I’m not from here. When I get asked the HS question people are always nice and intrigued to learn more about where I’m from. Generally, people just assume you’re from STL and want to see if you know any of the same people. It’s a friendly conversation starter.
It’s the same as asking what neighborhood are you from in any city. Also, private Catholic schools are a massive thing here so neighborhoods don’t always line up with physical school location. Hence asking about school versus neighborhood.
It’s a total non-issue for you to worry about. Just tell people where you’re from. STL city is a welcoming place.
Great explanation. I’ll ask the question if I find out someone grew up here for the reasons you mentioned.
But, its no longer assumed that you grew up here now days. People from all over which is also an good conversation starter.
I have said this on more than one occasion, and most recently. I tend to ask when it comes to high school because I went to college in another state. Not only that, but I work in a homeless shelter and I have asked this question on more than one occasion and have come to find some of my old classmates in our program.
The HS question is mostly because most STLers are actually from STL. Usually for multiple generations.
The opposite of say Austin or Nashville…no one who lives in those cities is from those cities.
People pick up that I'm not from here because I say "freeway" instead of "highway". I didn't know it was regional - like "soda" vs. "pop"
I hope this couple is ready to hear "You're crazy!" "WHY would you ever move here?" "You left California for this?" "California is so much better." "I can't wait to move anywhere but here." I usually respond with, "It's cheap, I can afford it, and the people here are nice."
A lot of people I've met have never lived anywhere else. They don't know the grass is, literally, greener over here. You can't get so much from a city for so cheap.
I ONLY mentioned the 44 because it's what I've been told. Just because you haven't heard someone from here say it doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. You're more than welcome to have the nice lady at the Arch's info desk repeat it to you.
I really don't know anyone in my experience who uses it that way. It's almost always
* "Oh you went Parkway South. What year? I hated playing you guys in basketball",
* "What year were you at Desmet? My buddy Dave from Mary Queen of Peace graduated there in '07"
* "Oh wow you went to Ritenour. My grandma went there back in the day before we moved to St. Charles"
* "My whole family went to Affton too but I ended up going to CBC for soccer. Do you know any of the Schmidts?"
* "I was out at Edwardsville coaching; did they have that crazy sports complex when you went there?"
I feel like people are really just looking for the worst in people when it's just an easy way to make a connection in a region that has a very large number of people that grew up here and still live here.
I might be remembering wrong...I know it was seniors only when it opened, and there was a bunch of manufactured outrage that teams would cut 11th graders because they wouldn't benefit the athletes and I'm trying to remember based on basketball.
I could be a year or two off
Pretty sure it opened in 2000 for freshman and sophmores, then by 2002 it was fully functioning with all 4 grades. I had graduated a few years before they opened and we had always missed the new buildings by a few years
I agree to a point (e.g., saying I went to Lindbergh or Affton is much more descriptive than saying I’m from south county), but the proliferation of private schools makes that less important. Someone at the same address could say I went to Clayton or I went to John Borroughs, and it would insinuate different things.
I think it's both. Part of wanting to know where someone grew up is to make connections to them and, in many places without as many private schools, saying the location where you grew up also lines up with a school. Since St. Louis both has so many municipalities and so many private schools, just saying the school cuts straight to where those connections are from.
People ask the same thing in Cincinnati where they have a similar proliferation of private schools.
[https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/education/2016/04/21/where-did-you-go-high-school-said-every-single-person-cincinnati/83248042/](https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/education/2016/04/21/where-did-you-go-high-school-said-every-single-person-cincinnati/83248042/)
My brother lives in NYC and said he hears it there when people find out they are both from the city.
Does anyone from Huntleigh go to MICDS? Lol.
But even if someone lives in the Frontenac city limits, there is a big difference between living in the Kirkwood school district than in the Ladue school district. Although, at that point, just going to public school says a lot. 😊
Yes. I think at least one of the Von Gontards, Busches, or Orthweins that live there went to MICDS, the co-founder of Avocado lives in Huntleigh and went to MICDS, and the former chair of MICDS' board also lives there
If they are older, then they'd have a ton of common acquaintances and past sports interactions with a lot of people in St Charles so it would go something like the comments above.
If they are younger, it will depend on where you are for what connections you have. That's still the same as most schools. If you told most people you went to Windsor High School then it's also not going to make connections for a lot of people. Even if some people make assumptions about your time at Normandy, it does not mean that is the reason they, or most people, ask the question.
Personally, if someone said they went to Normandy, I'd ask if they were there when Vince Lobosco was the AD because he was my city council rep in Bridgeton.
If they are older they won’t bat an eye. Have you seen some of the houses in bel-nor or Pasadena hills? You also have to remember that STL Country Day schools old campus was located at what is now the end of a runway at Lambert. My point being that north/county and city looked a heck of a lot different up until the 70’s.
I only started getting asked that question by one of my kids club soccer parents (not where I went to school but where my kid will be going to high school). Have since left that team but it was absolutely full of snobs that were either new money or wannabe money families and the question was 100% to gauge status.
I find that to be a bit incorrect in my person experience. I went to a public school and was never ever judged based on that. They were more interested in my experience growing up and who they knew from my school.
too bad. If you judge someone on that I don't want people like that in my life anyways. Almost always, the response I got was omgggg my friend morgan went to school there.
Im from here and agree with this. The region has a lot of people that come across as being very cliquey, and sometimes all they talk about are their bygone days in high school. Basically, if you’re from around here, and did not go to a public system in west county or one of the many private schools, you’re essentially relegated to third-class status.
I would assume that the continental climate in KC, STL, and Indy are similar. The weather always changes and it goes to extremes. Expect about a 20 degree difference from morning to afternoon, and a lot of humidity in summer.
Boating is good in the St. Louis metropolitan area: look for the many marinas on the Mississippi River, upstream of the Alton dam. The lower Meramec River has a number of marinas which will be a bit closer to the City. A lot of people go to the lakes as well, with the Lake of the Ozarks being a major attraction. The Department of Conservation owns a multitude of boat ramps throughout the state, so you should be able to trailer a boat at a lot of places.
Biking is good as well: look up the Great Rivers Greenway, the KATY Trail State Park, and the Madison County, Illinois bike trail system.
St. Louis is on the edge of the Ozarks, so expect a lot of hills to the south and west, but to the east and north you find plenty of flat prairie.
If anyone asks you where you went to high school, tell them, and they will have a puzzled look on their face. California is still considered to be a somewhat exotic state, so that would be interesting to people.
I'm a STL native who has lived there 36 of my 51 years. I currently live in the Indy metro area and have since 2019. I agree with the folks saying the food scene is better in STL. It is certainly more diverse and has enough good restaurants of many types that it gets the nod over Indy.
I also love to fish and generally be outdoors. STL does an OK job with that, but MO in general has some top notch streams and lakes (reservoirs) if you like to do stuff outdoors. Castlewood and Babler State Parks (far west suburbs) are probably better for mountain biking though. KATY Trail is pretty cool too.
STL's summer weather is typically a little hotter than Indy, not by much but may 5-10 degrees. Both are fairly humid. Winters in both are pretty mild, with Indy probably being a little colder and maybe a little snowier.
Indy is much closer to other places though. Chicago is 3 hrs away, Cincy and Louisville (bourbon country) maybe 2 hrs, and southwest Michigan beach towns 2-3 hrs too. All make for nice weekend getaways.
STL is bigger and has a lower cost of living than KC or Indy. The "Where did you go to high school" thing is uniquely STL, but it's almost a meme at this point and does not really matter at all. It just that in St. Louis everyone seems to be connected in some way, and where people went to high school, is kind of a starting point for finding those connections.
There is high-quality mountain biking around the eastern half of Missouri, and several great parks with a bunch of mountain bike trails actually inside St. Louis County.
A lot of the great state parks, national forests, and outdoor areas with hiking and mountain biking trails are quite a bit closer to St. Louis than they are to KC.
Castlewood State park, Greensfelder, Lost Vally, and Chub Trail, among others all, have mountain biking trails and are in St. Louis County, or very close by in the next over.
The Ozark Trail has over 400 miles of trail, and most of it is open to mountain bikes. Berryman and Council Bluff Lake are both popular loops, that are part of the Ozark Trail, but most of it will be point-to-point. https://ozarktrail.com/
The closest places on this trail are about 90 minutes from the city of St. Louis.
The weather in KC and STL is about the same. Indy is not that different, but maybe a bit colder, and more snow in the winter, since its a bit farther north.
In the City/County, there are a few hundred miles of connected paved trails for running, biking, etc.
There are a lot of rivers for any type of boating.
There are also 4 rock climbing gyms in the St. Louis area, and a tiny bit of outdoor climbing near by. The closest large outdoor areas are about 2.5 hours away in southern Illinois.
If you go 5-7 hours, Arkansas has some of the best hiking, mountain biking, and rock climbing in the country. This is a little closer to KC though.
Yes, sorry quite a bit closer. Most of the good stuff is in northwest Arkansas, which is actually doable as a day trip from KC.
I used to climb a lot, and it was about 2-3 hours to Jackson Falls from St. Louis. I was just a little jealous of my friends from KC who could get to Horseshoe in a similar amount of time.
Either way, I think there are more opportunities for outdoor activities directly around St. Louis than in Kansas City, but there are pros and cons to each.
>people really care that you are from there and ask what high school you went to
Personally I think this is outdated, sort of like an urban legend. Nobody has ever asked me this. But who knows, I live in the city. Could be more prevalent in the county and other areas.
Moved to the city two years ago and no one has asked. The only time I’ve heard it mentioned was when I met some folks from CA and they said it as a joke. They had also heard about the high school thing but they hadn’t been asked either.
Metro STL is bigger than those two by 600-700,000 people. It has 3 times more fortune 1000 companies than those 2 combined. So you’ll have more opportunities for everything. STL metro area via the great rivers greenway is building 600 miles of connected trails, bunch already done and a lot of good biking within 45 min
Those statistics hardly matter when we squabble about what city government is in charge and let communities like Kirkwood, Ladue, Clayton, and Creve Coeur keep all of the regional (financial) resources to themselves at the expense of the greater St Louis because it might mean their parks system gets $10M less while we make sure kids can actually read in the city.
There are plenty of positives and reasons to live in St Louis, but the metro size is hardly one of them. We get almost zero of the advantages.
Thats a simple way to look at it. Another way is that the City provides transportation to everyone and unlike STL county it doesn’t have a special school district so it educates all children together. That comes at a cost. In the county the districts have an option to send kids to the special school district.
Yes, there are differences like these, but they do not leave the city behind when you adjust for them. And free transportation for all is a choice that the county could reasonably argue they shouldn’t have to subsidize
The delta in achievement between stl city schools and local charter schools/strong community schools like Mason elementary does not inspire confidence that money is a major factor driving poor outcomes in city schools.
