I hope you like Southern Baptists!!! - 9/7/2006

I have been in Springfield 4 years now and it has a lot going for it, low cost of living, low crime, great weather, low housing costs and low unemployment. It has very high racism, sexism, hypocracy, self righteousness and ultra conservative religious views. Those views are all around you, in all you see, hear and read. This is the Ozarks and the bible belt of America but please enough is enough. It is however, a tradeoff - you trade the bad for the good and vice versa but after 4 years I am not sure it is worth it. Some of the people are nice, most are over eager religious conservatists and noone knows how to drive. They seem to think if you drive a truck (and most do) then road rules don't apply to them. I will be leaving as soon as my job allows and will be transferring any place else.

[Comment on this Posting]

HOT as hell in the summer - 9/1/2006

Watch what you get into! Housing costs are low in SW Missouri. You will get more house for your money than just about anywher in the country. There are some real nice neighborhoods, but even most of those do not have things such as sidewalks or much public space. There are LOTS of new sub-divisions scaterred around the city with cracker box style homes. Be careful as many are poorly constructed and many of the towns are struggling to provide adequate supplies of water and saewage treatment plants. The city schools are average, but there are very few minorities so many equate this with "good" (they'll never admit it though). Utility rates are low, but you'll run your AC and heater most of the year as the humidity is a killer and there is very little breeze. Less than 20% of the people voted in the last election to expand a coal burning power plant. Gas guzzlers dominate the roadways. The town is relatively flat, but the surrounding areas are hilly. Town is great for bikes and motorcycles, but very dangerous as there are few bike paths and many streets still have storm ditches rather than buried sanitary sewers. Sidewalks are few and far between. Downtown is undergoing a revitalization though with lots of lofts and more people walking. The new President of Missouri State and some business leaderes are speaking out about issues such as increasing diversity and more funding for public education. Will be interesting to see if he lasts though as there is an extreme right wing base that can be downright ugly yet smile at the same time. If you can land a decent job (two large health care organizations) and want to bank some money this may be the place for you. Don't kid yourself though as overall quality is lacking. This is not a healthy community. The population is one of the most obese I have ever seen and many lack basics such as routine dental care. If you are tough though and want to help make a difference come join us. Lord knows you'll find that cheap house....the for sale signs are endless and have been up EVERYWHERE the whole two years I've been here. Hopefully, I can stick it out one more year.

[Comment on this Posting]

about the quality of life, meth and other things - 8/23/2006

I lived in Springfield (AKA Pleasantville, Springtucky) for several years. I volunteered at a location sort of in the middle of town and the house next door had been busted for meth several times. So it's there, but usually you will not see it. The business community is very close knit. The town is very "clickish". It seems somehow isolated from the real world...I'm not sure why this is. Maybe because almost everyone there is white. It's like the small city trying to act like a big one...very strange. THe traffic for a town that size is horrible...any time of the day the streets are filled with monster trucks and suburban soccer moms in SUVs pretending like they are in a city. But, the people are generally polite, except in traffic, where you will not be let out under any circumstances! It's worse than a real city. Also, there's not much "urban" area. The town is clean, there's almost no real crime, there are tons of cops. YOu will be pulled over, period. And if you are a minority, you will be pulled over daily and they will call for back-up. I saw three cop cars pulled over for one 70ish old lady in a lincoln towncar. I lived two and half miles from my office and would count the cops on the drive there. There were never less than four. THe most I counted was ten. If you love church you will love springfield! The headquarters for the Assemlies of God is there plus several religious universities. I haven't heard much about how the devil is going to get me if I do this or that since I left Springfield. Every time I go back there, it's exactly the same. The cost of living is low, it's slow paced, it's ultra Christian conservative. So, if you are a very conservative, upper middle class (or wannabe) who wants a safe place to raise kids in almost completely white, crime free suburbs and you want lots and lots of church options, Springfield might be a good place for you. Or if you are a college student since that's what the town caters too mostly-and there's a lot of cool bars and jobs for you, you will do fine.

[Comment on this Posting]

re: Libraries - 8/23/2006

Interesting. We moved to Springfield 4 years ago from Orange County Ca. I have found the Library Center and Station to be EXCELLENT. Perhaps you visited an 'off campus' location. There is a coffe house, great use of internet access and accomodations for those of us who don't live close to the library. I can request all materials on line and they are delivered to the grocery store near me. I may also return materials there. There are many community programs offered at the library as well. I don't know what library you visited. With that said, the libraries are one of the FEW positives about Springfield. We were born and raised in Southern California and the people there are SO MUCH nicer and down to earth. In fact, I just came back from a visit to California. How refreshing to be greeted and spoken to! Springfield, and the surrounding communities, seem to be either affluent or poor. There is not a lot of middle and it seems to be very important to keep-up-with-the-joneses. The first question I am typically asked, when someone actually speaks to you, is where do you live? As if it matters (although we have a beautiful home and live in an affluent area). The schools aren't great, our elementary school in California was MUCH better. The pay is awful, even for professionals. If we hadn't made money on houses in CA, we COULD NOT make a living here. The traffic is horrible because of the lack of planning on the streets. You must drive antiquated (no turn lanes or center lanes) side streets to get anywhere in town. The cost of living may be low, but you get what you pay for. There aren't great city parks and the city looks old and withered. Above ground power lines, old schools, etc......... I don't suggest any one move here. The out laying areas may have advantages, in some instances, but they are less expensive (again, you get what you pay for) and I suggest staying in Springfield. Remember, for a not-exactly small town, there is not any shopping to speak of. One mall (which is old and crowded and, frankly, ugly), one Target, one Home Depot, not any national chains of significance (Nordstrom, Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, Chevy's Mexican, etc). The city seems to want to supress any growth and is, really, run by one megalomaniac man named Hammons. If you live in an outlaying area, you'll have to drive to Springfield for shopping (except for Wal Mart) and fight the traffic. In fact, when we looked at areas, such as Nixa, the traffic n

