I've lived in all over the US and St. Louis is by far my favorite. In every other city I've lived I could only afford a shitty small apartment in a shitty part of town with terrible traffic and every form of entertainment was expensive. The neighborhoods I could afford in those cities were not places I felt safe.

Meanwhile in St. Louis I can afford a gorgeous 3-story historic brick home with a yard in a picturesque neighborhood within walking distance to parks and restaurants and festivals where I feel very safe walking around. The zoo is free, the parks are world-class, the architecture is weird and fascinating, and all I have to do is avoid obviously sketchy areas like you would in any city. In short, on my income I can afford a much nicer, safer lifestyle in St. Louis than most other cities. And there's always something free to do on the weekend. St. Louis is a horrible place to be if you are poor because the bad neighborhoods are really bad, but if you are middle class you can easily afford an upper class lifestyle. First time in my life I've been able to afford a safe neighborhood.