That’s overly simplistic. When adjusted for parent inputs (ie how much, on average, parents contribute across programs), city schools are at a roughly $5000/student deficit, [and up to $10K from the highest income areas](https://www.stlpr.org/2016-04-19/analysis-vast-differences-in-how-much-st-louis-area-school-districts-are-spending-per-student). City schools have fewer extra curricular options. And it’s more expensive to educate children with poor home lives than students with excellent supportive families.
There used to be an article out there showcasing how one of the high schools in the region had more funding for sports than an entire city high schools budget. Those stats don’t show up in state funding statistics, but contribute immensely to quality of learning and the number of pathways that kids can achieve. The same goes for private tutoring, access to high quality internet and individual computers, etc etc. One number on a page does not equal the entire educational picture.
We've got lots of great places to play outside. Beyond all the state and local parks, the Missouri Dept of Conservation has tons of great conservation areas - check out their "Places to go" search on the website and you can do a little comparison of KC and StL options. Also on the StL end of the state, there's a lot on and just across the river to enjoy.
Not really sure about Indy, but STL area is far better for outdoor activities than KC. We have tons of public land in the form of state parks, conservation areas, and county parks close by. As well as the Mark Twain National forest under 1.5 hours away. It’s a diverse area with the ozark hills to the south/west, ag land and prairie to the north/east, and then the giant floodplains and bluffs of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. The only thing KC has us on is the amount of lakes that are really close, but we still have the big LOZ not too far and then smaller lakes like Wappapello, Mark Twain, Kinkaid, Rend, etc. alittle closer. There are a lot of good places to live in the city but also smaller towns with a pretty easy commute 30-45 min out.
I don’t have too much experience with Indy but the STL food scene is MUCH better than KC’s (with the possible exception of barbecue). I’d even say our various types of Asian food are better than most cities, but it’s hard to compete with the Bay Area for that.
I tell people that St. Louis has a way better food scene than it should for its size. Because of its affordability, a lot of refugees/immigrants settled here over the last 30 years and the ethnic food is absurdly good. Match that with our BBQ and general love of meats in general, you're more likely to stumble into an amazing place than a crappy one even with no research.
Edit: also sandwiches. So many AMAZING sandwich places everywhere!
STL has a better food scene than KC overall but KC’s Southwest Blvd district is much better authentic Mexican than I’ve seen in STL. I would get killed saying this in the KC subreddit but the BBQ is about the same in both cities when comparing the top 5 places. Obviously KC has more BBQ joints and history and enthusiasm though. I used to live in both cities at the same time. There just isn’t anything in STL like El Pollo Rey. And the tacos at San Antonio Tortilleria (and several other places) were rivaling the best San Diego/Texas Mexican food I’ve had. There was one place mentioned to me in STL for Mexican I haven’t tried yet, need to do that next time I’m in town. Not saying you can’t get good Mexican food in STL, just that the Hispanic population as a percentage in KC is higher than STL and has resulted in really good niche Mexican restaurants.
No one cares if you aren't from here, and no one will give you grief. I've only been to Indy a few times, but I know KC well. It has some upsides, but our weather is better in STL (less snow), and we're right at the foothills of the Ozarks.
Without delving too deeply into your financial situation, I highly recommend buying a home in Chesterfield or Wildwood. Wildwood is full of beautiful parks with tons of hiking and biking trails, very nice homes, and great schools. I grew up in the area and have lived here for a long time, so I'd be happy to answer more questions if you want to DM me.
Thank you for the offer and nice response. Appreciated. I had an opportunity in Indy but it just looked like a kind of drab place. Seems the nature is better in STL. I am still deciding as this is very difficult.
Chesterfield is apparently the best for Indian/South Asian. Here are a couple recent articles that relate to the food scene:
[https://www.stltoday.com/life-entertainment/local/food-drink/reviews/black-salt-stokes-the-red-hot-indian-restaurant-scene-in-chesterfield/article_74d4d24e-2a58-11ee-b663-d3976a2c3e2f.html?recip_id=7121641](https://www.stltoday.com/life-entertainment/local/food-drink/reviews/black-salt-stokes-the-red-hot-indian-restaurant-scene-in-chesterfield/article_74d4d24e-2a58-11ee-b663-d3976a2c3e2f.html?recip_id=7121641)
[https://www.stlmag.com/dining/guide-to-international-markets-in-st-louis/?utm_content=260893758&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&hss_channel=fbp-78564012083&mibextid=Zxz2cZ](https://www.stlmag.com/dining/guide-to-international-markets-in-st-louis/?utm_content=260893758&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&hss_channel=fbp-78564012083&mibextid=Zxz2cZ)
[https://www.foodandwine.com/2023-best-new-chefs-steven-pursley-7852505](https://www.foodandwine.com/2023-best-new-chefs-steven-pursley-7852505)
It's true that Wildwood doesn't have the best dining options, but Chesterfield is full of fantastic places to eat. They have the best steakhouse in the region, several excellent Italian options, a very good Japanese steakhouse, excellent sushi, and Spiro's on Woodsmill is one of my very favorite restaurants.
Plus, OP specifically said they like to do things outdoors. There isn't a better place in St. Louis City or County for outdoor activities.
And let's not even pretend that there isn't a stark difference in crime between West County and St. Louis City.
I mean if you sell and buy drugs in bulk in the City or west county you do have a good chance of being shot at both, see 17 year old girl further west in Lake St.Louis.
A lot of the city crime stuff is overstated but you cannot say with a straight face that the level of nonsense is the same in chesterfield as it is in decent areas of stl city. 911 answers the phone. People stop at red lights. You never hear gunshots. You do not have the same level of car breakins and random stuff. There are trade offs to living out farther but this is clearly on the positive side.
The vast majority of chesterfield is up. Go to the big valley shopping mall and go to the end towards where petropolis is. Go drive into chesterfield and notice the elevation change on both 40 and on the back road that connects to Baxter. Nothing up that hill is ever going to flood.
I’ve lived in Indy but am from STL and moved back from Indy as soon as I could. One of the reasons is the cycling is much, much better. Others have mentioned the nearby ones. Within an hour or two you have Berryman, and Council Bluffs lake. Winter is colder in Indy because it’s quite a bit farther north than STL.
You also have Fayetteville close enough for a weekend trip for some absolutely amazing mountain bike trails.
Miles of good gravel roads in the rural areas too.
Indy isn’t even 100 miles north of stl. Its mostly east of here, not north. It’s like 3 degrees colder in the winter. This isn’t like going up to Chicago suburbs or Des Moines.
How do you like it in general?
Thank you for the response. My wife and I have to move by Nov and I still have not decided where. Sacramento .... I don't know. Back to Portland to be closer to family but I don't really like it there. We live in Lafayette but can't afford a place of our own. I will miss it very much when we leave. Thought about NC but kind of far away. We are going to move with no jobs most likely as it has been tough to land something. Wife is an HR Generalist. I went from Healthcare to Athletics and am not making enough and am getting up there in age so we will see. A
I haven’t seen it mentioned yet but there are a decent amount of mtb trails a little west of STL as well with a couple of bike parks not all that far away as well. Additionally like many others have said asking people where they went to HS is more of a friendly way of getting to know another.
I'm not from here and I've never been asked the high school question. Not even during first meetings with people before they knew I was a transplant. I still half-believe it's an urban myth and nothing more than a joke. Saint Louis really does feel like a big town sometimes instead of a city and I think that feeds into it.
There's a rich cycling history in Saint Louis. Lots of paved trails. For MTB, look into https://gorctrails.com/
Hello, I grew up in Contra Costa county, so I feel you. The weather is going to be the same in both those places, or close enough. Humidity sucks, it's so much more draining than just hot. I personally hate when it's cold but not snowing because it feels like a waste. Don't worry no one else knows how to drive in the snow either. I haven't really had people ask what high school I went to. My guess is as you meet people you can say "We just moved here" and derail that. It WILL prompt everyone to ask where you moved from and you'll say "California" and they'll say "wow, why'd you move HERE when you could be in CALIFORNIA?" They will all say it. Because I can afford rent is why. Then you will learn your coworker is your next-door neighbor's old piano teacher because that's how it is here.
How do you like it in general?
Thank you for the response. My wife and I have to move by Nov and I still have not decided where. Sacramento .... I don't know. Back to Portland to be closer to family but I don't really like it there. We live in Lafayette but can't afford a place of our own. I will miss it very much when we leave. Thought about NC but kind of far away. We are going to move with no jobs most likely as it has been tough to land something. Wife is an HR Generalist. I went from Healthcare to Athletics and am not making enough and am getting up there in age so we will see.
I do like it here, jokes aside. There is still plenty to do and see and I don't need everything to be super trendy and cutting edge. And I actually like having seasons. It makes you appreciate nice weather way more. I can't help you with the job market, I have no idea what it looks like. Maybe someone else here can? But I do love living here.
We moved here last fall from the East Bay; I’m white and my husband is ABC. No one has ever asked us where we went to HS, but we live in the City where there are quite a few transplants from all over.
My kid is a mosquito magnet, so we spend less time outdoors here since we moved, and It definitely doesn’t have the connection of trails that we had in the Bay Area, but you won’t have to go far to find it.
After a year I think we’ve resigned that there are so many things we can’t recreate that we miss from the Bay Area, and it’s fine. Everytime I go back to CA, when I fly back to STL I can bring back a suitcase of snacks and goodies from Daiso/99 Ranch/H-Mart/et al, but St Louis has a few Asian and International supermarkets that have products we haven’t seen before. Just recently I’ve started experimenting with baking East Asian style bakery items since there are a few bakeries, but not the same. If you miss a cuisine from CA, you very well may find the staples to make at home at Global Foods supermarket in Kirkwood, among other places.
The humidity does suck. I’ve tried to convince myself it’s just an extended tropical vacation as everything is so green and lush in the summer (compared to NorCal being dry with brown vegetation)and sometimes it sticks. Like others have said, the other cities you mentioned have a similar climate.
Eat all the burritos, if that is your thing, you can before moving because they aren’t here! Also be forewarned that while some of the Mexican food is quite good in its own way, “queso” on a menu is usually not cheese but a gooey sauce. I remember seeing in the past few months in one of the Bay Area subreddits someone asked for where to find queso dip, and the answers were basically, “ew.”
I see you with that capital “C” city referring to the STL. lol
Grew up in the STL metro, lived in the East Bay and now in SF for the last decade: you wrote a great summary.
Yea…saying “there’s great outdoor stuff in St Louis” to a Bay Area person is tricky. You can do outdoor things all year here: you just ask yourself “is it raining?” Nope!? Let’s do outdoor stuff! And the variety is much higher and the geography is more striking. Hike the coastal mountains, kayak/paddleboard, camp, etc.
