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