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St. Louis-Part 2
- Thread starter Xing500
- Start date
The Irish One
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Never been to Missouruh. St. Louis does look like a haunted place. A town with ghost' lurking the tree shaded streets and red bricked buildings.
flattery gets you everywhere
St. Louis is not nearly as nice as those pictures make it seem. The city is a dirty place with not much to offer. Parking is a bad situation and the constant construction makes it worse. The city is in dire need of help but all people can think of to do with old-run down buildings is turn them in to lofts. How original. Come on people, lofts alone will not make your city better! You've got to get jobs there too and you've got to create a shopping district so that people don't have to drive to the 'burbs to get groceries! St. Louis is a very typical city in regards to Burgess' model but no one seems to know how to revitalize the city. It's run down and getting worse.
Although I seem very pessimistic, the area does have some good aspects. Forest park is amazing (when not under construction) and the Zoo is free and the Science center is cool too! It's a family-oriented place- easy to raise kids here, but I wouldn't recommend it for you liberal minded people. Conservative is the key word here.
St. Louis is not nearly as nice as those pictures make it seem. The city is a dirty place with not much to offer. Parking is a bad situation and the constant construction makes it worse. The city is in dire need of help but all people can think of to do with old-run down buildings is turn them in to lofts. How original. Come on people, lofts alone will not make your city better! You've got to get jobs there too and you've got to create a shopping district so that people don't have to drive to the 'burbs to get groceries! St. Louis is a very typical city in regards to Burgess' model but no one seems to know how to revitalize the city. It's run down and getting worse.
Although I seem very pessimistic, the area does have some good aspects. Forest park is amazing (when not under construction) and the Zoo is free and the Science center is cool too! It's a family-oriented place- easy to raise kids here, but I wouldn't recommend it for you liberal minded people. Conservative is the key word here.
Goodness shut up!! Let me guess, your from the suburbs? What's wrong with the parking? Not enough, too much? I would have to say, there's too much. I'm guessing you didn't make it to Washington Avenue this past weekend either? Conservative my ass, the metro area is very 50/50.
bestnightmare
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nice. looks like there's a ton of potential in the central city. i could be wrong, but what other city west of the mississippi has red brick rowhouses? i can't think of any...i think s.f. has townhouses as part of its original stock, but for the most part they aren't made of brick for obvious seismic reasons
the one time i've visited st louis, i was surprised at how 'northern' parts of it looked (e.g. rowhouses) - almost like a love-child between chicago and baltimore
the one time i've visited st louis, i was surprised at how 'northern' parts of it looked (e.g. rowhouses) - almost like a love-child between chicago and baltimore
PlannerByDay
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Xing500 said:
YIKES, My brother lived in St. Louis for several years and I have spent many long weekends there visiting and have found it to be a very nice City. Regarding parking, what big city has easy parking, it is what comes with the territory. In my opinion as far as big midwestern city's go St. Louis ain't to bad.
Bet on me, if it is such a bad place I suggest you relocate to Detroit or Chicago and tell me if it is any better. And I don't mean the burbs.
I don't live in the 'burbs. I never have as of yet although I do frequent them.
Some cities have solved parking issues better than others, I don't feel that St. Louis is one of the more successful.
St. Louis does have some beautiful buildings and some beautiful homes. It also has boarded up buildings and crumbling streets more than any other city I have been to.
I think pictures of North City, South Hampton, Delmar west of Skinker and near Tower Grove would give a more well-rounded view of St. Louis City. I'll take some to add to the collection soon.
I have never been to Detroit but I feel Chicago is mroe successful at making the city an enjoyable place compared to StL. Chicago has shopping and thriving businesses in the city. Awesome public transportaion. St. Louis City doesn't have attractions that really DRAW people into the city. The City Museum is really cool but the arch is more of a tourist thing. Been there once the desire to go again is lacking. It is a beautiful monument, though. Not much shopping and theres too much reported crime for alot of people to go at night.
Xing-that "shut up" thing ALMOST hurt my feelings. last I checked O'Fallon was a suburb in Illinois- why would I be so terrible to live in one? I don't think there's a need to get spastic. I thought opinions were welcomed here. But thanks for being so insightful.
Some cities have solved parking issues better than others, I don't feel that St. Louis is one of the more successful.