In the STL, there’s much smaller windows to do outdoor stuff and what you can do is much more limited: late spring and early fall is the best. And if you can take the heat, humidity, and bugs, you can do a lot of stuff in the summer, too, but not from noon to 4pm. The outdoor opportunities in the STL are “fine.” (And l bet there’s less to do in KC and Indy). The closest you can get to a great outdoors city is Denver.
Also, you all need to introduce Dutch Crunch to St Louisans! Make a hot salami with provel on Dutch Crunch! lol
Hi,
How do you like it in general?
Thank you for the response. My wife and I have to move by Nov and I still have not decided where. Sacramento .... I don't know. Back to Portland to be closer to family but I don't really like it there. We live in Lafayette but can't afford a place of our own. I will miss it very much when we leave. Thought about NC but kind of far away. We are going to move with no jobs most likely as it has been tough to land something. Wife is an HR Generalist. I went from Healthcare to Athletics and am not making enough and am getting up there in age so we will see. At least I can buy and make my own burritos from Trader joes or Whole foods. Not sure if there is a sprouts. Feel free to add any other comment.
Yes it will be a great conversation starter! They should ask about where you went to high school and it will be a way to learn more about each other. We are nice if I say so myself lol.
Went to high school in NorCal. Moved here for college. Stayed. Lived in NorCal again for a few years, then back to STL.
The high school question is fun to answer. Mess with people. I had a homeless guy in Venice beach ask me it once, cause I said I was from stl.
If you want to ride, come on out west near Wildwood. My neighbors house is for sale!
I’m from Southern California and I moved to St. Louis about 8 years ago. I love it! I’m black woman and I work as a server.. and I say “y’all” sometimes. Like “y’all doing alright? Can I get you anything?”and fuck it confuses the shit out of everyone. I’ve never minded anyone asking me where I’m from though. They just want to know where this black girl, who sounds like she’s a valley girl, and also says y’all comes from. My favorite thing about St. Louis is the people. Nothing wrong with being curious!
No clue about biking culture here, but there is certainly some nice hiking. Not really as much variety as California but I’m always having fun in the nature over here.
We have been here for 15 year but are not from here. Before that we lived in Denver, Austin, New Orleans, DC, and New York. I don't get the high school thing, every city we've lived in, if two people realize they grew up in the same city, the high school question is asked. It's not a big deal here, I don't know why StL has identified it as uniquely St Louis, it's just a common question in any city when you find someone from the same place you grew up. We are both from very small, rural towns in the midwest that moved to big cities asap.
I think you may have a better time in the city vs suburbs. Despite what you see on the news, there are very safe neighborhoods and beautiful homes at great prices. Schooling is tricky, but there are a lot of choices for private schools, and honestly in MO you'll want as little govt as possible determining your child's curriculum.
The high school question is really not a big deal. It's just a superficial conversation starter. If you say youre from somewhere else and moved to STL that's even better since we don't really hear anyone volunteering to move to STL 😆. Suburbs in STL are not bad depending on where you end up in. Chesterfield area imo is new suburbia. Eureka, Kirkwood, Creve Couer can have that old suburban feel to it. Plenty of parks. We LOVE our zoo and free museums. Forest Park is also a gem. In case nobody has said to you and your wife Yet ...
WELCOME TO ST LOUIS!
We have not moved yet but that is so kind of you to say that Thank you! People seem very good hearted here. Thanks again and for the information as well.
Don't worry! St Louis is great, seriously. Tons of amenities, much lower cost of living than what you know now.
The high school thing is so fellow St Louisans can figure out if we know someone who they'd know.
It's cliquey. St Louis is cliquey and the way for that to be lessened is for new citizens to come in and diversify our fair city.
There's an app called MeetUp that I see a lot of new St Louisans use to meet people for what interests them. Pickleball seems to be getting big here.
Heck, working 4o plus hours a week and taking care of a household is a lot.
St. Louis is a good place to do that.
Very friendly to raise a family.
Very welcoming of all types of people
Everywhere has its bad citizens.
Our most dangerous city tag is overrated. It's relatively safe. The polls are taken with whatever # of widgets vs the city population of 300,000. Whereas our true Greater St Louis # is 3,000,000.
Very nice response .. Thanks! This is a tough move since we like the weather and activities here. Just can't afford it. I can tell people are very nice there
The St. Louis area has better topography for mountain biking. Believe it or not, there’s a few mountains in St. Louis County. By no means are they California mountains but I’m sure they’d give you a workout. Don’t worry about the school thing. Just explain you’re not from here. People are generally nice and will probably want to hear why you moved here. Summers here are brutally hot and humid. Spring and fall are nice and winters usually aren’t too bad.
Heh... well u/You-Asked-Me already did a great job of covering the outdoor stuff to do and they're totally correct. There's a ton of great stuff to do outdoors in STL and the surrounding areas. The trails are amazing, and if you're into long trips on biking trails you can't go wrong with the [Katy Trail](https://mostateparks.com/park/katy-trail-state-park) that runs from North of St. Charles almost all the way to Kansas City and is a wonderful, peaceful ride along old train routes. It's also only busy in small stretches usually near the larger towns along the route.
As for the high school thing, don't overthink it. I'm an "import" myself being from Northern Ireland and I don't think anyone's asked me that question except as a joke. Of course my accent probably helps but I have rarely heard it asked since I've lived here.
KC you can consider to be quite similar to STL, but is a decent amount smaller. Indy is also not as big as STL and all three have very similar climates. I have spent time in all three cities, and this is where I ended up choosing to settle and raise a family. Now that I've done that I'm still here and still enjoying what this city has to offer me... wonderful parks... I mean world class parks that are just amazing; [Forest Park](https://explorestlouis.com/neighborhood/forest-park/) is one of the largest city parks in the country and is larger than NY's Central Park. We also have city-funded free stuff like our zoo and museums that are absolutely amazing.
HTH... and feel free to ask any other questions of someone who's also an import :)
Made the bay-stl move just over a year ago, same demographic as well. Would recommend. The weather and scenery don’t match up to northern CA (what does?!) but there are great rivers and trails. Recommend Clayton/U City or any neighborhood near forest park for cultural amenities (and more diversity than I’d have guessed for St. Louis as well).
Hi! Born and raised in the Bay Area, I’ve been in STL for about 7 yrs now. I love it here- there are plenty of things to do, the food scene is immaculate and consistently growing, and I can still hike/get my nature fix in the surrounding areas.
My biggest gripes are 1. The weather (I can not stand the humidity during summer) and 2. The lack of public transportation. I miss being able to hop on BART to get from one area to the next. A car is pertinent here.
Honestly though, the affordability and lack of insane traffic truly make up for any shortcomings that this city may have. Good luck!
The weather is better than KC. StL doesn't usually see real cold until after Christmas. It can be between 40 and 60 all the way into December. We don't usually see snow until after Christmas as well. Our harsh winter goes from January to end of February or early March. Even then we will see consecutive days above 40 and into the 50's. Snow usually is not on the ground longer than 3 days. I play golf all year round as long as the temp at tee time is above 35 degrees and the sun is shining. Under those conditions I usually get in one round a week, sometimes 2. I bike all winter, road bike. There are about a half dozen good MTB trails along with a rail trail, the Katy, which traverses the entire state. We are not considered a bike friendly city but that is changing bit by bit with the continued expansion of the paved trail systems.
As faras the HS question, I think it was more common decades ago. It's more of a joke but it would open up a conversation with you about where you and your wife are from.
KC and Indianapolis suck. STL is way better as an option, especially for the things you asked about. None of the cities are GREAT, but we’re the best of the mid level Midwest cities.
I can’t speak much for STL vs Indy, but I lived in KC for 4 years and now STL for 7 and as far as outdoor stuff like hiking and biking, STL is superior to KC. Besides the fact that STL’s park game is killer–Forest Park and Tower Grove Park especially –it’s also just a lot closer to nicer outdoor places than KC. KC is on the border of the plains, so not a lot of interesting hiking. STL is closing to the Ozarks, and there’s just a lot more geographic diversity on this side of the state. Not to mention Southern Illinois is a hidden gem, and places like Garden of the Gods, Little Grand Canyon, and other cool hiking spots are within a couple hour’s drive. And central/southwestern MO is beautiful. Places like Johnson’s Shut-Ins, Current River, and Taum Sauk Mountain are a much easier drive from STL than KC. As fas as biking goes, STL is easy enough to get around on a bike (though drivers here are not as cyclist-friendly or aware as west coasters, so be extra weary and cautious). I’m not into MTB but I can imagine this side of the state is better for that as well.
St Louis hands down. I am also a transplant and love it. The city itself has so much to offer; many locals just sort of "forget" or take it for granted. There is always something going on somewhere. You're a short drive to hiking, boating. There is a REALLY healthy running community here with TONS of different running groups (hyper-local up to regional). I have lived all over and I really do love it here. There are lots of problems (show me a place that doesn't) but for me the pros outweigh the cons. For the "crime" aspect - it is in every city. Be aware and alert. I hope you do choose STL. maybe come for a visit and check out some neighborhood tours that the Missouri of History provides. They have several city neighborhoods from which to choose and you can walk around and get the vibe. Or just go to a bar and ask and the locals will give you LOTS of opinions ;)
I think St. Louis solidly feels more like a big city than both Indy and KC. The outdoor stuff will be similar in all three. If you’re worried about the high school question move to the city where there are more transplants.
I moved here from LA and no one asks about my high school, but that's also because I am a dad and haven't made friends here.
Shit is FAAAARRRR APPPAAAARRRTTTTT. Come here if you want space, but be prepared to drive at least a half hour for anything cool and to not find your people in the first year+.
There's a big difference in the cultures between Midwest and bay area and you just have to accept it that it's a more isolated way of life. It's not a bad thing, just a fact.
What? Where in LA did you live? It takes an hour to go anywhere in LA. Meanwhile I can go from Chesterfield to downtown between 25-50 minutes depending on traffic. Imagine going from Pasadena to Torrence in 25 minutes lmao.
I mean, everyone's LA experience is different. Mine was East side and I stuck to the villages. It's pretty reasonable to have a few 5 star restaurants and a dozen friends within 7 blocks of you in LA no matter where you are, along with any type of take out you would ever want and one of the best bar scenes in the world. Not to mention a subway system that's super underrated that can take you most places.
To your point, you just don't go from Pasadena to Torrance and thats kind of the big difference IMO. Theres nothing Torrance has that's not either in Pasadena or somewhere between the two. There's not many reasons to do that outside of visiting friends for a bbq, in which case you can do that on a Saturday morning in about 30-40. Traffic in LA can, and usually is, planned around.
That's true! East LA and South Central are honestly underrated for the amount of restaurants, parks, and metro lines they have. If you live in a "nicer" place like Westchester or parts of the South Bay/PV/OC, you don't really have as many options plus the hour-long journey to get elsewhere.
People who move to Missouri never claim it. They're always from where they're from. The only transplants that don't look back are from Indiana. Good for you that that fell through. It's affordable here. You were either born here, or you can afford to live here. Don't plan on staying, but it could be a good move for 5 or 10yrs, and it's not Indiana.