[Comment on this Posting]

Poor Library System - 8/16/2006

I was considering moving to Springfield about 5 years ago. I have a good friend who lives there and I spent some time looking around. I was very surprised to find that the public library system was about like that you'd find in a town of 30,000 people. I guess Springfield's library doesn't get any support of funding. A large reason of why I didn't move to Springfield was because I didn't want to live in a town with such a poor library system. If you are considering this area I'd suggest stepping up to Tulsa or even Kansas City instead.

[Comment on this Posting]

Four Seasons - 7/20/2006

Springfield Missouri definitely has 4 Seasons. Unfortunately, the change of seasons can bring tornadoes and severe weather. Also, the winters can be challenging. Best time of year is the Spring and Fall.

[Comment on this Posting]

RE: METH LABS - 7/18/2006

SINCE WHEN DOES SPRINGFIELD HAVE A METH LAB PROBLEM?! YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD ON THE NEWS ONCE IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO THAT THERE HAS BEEN A BUST OR TWO, BUT THOSE ARE IN ISOLATED RURAL AREAS, NOT WITHIN SPRINGFIELD CITY LIMITS. I AM ORIGINALLY FROM NW MISSOURI (ST. JOSEPH) AND THERE WAS MORE OF A METH LAB PROBLEM UP THERE, THAN THERE EVER WAS DOWN HERE IN THE OZARKS, AND EVEN STILL IT WAS THE SURROUNDING RURAL AREAS NOT ST. JOE ITSELF. DO YOUR HOMEWORK A LITTLE MORE BEFORE KNOCK THE CRIME IN SPRINGFIELD. THIS IS ONE OF THE SAFEST PLACES IN AMERICA AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, PERIOD! SO STAY IN KC WITH ALL YOUR ARMED ROBBERS, MURDERERS, GANGBANGERS AND RAPEST. LEAVE THE OZARKS TO PEOPLE THAT APPRECIATE IT, FOR WHAT IT IS. A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE!

[Comment on this Posting]

Meth labs - 7/6/2006

I don't live in Springfield, MO, but I have been there a few times. I love to visit there and I am actually considering moving to. I do realize that Springfield, MO has a bad reputation for having meth labs, however, I am in KC, MO right now and we have our crime too. There are so many murders here and new gang infiltration, that I want out. So, it's off to Springfield I go in a few months. I would rather deal with a few meth labs then drive bys anyday! There is no perfect place, but maybe a smaller suburb of Springfield, say Nixa, Republic or Ozark would be better!?! Maybe those areas would not have the meth problem like Springfield.

[Comment on this Posting]

Topography - 7/5/2006

I have a few questions about Springfield. Any help is appreciated. How flat is the Springfield terrain? If hilly terrain lies to the south (due south, SE, or SW?), is it within a suitable commuting distance to Springfield? Are there lots of rivers and waterways to enjoy in the Springfield vicinity? Is the Springfield area a good place for horses. How high are the property taxes in the area? Is there any homestead exemption? This is of major importance because right now I live in San Antonio, Texas and we are experiencing horrendous hikes in our property taxes - 10% valuation hike per year for the past three years for me. I don't want to move to a place with a similar situation.

[Comment on this Posting]

Springfield, MO - 7/3/2006

Town n' Country living. Lots of flea markets. No "rush hour" traffic, it's more like a "rush 15 minutes." Even though there are 5 colleges, it is not a college town. The economy is active 12 months out of the year. Lots of construction, especially apartments. Many senior citizens live in the area. Lots of opportunities for sports fans, for example minor league and fishing.

[Comment on this Posting]

weather - 5/15/2006

The weather here is always changing. I think that is one of the best things about this place. You never know what the weather with be like.

[Comment on this Posting]

Looking to Relocate - 4/21/2006

I am looking to relocate with my company. What can you tell me about Springfield MO? What is housing like? Cost of living? Available jobs? Schools for my kids? Thanks for any help you can provide. I am a single mom with two kids.

[Comment on this Posting]

Quality of Life - 4/21/2006

Springfield is a fine mid-sized city. The weather has all four seasons, yet temperate. Excellant outdoor activities. Sports for all ages. Entertainment from a revitalizing downtown to fine arts is available. Shopping and restaurants abound. Colleges - MSU, Drury, Evangel and several others. Springfield has been an excellant city to raise a family!

[Comment on this Posting]

Geat place to live, no jobs - 2/8/2006

If you are moving here then you are in for a treat. Friendly people, cheap housing. GREAT food. close to Branson. You can get a hotel there for a week end or longer and feel like you are on vacation even if you want to run to the house for something. Beautifull rolling hills. Not much pay for jobs. If you make 9 dollars an hour your golden. It's a college town, so they can get away with cheap pay.My suggestion is to move to NIXA just south by 5 min's. houses are expensive in Nixa, but the apartments are cheap. I had a HUGE 1 bed and bath with washer dryer hook up for just under 400 a month. (eaglewood apartments, carmen is the land lord VERY nice) Very safe neighbor hood. Just south of Springfield. Easy 5-10 min. commute. Bank one is the easiest place to get on with great pay. It's a call center at republic and campbell. You can opt for no out bound calls. Friendly.

[Comment on this Posting]