What can you fine folks tell me about Missouri?

S

squidsix

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2006
Messages
3,595
Reaction score
5,811
Location
East Missouri
My lovely wife's sister, one of my favorite people on this planet or any other, lives in O'Fallon, Missouri.
We are struggling pretty hard under the crippling weight of living expenses here in Maine. I pay $2900 a month for a 1500 square foot townhouse in Maine. No garage, no basement, etc.
My concern, and I think its a legitimate one, is that when my kids go off to college and decide where to live, this area will be totally impossible for them.
Thusly, Missouri has sprung up in conversation. We are seriously considering a move.
I am not terribly concerned about employment. My wife can work anywhere, and I can do basically anything I need to support my family.

What can the collective tell me about Missouri? Specifically about the areas southwest of St. Louis?

Thanks!
 
Register to hide this ad
Well Missouri is north of where I live in Arkansas.
Seriously though I have lived in Arkansas for 68 years but if I were to move again, not likely, it would be to Missouri. In the southwest part of the state if you stay away from the Branson area you will find good country living if you want or small towns if you prefer. You may even like the Branson tourist town thing I don't know.
The summers are hot and humid but not oppressively so like further south and east. Winters can be cold and icy but not like Maine. The fall colors in the Ozarks give up nothing to the colors of Maine but maybe I am biased as I truly love the Ozarks. A gun friendly state with good hunting and fishing.
 
Been a while since I been there but I found native Mainers (Bath) a generally cloistered bunch, and the Missourians (NE) far more welcoming.


Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk
 
Surprised to hear you're paying that much in Maine, you guys had a lot of my favorite places to spend a weekend when I lived in New England ("pffft you guys complaining about the water? My lower half went numb a couple minutes ago, it's great now").
 
Admittedly, we were quite spoiled before this. We lived in a very nice home in southern Italy and everyone we met was extremely friendly and welcoming, almost to the point of making us uncomfortable. Here in Maine, we have been here five years and have made very few close friends despite our significant attempts. When we lived in Virginia, we moved into our home and immediately had family level familiarity with all of our neighbors and shared our homes with each other.
My concern, as always, is that my children will graduate from school and make half as much as I do, and not be able to afford to live anywhere near here.
I had no concept of just how outrageously expensive this place would be. I make more now than I ever have in my entire life, and cannot afford a home even remotely comparable to where I live in the town where my children go to school.
 
Have visited friends in O'Fallon.
That was awhile ago but I recall I had a positive opinion.
You need to get on that big bird and go visit your Sister In Law.
 
Missouri is a fantastic state. Northern mo is prairie and rolling prairie.
South east was at one time was pretty much swampland and still has remnants. My getaway place is a 21,000 acre swampland close to cape girardeau.
South of I-44 is Ozark land. Geographically the region extends up into St. Louis county. It is so pretty!!
I don't know about Maine but MO has plenty of quality rivers, scenic highways and huge springs gushing millions of gallons of cold clear water each day.
And if you are into history you will be fascinated.
Im kinda rambling so I'll stop.

Do you have a specific question, ie, fishing areas, vacation spots etc?
 
I have lived in SW Missouri almost all my life ( I just turned 66 last month ). South of Springfield, but within a 50 minute drive or less.
Overall, not a bad area, but the are times they are a' changin, and not for the better. Population has doubled in the last 20 years I would estimate. Starting to get more 'hood rats, and druggies and miscreants of all races. There is a drive-by shooting every week or two in the bad parts of Springfield. Never used to have them.
I will say the Medical Mile part of S. National St. in Springfield, is a good thing with 2 hospitals and dozens of clinics that specialize in all kinds of ailments.
Land and housing is getting pricier, but would be cheaper than Maine.
Another good place without Springfield's growing big-city problems would be north-central Arkansas. Harrison area. Would not mind living there myself. And it is a straight shot up 65 Highway to all the advanced medical care in Springfield, Mo 75 miles or so north, but a relatively fast drive.
 
Last edited:
I moved to Missouri when I retired from the Navy to work in a steel mill in Kansas City. I will be retiring at the end of the month from the power company. Lots of outside and inside recreation is available, takes about 3 hours to drive across the state on I 70. The winters are a lot milder than the north east as well as shorter, but we can still get snow in April but it will melt in a day or two. The summers are warm but not miserable, lots of places to go boating if your into that. We have bike trails all over the place and they are expanding constantly. The general populace is friendly and life moves a little slower than back east, the exception being the two big metro areas of St Louis and Kansas City.