St. Louis does have some beautiful buildings and some beautiful homes. It also has boarded up buildings and crumbling streets more than any other city I have been to.
I think pictures of North City, South Hampton, Delmar west of Skinker and near Tower Grove would give a more well-rounded view of St. Louis City. I'll take some to add to the collection soon.
I have never been to Detroit but I feel Chicago is mroe successful at making the city an enjoyable place compared to StL. Chicago has shopping and thriving businesses in the city. Awesome public transportaion. St. Louis City doesn't have attractions that really DRAW people into the city. The City Museum is really cool but the arch is more of a tourist thing. Been there once the desire to go again is lacking. It is a beautiful monument, though. Not much shopping and theres too much reported crime for alot of people to go at night.
Xing-that "shut up" thing ALMOST hurt my feelings. last I checked O'Fallon was a suburb in Illinois- why would I be so terrible to live in one? I don't think there's a need to get spastic. I thought opinions were welcomed here. But thanks for being so insightful.
bet on me said:
I'm still in College. At this point, I dont CHOOSE where I live. The best I could do was to move to Chicago after high school to study art. I would stay in St. Louis, but I wanted the best art school in the country, which is in Chicago. When I'm done and with a job I'll be back in St. Louis City. That's a promise. You're saying that a majority of St. Louis is ghetto? Yes, St. Louis has crime and crumbling homes, but where is your evidence that a "majority" of St. Louis is ghetto? Also, if St .Louis was ghetto, does this mean that in the United States once a city goes "ghetto" we should just leave it to rot ?
Oh and you're right, I let anger get the best of me. I'm sorry about that. You should be able to express your view, even though I highly disagree with them .
round 3
I never said that a majority of St. Louis is ghetto. I said that it had more boarded-up buildings and more crumbling streets than I have ever seen in a city. Lack of maintenance.
My whole point about St. Louis is that YES the city is currently going downhill in it's present state. It started with a review of your pictures and feeling that those pictures were a one-sided representation of the city.
Something DOES need to be done to revitalize St. Louis City. Something needs to be done to de-segregate the city. Why is it one of the most segregated metropolitan areas in the US? (HWY 64/40 is a difinitive division.)
I never said that a majority of St. Louis is ghetto. I said that it had more boarded-up buildings and more crumbling streets than I have ever seen in a city. Lack of maintenance.
My whole point about St. Louis is that YES the city is currently going downhill in it's present state. It started with a review of your pictures and feeling that those pictures were a one-sided representation of the city.
Something DOES need to be done to revitalize St. Louis City. Something needs to be done to de-segregate the city. Why is it one of the most segregated metropolitan areas in the US? (HWY 64/40 is a difinitive division.)
JivecitySTL
Cyburbian
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Bet on me-- I will try to maintain some level of respect for your opinion, but quite frankly, you sound like a FIRST-CLASS IDIOT.
St. Louis City is experiencing more reinvestment today than it has in decades. What old big city doesn't suffer from the problems you feel plague only STL? Sure, St. Lou has a long way to go before it reaches its potential, but you lose all credibility when you deny that it's getting sooooo much better. Did you live in St. Louis in the mid-'90s?? I did, and the city was downright scary. Today, there is so much interest in so many once-neglected neighborhoods. As a St. Louis City real estate agent, I can tell you with authority that property values are increasing in virtually every single neighborhood in the city, including the North Side, and some have even skyrocketed. Once-vacant buildings are seeing new life in every corner of the city. Sure, there's a lot left to do, but oh my god, it is so much better than it was just a few years ago. The momentum is increasing every day.
I cannot believe you are really a resident of St. Louis when you say some of that outlandish crap. Go to Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Detroit or Cleveland-- cities that are similar in size, economy, development and experience to St. Louis. There's a TON of great things happening here to be proud of. It's a wonderful city with a very high quality of life and tons of things to do for all tastes.
