Population: 347,181 (2006 estimate)
Percentage of retirees: 11.8% in 2006
Cost of living index: Below average
Public libraries: 24
Public transportation: MetroLink is St Louis' light rail system. Several far options are available. The MetroBus serves all parts of the St Louis area. Amtrak has two stations in the city.
Access to airports: Lambert-St Louis International Airport is connected to the city by the MetroLink, the city's light rail system, and by an airport bus.
Tax breaks: In Missouri, for taxable years beginning in 2007, Missouri resident taxpayers are allowed a state income tax deduction for Social Security benefits received by individuals 62 years of age or older.
Number of museums: 33
Number of cinemas: 30
Number of sunny days a year: 195
Cultural Highlights: Strong museum and music offerings.
Access to Healthcare: Good, with a number of teaching hospitals.
Climate: Hot summers and cold but not harsh winters.
Annual precipitation: 35.2 inches
Nearby Attractions: Meramec Caverns within an hours' drive. The Mississippi and Missouri River corridors offer a number of hiking/biking trails, nature preserves, and historic sites.
Useful links: St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission
In the Know: "You take all these cultural institutions and you put them together, not only are they world class and affordable, they are available. Literally, on a weekday, if there is a concert at the St. Louis Symphony, you can generally get tickets the day of. For folks who are thinking about a place for late career or to retire, I couldn't think of a better city. They'll be a stranger here for about a week because there's lots of stuff to do and lots to get engaged in." -Vince Schoemehl, mayor of St. Louis from 1981-1993 and president of the Grand Center Arts and Entertainment District
St. Louis can claim many of the assets of a big city, but it wraps them in an unassuming Midwestern bonhomie. Despite the number of colleges here, most notably Washington University, the city doesn't feel like a college town, perhaps because it also has a strong manufacturing and business base. Its neighborhoods are diverse and distinct. And of course the Mississippi River, historically the city's raison d'etre, flows along the eastern edge of town, with architect Eero Saarinen's famous Gateway Arch soaring at the river's edge.
In 1904, this city in the geographic heart of the country was chosen to host the World's Fair, and the lovely lakes and green spaces of Forest Park, the original fairgrounds, have been preserved ever since. The St. Louis Art Museum is housed in one of the fair buildings, the city's fine zoo is here, and so is the MUNY, a 12,000-seat outdoor amphitheatre featuring summer revivals of popular musicals. A summer Shakespeare festival offers free weekly plays in the park.
The acclaimed St. Louis Symphony performs summer through fall in Powell Symphony Hall, but the city also has a rich jazz and blues tradition and strong African-American arts in general. Clubs and performance venues are scattered throughout town, with a concentration in the Grand Center Arts and Entertainment District, just north of St. Louis University.
Of the city's dynamic neighborhoods, the Hill celebrates its Italian roots with superb cuisine and long-cherished neighborhood traditions. The upscale Central West End was an early pioneer in the concept of gated communities, though it has opened up considerably, welcoming streetside cafés, boutiques and restaurants. The University City area around Washington University is far less buttoned-down, and its old neighborhoods are also an easy walk to restaurants, unexpected shops and the lively campus of Washington University.
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Comments (10)
I must say Saint Louis is a great place to live. However, it has more disadvantages that advantages. I had the luxury to compare our fair city to places such as, Chicago, San Francisco, and Evansville. Undoubtedly, the larger more popular cities, mentioned above, have far more to offer as it relates to economic opportunity, friendly adaptable culture, and outgoing personable people. Even though, I love the city because its home; the people and government is stagnate and need a lot of work to catch up with larger cities. To illustrate, recently St. Louisians decided to reduce its public transportation system. Even in today's climate of healthy lifestyle coupled with St. Louis' major push to bring people back into town; this decision only exacerbates the problem. Lastly, the Midwestern morals, high regard for education, and social values attract a lot of families to the area. As such, this city creates a rich environment of educated, value strong youth that seek life outside of St. Louis because it lacks so much larger cities has to offer. City planning really should work with area businesses to attain as much youth as possible as they are the future of St. Louis.
Posted by Demetric on June 29,2010 | 11:21 PM
I've lived in St. Louis all my life, but have yet to entirely explore my city. Living here is not bad at all, it's how you make it worth your while.
I choose not to drive and I make the most of Metrobus/Metrolink. I happen to live in a neighborhood where everything is close by in walking distance (at least 20 minutes--I don't mind walking and it's good to keep the weight down).
