Republican politics and point of view. - 10/4/2009

One must be prepared for the "buckle of the biblebelt". This is truly it. If one is a WASP this is heaven on earth. If one is in the least bit liberal you will not fit in here.

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Mayberry USA? - 5/14/2009

Springfield's biggest advantage over larger cities is the low cost of living. However, it offers very few decent paying jobs so it balances out in the end. The South side is the more desirable area and offers average recreational activities, but several lakes nearby offer more. Traffic is nonexistant for the most part, but may seem worse at times since there is only two expressways. Crime (minor) is prevalent in the north and central parts of Springfield along with Meth use throughout the city neighborhoods (rich & poor). good ole midwest values! Weather is good and bad and is really bad with a long history of tornadic acitivity in the area. Four seasons offer a change every three months. If you do not mind mediocre schools and little to no diversity or cultural events and a narrow perspective of life (guns & relgiion rule here). Then this is the place for you!

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practically cultureless - 2/15/2009

I am 28 years old and am getting ready to move away from Springfield with my husband and son. We moved to KC for a while (where people were SO much friendlier!) but moved back for family. I have tried to make the best of Springfield but have to admit it can't be done; at least not for us. We will not raise our son in a place so deprived of culture and diversity. Springfield is best described as; Church, Chinese restaurant, Wal-Mart, Strip club/pornography store. The "downtown revitalization" project is a joke considering the current economy, and anyway, about 50% of south-siders are still afraid to come downtown. It's a shame they are so afraid of the practically non-existant black population, although they wouldn't admit that's why they stay away. The help that might come in the form of colleges does not improve springfield because most of them cater to the ultra religious or semi-affluent. So, no cultural diversity or progressive mindset there. The local (and only) museum is a joke. The cost of living is only slightly less than in KC. However, the pay really is terrible. For any company to expect a family to subsist on 20,000-25,000/yr is beyond greed. Springfield is white-trash central with a fancy ribbon tied around it. But if all you want is safety from minorities and good turkey and buck huntin' then come on over.

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Move here only if you are financially well off. - 1/28/2009

The Springfield/Branson area has some positive points - the fishing/outdoors (spring/summer/fall that is)and relatively low cost of living. The downside of all that is that you'd have to search far and wide to find an area of the US where the average pay is as low as here. I'm talking almost 3rd world levels. People expect you to exist on minimum wage regardless of whether you posses a college degree or not. I spent my college years there and since the economy was bad, a few years after as well. Even people I knew with years of experience and a University degree were being lowballed with $20,000 a year gigs. The mentality is definitely small town, and thats not always a bad thing except of course when you are asking your employer for a raise or see fit to complain in any manner about the place on our little green planet that they have come to think of as their little Utopia. The only people I knew that moved here and are happy are the ones who came in with money - retirement or inheritance. The rest spend the productive years of their lives as working poor pursuing that ever elusive dream - which generally amounts to the $10.00 an hour job in Springfield.

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METH-LABS. - 12/13/2008

Like meth? You'll be in heaven here. 417.

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Lame-o - 12/13/2008

If your looking for excitement: DO NOT MOVE HERE. Shopping: I hope you like walmart. Downtown is neat with the few vintage shops and there are a few places you can rent a loft. There are several places you can find local bands if your younger but other than that it's Lame-ville. I can't wait to get out of this place. If your looking to raise a family then Id say it's a good place but only for that. Branson, Missouri (about 30 mins away, driving) is a hick-town but Silver Dollar City (little amusment park type place) is definitely worth a visit. Also, theres lots of shows there in Branson. I personally don't care much for living here, I want to move somewhere with better nightlife.

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Great place to live! - 12/7/2008

I've lived here in Springfield for the past six years, and while I've read mostly negative posts about Springfield on this site, I must say that I absolutely love it here! I'm from a much smaller town, and have found Springfield to be the perfect balance between country and city life. It has just about all the amenities you could want in a small area - about a 40 minute drive max from one side of the city to the other. The people for the most part are friendly and courteous (despite what other posts have said, most people here are no more over-religious than other towns in Missouri and aren't going to try to force their religious or political views on you). The cost of living is extremely low, and housing prices are well below the national average. (We just bought our first home - a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage, all brick home in a nice neighborhood for only $95,000!!) There are many colleges and universities in Springfield, and despite the current economic crisis, the job market doesn't seem to be declining as drastically as in most areas. And gas prices here are usually lowest in the country! As for the drug and "gang" problems others have posted about, I have not had a single experience with either of these since I've lived here. Springfield has a very low crime rate, and Missouri in general does have a meth problem, though mostly in towns smaller than Springfield. The only complaint I might have would be about the weather, but that's just living in the midwest. If you don't like the weather here, just wait and it will change. It could be 80 degrees one day and 30 the next. (Literally.) But over all, I absolutely love this city and plan on spending my life here.