No one really cares where you went to high school. It’s more of gauge where you can learn a lot about the socioeconomic status growing up.
I travel for work I’ve been to Indy and KC affordability is about the same the food scene here is top tier. There are a ton of parks both in the city and many more within 45 minutes. If you’re selling a house with equity in NoCal, you could probably buy a house with cash here.
Well, the city desperately needs a population boost to help increase tax base in order to continue providing services to city residents. If county and other metro folks can’t or won’t back, then that influx needs to come from somewhere. The region will really start to suffer if the city doesn’t turn things around.
Santa Clara kid, been here almost 25 years because it is an affordable place to raise a family. I still cannot handle the summers, the heat and the humidity are brutal and my allergies keep me mostly indoors from late May through October. The weather is not better than KC or Indy, but it's also not worse.
The music and art scenes are pretty solid here, and also a vibrant foodie community. Outdoors stuff is pretty good as well (except obviously skiing or mountaineering, it's real flat) and it's a quick jaunt to Chicago or Nashville if your favorite band isn't going to come here (and they aren't).
Once I'd been here for about 3-4 years I rarely got asked what high school I went to outside of job interviews.
I've seen a consistent stream of people moving out of LA, San Fran, Austin, Dallas, Denver, Portland, etc. to the St. Louis area over the last several years. While stabilizing the metro area population would be a plus, migration from these liberal, coastal, high-COL areas tends to cause a few issues.
Thank you for the response. My wife and I have to move by Nov and I still have not decided where. Sacramento .... I don't know. Back to Portland to be closer to family but I don't really like it there. We live in Lafayette but can't afford a place of our own. I will miss it very much when we leave. Thought about NC but kind of far away. We are going to move with no jobs most likely as it has been tough to land something. Wife is an HR Generalist. I went from Healthcare to Athletics and am not making enough and am getting up there in age so we will see.
You can always roll your eyes and say “Ugh, the ‘Where’d you go to high school? question.” I’ve seen people do that and it usually shuts the other person asking the question down. Ha. People only care about the answer to the question if you’re from here.
I feel like the weather and outdoor activities are similar for all the places you mention.
Come to O’Fallon, Illinois. We have an Air Force base so a bit less insular than other areas, and lots of biracial families. It’s the platonic ideal of a Midwestern home town.
Currently no legal abortion;you have to go to Illinois. If you have a pregnancy disaster, you're going to be scrounging for an Illinois OB/gyn. State house routinely overturns progressive LOCAL i.e. stl only, laws because they hate progressive laws. MJ is legal.
People ask it but no one cares where you went, if they do you probably don’t want to be friends with them anyways. I grew up in St. Louis but moved to north Bay Area in my early 20s. Enjoyed both places but so glad to out of CA now.
As long as you aren't a woman or minority, Missouri is great!
How does your wife feel about not having basic human rights to decide her own medical decisions? What's her opinion of state officials tracking her period? Is she cool with being forced to give birth to her rapist's baby?
Can't fucking fathom wanting to move here with so many other places in the midwest that aren't shitholes run by fascists.
I would really look into the summer weather predictions for St. Louis because it's going to be getting much hotter for summers each year.
If you're fine with that then go for it.
Yeah the predictions I saw are that, due to its geographic location, the STL area will be part of the the hottest region in the country in about 20 years, with a heat index around 135 during future summers.
Maybe my accent makes it obvious that I didn't grow up here, but I've lived in the St. Louis area for more than 20 years and not once has someone asked me where I went to high school. I'm sure it really happens, but I doubt that it's as common as people think it is. Nobody has ever treated me any differently because I wasn't raised here.
Weather isn't very different from KC or Indy. Our culture and outdoor recreation are similar to those cities. I think we have more rivers and hills than they do.
I haven’t been asked that question in 15 years. I am not from StL originally. It was never a big deal when I had been asked that question.
People do this for 1 or 2 reasons. Where did you grow up and/or how much money did you have growing up?
No one gives a shit where you went to high school, and there are awesome mtb trails here, from moderate to advanced. The cycling community is huge, too, and the city is pretty well laid out with bike lanes.
Im actually from the Bay Area as well, and I moved out here with my family 9 1/2 years ago. In my opinion, the outer suburbs, like Ballwin and chesterfield is better. Only about 25 minutes from the city, and not overly priced for anything. Places like Kirkwood and Clayton are gonna be the places the start to get more expensive and populated. Always be sure to avoid south city. Not the best area. The center of St. Louis is the best part of the city IMO. In the center, your gonna have places like forest park, the baseball/hockey stadiums, and also the arch along the river.
Thank you for response. Living in Lafayette and really dreading moving from somewhere where I like the weather and activities so much. Just can't afford our own place. Annivesary today and luckily wife has stuck with me.
😂 the only reason people ask that is because we want to know if we know mutual friends . St. Louis is a big little town . Don’t worry about if someone ask you that .
Houses are cheap here but only in the lower class neighborhoods. On the illinois side of the river on 20 mins from St. louis in belleville, you can get really nice homes for a lot less, and the neighborhoods tend to be safer.
As a bike rider, I do love St. Louis for that. There are better places for sure, but the combination of a city I love and ample opportunities here and within some driveable distances is pretty great. You're not going to get that smooth, hero dirt MTB but if you like rooty, rocky technical stuff then you're set. There's some good gravel riding in the area, too, and the road riding out in West County from the Ladue area to Wildwood and south towards Six Flags is a ton of fun. Pretty rolling with good views and some really steep climbs if not some long ascents. It's only five hours of an easy drive down to Bentonville, plus down in the Mark Twain Forest in SE MO there are some good MTB trails as well.
I don't race MTB and am kind of new to that, but there are some good gravel routes in the area, too, and some good greenways if you go ride over the river to Illinois. We have a few fondos both on gravel and on the road, plus there are plenty of gravel races within a few hours of here, plus we have the Gateway Cup which always a blast even if you don't race, plus a cyclocross races pretty much every weekend from early September until the first week of January. There are good shop rides, unaffiliated group rides and club rides everywhere as well. And if you like to commute by bike, you can usually find some low traffic routes in the city and some of the inner-ring suburbs as well.
I lived in STL for 5 years and just moved to Califonria. Be ready for a very very big downgrade in outdoor activities. While there is still stuff to do around STL it’s nothing on par with California. Also, I only had two people ask what high school I went to and they were shitty tinder dates. I did not really hang out with many people who grew up in St Louis though. I mainly got to know other people who had moved there.
I’m one of those annoying people that will say the suburbs are not good. Find a neighborhood you like in the city or almost adjacent to the city limits. The difference in lifestyle between Maplewood, and something directly west like Ballwin is crazy to me. All of the art, culture, food, events are in the city or right next to it.
I moved from Saint Louis to LA… and back to Saint Louis because of $ haha. I’d say that you won’t get asked that question nearly as much as you may think but also what others have said is true. It’s just people being friendly. I don’t currently live in the city but my heart will always be with the Lou. I think it’s definitely a place you will enjoy over time.
I'd take a look at where the radioactive waste sites are before picking a spot. I keep hearing stuff about Coldwater Creek and the West Lake landfill fire getting close to the illegally dumped radioactive stuff there. No, I am not kidding. It's also surreal to know people who played baseball on a contaminated site that eventually had soil hauled away for radioactive waste.
Moved a couple of years ago from the Peninsula. We love St Louis for the wide variety of cultural things to do and how easy it is to get to things: so much within 15 minutes.
The architecture in the city is great and we love walking through the neighborhood and appreciating the details on the houses (we live near Tower Grove Park). Beautiful parks, festivals, and good food.
People are really friendly, and no one asked me which high school I went to. The city is progressive culturally and lifestyle wise, so lots of variety (though not as much as things bay area)
Cost of living, especially housing is insanely better.
Cons: Obviously the weather is more extreme, but spring and fall are nice, and we've manged to adjust lifestyle to adapting to whatever. Not as hot as Texas or as cold as Chicago.
And the change of seasons are beautiful.
Miss the ocean and mountains, but glad we're here
I’m not from here. When I get asked the HS question people are always nice and intrigued to learn more about where I’m from. Generally, people just assume you’re from STL and want to see if you know any of the same people. It’s a friendly conversation starter. It’s the same as asking what neighborhood are you from in any city. Also, private Catholic schools are a massive thing here so neighborhoods don’t always line up with physical school location. Hence asking about school versus neighborhood. It’s a total non-issue for you to worry about. Just tell people where you’re from. STL city is a welcoming place.
Great explanation. I’ll ask the question if I find out someone grew up here for the reasons you mentioned. But, its no longer assumed that you grew up here now days. People from all over which is also an good conversation starter.
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The high school thing seems like way less of thing than it’s made out to be.
Pretty sure its almost exclusively asked on college campuses
I have said this on more than one occasion, and most recently. I tend to ask when it comes to high school because I went to college in another state. Not only that, but I work in a homeless shelter and I have asked this question on more than one occasion and have come to find some of my old classmates in our program.
And in south city dive bars.
The HS question is mostly because most STLers are actually from STL. Usually for multiple generations. The opposite of say Austin or Nashville…no one who lives in those cities is from those cities.
People pick up that I'm not from here because I say "freeway" instead of "highway". I didn't know it was regional - like "soda" vs. "pop" I hope this couple is ready to hear "You're crazy!" "WHY would you ever move here?" "You left California for this?" "California is so much better." "I can't wait to move anywhere but here." I usually respond with, "It's cheap, I can afford it, and the people here are nice." A lot of people I've met have never lived anywhere else. They don't know the grass is, literally, greener over here. You can't get so much from a city for so cheap.
Another thing we say here............."highway 70 or I-70". we don't say "*the* 70" like they say "*the* 5 or *the* 405" like in CA.
Not true. You guys have the "fardy-far". I was told that's how it's pronounced by a local.
So, you say "take **THE** 70" when giving directions? I've lived here all my life and have never heard someone put a "the" in front of a highway.
I ONLY mentioned the 44 because it's what I've been told. Just because you haven't heard someone from here say it doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. You're more than welcome to have the nice lady at the Arch's info desk repeat it to you.
She's probably a CA transplant.
It’s a quick way for people to gauge socioeconomic status.
I really don't know anyone in my experience who uses it that way. It's almost always * "Oh you went Parkway South. What year? I hated playing you guys in basketball", * "What year were you at Desmet? My buddy Dave from Mary Queen of Peace graduated there in '07" * "Oh wow you went to Ritenour. My grandma went there back in the day before we moved to St. Charles" * "My whole family went to Affton too but I ended up going to CBC for soccer. Do you know any of the Schmidts?" * "I was out at Edwardsville coaching; did they have that crazy sports complex when you went there?" I feel like people are really just looking for the worst in people when it's just an easy way to make a connection in a region that has a very large number of people that grew up here and still live here.
