Here in St. Louis, one of the first things that’s often boasted about is how much you can do without reaching into your wallet. While other cities, big and small, make you cough up a solid chunk of cash to enjoy their finer amenities, places like the St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis Zoo, Missouri History Museum, St. Louis Science Center, and more are all available for free, not to mention the abundance of public parks, such as the famous Forest Park,  all available within city limits. St. Louis is also known as a “20 minute city” for how convenient it is to get around, with all of these amenities just a short drive or Metrolink trip away.

**Here's a list of pros from a local about what's good in St. Louis:**
*- low cost of living*
*- great restaurant scene*
*- good arts and music scene*
*- great beer scene*
*- lots of things to do, and places to go, zoo, science, museums, parks*
*- Missouri has lots of camping/hiking/boating*
*- easy access to Kansas city, Chicago, and Nashville!*

For more reviews of what living in St. Louis is like from locals check out: [**The Buzz**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/st-louis?page=buzz)


Here’s a Freebie

The Best Thing About St. Louis?

While those who live here have an insane amount of pride for their hometown, St. Louis is unfortunately rated one of the worst run cities and worst cities in the country to live in. Violent crime rates? Always near the highest in the nation. Poverty? Almost a quarter of residents live below the poverty line. Population growth? Nonexistent. People are leaving St. Louis quicker than they’re coming in. Conditions certainly vary by neighborhood like they do in most cities, but there are an unfortunate number of different directions you could go with this one. 

**Here's the pov from a local:**
*Weather: In the summer -- hotter, more humid & air more ozone-lazen than that found in all seven layers of Hell. That's why air conditioning in STL is not an option; it's a necessity as much as heat is in Minneapolis*

*Winters can be a pain because STL is often in the border area between snow to the north & rain to the south. That means ICE, which you can't do a flipping thing with (no sledding, skiing, curling, etc.) Major snowstorms cause life to come to a standstill for days due to lack of people and proper equipment to get out there and remove it quickly; therefore owning a 4-wheel-drive vehicle is advantageous, especially in the city itself, where side streets and alleys don’t get plowed at all.*

*Politics: Conservative, segregated and very Catholic, especially in the southern suburbs.*




Pick your Poison

The Worst Thing About St. Louis

St Louis has a lot of qualities of other midwestern cities. Early industrial wealth was used to build cultural institutions: symphony, ballet, museums etc. that sometimes surprise people who expect the cities to be lacking in performing arts and civic opportunities. Like some other midwestern cities with decent economies, plenty of people stay and that gives it an insular feel. There are incredible strengths here for families, posh and working class neighborhoods and great work/life balance respected by local employers. Much of the city energy is around city outer ring/suburban family life, mixed with social/cultural life and some younger professionals making it work downtown. 

If you want to see what's happening in St. Louis check out the calendar of events: https://explorestlouis.com/events/


Lifestyle Of St. Louis

St. Louis has a lot more corporate headquarters than you’d think. There is a big, well-to-do professional class here that benefits from the fact things are still designed and manufactured here. While the emerging tech and service sector is just getting started you can feel how business and employees are staying or moving here to take advantage of the low cost of living and incredible infrastructure. 


Workstyle Of Downtown

You should move to St. Louis due to those previously mentioned low prices. With a number of solid public schools in addition to the city's great local parks and free museums, St. Louis is seen as a steal for families given the price tag. Come check out the view from the arch and bring the kids to catch a Cardinals game with us in “The Gateway to the West.”


Buy Low

Why You Should Move Here Now?

Central West End is ground zero for young professionals. It’s wedged between the stunning Forest Park and St. Louis University so you get incredible greenery and the energy of a great campus. It’s a foodie nirvana and there are tons of shopping boutiques, bookstores, cafes and live music throughout the neighborhood. Downtown is another great option. Short walk to work, all the big event destinations around the corner, tons of restaurants of nightlife options, and plenty of apartment/condo and loft options throughout the streets of the area. 
- Central West End
- Downtown
- Lafayette Square


Young Professionals

Central West End

Lafayette Square is an ideal neighborhood for singles and couples who want to skip the madness of downtown. Just a few blocks south but a world away from the condo/corporate scene, the Square is filled with quiet streets of beautiful Victorian homes and townhomes. Lafayette Park is at the center of the neighborhood. 30-acres of greenery for walking the doggo, going for a run or seeing a movie or music act at the outdoor festival space. 
- Lafayette Square
- Shaw
- Soulard


DINKs/SINKs

Lafayette Square

The Grove is the epicenter of LGBTQ+ nightlife in St. Louis. Cocktail bars, clubs, restaurants and music venues that are owned by and/or cater to the community. Central West End is the oldest LGBTQ+ friendly neighborhood, with a mix of the city's most active commercial district + LGBTQ-centric clubs and shopping run throughout the blocks. https://explorestlouis.com/discover/st-louis-lgbt/lgbt-friendly-neighborhoods/
- The Grove
- Central West End
- South Grand
- The Loop


LGBTQ+

The Grove

St. Louis is filled with great neighborhoods for families with Southamption one of the most popular. Low crime, and great single-family homes with 2 and 4 family flats line the quiet blocks that are filled with trees and flower gardens. It has some of the best public schools in the city and also has an awesome main street with great eats (delis/burger joint) and pubs and just an overall powerful sense of community. Shaw is another great option. Close to Tower Grove Park and Forest Park so in addition to the great homes, recreation and schools you get the added benefit of the best and biggest parks in the city. 
- Southampton
- Shaw
- Tower Grove South


Families

Southampton

St. Louis

**How is it like living in St. Louis**

Let me see if i can sum it up for an outsider:

- 3m people in the region

- low cost of living

- great restaurant scene

- good arts and music scene

- great beer scene

- crime is dependent on where you live, you'll want to lock your car everywhere though.