The only bummer is that the buses/Metrolink don't run late at night, so no clubbing for me. I'm still exploring my city for new and fun things to do. I used to hang out in the Loop, but now my favorite stomping grounds is downtown.
Posted by Katherine Merriweather on October 30,2009 | 10:44 AM
Growing up just east of St. Louis, in Granite City, IL, I was over the Mississippi as much as possible when I could drive at 16. I have fond memories of the city. Currently, I reside in Chicago, IL, but I make it down to the St. Louis area whenever I can. It has had its ups and downs over the years, but I always love going back. It has a world class zoo in Forest Park, which I didn't see mentioned, and a very nice outdoor ampitheater called the MUNY, which is open in warmer months. The Art museum has an excellent collection of German Expressionist art, most notably many pieces from Max Beckmann. Downtown has seen better days, but there are still a lot of nice things to do. In my opinion, some of the best areas are a little off the beaten track, like the Missouri Botanical Gardens,Soulard or Forest Park. The farmers market at Soulard is a must-see. Also, Cahokia Mounds lies just across the river, and is well worth a visit.
Posted by Eric Stone on August 26,2009 | 12:02 AM
St. Louis itself is becoming Detroit on the Mississippi, as far as the "depopulation bomb." It's lost better than half its population in 35 years.
Posted by SocraticGadfly on June 25,2008 | 11:43 PM
I've lived in St. Louis my whole life. As an avid traveler, I've seen many parts of the country and world. However, something continues to summon me back to my Midwestern roots. I live in the Downtown area, and I love all the cultural advantages it offers. Each neighborhood has a rich history and beautiful architecture to match (just venture into the historic Lafayette Park Neighborhood to see incredible Victorian homes-only a five minute drive from the center of downtown) One disconcerting feature is the division between county and city. The city is certainly a thriving center for music, art, food, and ethnic diversity. I would recommend this city to anyone who wants to raise a family and have fun doing it! Cheers!
Posted by Christopher on June 20,2008 | 01:23 PM
I have lived in St.Louis all of my life and have traveled throughout the U.S.. Stl to me is one of the best cities to live, in the cost of living isn't that high, we have huge attractions alot of them are free, but prices ar not that pricy, commute from here and there are not that bad whereas other cities it takes 45 mins here and 30 there. Our weather is not bad, but you know when it gets hot it gets hot. I would not have a problem reccomending STL a place to live for a single person, who just wants to party or to a married couple who wants a nice home and to raise children. St. Louis is a great, fantastic, awesome city! Go Cards, Blues & RAms!
Posted by Corey on June 4,2008 | 12:50 PM
Ive lived in stl most of my life, I moved to cali, south florida, texas and I came back here, I love stl, I hear most people making concerns about safety downtown, Im not sure how longs its been since you've been downtown but the city's dynamics have greatly changed! People are flocking back to the city, I used to live in saint louis county, but with high gas prices and 20 min trips to most stores I moved my family back to the city, I also found upon my return that many of my neighbors are from "west county" a very upscale section of saint louis, There is a great turnaround happing in this city and I invite anyone to visit here and stay downtown, have a wonderful day.... kenneth
Posted by Kenneth on May 22,2008 | 12:40 PM
I lived in north county for 6 years then moved to Dallas TX. is anyone hireing aircraft mechanics in St. Louis would take it over Dallas. St. Louis has more to offer for people on lower budgets. I love the surounding towns and culture. I would not sujest puplic transportation or Downtown for visitors. Try surounding cities and rent a car its short distences to get anywere.
Posted by Mark Foster on April 10,2008 | 12:43 AM
I spent 9 months in St. Louis recently in a hotel overlooking the arch, without transportation. The Metro Rail is not convenient to very much and feels unsafe after dark, as does most of downtown St. Louis. You do see some renovation of the downtown area but it's not there yet. I would not recommend this city unless one has a car and can avoid the downtown area.
Posted by Mary McGoldrick on April 3,2008 | 09:28 PM
Having been born & raised in North St. Louis, when I reached retirement age I soon realized that there wasn't any way that I could afford to live there on what Social Security & my Non-Teacher Retirement packages paid. So I began to travel to various warm-weather places like Florida, Alabama, Louisiana & Texas in order to find a retirement home. It wasn't until I tried Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico that I found a perfect place with all the right things; (1) Affordable (2) Friendly & (3) Located not too far from the USofA.
Posted by Bob Story on April 3,2008 | 05:30 PM