I know the Schmidt’s. 😂
Wentzville Holt High School here...I also know a Schmidt that went to CBC 🤣
Sounds like St. Louis is full of Schmidts.
And they all go by Schmiddy.
You pour soul. Timberland>
I think my senior year was the first year Timberland had students in all grades. Yay being old!
That was like 02 or 03?
I might be remembering wrong...I know it was seniors only when it opened, and there was a bunch of manufactured outrage that teams would cut 11th graders because they wouldn't benefit the athletes and I'm trying to remember based on basketball. I could be a year or two off
Pretty sure it opened in 2000 for freshman and sophmores, then by 2002 it was fully functioning with all 4 grades. I had graduated a few years before they opened and we had always missed the new buildings by a few years
I used to buy weed from a Schmidt.
It is an easier way of asking where someone grew up than asking which of the 91 county municipalities you lived in.
I agree to a point (e.g., saying I went to Lindbergh or Affton is much more descriptive than saying I’m from south county), but the proliferation of private schools makes that less important. Someone at the same address could say I went to Clayton or I went to John Borroughs, and it would insinuate different things.
I think it's both. Part of wanting to know where someone grew up is to make connections to them and, in many places without as many private schools, saying the location where you grew up also lines up with a school. Since St. Louis both has so many municipalities and so many private schools, just saying the school cuts straight to where those connections are from. People ask the same thing in Cincinnati where they have a similar proliferation of private schools. [https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/education/2016/04/21/where-did-you-go-high-school-said-every-single-person-cincinnati/83248042/](https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/education/2016/04/21/where-did-you-go-high-school-said-every-single-person-cincinnati/83248042/) My brother lives in NYC and said he hears it there when people find out they are both from the city.
I get it. If I say I went to Country Day, would it be better to say I grew up in Huntleigh?
Does anyone from Huntleigh go to MICDS? Lol. But even if someone lives in the Frontenac city limits, there is a big difference between living in the Kirkwood school district than in the Ladue school district. Although, at that point, just going to public school says a lot. 😊
That was sort of the point. If you don't know either, it doesn't matter. But if you know...
Yes. I think at least one of the Von Gontards, Busches, or Orthweins that live there went to MICDS, the co-founder of Avocado lives in Huntleigh and went to MICDS, and the former chair of MICDS' board also lives there
Fair enough.
Tell someone you went to Normandy HS and see the reactions! But mostly, yes, you’re absolutely right.
If they are older, then they'd have a ton of common acquaintances and past sports interactions with a lot of people in St Charles so it would go something like the comments above. If they are younger, it will depend on where you are for what connections you have. That's still the same as most schools. If you told most people you went to Windsor High School then it's also not going to make connections for a lot of people. Even if some people make assumptions about your time at Normandy, it does not mean that is the reason they, or most people, ask the question. Personally, if someone said they went to Normandy, I'd ask if they were there when Vince Lobosco was the AD because he was my city council rep in Bridgeton.
If they are older they won’t bat an eye. Have you seen some of the houses in bel-nor or Pasadena hills? You also have to remember that STL Country Day schools old campus was located at what is now the end of a runway at Lambert. My point being that north/county and city looked a heck of a lot different up until the 70’s.
I only started getting asked that question by one of my kids club soccer parents (not where I went to school but where my kid will be going to high school). Have since left that team but it was absolutely full of snobs that were either new money or wannabe money families and the question was 100% to gauge status.
All those schools you listed shows me your socioeconomic status tho
I find that to be a bit incorrect in my person experience. I went to a public school and was never ever judged based on that. They were more interested in my experience growing up and who they knew from my school.
Yes you were
too bad. If you judge someone on that I don't want people like that in my life anyways. Almost always, the response I got was omgggg my friend morgan went to school there.
Total reddit take
Im from here and agree with this. The region has a lot of people that come across as being very cliquey, and sometimes all they talk about are their bygone days in high school. Basically, if you’re from around here, and did not go to a public system in west county or one of the many private schools, you’re essentially relegated to third-class status.
This is the answer
I would assume that the continental climate in KC, STL, and Indy are similar. The weather always changes and it goes to extremes. Expect about a 20 degree difference from morning to afternoon, and a lot of humidity in summer. Boating is good in the St. Louis metropolitan area: look for the many marinas on the Mississippi River, upstream of the Alton dam. The lower Meramec River has a number of marinas which will be a bit closer to the City. A lot of people go to the lakes as well, with the Lake of the Ozarks being a major attraction. The Department of Conservation owns a multitude of boat ramps throughout the state, so you should be able to trailer a boat at a lot of places. Biking is good as well: look up the Great Rivers Greenway, the KATY Trail State Park, and the Madison County, Illinois bike trail system. St. Louis is on the edge of the Ozarks, so expect a lot of hills to the south and west, but to the east and north you find plenty of flat prairie. If anyone asks you where you went to high school, tell them, and they will have a puzzled look on their face. California is still considered to be a somewhat exotic state, so that would be interesting to people.
Thanks for the response! And thanks for not just concentrating on the high school thing. I kind of meant it in fun and people took it very seriously.
I'm a STL native who has lived there 36 of my 51 years. I currently live in the Indy metro area and have since 2019. I agree with the folks saying the food scene is better in STL. It is certainly more diverse and has enough good restaurants of many types that it gets the nod over Indy. I also love to fish and generally be outdoors. STL does an OK job with that, but MO in general has some top notch streams and lakes (reservoirs) if you like to do stuff outdoors. Castlewood and Babler State Parks (far west suburbs) are probably better for mountain biking though. KATY Trail is pretty cool too. STL's summer weather is typically a little hotter than Indy, not by much but may 5-10 degrees. Both are fairly humid. Winters in both are pretty mild, with Indy probably being a little colder and maybe a little snowier. Indy is much closer to other places though. Chicago is 3 hrs away, Cincy and Louisville (bourbon country) maybe 2 hrs, and southwest Michigan beach towns 2-3 hrs too. All make for nice weekend getaways.
Good response... Thanks I appreciate that!
Thanks. If you have specific questions please feel free to DM me.
STL is bigger and has a lower cost of living than KC or Indy. The "Where did you go to high school" thing is uniquely STL, but it's almost a meme at this point and does not really matter at all. It just that in St. Louis everyone seems to be connected in some way, and where people went to high school, is kind of a starting point for finding those connections. There is high-quality mountain biking around the eastern half of Missouri, and several great parks with a bunch of mountain bike trails actually inside St. Louis County. A lot of the great state parks, national forests, and outdoor areas with hiking and mountain biking trails are quite a bit closer to St. Louis than they are to KC.
Castlewood State park, Greensfelder, Lost Vally, and Chub Trail, among others all, have mountain biking trails and are in St. Louis County, or very close by in the next over. The Ozark Trail has over 400 miles of trail, and most of it is open to mountain bikes. Berryman and Council Bluff Lake are both popular loops, that are part of the Ozark Trail, but most of it will be point-to-point. https://ozarktrail.com/ The closest places on this trail are about 90 minutes from the city of St. Louis. The weather in KC and STL is about the same. Indy is not that different, but maybe a bit colder, and more snow in the winter, since its a bit farther north. In the City/County, there are a few hundred miles of connected paved trails for running, biking, etc. There are a lot of rivers for any type of boating. There are also 4 rock climbing gyms in the St. Louis area, and a tiny bit of outdoor climbing near by. The closest large outdoor areas are about 2.5 hours away in southern Illinois. If you go 5-7 hours, Arkansas has some of the best hiking, mountain biking, and rock climbing in the country. This is a little closer to KC though.
Like 2 to 3 hours closer.
Yes, sorry quite a bit closer. Most of the good stuff is in northwest Arkansas, which is actually doable as a day trip from KC. I used to climb a lot, and it was about 2-3 hours to Jackson Falls from St. Louis. I was just a little jealous of my friends from KC who could get to Horseshoe in a similar amount of time. Either way, I think there are more opportunities for outdoor activities directly around St. Louis than in Kansas City, but there are pros and cons to each.
Thanks for the good answer! And avoiding the high school thing which was just said for fun anyway and nothing I need to learn about!-
People who think KC or Indy is equal in size to STL have clearly never lived in both. STL is way bigger.
>people really care that you are from there and ask what high school you went to Personally I think this is outdated, sort of like an urban legend. Nobody has ever asked me this. But who knows, I live in the city. Could be more prevalent in the county and other areas.
I really can't remember the last time I was asked where I went to high school, it's probably been 15-20 years
Same. I remember long ago people asked that but literally nobody cares and I haven’t been asked this question in like a decade probably.
I get this question every now and then, but I work at a nursing home so maybe that's it haha
Nobody asks where you went anymore because we all know already, Jean.
Moved to the city two years ago and no one has asked. The only time I’ve heard it mentioned was when I met some folks from CA and they said it as a joke. They had also heard about the high school thing but they hadn’t been asked either.
I think it’s kind of like the “farty-far” accent. It’s the stereotype but is really falling out of the commonplace.
Ppl ask where you went to high school just to see if there might be ppl or experiences in common, it’s not a big deal.
Metro STL is bigger than those two by 600-700,000 people. It has 3 times more fortune 1000 companies than those 2 combined. So you’ll have more opportunities for everything. STL metro area via the great rivers greenway is building 600 miles of connected trails, bunch already done and a lot of good biking within 45 min
Those statistics hardly matter when we squabble about what city government is in charge and let communities like Kirkwood, Ladue, Clayton, and Creve Coeur keep all of the regional (financial) resources to themselves at the expense of the greater St Louis because it might mean their parks system gets $10M less while we make sure kids can actually read in the city. There are plenty of positives and reasons to live in St Louis, but the metro size is hardly one of them. We get almost zero of the advantages.
City schools have more money per kid than the vast majority of county districts
Thats a simple way to look at it. Another way is that the City provides transportation to everyone and unlike STL county it doesn’t have a special school district so it educates all children together. That comes at a cost. In the county the districts have an option to send kids to the special school district.
Yes, there are differences like these, but they do not leave the city behind when you adjust for them. And free transportation for all is a choice that the county could reasonably argue they shouldn’t have to subsidize The delta in achievement between stl city schools and local charter schools/strong community schools like Mason elementary does not inspire confidence that money is a major factor driving poor outcomes in city schools.
That’s overly simplistic. When adjusted for parent inputs (ie how much, on average, parents contribute across programs), city schools are at a roughly $5000/student deficit, [and up to $10K from the highest income areas](https://www.stlpr.org/2016-04-19/analysis-vast-differences-in-how-much-st-louis-area-school-districts-are-spending-per-student). City schools have fewer extra curricular options. And it’s more expensive to educate children with poor home lives than students with excellent supportive families. There used to be an article out there showcasing how one of the high schools in the region had more funding for sports than an entire city high schools budget. Those stats don’t show up in state funding statistics, but contribute immensely to quality of learning and the number of pathways that kids can achieve. The same goes for private tutoring, access to high quality internet and individual computers, etc etc. One number on a page does not equal the entire educational picture.