Housing is less expensive and acreage is available in a lot of areas.

The most important thing is we are a FREE State, if you can legally own a gun you can legally carry a gun (some restrictions do apply). Missouri is a shall issue state for CC license, after you complete the class, the license eliminates some of the restrictions but not all.
 
I have lived in Missouri for 60 of my 72 years. I also have family in Maine and have spent much time there. Both are great places. Maine is, by far, the prettiest of the two states. But our Ozarks and their zillion miles of float streams are also wonderful. Most of the rest of Missouri can be described as very pleasant. The people are nice and the pace of life is a little slower than much of the Northeast.

Gun laws were similar a few years ago, but Missouri's laws keep getting more relaxed. It is a great state to be a gun owner and shooter, except there seem to be a lot fewer collector Smith and Wessons and other vintage guns here than in New England.

Hunting is great (especially deer and turkey), but be aware that trespass laws are much stricter here. We have a fair amount of national forest and state conservation land to hunt/hike on, but it is tough to beat the Maine North Woods. There are several indoor shooting ranges in the O'Fallon area and one of the best private outdoor ranges in the nation is within easy driving distance to the west. The O'Fallon area is too crowded for me and is growing fast, but others my find it perfect for them.

In short, we like Missouri. We travel a lot (especially to the West) and are always happy to get home to our wooded acreage in Central Missouri. From the recliner I am sitting in at this moment to my private range is only about 75 steps.
 
Last edited:
Well, its snowing right now, going to get around 6 inches before it quits. However, it is warming over the weekend and is predicted to be 75 on Wednesday. It's March in Missouri!!

We have four seasons here, winter is not too cold and summer is not too hot. Fall is usually fantastic!
Property prices are "reasonable" but increasing right now. Actually, you no longer need a permit to carry concealed. Outside of Kansas City and St. Louis, the political climate is conservative.
We have good educational facilities. I live in Warrensburg, about 50 miles east of Kansas City. We have a regional university here with about 12,000 students. Many take online classes as well at attending class. We have a good nursing program, Criminal justice program, and teacher education program, as well as a decent business school. There are several other such schools in the corners of the state. The flagship school is the University of Missouri in Columbia, right in the center of the state.

Smith & Wesson has a fairly new large distribution center in Columbia, but I'm not sure what will happen to that when they move.
I'm sure you would be welcome here, should you find a suitable place!
 
I grew up deer hunting and fishing west and southwest of St. Louis. It is beautiful country with rolling tree-covered hills and a million creeks, ponds, and lakes. I love where I live now but my strong second choice would be Missouri south of I-70.

Only one caveat. The sun virtually does not shine during the winter so if you're okay with lots of overcast winter days you'll be fine. This is not an uncommon condition in most of the Midwest in winter. I grew up there and was oblivious it could be otherwise until I lived a half-dozen other places outside the Midwest.

Bryan
 
I was born in Missouri and except for a few years when I was a kid have lived here 60 years. It is a good state to live in. It can get hot in the summer and cold in the winter but not to the extremes you see in other places. It is a gun friendly state and if someone is seem open carrying in Walmart no one freaks out. Best to avoid St Louis because the crime level is closer to some of the eastern cities. Kansas City is not as bad but still any big city will have areas that best to stay away from. I have lived in Warrensburg and Boonville and now live in La Monte which is a big city if 1200 people. The only other state I would think about living in would be Arizona because I like the desert.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
I have acquired a S&W 357 Magnum pre Model 27. The model number under the crane is 51191 T. What can you tell me about this pistol?
Replies
12
Views
1K
jareds06
J
Faulkner
Tales from the Faulkner Files: You don't remember me . . .
Replies
17
Views
1K
quikdraw67
quikdraw67
chief38
THIS EVENING WILL BE VERY ROUGH - BUT HOPEFULLY WE CAN CHEER UP AN OLD & SICK FRIEND
2
Replies
33
Views
2K
CalifEd
C
chief38
I'VE LEARNED MUCH ABOUT DIET OVER THE LAST 5 MONTHS!!
2
Replies
24
Views
1K
BLACKHAWKNJ
B
Truckman
My new 97 year old carry gun...
Replies
18
Views
1K
Eddie Southgate
Eddie Southgate

Latest posts

Back
Top