ST. LOUIS
St. Louis, with its five state parks and hundreds of neighborhood parks, is without a doubt a beautiful and friendly place to visit, but it is also a fabulous place to live and raise a family! Although St. Louis is the eighteenth largest metropolitan area in the United States, with all the cultural, educational, and economic advantages that implies, it has the sixth lowest cost of living!
A Great Place to Work
Many major corporations, Fortune 500 companies such as Anheiser-Busch Companies, May Department Stores, Emerson, and Graybar Electric, as well as many successful businesses exist in St. Louis, where more than 2.6 million people reside. As headquarters for Fortune 500 companies, the area has been ranked seventh in the United States.
Its primary industries include the following: biotechnology, aviation, electrical utilities, refining, telecommunications, food and beverage manufacturing, and more.
Education
St. Louis offers excellent education. Not only does the St. Louis area maintain 115 public school districts and over 300 high-quality private schools, but also about 80 of the finest vocational and technical schools. Test scores are higher than the national average, and the school system has been complimented by several important national magazines, such as Money and Business Week.
The area is also home to 12 universities and four-year colleges, including Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis University, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis. It is also home to 8 two-year institutions and many professional schools.
Getting Around
Another great thing about the St. Louis area is that it is very easy to get to and around in! Lambert St. Louis International Airport and several smaller airports, including Mid-America Airport in St. Clair County, are very accessible.
There is a Metrolink light rail system, Amtrak passenger trains, Bi-State Development Agency buses, and 4 main interstate routes, all of which add to the region being a delightful place in which to reside.
Special Attractions
Forest Park, site of the 1904 World's Fair, is larger than Central Park in New York City. Many cultural and educational events take place here, in addition to its being the home for the St. Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum, the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Science Center, and the Municipal Opera. It is also a place where many love to picnic, run, and have lots of outdoor fun!
For lover of sports, the area is home to the Cardinals (baseball), the Rams (football), and the Blues (hockey).
Some other major attractions include Union Station, which contains shops and restaurants as well as a hotel, a comedy club, and a pond for paddle boating. Soulard offers a great farmer’s market as well as the Anheuser-Busch brewery and beautiful homes that have been restored. Go to South Grand Boulevard for its art galleries and ethnic restaurants or to Central West End for its antique shops and old homes or to the Hill for its Italian neighborhoods and restaurants. Laclede's Landing offers riverboat casinos, stores and restaurants, as well as Gateway Arch Park, which surrounds the well-known Gateway Arch.
Scenic St. Louis, with its cobblestone streets, stained-glass windows, and the many historic buildings in which visitors and residents can stay, is a joy to visit or reside in. And beautiful suburbs like Affton, Oakville, and Webster Groves benefit mightily from their close proximity to this city of great culture and beauty.