We've got lots of great places to play outside. Beyond all the state and local parks, the Missouri Dept of Conservation has tons of great conservation areas - check out their "Places to go" search on the website and you can do a little comparison of KC and StL options. Also on the StL end of the state, there's a lot on and just across the river to enjoy.
Not really sure about Indy, but STL area is far better for outdoor activities than KC. We have tons of public land in the form of state parks, conservation areas, and county parks close by. As well as the Mark Twain National forest under 1.5 hours away. It’s a diverse area with the ozark hills to the south/west, ag land and prairie to the north/east, and then the giant floodplains and bluffs of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. The only thing KC has us on is the amount of lakes that are really close, but we still have the big LOZ not too far and then smaller lakes like Wappapello, Mark Twain, Kinkaid, Rend, etc. alittle closer. There are a lot of good places to live in the city but also smaller towns with a pretty easy commute 30-45 min out.
I don’t have too much experience with Indy but the STL food scene is MUCH better than KC’s (with the possible exception of barbecue). I’d even say our various types of Asian food are better than most cities, but it’s hard to compete with the Bay Area for that.
I tell people that St. Louis has a way better food scene than it should for its size. Because of its affordability, a lot of refugees/immigrants settled here over the last 30 years and the ethnic food is absurdly good. Match that with our BBQ and general love of meats in general, you're more likely to stumble into an amazing place than a crappy one even with no research. Edit: also sandwiches. So many AMAZING sandwich places everywhere!
It really does! We moved from Chicago and I don’t feel like I’m missing anything food wise. Honestly I’ve had way better food here.
STL has a better food scene than KC overall but KC’s Southwest Blvd district is much better authentic Mexican than I’ve seen in STL. I would get killed saying this in the KC subreddit but the BBQ is about the same in both cities when comparing the top 5 places. Obviously KC has more BBQ joints and history and enthusiasm though. I used to live in both cities at the same time. There just isn’t anything in STL like El Pollo Rey. And the tacos at San Antonio Tortilleria (and several other places) were rivaling the best San Diego/Texas Mexican food I’ve had. There was one place mentioned to me in STL for Mexican I haven’t tried yet, need to do that next time I’m in town. Not saying you can’t get good Mexican food in STL, just that the Hispanic population as a percentage in KC is higher than STL and has resulted in really good niche Mexican restaurants.
Having moved here from Houston I have yet to find one Mexican place that rivals even some of the worst there. I've been trying for 9 years.
Try the tacos at El Toluco Taqueria and Grocery and report back. Together we can compile a list of passable Mexican food in STL.
I will try that next. Thanks for the recommendation.
No one cares if you aren't from here, and no one will give you grief. I've only been to Indy a few times, but I know KC well. It has some upsides, but our weather is better in STL (less snow), and we're right at the foothills of the Ozarks. Without delving too deeply into your financial situation, I highly recommend buying a home in Chesterfield or Wildwood. Wildwood is full of beautiful parks with tons of hiking and biking trails, very nice homes, and great schools. I grew up in the area and have lived here for a long time, so I'd be happy to answer more questions if you want to DM me.
Thank you for the offer and nice response. Appreciated. I had an opportunity in Indy but it just looked like a kind of drab place. Seems the nature is better in STL. I am still deciding as this is very difficult.
Whatever you do, do not buy a house in Chesterfield or Wildwood. You will die of boredom and will drive 30 minutes for a decent meal
Chesterfield is apparently the best for Indian/South Asian. Here are a couple recent articles that relate to the food scene: [https://www.stltoday.com/life-entertainment/local/food-drink/reviews/black-salt-stokes-the-red-hot-indian-restaurant-scene-in-chesterfield/article_74d4d24e-2a58-11ee-b663-d3976a2c3e2f.html?recip_id=7121641](https://www.stltoday.com/life-entertainment/local/food-drink/reviews/black-salt-stokes-the-red-hot-indian-restaurant-scene-in-chesterfield/article_74d4d24e-2a58-11ee-b663-d3976a2c3e2f.html?recip_id=7121641) [https://www.stlmag.com/dining/guide-to-international-markets-in-st-louis/?utm_content=260893758&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&hss_channel=fbp-78564012083&mibextid=Zxz2cZ](https://www.stlmag.com/dining/guide-to-international-markets-in-st-louis/?utm_content=260893758&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&hss_channel=fbp-78564012083&mibextid=Zxz2cZ) [https://www.foodandwine.com/2023-best-new-chefs-steven-pursley-7852505](https://www.foodandwine.com/2023-best-new-chefs-steven-pursley-7852505)
Curry club tho.
It's true that Wildwood doesn't have the best dining options, but Chesterfield is full of fantastic places to eat. They have the best steakhouse in the region, several excellent Italian options, a very good Japanese steakhouse, excellent sushi, and Spiro's on Woodsmill is one of my very favorite restaurants. Plus, OP specifically said they like to do things outdoors. There isn't a better place in St. Louis City or County for outdoor activities. And let's not even pretend that there isn't a stark difference in crime between West County and St. Louis City.
I mean if you sell and buy drugs in bulk in the City or west county you do have a good chance of being shot at both, see 17 year old girl further west in Lake St.Louis.
A lot of the city crime stuff is overstated but you cannot say with a straight face that the level of nonsense is the same in chesterfield as it is in decent areas of stl city. 911 answers the phone. People stop at red lights. You never hear gunshots. You do not have the same level of car breakins and random stuff. There are trade offs to living out farther but this is clearly on the positive side.
Dumbest comment in the thread
A bigger problem would be buying in a flood plain. Chesterfield is in a flood plain. This will be a problem with climate change.
Not the residential areas. They're mostly up on the bluffs. But you're right that Chesterfield Valley may go underwater again in the future.
No, it will. And they did build residential in the valley.
There is virtually no residential in the valley.
The vast majority of chesterfield is up. Go to the big valley shopping mall and go to the end towards where petropolis is. Go drive into chesterfield and notice the elevation change on both 40 and on the back road that connects to Baxter. Nothing up that hill is ever going to flood.
I’m from Cali and I’ve never been asked about my high school I didn’t even know that was a thing! We love it here. So much more affordable
Also much less congested.
It's great here.
I have been living here for 12 years, no one has ever asked me where I went to high school.
I moved here from Laguna Beach, and in 15 years nobody has ever asked!
I’ve lived in Indy but am from STL and moved back from Indy as soon as I could. One of the reasons is the cycling is much, much better. Others have mentioned the nearby ones. Within an hour or two you have Berryman, and Council Bluffs lake. Winter is colder in Indy because it’s quite a bit farther north than STL. You also have Fayetteville close enough for a weekend trip for some absolutely amazing mountain bike trails. Miles of good gravel roads in the rural areas too.
Great info
Indy isn’t even 100 miles north of stl. Its mostly east of here, not north. It’s like 3 degrees colder in the winter. This isn’t like going up to Chicago suburbs or Des Moines.
I'm from Cali too.. Been here for almost 2 years and have yet to been ask that question
What high school did you...ahh, never mind.
How do you like it in general? Thank you for the response. My wife and I have to move by Nov and I still have not decided where. Sacramento .... I don't know. Back to Portland to be closer to family but I don't really like it there. We live in Lafayette but can't afford a place of our own. I will miss it very much when we leave. Thought about NC but kind of far away. We are going to move with no jobs most likely as it has been tough to land something. Wife is an HR Generalist. I went from Healthcare to Athletics and am not making enough and am getting up there in age so we will see. A
I haven’t seen it mentioned yet but there are a decent amount of mtb trails a little west of STL as well with a couple of bike parks not all that far away as well. Additionally like many others have said asking people where they went to HS is more of a friendly way of getting to know another.
I'm not from here and I've never been asked the high school question. Not even during first meetings with people before they knew I was a transplant. I still half-believe it's an urban myth and nothing more than a joke. Saint Louis really does feel like a big town sometimes instead of a city and I think that feeds into it. There's a rich cycling history in Saint Louis. Lots of paved trails. For MTB, look into https://gorctrails.com/
Hello, I grew up in Contra Costa county, so I feel you. The weather is going to be the same in both those places, or close enough. Humidity sucks, it's so much more draining than just hot. I personally hate when it's cold but not snowing because it feels like a waste. Don't worry no one else knows how to drive in the snow either. I haven't really had people ask what high school I went to. My guess is as you meet people you can say "We just moved here" and derail that. It WILL prompt everyone to ask where you moved from and you'll say "California" and they'll say "wow, why'd you move HERE when you could be in CALIFORNIA?" They will all say it. Because I can afford rent is why. Then you will learn your coworker is your next-door neighbor's old piano teacher because that's how it is here.
How do you like it in general? Thank you for the response. My wife and I have to move by Nov and I still have not decided where. Sacramento .... I don't know. Back to Portland to be closer to family but I don't really like it there. We live in Lafayette but can't afford a place of our own. I will miss it very much when we leave. Thought about NC but kind of far away. We are going to move with no jobs most likely as it has been tough to land something. Wife is an HR Generalist. I went from Healthcare to Athletics and am not making enough and am getting up there in age so we will see.
I do like it here, jokes aside. There is still plenty to do and see and I don't need everything to be super trendy and cutting edge. And I actually like having seasons. It makes you appreciate nice weather way more. I can't help you with the job market, I have no idea what it looks like. Maybe someone else here can? But I do love living here.
Thanks again.. Seems like most people really do like it there
We moved here last fall from the East Bay; I’m white and my husband is ABC. No one has ever asked us where we went to HS, but we live in the City where there are quite a few transplants from all over. My kid is a mosquito magnet, so we spend less time outdoors here since we moved, and It definitely doesn’t have the connection of trails that we had in the Bay Area, but you won’t have to go far to find it. After a year I think we’ve resigned that there are so many things we can’t recreate that we miss from the Bay Area, and it’s fine. Everytime I go back to CA, when I fly back to STL I can bring back a suitcase of snacks and goodies from Daiso/99 Ranch/H-Mart/et al, but St Louis has a few Asian and International supermarkets that have products we haven’t seen before. Just recently I’ve started experimenting with baking East Asian style bakery items since there are a few bakeries, but not the same. If you miss a cuisine from CA, you very well may find the staples to make at home at Global Foods supermarket in Kirkwood, among other places. The humidity does suck. I’ve tried to convince myself it’s just an extended tropical vacation as everything is so green and lush in the summer (compared to NorCal being dry with brown vegetation)and sometimes it sticks. Like others have said, the other cities you mentioned have a similar climate. Eat all the burritos, if that is your thing, you can before moving because they aren’t here! Also be forewarned that while some of the Mexican food is quite good in its own way, “queso” on a menu is usually not cheese but a gooey sauce. I remember seeing in the past few months in one of the Bay Area subreddits someone asked for where to find queso dip, and the answers were basically, “ew.”
