Springfield, MO Review
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7/14/2015
I actually grew up in Springfield, and moved away shortly after high school to attend university in Kansas City. Frankly, the only reason I moved back is because I was offered a job here. I resisted moving back for several years for several reasons; (1) I'm not religious in any way, and I seem to be the only one here who isn't. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with religion by any means. However, the people in SW Missouri take Christianity to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL. Believe me when I say, Bible Belt doesn't begin to describe this area. Also, my political point of view and spin on life is very progressive, and locals here resist progress and progressive types very strongly, in my experience. The city of Springfield's city council passed an LGBT non-descrimination policy, only to have it voted down less than one year later; the city has lots of work to do in terms of inclusion. So, unless you're right-wing oriented politically, or political climate doesn't matter to you, I would avoid this area. Another thing that struck me very quickly after moving back: the zoning of the city. We have lots of main streets, and those main streets are almost exclusively and completely gridlocked by 1) fast food joints, 2) churches, or 3) gas stations. Whereas in other small to midsized metropolitan areas there are zoning regulations that prohibit this type of development, that's more or less all that exists in Springfield. So, if you ask me, it's not a very visually appealing city. Distinct neighborhoods are more or less non-existant, as are historic districts. Do they exist? yes. But they make up a very small fraction of the city as a whole. If you're looking for a variety in entertainment options, diversities, ethnicities, architecture, educational levels, political outlooks, etc, skip Springfield altogether. Here's the typical Springfield resident, from my experience: White, evangelical Christian, lower middle class, right wing politically oriented.
Matt | Nixa, MO