- I'd give us a 5 out of 10 on traffic. (traffic is generally not bad)

- lots of things to do, and places to go, zoo, science, museums, parks

- bad public transportation, you'll need a car

- Missouri has lots of camping/hiking/boating

- easy access to Kansas city, Chicago, and Nashville!

- no mountains

- no oceans nearby, but lots of rivers

- cold winters and hot humid summers. (credit to brational)

- occasional tornadoes

**How is it like living in St. Louis**

It is very cheap. You will be able to live on a much lower budget compared to Toronto. Especially when it comes to housing prices. You can easily find a great apartment in the city for $1000/month.

Winters are obviously much more mild than Toronto. We get snow, but usually only 4-5 times/winter and it melts quickly. In the summer it will be much hotter and more humid than you are used to.

The crime rate is definitely higher here than in Toronto. You may have to exercise a little more caution to not become a victim. This is highly dependent on where in the St. Louis area you decide to move. I feel very safe here,you just have to be smart and cautious.

Obviously we are a much smaller city. There will be less to do than Toronto, but also still plenty to do. We still have world class museums, restaurants, and parks. There are a ton of free events and things to do.




**How is it like living in St. Louis**

The Wife and I moved to STL from Alberta 12 years ago.

Day to day life will be comparable in most ways. Being from Southern ON you will have already had experience with humidity. That floored us when we moved. Winters are mild. Most daily highs in January for instance will be above +0c. Cold snaps happen but temps below -10c are not common. Snow is wet and usually just a few dumps of less than 30cm. Melts in a few days.

As others have mentioned traffic and cost of living will be much better. Taxes are lower, the USA is a good great place to be a top income earner. The country is huge and there are so many destinations for holidays (vacations).

Missouri is VERY conservative. Look up abortion for an idea of how things are here. The government is secular in theory but not in practice. Very unfortunate. That said, the cities are much less so.

Violence is much more common in American life. The idea is that you should inact your 2nd amendment rights and protect yourself that way. Personal choice is emphasized. Rather than the Crown providing solutions, you find them for yourself. Healthcare is a great example. Hearing gunfire in urban areas is perhaps the saddest example of this approach. It will feel odd at first but eventually you'll adapt. American's just do things differently. You'll love it or hate it.

All in all we have LOVED IT.

As soon as you land you've received a 20% raise!

You can buy a beautiful historic home in a Victorian neighborhood for peanuts.

People are very friendly.

$ for $ the food and drink situation has developed into one of the best in the country.

The airport is very small and very easy to fly out of. Via Southwest you can fly anywhere directly. West coast ~3h, East coast ~2h, Golf coast ~1.5h. We live in Benton Park and the drive to the airport is 15mins. Park at the terminal, clear security, and your at your gate no more than 45mins after you left your house. Bloody great! There is a direct flight to YYZ.

Traffic is nothing

4hr drive to bourbon country!

Turns out southern MO is pretty beautiful. Definitely explore it.

**What is it like to live in St. Louis, MO?**

I was born in St. Louis, still have dozens of relatives living in the area, lived there 26 years and still visit at least once a year.

Weather: In the summer -- hotter, more humid & air more ozone-lazen than that found in all seven layers of Hell. That's why air conditioning in STL is not an option; it's a necessity as much as heat is in Minneapolis.

The rest of the year, not bad, especially spring & fall. Those seasons are lovely and pleasant — best times to visit.

Winters can be a pain because STL is often in the border area between snow to the north & rain to the south. That means ICE, which you can't do a flipping thing with (no sledding, skiing, curling, etc.) Major snowstorms cause life to come to a standstill for days due to lack of people and proper equipment to get out there and remove it quickly; therefore owning a 4-wheel-drive vehicle is advantageous, especially in the city itself, where side streets and alleys don’t get plowed at all.

Vibe: Conservative, segregated and very Catholic, especially in the southern suburbs.

The greater metro area of approximately 2 million is conservative once one gets outside the city limits, especially in southern suburbs and points south of that in Jefferson County. This is an area where much of the city’s White Flight settled. The other White Flight bedroom community whose population has been growing faster than any other part of the state is St. Charles County, the county north of St. Louis County.

If you have an advanced degree and your politics are anywhere left of center you’ll probably be happiest living inside the city limits. There are still plenty of nice, reasonably safe and economical neighborhoods to live in there. If you’ve got money to burn, the City’s Central West End will please you as will the suburban corridor that travels due west of the city to Clayton, Ladue etc. The further west you go the more Republican it gets. It will be more of the old money style economic Republicans in the mold of presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, not Pres. Trump.

Cost of living: The best thing about living here. From gasoline to real estate, the St. Louis metro area boasts some of the lowest prices in the nation, compared to other major metro areas. But be advised that the area also features lower-than-average salaries and wages, too.

Arts & Entertainment scene: St. Louis can easily hold its own among U.S. metropolises with its sports franchises, botanical garden, museums, music scene, zoo etc. Just pick up a copy of The Riverfront Timesto get the latest news about arts and entertainment.

St. Louis, Missouri

Sweet Lou

Looklyloo Score: 73

We're on it!