with all of the extremes in weather that those seasons bring, and lovely conservertive people with midwestern to southern manners, roots, and demeanor who don't want their , real estate, cities, towns, and way of life destroyed by the California Exodis that has recently destroyed states like Colorado, Arizona, Washington, etc.

I'd like to shed some light on this. First of all, there ARE Trader Joe's, redbud. Pacific Ocean, no, In n Outs no. But there are different and unique such things to take their places. St. Louis, just like Chicago, Minn, Detroit, Cleveland, is different in essence. The type of city and life IS different from California and/or any urban setting in California. It's much more of an Eastern type city, much like Baltimore. What you have to realize is that it's a completely different region of the country than the west, and with that, it has its own unique characteristics.

So, if you travel to France, will you DEMAND their be a walmart and target for your convenience? No. You adapt and enjoy and respect the uniqueness and difference that your experiencing. This is the same case as coming to St. Louis. Don't expect what you have in Cali or Florida to be there in Chicago or St. Louis or other major midwestern cities. If you have a positive attitude, you will start to discover the gems of the city and learn to love it. I have lived in St. Louis from Chicago for a brief time. When I lived there, I decided to discover and experience what the city had to offer -- much more than the zoo, arch, bot gardens (tourist attractions, blah). THere is TONS of culture and history.

Yes, the city is old and there are some buildings run down...but that is CHARACTER. Many cities have this problem too. When you walk around Boston or Philly, do you expect everything to be bright and shiny? It's an old historic city. There are so many new developments going on, it makes me proud of st. louisans to see their city (underdog of chicago) making a comeback. A lot of young st. louisans are deciding to stay in stl to experience the comeback, to revitalize their city. Chicago is already revitalized. Its great to see another city in the region do the same with so much potential.

So my advice would be, take advantage of the situation and let it be adventurous. Be open to changes and differences and experience the unique culture of life in st. louis. Live in the city (not the suburbs), IMHO. There are many things to discover and experience MUCH different than what you're used to. Be open. The weather isn't that bad. If you want bad winters come to chicago, and you'll **** your pants at how cold it is. I think Misery is a chronic pessimist and needs to see a shrink. Be happy dude, get laid more often. Misery represents a very small minority of pessimists and probably lives in the suburbs, as does redbud.

There is such a bad stereotype of Midwestern cities having people who are conservatives. Look at the maps...st. louis is ALL BLUE buddy. Chicago is ALL blue. You probably live in the suburbs where a lot of people are conservative.

You just have to find your niche. It will be a good choice to move, I promise. Just don't settle in and become a suburbanite.

[goodvedderbest]

Originally Posted by LivininMisery

First you will be horrified at all the dilapidated buildings, it seems as if no one comprehends aesthetics here. Almost every building here was built in the 60's and no one bothers to tear them down and build nicer, newer ones. Take a stroll down Olive Blvd, and you'll know what I'm talking about. It is utterly depressing, especially coming from such beauty as San Diego. They have just kept filling in buildings with new establishments, so basically an old drive-thru restaurant is now a bank. Pathetic.

The sights: Haha. When we had visitors in San Diego we couldnt fit in all the places for them to see no matter how long their trip. The Zoo, Seaport Village, Coronado, La Jolla, Sea World, etc etc. Here: An arch. If your visitors are lucky to come during bearable weather, you take them here. Plan a whole day for this sight. LOL. A huge, pointless (pun intended) mammoth. Nothing for friends to do, just sit there and look at this thing.

First and foremost claiming that every building was built in the 60's is absurd. Second of all newer isn't always better...IMO it's worse. Who doesn't enjoy an old building that's rehabbed, and fits in with the others in the area? It's called historic preservation, a major concept of Urban Planning. Unfortunately you couldn't comprehend this being from somewhere that everything is new. Terrible argument.

Second of all if all you think is in St. Louis is the arch, than you've never made much of an attempt to find what else the area offers. Also, the San Diego zoo is perhaps the most overrated thing I've ever seen in my life. I can honestly say that the St. Louis zoo is not only better at providing animals in a more realistic habitat to live in, but it's also FREE. San Diego zoo has many animals lying on slabs of concrete. Oh, yes they have pandas! But you wait in line for an hour or so to see a ball of fur sleeping in the corner. It was perhaps one of the most disappointing attractions I've ever visited.