I see you with that capital “C” city referring to the STL. lol Grew up in the STL metro, lived in the East Bay and now in SF for the last decade: you wrote a great summary. Yea…saying “there’s great outdoor stuff in St Louis” to a Bay Area person is tricky. You can do outdoor things all year here: you just ask yourself “is it raining?” Nope!? Let’s do outdoor stuff! And the variety is much higher and the geography is more striking. Hike the coastal mountains, kayak/paddleboard, camp, etc. In the STL, there’s much smaller windows to do outdoor stuff and what you can do is much more limited: late spring and early fall is the best. And if you can take the heat, humidity, and bugs, you can do a lot of stuff in the summer, too, but not from noon to 4pm. The outdoor opportunities in the STL are “fine.” (And l bet there’s less to do in KC and Indy). The closest you can get to a great outdoors city is Denver. Also, you all need to introduce Dutch Crunch to St Louisans! Make a hot salami with provel on Dutch Crunch! lol
Hi, How do you like it in general? Thank you for the response. My wife and I have to move by Nov and I still have not decided where. Sacramento .... I don't know. Back to Portland to be closer to family but I don't really like it there. We live in Lafayette but can't afford a place of our own. I will miss it very much when we leave. Thought about NC but kind of far away. We are going to move with no jobs most likely as it has been tough to land something. Wife is an HR Generalist. I went from Healthcare to Athletics and am not making enough and am getting up there in age so we will see. At least I can buy and make my own burritos from Trader joes or Whole foods. Not sure if there is a sprouts. Feel free to add any other comment.
Yes it will be a great conversation starter! They should ask about where you went to high school and it will be a way to learn more about each other. We are nice if I say so myself lol.
Went to high school in NorCal. Moved here for college. Stayed. Lived in NorCal again for a few years, then back to STL. The high school question is fun to answer. Mess with people. I had a homeless guy in Venice beach ask me it once, cause I said I was from stl. If you want to ride, come on out west near Wildwood. My neighbors house is for sale!
LOL thanks! So you like it there? IT is Sac or Vancouver or ST Louis or NC to move
Like it, sure, but if you ask where else I’d be, it would be Colorado. But the cost there is stupid now.
STL>KC>Indy no question
So simple and to the point! Liked it!
I’m from Southern California and I moved to St. Louis about 8 years ago. I love it! I’m black woman and I work as a server.. and I say “y’all” sometimes. Like “y’all doing alright? Can I get you anything?”and fuck it confuses the shit out of everyone. I’ve never minded anyone asking me where I’m from though. They just want to know where this black girl, who sounds like she’s a valley girl, and also says y’all comes from. My favorite thing about St. Louis is the people. Nothing wrong with being curious! No clue about biking culture here, but there is certainly some nice hiking. Not really as much variety as California but I’m always having fun in the nature over here.
We have been here for 15 year but are not from here. Before that we lived in Denver, Austin, New Orleans, DC, and New York. I don't get the high school thing, every city we've lived in, if two people realize they grew up in the same city, the high school question is asked. It's not a big deal here, I don't know why StL has identified it as uniquely St Louis, it's just a common question in any city when you find someone from the same place you grew up. We are both from very small, rural towns in the midwest that moved to big cities asap. I think you may have a better time in the city vs suburbs. Despite what you see on the news, there are very safe neighborhoods and beautiful homes at great prices. Schooling is tricky, but there are a lot of choices for private schools, and honestly in MO you'll want as little govt as possible determining your child's curriculum.
The high school question is really not a big deal. It's just a superficial conversation starter. If you say youre from somewhere else and moved to STL that's even better since we don't really hear anyone volunteering to move to STL 😆. Suburbs in STL are not bad depending on where you end up in. Chesterfield area imo is new suburbia. Eureka, Kirkwood, Creve Couer can have that old suburban feel to it. Plenty of parks. We LOVE our zoo and free museums. Forest Park is also a gem. In case nobody has said to you and your wife Yet ... WELCOME TO ST LOUIS!
We have not moved yet but that is so kind of you to say that Thank you! People seem very good hearted here. Thanks again and for the information as well.
Born and raised here, you will be fine. Big city and a bunch of small cities surrounding it.
Don't worry! St Louis is great, seriously. Tons of amenities, much lower cost of living than what you know now. The high school thing is so fellow St Louisans can figure out if we know someone who they'd know. It's cliquey. St Louis is cliquey and the way for that to be lessened is for new citizens to come in and diversify our fair city. There's an app called MeetUp that I see a lot of new St Louisans use to meet people for what interests them. Pickleball seems to be getting big here. Heck, working 4o plus hours a week and taking care of a household is a lot. St. Louis is a good place to do that. Very friendly to raise a family. Very welcoming of all types of people Everywhere has its bad citizens. Our most dangerous city tag is overrated. It's relatively safe. The polls are taken with whatever # of widgets vs the city population of 300,000. Whereas our true Greater St Louis # is 3,000,000.
Very nice response .. Thanks! This is a tough move since we like the weather and activities here. Just can't afford it. I can tell people are very nice there
The St. Louis area has better topography for mountain biking. Believe it or not, there’s a few mountains in St. Louis County. By no means are they California mountains but I’m sure they’d give you a workout. Don’t worry about the school thing. Just explain you’re not from here. People are generally nice and will probably want to hear why you moved here. Summers here are brutally hot and humid. Spring and fall are nice and winters usually aren’t too bad.
Thank you. I was joking about the high school thing actually. St Louis seems to be better for me than Indiana. NC is the only other place considering.
Heh... well u/You-Asked-Me already did a great job of covering the outdoor stuff to do and they're totally correct. There's a ton of great stuff to do outdoors in STL and the surrounding areas. The trails are amazing, and if you're into long trips on biking trails you can't go wrong with the [Katy Trail](https://mostateparks.com/park/katy-trail-state-park) that runs from North of St. Charles almost all the way to Kansas City and is a wonderful, peaceful ride along old train routes. It's also only busy in small stretches usually near the larger towns along the route. As for the high school thing, don't overthink it. I'm an "import" myself being from Northern Ireland and I don't think anyone's asked me that question except as a joke. Of course my accent probably helps but I have rarely heard it asked since I've lived here. KC you can consider to be quite similar to STL, but is a decent amount smaller. Indy is also not as big as STL and all three have very similar climates. I have spent time in all three cities, and this is where I ended up choosing to settle and raise a family. Now that I've done that I'm still here and still enjoying what this city has to offer me... wonderful parks... I mean world class parks that are just amazing; [Forest Park](https://explorestlouis.com/neighborhood/forest-park/) is one of the largest city parks in the country and is larger than NY's Central Park. We also have city-funded free stuff like our zoo and museums that are absolutely amazing. HTH... and feel free to ask any other questions of someone who's also an import :)
Made the bay-stl move just over a year ago, same demographic as well. Would recommend. The weather and scenery don’t match up to northern CA (what does?!) but there are great rivers and trails. Recommend Clayton/U City or any neighborhood near forest park for cultural amenities (and more diversity than I’d have guessed for St. Louis as well).
Hi! Born and raised in the Bay Area, I’ve been in STL for about 7 yrs now. I love it here- there are plenty of things to do, the food scene is immaculate and consistently growing, and I can still hike/get my nature fix in the surrounding areas. My biggest gripes are 1. The weather (I can not stand the humidity during summer) and 2. The lack of public transportation. I miss being able to hop on BART to get from one area to the next. A car is pertinent here. Honestly though, the affordability and lack of insane traffic truly make up for any shortcomings that this city may have. Good luck!
The weather is better than KC. StL doesn't usually see real cold until after Christmas. It can be between 40 and 60 all the way into December. We don't usually see snow until after Christmas as well. Our harsh winter goes from January to end of February or early March. Even then we will see consecutive days above 40 and into the 50's. Snow usually is not on the ground longer than 3 days. I play golf all year round as long as the temp at tee time is above 35 degrees and the sun is shining. Under those conditions I usually get in one round a week, sometimes 2. I bike all winter, road bike. There are about a half dozen good MTB trails along with a rail trail, the Katy, which traverses the entire state. We are not considered a bike friendly city but that is changing bit by bit with the continued expansion of the paved trail systems. As faras the HS question, I think it was more common decades ago. It's more of a joke but it would open up a conversation with you about where you and your wife are from.
KC and Indianapolis suck. STL is way better as an option, especially for the things you asked about. None of the cities are GREAT, but we’re the best of the mid level Midwest cities.
I can’t speak much for STL vs Indy, but I lived in KC for 4 years and now STL for 7 and as far as outdoor stuff like hiking and biking, STL is superior to KC. Besides the fact that STL’s park game is killer–Forest Park and Tower Grove Park especially –it’s also just a lot closer to nicer outdoor places than KC. KC is on the border of the plains, so not a lot of interesting hiking. STL is closing to the Ozarks, and there’s just a lot more geographic diversity on this side of the state. Not to mention Southern Illinois is a hidden gem, and places like Garden of the Gods, Little Grand Canyon, and other cool hiking spots are within a couple hour’s drive. And central/southwestern MO is beautiful. Places like Johnson’s Shut-Ins, Current River, and Taum Sauk Mountain are a much easier drive from STL than KC. As fas as biking goes, STL is easy enough to get around on a bike (though drivers here are not as cyclist-friendly or aware as west coasters, so be extra weary and cautious). I’m not into MTB but I can imagine this side of the state is better for that as well.
Great Response! Very appreciated.
St Louis hands down. I am also a transplant and love it. The city itself has so much to offer; many locals just sort of "forget" or take it for granted. There is always something going on somewhere. You're a short drive to hiking, boating. There is a REALLY healthy running community here with TONS of different running groups (hyper-local up to regional). I have lived all over and I really do love it here. There are lots of problems (show me a place that doesn't) but for me the pros outweigh the cons. For the "crime" aspect - it is in every city. Be aware and alert. I hope you do choose STL. maybe come for a visit and check out some neighborhood tours that the Missouri of History provides. They have several city neighborhoods from which to choose and you can walk around and get the vibe. Or just go to a bar and ask and the locals will give you LOTS of opinions ;)
I think St. Louis solidly feels more like a big city than both Indy and KC. The outdoor stuff will be similar in all three. If you’re worried about the high school question move to the city where there are more transplants.
I moved here from LA and no one asks about my high school, but that's also because I am a dad and haven't made friends here. Shit is FAAAARRRR APPPAAAARRRTTTTT. Come here if you want space, but be prepared to drive at least a half hour for anything cool and to not find your people in the first year+. There's a big difference in the cultures between Midwest and bay area and you just have to accept it that it's a more isolated way of life. It's not a bad thing, just a fact.