About conservatism-- you are talking with regards to the suburbs because actually St. Louis City is quite liberal (socially). It was among the very first American cities to implement a gay/lesbian partnership registry and the city has some of the most protective gay rights laws in the country. St. Louis is also home to one of the largest NORML (pot legalization) chapters in the United States and it is LESS SEGREGATED than Chicago with regards to race/ethnic groups. St. Louis is also home to the 2nd-largest (and 2nd-most raucous) Mardi Gras celebration in the USA. You need to do some research. The city is fiscally conservative though, I will give you that, but it's a total myth that it's socially conservative. If anything, I feel a much more liberal bent here than otherwise. But seriously, I have so many friends here who moved to St. Louis from all over the world for whatever reason-- Madrid, San Francisco, New York, Philly, Chicago, Denver, etc.-- and just about every one of them LOVE St. Louis. You can be very happy in St. Louis if you find your niche. The city is full of surprises. Sorry you haven't found yours yet. It sounds like you need to travel more because you'd probably see that St. Louis is not such a bad place.
Not to get personal here, but it's people like you, Bet on me, who give St. Louis a bad image. You seem to dwell on the negatives about the city rather than the positives. Every city has negatives, they're not unique to STL.
Needless to say, I love this city. It's got a great range of diversity, fantastic cultural institutions, a high-quality urban housing stock, unbelievable architecture, walkable neighborhoods, outstanding parks, and a great urban vibe. Too bad some people fail to realize these qualities. That's what ultimately keeps the city down.
Seriously, how many American cities can boast a housing stock like good old STL...
http://www.skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=29344&highlight=louis+residential
St. Louis City is experiencing more reinvestment today than it has in decades. What old big city doesn't suffer from the problems you feel plague only STL? Sure, St. Lou has a long way to go before it reaches its potential, but you lose all credibility when you deny that it's getting sooooo much better. Did you live in St. Louis in the mid-'90s?? I did, and the city was downright scary. Today, there is so much interest in so many once-neglected neighborhoods. As a St. Louis City real estate agent, I can tell you with authority that property values are increasing in virtually every single neighborhood in the city, including the North Side, and some have even skyrocketed. Once-vacant buildings are seeing new life in every corner of the city. Sure, there's a lot left to do, but oh my god, it is so much better than it was just a few years ago. The momentum is increasing every day.
I cannot believe you are really a resident of St. Louis when you say some of that outlandish crap. Go to Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Detroit or Cleveland-- cities that are similar in size, economy, development and experience to St. Louis. There's a TON of great things happening here to be proud of. It's a wonderful city with a very high quality of life and tons of things to do for all tastes.
About conservatism-- you are talking with regards to the suburbs because actually St. Louis City is quite liberal (socially). It was among the very first American cities to implement a gay/lesbian partnership registry and the city has some of the most protective gay rights laws in the country. St. Louis is also home to one of the largest NORML (pot legalization) chapters in the United States and it is LESS SEGREGATED than Chicago with regards to race/ethnic groups. St. Louis is also home to the 2nd-largest (and 2nd-most raucous) Mardi Gras celebration in the USA. You need to do some research. The city is fiscally conservative though, I will give you that, but it's a total myth that it's socially conservative. If anything, I feel a much more liberal bent here than otherwise. But seriously, I have so many friends here who moved to St. Louis from all over the world for whatever reason-- Madrid, San Francisco, New York, Philly, Chicago, Denver, etc.-- and just about every one of them LOVE St. Louis. You can be very happy in St. Louis if you find your niche. The city is full of surprises. Sorry you haven't found yours yet. It sounds like you need to travel more because you'd probably see that St. Louis is not such a bad place.
Not to get personal here, but it's people like you, Bet on me, who give St. Louis a bad image. You seem to dwell on the negatives about the city rather than the positives. Every city has negatives, they're not unique to STL.
Needless to say, I love this city. It's got a great range of diversity, fantastic cultural institutions, a high-quality urban housing stock, unbelievable architecture, walkable neighborhoods, outstanding parks, and a great urban vibe. Too bad some people fail to realize these qualities. That's what ultimately keeps the city down.
Seriously, how many American cities can boast a housing stock like good old STL...
http://www.skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=29344&highlight=louis+residential
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Well, so much for respect.
I am a college student. I haven't been in the field of anything serious yet. I'm still learning and I'm sorry if I sound like a first class idiot. I make my own observations and I mentally record what I see and what happens around me. If I see several boarded up buildings in the city, perhaps I am looking the wrong direction.
You're right again, I DO need to travel more. Apparently I'm in need of more exposure to worse situations. I never said I was an expert on the city. I'm not an expert on anything yet. I am comparing St. Louis to what I have experienced. I don't go around checking property values everywhere I live.