[chitownwarrior]

no one's "better" than the other...(unless youre from indiana, then everyone's better than you. : D ) cali vs phoenix vs. denver vs stl vs east coast vs chicago vs florida vs texas, etc. ITS BS. every place has its uniqueness and places to discover. that's what makes life interesting. If youre not interested, then you need to leave or keep discovering. aren't californians supposed to be open-minded and adventure seeking?

Guaranteed: stl is a great CITY. Chicago is a great City. Minn is a great city. Boston is a great CITY. San diego is a great CITY. all are different and unique. Discover them.

amen.

(misery, i hope you continue to live in misery, then move back to cali and continue to be miserable. are you the kind of guy that thinks every party sucks...no matter how fun it is?)

[Juice13610]

Originally Posted by LivinInMisery

First you will be horrified at all the dilapidated buildings, it seems as if no one comprehends aesthetics here. Almost every building here was built in the 60's and no one bothers to tear them down and build nicer, newer ones. Take a stroll down Olive Blvd, and you'll know what I'm talking about. It is utterly depressing, especially coming from such beauty as San Diego. They have just kept filling in buildings with new establishments, so basically an old drive-thru restaurant is now a bank. Pathetic.

Wow. I'm going to do all I can to avoid a personal attack here.
This is completely ridiculous. When a developer comes along and wants to tear down a building from the 30's to build a new one, half the time they will meet a lot of opposition from city residents. Its called "historic preservation."

Oh, and I love how your argument about all the attractions in San Diego vs. St. Louis included like 6 things, and 4 of them St. Louis has, and some, even does a better job.

[JanneS32]

I moved here very unwillingly 8 years ago and can't wait to get out; but not because St. Louis is a bad city, it's just not for me. There's good and bad in every city, so I'll try and be fair and name both from my perpective.

GOOD:
-surprisingly more to do here than you would think- Forest Park attractions, theater, restaurants/bars
-Very cool neighborhoods- Central West End, Soulard, Tower Grove area, Clayton, dogtown, I know people who love south city. There's actually a lot of pretty areas in St. Louis (don't judge it by downtown alone)
-decent cost of living- some areas are pricey but it's that way anywhere you go
-traffic is not too bad compared to most cities. Not saying it's great, just not as gridlocked as others (although 40/64 is still open at this point, so that may change)
-efforts to revive downtown- bars, restaurants, lofts, younger people moving back into the city
-young professional organizations you can join like Metropolis-also helping to revive the city
-despite what you read, it's very safe. The crime you read about is limited to an area most never even go to- North St. Louis. I can't imagine going another city and feeling as safe as I do here. I mean, you have to be smart about it, and to be fair, I'm usually in the suburbs which couldn't be safer than if you lived in a small town, but I don't know anyone or heard of anyone I know having a problem with crime.
-small town feel-seems like everyone knows everyone else

BAD:
-small town feel-seems like everybody knows everybody else
-lack of diversity and I don't mean racial (although it's pretty white-bread) I mean among the people- everyone here is pretty much the same person; they like the same things, go to the same places; look the same; know the same people
-HORRIBLE singles scene; but sounds like you're married so that's not a big deal
-out in the middle of nowhere; sure there's a few places beyond St. Louis, like the Lake of the Ozards, to drive to, but not many, and most other cities are at least 4-6 hours away.
-even with efforts to revive downtown it's still has a long way to go. To me, part of the problem is St. Louisians in general; they are VERY slow to accept change. They'll argue about it for 10 years before they do anything.

This comes to the biggest crux of my problem with St. Louis. It really is a big small town, and that mentality shows with the people. However, that's why a lot of people love living here- so this can be a good thing or a bad thing, just depends on what you like. Some say you have the benefit of big city life with a small town feel. I kind of look at it as a small town that has the hassles of a big city but not the benefits.

A lot of people here don't even like to leave their neighborhoods to drive to another suburb; can't believe how many times I've asked about another suburb and have gotten the response that they've never/rarely been there. It's like 20 minutes away, max, how sheltered can you get? Anyway, to them, downtown is just a place to catch a ballgame instead of a real entertainment destination. Not to say there aren't people pushing for change, I just think they are outnumbered. This is, and despite the downtown renewal, will always be, a suburban town.

The other part of the problem is that most young people who live here grew up here and so they tend to be cliquish. Not in a mean way, they just don't know any better. They have the same group of friends they've had since high school and it doesn't occur to them that other people don't have the same thing. And if you do go out, be used to being the odd person out. Everyone else will know everyone else but you.

