I live in KC now but I grew up in Springfield, MO and I preferred STL over KC before moving here as an adult.

6 Flags > Worlds of Fun, The Zoo, the science center, The Arch, etc. It is bigger and has an NHL team. Ozzie Smith. Rams won the superbowl. STL seemed like more of a more of an east coast, liberal, progressive city with the light rail, downtown stadiums, and just the general feel of the city where as the people I knew from KC where much more rednecky and KC had a NASCAR track which does give the city a more redneck vibe IMO.

My childhood visits to KC included driving around I435 and I70 (boring and ugly) and spending time in OP and Independence (boring as fuck). KC seemed like a big suburb with a similar culture to Springfield so it did nothing for me. I had no idea that the liberty memorial, the plaza, etc even existed until after I graduated college and I've lived in Missouri my whole life, the city doesn't really advertise those to outsiders.

After graduating from college I looked at Springfield, KC, and STL for work and ended up moving to KC for a job 7.5 years ago. I didn't really care for the city at first but the city is starting to grow on me and the urban core and downtown have a lot of energy right now and I'm excited about the streetcar line. I visited STL a year ago and it just doesn't have the same energy that KC has right now and I feel safer in the KC core than I do in the STL urban core. I'm still a Cardinals/Rams fan but I'm also a big Chiefs fan now too. (screw the Royals, your fans treated me like shit the first few years I lived here...) Also I love hockey and hate soccer so I'd rather live in an NHL city than an MLS city so I probably wouldn't turn down a job offer from STL.