KC vs St. Louis

[deadeyededric]

What are the differences between the 2? Other than the obvious. STL is slightly older and has a metro of 2.8mil vs 2.3. My gf is from STL and I've been trying to tell her that STL may be in the Midwest but it has more of a East/slightly smaller version of Chicago vibe. Not that that's a bad thing(I've always enjoyed my times there). KC is more like a smaller version of Dallas. I feel like KC is on more of an upswing while St. Louis City gets stuck in limbo in terms of city projects due to most of the money being in St. Charles County. While the snobs in KC suburbs in KS and MO may still be stingy in terms of projects in KCMO they still realize it's the flagship city of the metro. Same state and only 3 hours of highway between them but 2 totally different places imo.

 

[aeroclone]

St Louis is the western most eastern city in the US, while KC is the eastern most western city in the US.

 

[CloneIce]

I don’t say this to bag on SL. But KC has been on the upswing with great developments and improvements over the past two decades. SL, not as much.

I think KC benefits from strong growing counties on the KS side. JoCo is the fastest growing county and really the biggest economic driver of the state of KS. And KCK has had grown west with some major regional attractions. All that benefits the whole metro area. SL doesn’t have that component to its metro.

 

[CloneFanInKC]

What are the differences between the 2? Other than the obvious. STL is slightly older and has a metro of 2.8mil vs 2.3. My gf is from STL and I've been trying to tell her that STL may be in the Midwest but it has more of a East/slightly smaller version of Chicago vibe. Not that that's a bad thing(I've always enjoyed my times there). KC is more like a smaller version of Dallas. I feel like KC is on more of an upswing while St. Louis City gets stuck in limbo in terms of city projects due to most of the money being in St. Charles County. While the snobs in KC suburbs in KS and MO may still be stingy in terms of projects in KCMO they still realize it's the flagship city of the metro. Same state and only 3 hours of highway between them but 2 totally different places imo.

The following will be a combination of opinions and facts about the metro areas of both cities. St. Louis, Clayton, Kirkwood, Ladue and Liberty, Lee's Summit, Overland Park, Lenexa, Olathe etc.

*Both encompass 2 states; MO/IL and MO/KS
*KC has the lower population that is growing, while STL has a higher population that is declining.
*STL feels more like a metro and I always said it wants to compete/compare itself to Chicago, it's a smaller Chicago. KC feels like a big small town.
*There are two Kansas City(s); KCK and KCMO
*University of Missouri System has a campus in each town; UMKC and UMSL. Flagship campus is in Columbia, MO.
*Usually people from STL (this might have softened recently) look down on KC and still think it's a cow town. KC doesn't give a rip about STL and think Cardinal fans are obnoxious.
* KC seems to be flourishing, while STL is slowly dying.
*If you grew up in STL and meet another person who also grew up there, a very common question is "What high school did you attend?" (this always made me laugh out loud)
*Both have revitalized Union Stations, with the Hilton in STL being a really cool hotel.
*The traffic on I-70 between the two metros is heavy with semi-tractors.

 

[CloneIce]

The following will be a combination of opinions and facts about the metro areas of both cities. St. Louis, Clayton, Kirkwood, Ladue and Liberty, Lee's Summit, Overland Park, Lenexa, Olathe etc.

*Both encompass 2 states; MO/IL and MO/KS
*KC has the lower population that is growing, while STL has a higher population that is declining.
*STL feels more like a metro and I always said it wants to compete/compare itself to Chicago, it's a smaller Chicago. KC feels like a big small town.
*There are two Kansas City(s); KCK and KCMO
*University of Missouri System has a campus in each town; UMKC and UMSL. Flagship campus is in Columbia, MO.
*Usually people from STL (this might have recently softened recently) look down on KC and still think it's a cow town. KC doesn't give a rip about STL and think Cardinal fans are obnoxious.
* KC seems to be flourishing, while STL is slowly dying.
*If you grew up in STL and meet another person who also grew up there, a very common question is "What high school did you attend?" (this always made me laugh out loud)
*Both have revitalized Union Stations, with the Hilton in STL being a really cool hotel.
*The traffic on I-70 between the two metros is heavy with semi-tractors.

Good stuff. Just one note to add to the last point. I-70 is finally getting expanded with more lanes. About two decades late.

 

[CloneFanInKC]

Good stuff. Just one note to add to the last point. I-70 is finally getting expanded with more lanes. About two decades late.

I wanted the concept high speed train to be approved for MO, but a different area was selected. I wonder if that project is still in motion...?

Missouri Hyperloop - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[CloneFanInKC]

Good stuff. Just one note to add to the last point. I-70 is finally getting expanded with more lanes. About two decades late.