As for the weather, yeah, sometimes it sucks, but to be honest, due to climate change our winters are generally a lot milder than they used to be. I'm from a couple hours away in Illinois and I remember winters as snow in November that would be on the ground until March. Now we get some snow and it melts within a couple of days. Jan/Feb are the worst months and I can think of several 60 degree days in February. As for summer, I don't think it's that bad either. Sure, there are a few weeks that have extremely high humidity but don't think our entire summer is like that. I thought we had a beautiful summer this year despite a few hot periods in August.

I could probably say more, but I won't. If you HAVE to move here, don't be concerned, there is A LOT to like about it and a lot of areas to explore and things to do, you'll just have to have an open mind. Good luck!

[CellarBelle]

My optimism is more about me, and less about my profession. I've been a REALTOR for a year, and an optimist for a lifetime. I think the post was rather rude. I don't care where anyone chooses to live, I just try to share my own experience.

I love where I live. I moved here almost 4 years ago, and had similar apprehensions that a lot of other people experience before moving. I just like to share my experience, and my family's experience, about living here. We've had a great experience, and a lot of that has to do with attitude as much as location. One of the reasons I decided to become a REALTOR is because I like it here and enjoy sharing that with other people new to the area. So, call it "fluff" or whatever you want, but I think this is a great place to live.

Originally Posted by JesusisLord

Classic Realtor Pillow Feathers!
CellarBelle I respect your occupation, but this is a prime example of shear realtor optimism!
LOL!

[northbayeric]

Quite frankly I would be willing to bet that LivinInMisery doesn't live in Missouri.

California has In 'N Out Burger restaurants; and the food is delicious. But it doesn't have Steak 'n Shake, Cracker Barrel, or a number of other fine restaurants. There are plenty of other St. Louis and Missouri forum threads here that describe in detail many, many fun attractions that are located in St. Louis and within an hour or two of it by car.

California has the Pacific Ocean (but how many people who live in Sacramento or Fresno make it to the ocean more than once or twice a year?). Missouri has some of the best rivers in the country to go kayaking or canoeing. California has Yosemite National Park. It's a gorgeous park, but you'll pay $20 to get in, it's insanely crowded quite a bit of the time, and there's talk about prohibiting people from driving their cars into the park, in favor of shuttle buses. Other parks like Lassen Park are, I think a more enjoyable experience. Missouri's state parks, which include Elephant Rocks, Trail of Tears, Johnson's Shut-Ins, and Ha Ha Tonka State Park, are pretty nice places in their own right, and the admission is absolutely free. The St. Louis Zoo, Art Museum and Grants Farm are all very fun family places to visit, and you only pay to park. You could park on the street early in the morning for free and walk into those places.

Generally in California, you pay fees for entry into national parks, state parks, and even quite a few county parks. You must pay to visit most beaches in southern California. If you've got the money, California has some great attractions to visit. The lack of affordability as well as the social and political climate here all serve to make Missouri a far more compelling place for me to live IMHO. Different strokes for different folks, as they say. St. Louis and San Diego are markedly different from each other. There are good things to say about both locations. I think St. Louis offers a greater diversity of attractions.

[northbayeric]

I meant to mention previously that Missouri's caves, which include Meramec Caverns, Onondaga Cave and Mark Twain Cave (all located within an hour or two of St. Louis) are amazing to visit. Completely on the opposite end of the state from San Diego are the lava tube caves located at the Lava Beds National Monument, many of which you can explore on your own with a hard hat and at least two good flashlights. I've been so fortunate to have been able to visit each of these places except Mark Twain Cave. There's a lot to visit in both states! And as I've written before, anyone who writes off Missouri as flyover country is losing out on a whole lot!

[Juice13610]

Originally Posted by JesusisLord

Classic Realtor Pillow Feathers!
CellarBelle I respect your occupation, but this is a prime example of shear realtor optimism!
LOL!

I have never seen CellarBelle advertise her real estate services on this forum. She is a true lover of Edwardsville, her home town in metro-east St. Louis.

Have you seen the posts about activities she is involved in? Such as the hockey league her young son is in, her love for the St. Louis Blues, her love for one of the best school districts in Illinois (Edwardsville), or the mothers outing group she is a part of? What exactly do you know about her?

You are a newcomer so my suggestion would be to look around and read the forum a bit and see what CellarBelle is like in other posts before you start judging. Nice nickname for someone who is so incredibly rude and judgemental. You aren't going to make many friends on this forum with a pitiful attitude like that.