I'm sure St. Louis has experienced growth and increased property values. I am aware that there are beautiful buildings and places in St. Louis to visit. I have appreciated many of them.
As for the conservative side of things, again, speaking from experience. I'm not gay nor a lesbian so I haven't looked into that aspect of the city. I went to MArdi Gras and it was a good time. Big because the catholic population here is so large? Just a guess.
How do "people like me" give st. louis a bad image? because I share my opinion? your opinion is just as influencial as mine. we're 1 for 1. More people disagree with me, I am aware, so what "bad image" are you worried about? I wasn't aware of this "bad image" before I moved here- Who else thinks st. louis is a bad place? Has anyone who has lived/ lives in St. Louis been unhappy with it?
I am not a fan of St. Louis. I'm sorry if that offends anyone else....please feel free to ream me some more.
I am a college student. I haven't been in the field of anything serious yet. I'm still learning and I'm sorry if I sound like a first class idiot. I make my own observations and I mentally record what I see and what happens around me. If I see several boarded up buildings in the city, perhaps I am looking the wrong direction.
You're right again, I DO need to travel more. Apparently I'm in need of more exposure to worse situations. I never said I was an expert on the city. I'm not an expert on anything yet. I am comparing St. Louis to what I have experienced. I don't go around checking property values everywhere I live.
I'm sure St. Louis has experienced growth and increased property values. I am aware that there are beautiful buildings and places in St. Louis to visit. I have appreciated many of them.
As for the conservative side of things, again, speaking from experience. I'm not gay nor a lesbian so I haven't looked into that aspect of the city. I went to MArdi Gras and it was a good time. Big because the catholic population here is so large? Just a guess.
How do "people like me" give st. louis a bad image? because I share my opinion? your opinion is just as influencial as mine. we're 1 for 1. More people disagree with me, I am aware, so what "bad image" are you worried about? I wasn't aware of this "bad image" before I moved here- Who else thinks st. louis is a bad place? Has anyone who has lived/ lives in St. Louis been unhappy with it?
I am not a fan of St. Louis. I'm sorry if that offends anyone else....please feel free to ream me some more.
Geez, remind me not to say anything bad about St. Louis. If the city's so wonderfully liberal why do its residents call someone an idiot who criticizes it? What college student doesn't want to get the hell out of their hometown? My view of the city goes down every time you call someone stupid for saying anything bad about it. Its a city of hundreds of thousands of people - not every one is going to talk about getting aroused looking at the arch all the time.
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JivecitySTL
Cyburbian
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Sorry, I'm just sick of people badmouthing a city they are ignorant of. This thread was to show a positive perspective of the city, and Bet on me just starts spouting off about how the pics are misleading. It gets really old. I've heard all the crap before and I think it only makes perception of STL worse. Of course not everyone has to like St. Louis, but all this tired talk about STL's crime, pollution, declining pop, abandonment, blah, blah, blah is annoying... Get out and find the great things about the city, don't just bitch about everything that sucks.
It's one thing to criticize, it's another to spout falsities. That's what keeps cities down-- when their own residents draw conclusions and spread them without ever really educating themselves about the place they pick on. If you don't like STL, you don't have to like it, but just don't exaggerate its problems.
Just my two cents.
It's one thing to criticize, it's another to spout falsities. That's what keeps cities down-- when their own residents draw conclusions and spread them without ever really educating themselves about the place they pick on. If you don't like STL, you don't have to like it, but just don't exaggerate its problems.
Just my two cents.
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Ok, originally I was commenting that the pictures posted of St. Louis were not representative of the city as a whole. Do you disagree with that?
Also, please make me aware of what I am so ignorant about. The parking? The "conservative"? Why do I get called ignorant because I simply do not enjoy St. Louis?
Also, please make me aware of what I am so ignorant about. The parking? The "conservative"? Why do I get called ignorant because I simply do not enjoy St. Louis?
I know that we have developers, students, and interested citizens on here as well as planners. But-real estate agents???
Just kidding, Jive City. Don't flame me!
I do enjoy your posts. Just had to deal with another resident whose real estate agent told him the development site next door was "open space."
Just kidding, Jive City. Don't flame me!
I do enjoy your posts. Just had to deal with another resident whose real estate agent told him the development site next door was "open space."