Living in the Midwest

I have been asked by friends overseas what it is like where I live. Some of them have a generalization of what America is like. Understandable....I am quite sure there are a few out there (well, more than a few) who have this vision of say how the Middle East is like. A preconception of culture, religion and mores. Never generalize to the point of being anal about it.

What is interesting about Missouri is that I feel pretty safe. Albeit St. Louis is really not the safest city to live in but I choose to live within a neighborhood (did my research while in college before moving) which has a low crime-rate and a great school system. I made sure to do my homework before moving here.

I had previously posted an entry which discusses some generalities regarding Midwestern living and they are pretty much true.

I find St. Louis is large enough for me to explore yet small enough where I do not feel intimidated by traffic. (Like Chicago...LOVE the city....HATE the traffic)...Though I270 does have its moments.

I grew up in Indiana and Missouri really is no different. Less cornfields...lol...I have noticed a rise in immigration here. There is a sizeable Bosnian population. There is a Hispanic minority...I do not see much of "my kind" here.



shows the greatest concentration of Hispanic population in 2004 was in Jackson County having an estimated Hispanic population of 43,268. The Hispanic population in Jackson County increased by 23.1 percent from 2000-2004. Other large concentrations of Hispanics in 2004 included St. Louis County with 17,244, Clay County with 8,354, St. Louis City with 7,917, St. Charles County with 5,968, Jasper County with 5,358 and Greene County with 5,349. Together those seven counties were home to 93,458 Hispanic people in 2004 – 63 percent of Missouri’s total Hispanic population.



I really enjoy the Midwest because we are pretty laid back, friendly, (at least to me they are), and I enjoy the large "openness" of living in this part of the country. There is a Puerto Rican society here which holds annual events and is a great place to network. The key is being active in your community regardless of where you live...make the most of your neighborhood...your city is only as boring as what you make it out to be. Networking, exploring entertainment opportunities, volunteering all are important regarding where you decide to live and how you live it.

Websites:

http://stlrising.blogspot.com/2007/11/midwest-cities-top-forbes-living-well.html

http://www.alliantenergy.com/docs/groups/public/documents/pub/p014609.hcsp