The best part about living in St. Louis after living my whole life in rural Illinois is having everything I need so close at hand. It has all the amenities of a big city (stores, restaurants, things to do) without the big-city feel or prices. Surprisingly, there’s a ton of free stuff to do around the city, most of which is concentrated in Forest Park, like the zoo and science center. There are more people around than back home (obviously), but the crowds aren’t huge. And there’s still plenty of green space, something you don’t see much of in other cities like Chicago and New York.
— Shari B., M1