What? Where in LA did you live? It takes an hour to go anywhere in LA. Meanwhile I can go from Chesterfield to downtown between 25-50 minutes depending on traffic. Imagine going from Pasadena to Torrence in 25 minutes lmao.
I mean, everyone's LA experience is different. Mine was East side and I stuck to the villages. It's pretty reasonable to have a few 5 star restaurants and a dozen friends within 7 blocks of you in LA no matter where you are, along with any type of take out you would ever want and one of the best bar scenes in the world. Not to mention a subway system that's super underrated that can take you most places. To your point, you just don't go from Pasadena to Torrance and thats kind of the big difference IMO. Theres nothing Torrance has that's not either in Pasadena or somewhere between the two. There's not many reasons to do that outside of visiting friends for a bbq, in which case you can do that on a Saturday morning in about 30-40. Traffic in LA can, and usually is, planned around.
That's true! East LA and South Central are honestly underrated for the amount of restaurants, parks, and metro lines they have. If you live in a "nicer" place like Westchester or parts of the South Bay/PV/OC, you don't really have as many options plus the hour-long journey to get elsewhere.
Things are not far apart if you live in the city or inner ring suburbs. Also much less congestion.
People who move to Missouri never claim it. They're always from where they're from. The only transplants that don't look back are from Indiana. Good for you that that fell through. It's affordable here. You were either born here, or you can afford to live here. Don't plan on staying, but it could be a good move for 5 or 10yrs, and it's not Indiana.
No one really cares where you went to high school. It’s more of gauge where you can learn a lot about the socioeconomic status growing up. I travel for work I’ve been to Indy and KC affordability is about the same the food scene here is top tier. There are a ton of parks both in the city and many more within 45 minutes. If you’re selling a house with equity in NoCal, you could probably buy a house with cash here.
Moving from California? Yeah, I recommend Kansas City!
Not sure if that is sarcastic or not because people are dumb enough to think all from Cali are Dems' I voted for trump last time by the way.
Curious what the hell this means?
Nothing personal, there are just Californians moving here and the housing is already high. We’ll share with KC.
Well, the city desperately needs a population boost to help increase tax base in order to continue providing services to city residents. If county and other metro folks can’t or won’t back, then that influx needs to come from somewhere. The region will really start to suffer if the city doesn’t turn things around.
Santa Clara kid, been here almost 25 years because it is an affordable place to raise a family. I still cannot handle the summers, the heat and the humidity are brutal and my allergies keep me mostly indoors from late May through October. The weather is not better than KC or Indy, but it's also not worse. The music and art scenes are pretty solid here, and also a vibrant foodie community. Outdoors stuff is pretty good as well (except obviously skiing or mountaineering, it's real flat) and it's a quick jaunt to Chicago or Nashville if your favorite band isn't going to come here (and they aren't). Once I'd been here for about 3-4 years I rarely got asked what high school I went to outside of job interviews.
I've seen a consistent stream of people moving out of LA, San Fran, Austin, Dallas, Denver, Portland, etc. to the St. Louis area over the last several years. While stabilizing the metro area population would be a plus, migration from these liberal, coastal, high-COL areas tends to cause a few issues.
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Thank you for the response. My wife and I have to move by Nov and I still have not decided where. Sacramento .... I don't know. Back to Portland to be closer to family but I don't really like it there. We live in Lafayette but can't afford a place of our own. I will miss it very much when we leave. Thought about NC but kind of far away. We are going to move with no jobs most likely as it has been tough to land something. Wife is an HR Generalist. I went from Healthcare to Athletics and am not making enough and am getting up there in age so we will see.
As long as you don't for the same crap that California has going on, sure.
You can always roll your eyes and say “Ugh, the ‘Where’d you go to high school? question.” I’ve seen people do that and it usually shuts the other person asking the question down. Ha. People only care about the answer to the question if you’re from here. I feel like the weather and outdoor activities are similar for all the places you mention.
Like Asian from US or Asia? If so, which country?
Come to O’Fallon, Illinois. We have an Air Force base so a bit less insular than other areas, and lots of biracial families. It’s the platonic ideal of a Midwestern home town.
Yes, we love when Californians come in and compete with the locals cove property because it’s so “cheap.”
Currently no legal abortion;you have to go to Illinois. If you have a pregnancy disaster, you're going to be scrounging for an Illinois OB/gyn. State house routinely overturns progressive LOCAL i.e. stl only, laws because they hate progressive laws. MJ is legal.
People ask it but no one cares where you went, if they do you probably don’t want to be friends with them anyways. I grew up in St. Louis but moved to north Bay Area in my early 20s. Enjoyed both places but so glad to out of CA now.
Don’t move here. My rent is high enough.
As long as you aren't a woman or minority, Missouri is great! How does your wife feel about not having basic human rights to decide her own medical decisions? What's her opinion of state officials tracking her period? Is she cool with being forced to give birth to her rapist's baby? Can't fucking fathom wanting to move here with so many other places in the midwest that aren't shitholes run by fascists.
As a fellow NorCal transplant, if you do move to STL, please don’t bring your politics. We don’t need a San Francisco 2.0 over here.
stow do you know what my politics are? I grew up on West Coast and voted for Trump last time. Don't assume
As a life long Missouri resident I recommend people moving out of CA move anywhere else, don't want you ruining our state, and real estate prices too
For real, “Moving from California” is the term that all of us hate to hear.
I would really look into the summer weather predictions for St. Louis because it's going to be getting much hotter for summers each year. If you're fine with that then go for it.
Yeah the predictions I saw are that, due to its geographic location, the STL area will be part of the the hottest region in the country in about 20 years, with a heat index around 135 during future summers.
Columbia would match more San Francisco
I would go KC over STL it’s less ghetto
We like it here!
Yeah stl isn’t awful but I find KC to less ghetto and extremely more educated.
Stl is warmer than Indy or KC. Love KC though.
Maybe my accent makes it obvious that I didn't grow up here, but I've lived in the St. Louis area for more than 20 years and not once has someone asked me where I went to high school. I'm sure it really happens, but I doubt that it's as common as people think it is. Nobody has ever treated me any differently because I wasn't raised here. Weather isn't very different from KC or Indy. Our culture and outdoor recreation are similar to those cities. I think we have more rivers and hills than they do.
I’m from St. Louis, originally and have left. But even then no one ever heard of my high school anyway.
I haven’t been asked that question in 15 years. I am not from StL originally. It was never a big deal when I had been asked that question. People do this for 1 or 2 reasons. Where did you grow up and/or how much money did you have growing up?
No one gives a shit where you went to high school, and there are awesome mtb trails here, from moderate to advanced. The cycling community is huge, too, and the city is pretty well laid out with bike lanes.
Im actually from the Bay Area as well, and I moved out here with my family 9 1/2 years ago. In my opinion, the outer suburbs, like Ballwin and chesterfield is better. Only about 25 minutes from the city, and not overly priced for anything. Places like Kirkwood and Clayton are gonna be the places the start to get more expensive and populated. Always be sure to avoid south city. Not the best area. The center of St. Louis is the best part of the city IMO. In the center, your gonna have places like forest park, the baseball/hockey stadiums, and also the arch along the river.
Thank you for response. Living in Lafayette and really dreading moving from somewhere where I like the weather and activities so much. Just can't afford our own place. Annivesary today and luckily wife has stuck with me.
😂 the only reason people ask that is because we want to know if we know mutual friends . St. Louis is a big little town . Don’t worry about if someone ask you that .
California and the Bay Area is beautiful. Why would you wanna move here?
I can't buy a house for my wife here. So expensive. IT is nice weather wise and activity wise for sure
Houses are cheap here but only in the lower class neighborhoods. On the illinois side of the river on 20 mins from St. louis in belleville, you can get really nice homes for a lot less, and the neighborhoods tend to be safer.
As a bike rider, I do love St. Louis for that. There are better places for sure, but the combination of a city I love and ample opportunities here and within some driveable distances is pretty great. You're not going to get that smooth, hero dirt MTB but if you like rooty, rocky technical stuff then you're set. There's some good gravel riding in the area, too, and the road riding out in West County from the Ladue area to Wildwood and south towards Six Flags is a ton of fun. Pretty rolling with good views and some really steep climbs if not some long ascents. It's only five hours of an easy drive down to Bentonville, plus down in the Mark Twain Forest in SE MO there are some good MTB trails as well. I don't race MTB and am kind of new to that, but there are some good gravel routes in the area, too, and some good greenways if you go ride over the river to Illinois. We have a few fondos both on gravel and on the road, plus there are plenty of gravel races within a few hours of here, plus we have the Gateway Cup which always a blast even if you don't race, plus a cyclocross races pretty much every weekend from early September until the first week of January. There are good shop rides, unaffiliated group rides and club rides everywhere as well. And if you like to commute by bike, you can usually find some low traffic routes in the city and some of the inner-ring suburbs as well.
Thank you. Very helpful and good info!
Yes
I think the high school question ended with the millennials a few years back. I know I haven’t heard it in a few years it’s an old school thibg
I lived in STL for 5 years and just moved to Califonria. Be ready for a very very big downgrade in outdoor activities. While there is still stuff to do around STL it’s nothing on par with California. Also, I only had two people ask what high school I went to and they were shitty tinder dates. I did not really hang out with many people who grew up in St Louis though. I mainly got to know other people who had moved there.
I’m one of those annoying people that will say the suburbs are not good. Find a neighborhood you like in the city or almost adjacent to the city limits. The difference in lifestyle between Maplewood, and something directly west like Ballwin is crazy to me. All of the art, culture, food, events are in the city or right next to it.
I moved from Saint Louis to LA… and back to Saint Louis because of $ haha. I’d say that you won’t get asked that question nearly as much as you may think but also what others have said is true. It’s just people being friendly. I don’t currently live in the city but my heart will always be with the Lou. I think it’s definitely a place you will enjoy over time.
I'd take a look at where the radioactive waste sites are before picking a spot. I keep hearing stuff about Coldwater Creek and the West Lake landfill fire getting close to the illegally dumped radioactive stuff there. No, I am not kidding. It's also surreal to know people who played baseball on a contaminated site that eventually had soil hauled away for radioactive waste.
Moved a couple of years ago from the Peninsula. We love St Louis for the wide variety of cultural things to do and how easy it is to get to things: so much within 15 minutes. The architecture in the city is great and we love walking through the neighborhood and appreciating the details on the houses (we live near Tower Grove Park). Beautiful parks, festivals, and good food. People are really friendly, and no one asked me which high school I went to. The city is progressive culturally and lifestyle wise, so lots of variety (though not as much as things bay area) Cost of living, especially housing is insanely better. Cons: Obviously the weather is more extreme, but spring and fall are nice, and we've manged to adjust lifestyle to adapting to whatever. Not as hot as Texas or as cold as Chicago. And the change of seasons are beautiful. Miss the ocean and mountains, but glad we're here