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Springfield is a wonderful place to live. - 10/6/2008

I was born and raised here and have watched this "town" grow into a wonderful midsized city. There are several well know university's, technical schools, and the public school system is one of the best. Sports are big in Springfield. The St. Louis Cardinals along with the city built a beautiful double A stadium where their double a team plays. We've seen many of the regular cardinals going through rehab play here as well as our own players make it to the big leagues. There are ice skating, indoor and our door tennis, and many golf courses to use. I'm sure I'm fogetting something. Basketball is huge when the universities start their season. A new arena will open this fall for the Lady and Men Bears from Missouri State to use. Their kick-off concert is the Eagles playing Nov. 13,2008. Tickets sold out in a few hours. The Arts are growing also, There is the Springfield Symphony ,Ballet,paintings and sculpture at the Art Museum, the Art Walk downtown where restarants hang local artists paintings on the wall and you you may walk in and look. Crime is low,but has risen as has the population, The health care facilities are wonderful, there is one Level One Trauma hospital and one level 2 hospitals on the South Side and several smaller hospials on the North Side. Both hospitals on the South side have helicopters for long distance trauma calls The weather is great, all four seasons, although fall lasts a little longer than winter coming in, ie; I wore my heavy coat only twice last winter. Shopping is plentiful and if you like outlet shopping just drive on down to Branson which takes about 40 min. and you will find all kinds of thins to do. Check Springfield out, the housing market is way below average in good and bad time, there are a lot of manufactures and industries that have been here along time and some that have lsft to go to Mexico and China. I'm sure I have left out several unflattering things as well as flattering. I like it and all but 2 of my brothers live here and they had to move for jobs.

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Extremes - 8/11/2008

The weather in Springfield varies from one extreme end to the other. The summers are hot, with temperatures consistently hitting 100+ July - September, and 100% humidity. Prepare for lots of tornadoes and flash floods through spring and summer. Fall is beautiful, but it only lasts a few short weeks, and then the bitter cold of winter sets in. Lately there hasn't been a lot of snow, but ice instead. The great ice storm of 2007 was record setting, but there is always a great deal of ice and frigid temperatures through out the winter.

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Family-friendly, nice people - 4/24/2008

Like any Midwestern town, Springfield is full of friendly people and is a great place to raise kids. It's safe, and cost of living is pretty low. But pay is low compared to other cities in the region. The climate is ever-changing, so if you don't like the weather, just wait a day or two. It will completely flip. If you're in the healthcare field, there are two large hospitals so you will likely find a good job. From what I've heard, the schools here are so-so. As part of the bible-belt, Springfield is home to some extreme religious groups. You can't go downtown on a Saturday night without running into protestors with signs reading "The Party Ends In Hell". No kidding. Nothing ruins a fun evening out like strangers shoving religion down your throat. I'm Christian, but if I wanted a lecture on the Ten Commandments, I'd go to church, not outside of a bar. If you're liberal, you may feel out of place. The majority of people here are pretty conservative. After living here for 4 years, I've experienced pretty much all there is to experience. Besides a nice mall, Bass Pro Shop, and Branson nearby, there's not much here. If you want to live somewhere with a variety of activities, consider a larger city.

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Family-friendly, nice people - 4/24/2008

Like any Midwestern town, Springfield is full of friendly people and is a great place to raise kids. It's safe, and cost of living is pretty low. But pay is low compared to other cities in the region. The climate is ever-changing, so if you don't like the weather, just wait a day or two. It will completely flip. If you're in the healthcare field, there are two large hospitals so you will likely find a good job. From what I've heard, the schools here are so-so. As part of the bible-belt, Springfield is home to some extreme religious groups. You can't go downtown on a Saturday night without running into protestors with signs reading "The Party Ends In Hell". No kidding. Nothing ruins a fun evening out like strangers shoving religion down your throat. I'm Christian, but if I wanted a lecture on the Ten Commandments, I'd go to church, not outside of a bar. If you're liberal, you may feel out of place. The majority of people here are pretty conservative. After living here for 4 years, I've experienced pretty much all there is to experience. Besides a nice mall, Bass Pro Shop, and Branson nearby, there's not much here. If you want to live somewhere with a variety of activities, consider a larger city.

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What I've experience in Springfield - 4/24/2008

Living in Springfield for 4 years, I'll tell you what I've experienced while living here. Like any Midwestern town, the people are very nice and its a great place to raise kids. If you like a variety of weather, this place is for you. The weather changes everyday, it can be hot and humid one day and cold and windy the next. However, since moving here, I've had terrible trouble with allergies. There are two large hospitals, so if you're in the healthcare field, you're likely to find a good job. From what I've heard the school systems are so-so. In the center of the bible-belt, it is home to some extremist religious groups. You can't go downtown on a Saturday night without running into protestors with signs reading "The Party Ends In Hell". No kidding. Nothing else ruins a fun evening out like strangers trying to force religion down your throat. I'm Christian, but if I wanted a lecture on the Ten Commandments, I'd go to church, not outside of a bar. If you want to live in a nice, safe area, don't live on the North side of town. The safer, nicer neighborhoods are towards Southern Springield. It seems like Springfield is at a standstill, with very little growth. After living here for 4 years, I've pretty much experienced everything there is to experience. If you want to live someplace where there is tons to do, consider a bigger city. Besides having a mall, Bass Pro, and Branson nearby, there's not very much variety of activities.

