As we were thinking about and preparing to move home to STL from DC, I had any number of conversations about STL with friends. Sometimes the question was "Why St. Louis?" My response, (other than "it's home!") generally went something like this:
St. Louis is one of the most under-appreciated cities in the country. Everyone who visits, some reluctantly, ends up saying "Wow, we had no idea!" Right, they had no idea because the powers that be in the area do a lousy job of marketing the city. Sure, anyone who lives here knows all about the wonderful things the city has to offer: Great parks, great (free) museums, great schools, wonderful neighborhoods, good food (especially if you like Italian), good cost-of-living, its easy to get around, its a great place to raise a family, and the people are nice. The list could go on and on.
St. Louis has the best of both worlds: it has the cultural and educational offerings of a big city, but with the feel of a small town.
For some reason, we've kept this a secret for too long. Maybe its just our Midwestern sensibilities that are keeping us from promoting the community.
A Forbes Magazine contributor, who lives in St. Louis has had enough of this. He outlined a plan that I think the powers that be in town should pay attention to, and take steps to implement. "St. Louis Doesn't Suck."
While acknowledging that St. Louis isn't perfect, he argues that it doesn't suck. We shouldn't be letting others define our region as being subpar. So, in the article, the author outlines four key message points: affordable housing, outstanding academics, strong employment base, and rich cultural resources.
Then, he provides a marketing plan that would take St. Louis into modern day communications. He is making this very easy. I hope that the area leadership is listening because changing the perception of the area is critical to its future.
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