I was unaware. This will make I-70 travel even worse due to construction, but it seems like I70 always had construction anyways.

Missouri's I-70 expansion project begins near Columbia. Here's what to know about closures

The Missouri Department of Transportation is expanding I-70 to three lanes each way, with the first 20-mile section expected to be completed by the end of 2027. More than 40,000 vehicles travel between Kansas City and St. Louis each day.

www.kcur.org

 

[JEFF420]

St. Louis over KC every single time. KC is big Omaha. STL is fancy Memphis

 

[JohnPrineforCy]

Very accurate about not giving a rip about STL. I have been in KC for over a decade and comparing the two has never crossed my mind.

 

[Al_4_State]

They’re very different cities, and honestly I love both.

St Louis is ancient in the best way. It feels like an Eastern city rather than Midwestern. Soulard and the red brick is unlike anywhere else around here. There’s a much more European influence than KC. Forest Park is on par with Central Park in NYC. When you go to STL you feel like you’re in a different world.

KC is like a big boy version of DSM or Omaha. It’s from a different era altogether than St Louis. It’s much more Midwestern. The music, food, and architecture is more uniquely American.

Two very different experiences. Two places I truly enjoy.

 

[JP4CY]

I fly a bit and Southwest has a lot of connections in StL and KC has a nice new airport that is getting direct flights.

Maybe its just me but I feel like KC gets more "big time" events. Concerts, World Cup, etc.

 

[Al_4_State]

I fly a bit and Southwest has a lot of connections in StL and KC has a nice new airport that is getting direct flights.

Maybe its just me but I feel like KC gets more "big time" events. Concerts, World Cup, etc.

That would make sense. KC is more isolated from other major cities than StL is. I think if something is going to Chicago, and they're looking at their next stop west, KC makes more sense than StL.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

The history in StL is unmatched in the Midwest. The Soulard Neighborhood alone is more historic than anything you find in KC.

Neither city is right or wrong, they're just different.

 

[VeloClone]

The following will be a combination of opinions and facts about the metro areas of both cities. St. Louis, Clayton, Kirkwood, Ladue and Liberty, Lee's Summit, Overland Park, Lenexa, Olathe etc.

*Both encompass 2 states; MO/IL and MO/KS
*KC has the lower population that is growing, while STL has a higher population that is declining.
*STL feels more like a metro and I always said it wants to compete/compare itself to Chicago, it's a smaller Chicago. KC feels like a big small town.
*There are two Kansas City(s); KCK and KCMO
*University of Missouri System has a campus in each town; UMKC and UMSL. Flagship campus is in Columbia, MO.
*Usually people from STL (this might have softened recently) look down on KC and still think it's a cow town. KC doesn't give a rip about STL and think Cardinal fans are obnoxious.
* KC seems to be flourishing, while STL is slowly dying.
*If you grew up in STL and meet another person who also grew up there, a very common question is "What high school did you attend?" (this always made me laugh out loud)
*Both have revitalized Union Stations, with the Hilton in STL being a really cool hotel.
*The traffic on I-70 between the two metros is heavy with semi-tractors.

 

[MnBrPg]

St. Louis over KC every single time. KC is big Omaha. STL is fancy Memphis

I've lived in Omaha and Kansas City, and they don't seem remotely the same to me at all.

 

[cyguy9320]

A lot of good notes already. One more benefit of Kansas City is that it’s an easy 3 hour drive to Ames — which is nice if you like to get back for football games.

St. Louisans molest Collies.

 

[chuckd4735]

St. Louis over KC every single time. KC is big Omaha. STL is fancy Memphis

For the first time ever, the word fancy is used in the same sentence with St. Louis and Memphis.

 

[Al_4_State]

I've lived in Omaha and Kansas City, and they don't seem remotely the same to me at all.

I've always felt that Omaha and Des Moines are both kinda KC's little brothers.

 

[JEFF420]

*If you grew up in STL and meet another person who also grew up there, a very common question is "What high school did you attend?" (this always made me laugh out loud)

dude! its insane... I've heard 45-60 year old men make fun of each other's high schools.

 

[Mr Janny]

I spend a good deal of time in St Louis, mostly the western and northwestern suburbs.
To me, St Louis feels "bigger" than KC. Not sure how much the actual population differs between the two.
It definitely feels older as well. Some of the suburbs mentioned already, Ladue, Chesterfield, Clayton, are all very nice places. If I were ever to relocate to the area, those would be my choice.

I will say that St Louis has traffic like a city twice its size. Proportionally it's pretty bad. (DC/Baltimore is the worst, though)