Quote:Well, I'll say that I've stopped through every state in the country. I live in the Bahamas now, but it's the first time I've ever been outside the country. I've worked on a cruise ship that sailed to every island in Hawaii, and my submarine broke down and pulled into Anchorage Alaska for 14 days. I've been across country by plane, train, and car, no less than 6 times each (stationed in Washington, born in San Diego, raised in Jacksonville. I'm all of 28 years old. Not well-traveled would be the wrong way to describe me.


I've passed through St Louis twice, once via a 3 hour layover on a train, and once in downtown on a car trip across country. The traffic made Blanding Blvd look like a cakewalk, and that was on the interstate. I remember taking a picture with my mom at the Gateway Arches when I was a youngen, which was within walking distance of the train station, and being asked if we would like to buy crack.


It's like you said. Every city has nice parts and bad parts. In the end however, you tend to rank cities based on your experiences in them versus other cities. For example, I don't particularly find Jacksonville to be that nice of a city. There are very nice parts, but there's a large amount of crappiness when I compare it to a Charleston, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, etc...


Sorry to rant. I've traveled a lot more than most people my age and I take pride in it. St Louis, and (I'm sorry to say D6) Detroit are 2 cities that have left very lasting negative impressions upon me. I didn't use the term cesspool lightly.