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Thinking of moving - 4/4/2008

My family currently lives in Illinos, about 20 minutes from St. Louis, MO. We are considering moving to Sprinfield, MO for a career change. I'm just curious about the type of town Springfield is. I've been researching statistics, but I would like to hear more from people who actually live there. Is crime a huge problem? What are the school systems like? What are the best or most desireable parts of town to live in? Or, are there towns nearby that may be more desireable? I would love to find a place with a little bit of land so my kids can run wild, what areas would be the best to look? Any information will be greatly appreciated!

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Springfield, MO - Pros/Cons - 2/10/2008

Pros: 1. Low crime rate 2. Excellent school system 3. Low cost of living and housing 4. Affordable place to live 5. Stable economy 6. Home to 5 or so colleges, including Missouri State University 7. Lots of recreation nearby in the Ozarks 8. An overall good place to live Cons: 1. Huge meth lab problem, as pointed out by other reviewers 2. It is largely religious, so if you're an Atheist you generally won't fit in

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Recreation - 1/2/2008

Springfield has some of the best places close by to do all kinds of recreation. Everything from hiking, biking, running, fishing, camping, boating, etc. The beautiful rolling hills to the south provide much needed time outdoors and the many shops in Springfield and the Branson area are excellent. Overall, a great place to live.

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cost of living - 9/3/2007

Cost of living is relatively low but the wages in the whole are are lower than in most parts of the country

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Gang/crime problems - 4/19/2007

Recently, the downtown area has been afflicted by so-called "gangs." I have lived in Springfield all of my life, and have never felt threatened by gangs or violent crimes. The gangs that reside in the downtown area are mostly high school kids who want to feel apart of something. They usually intiate fights with each other, and keep strangers and the public out of it. The best thing to do is just call the police. However, that's one big problem with Springfield; it takes the police 30+ minutes to respond to reports of public fights and disputes. The police force in Springfield is too focused on drinking and driving (which is a problem, don't get me wrong) as well as the local pot smokers to respond to things that are an imminent threat to public safety. I've had to call the police 3 or 4 times due to fights in the downtown sqaure area, and once, it took them an hour and 15 minutes to respond. By that time, the fight is over and most participants have scattered. Due to this fact, violent crime has risen in the past few years, and we still have no signs that the police force is trying to do anything to slow it down. Springfield is a fairly safe area, especially the southwest and southeast areas. It is a good place to raise a family. However, I would HIGHLY suggest locking car doors, as my car has been broken into atleast 3 times now. Sometimes, I just don't even think about locking it. Usually, only loose change is stolen, but I once had a CD player ripped out of my vehicle. If you have anything of value in your vehicle, do lock it if you leave it somewhere for a prolonged period of time.

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A little bit of everything.... - 2/28/2007

As general rule about climate, expect the unexpected. Being in the middle of the country, we are subject to the conditions of all the other regions. Weather is unpredictable and drastically changes from year to year.

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positive about springfield - 1/4/2007

Have been reading mostly negative comments about Springfield for the last year, so thought I'd chime in. Have lived in the area for 15 years, after growing up in chicago and spending many years in southern and northern california. so first let's say that springfield is a small big city. we have one of everything you need, and continue to add amenties to improve life quality. downtown revitalization is going gangbusters, and colleges offer plenty of culture. also, only 3 hours from st. Louis or KC if you need a big city fix. Crime is increasing, as the city grows, but still SUPER SAFE place compared to any larger metro area. Yes, there is a meth problem; but you have to be vigilant. yes, it is overwhelmingly white and conservative, but diversity is on the increase and with that comes more liberal outlooks. to everyone who is leaving, that works for me. I don't want to live in a real big city; springfield is 'just right'. (by the way, I am a non white, non christian liberal.)

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Meth Labs - 12/13/2006

I have lived in Springfield 4 years now and have had to move twice due to meth labs. I lived by W. Chestnut and S. Scenic. The police when we called them never did arrest anyone at the first house after a year of complaints. We were just told that the family was being investigated. The second house after my kids smelled the foul odor coming from the same house for the third time the cops finally got there and arrested them. The house that we were in at the time also was making my family sick. We couldn't figure out why we kept coughing and the kids were keeping bronchitis. I did some research after a policeman came to our door looking for somebody. Our house was rented previously to a meth dealer and it had soaked into the walls. We also lived in an area showing by the Greene County Sheriff that we had 10 sexual predators within a block of us. Springfield isn't a good place to live. As soon as I graduate my family and I are moving. The traffic is awful. The housing is low, but be careful. You get what you pay for. Recently we have started having problems with drive-by shootings and it has been reported by the County Attorney Darrell Moore that we are showing graffiti signs of 10 gangs being present in Springfield.

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