It's Fine
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6/9/2008
I have lived in several places in the U.S., and Columbia is mostly unremarkable. It is less liberal than Iowa City (another college town), but less conservative than other parts of Missouri between St. Louis and Kansas City. There are arts festivals, concerts, and parades, but none of them are super exceptional, compared to larger places. The True False Film Festival is probably Columbia's most notable arts event.
The people are very friendly. There are a number of comparatively affluent family-friendly neighborhoods, particularly in the south west area.
Traffic isn't really a problem, but the Columbia Pull-Out Virus is pretty bad. I challenge anyone to drive for 20 minutes anywhere in Columbia without having at least one driver pull out directly in front of you when there is clearly not enough room. It's not that they don't look first--they just look, see you coming, and pull out anyway. This is especially fun on a two-lane road when the pull-out-er chooses to drive 15 miles under the speed limit.
The local newspaper, the Tribune, seems small after a larger city (and it isn't delivered on several holidays), but it has a very interesting section called Trib Talk, featuring short comments from callers about local issues. It's a fun way to get a sense of different opinions from Columbia residents.
Janae | Saint Louis, MO