So, miracle of miracles, I got a real grown-up job, apparently (a couple of you might recall my long-fruitless academic job search, ugh! Happy ending!), so I’ll be headed to Springfield this fall.
From the 3 or so days I was there I think I like it ok-- seems decent sized with the amenities of a small city that matter to me (a brew pub, Asian grocery, Hispanic grocery, organic grocery, edible Mexican grub and sushi, and a couple of decent looking bike shops).
We’re pretty liberal west coast granola eating freaks but have lived all over the place and are adaptable.
Any suggestions for new residents? Hidden gems? Warnings? What’s the outdoorsy culture like, aside from Bass-Pro? Any bicycling culture to speak of? What about music? I hear that Branson is like if Las Vegas had been designed by Ned Flanders…
I lived there for almost five years when I went to school (just before it changed from SMSU to MSU), but I can’t help you too much. I frequented their used book stores a lot, but I’m from a much smaller town so it probably wouldn’t impress most people. If the band mrPunch is still around I would recommend them (mrPunch | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos). Sorry, I’m sort of boring.
Springfield is a very, very churchy town. The kind of place where restaurants put up signs that say “bring in your church bulletin on Sunday for 10% off your meal.” And many of the churchy folks there are of the highly evangelical bent; it’s the headquarters city of the Assemblies of God and IIRC (from my brief stint at one of the three Assemblies-affiliated institutions of “higher” learning there) there are something like 44 A/G churches in the county, which is three times higher than the number in counties with six times the population.
But on the other hand, the weather is great, there is a lot of great, unspoiled country around for hiking and biking and for concerts (or non-stop flights to the east or west coast) you’re three hours from St. Louis, Kansas City and Tulsa.
And if you like cashew chicken, there is a particular variant on the dish that’s served, in various forms, all over town. Even non-Chinese places have it. You’ve gotta try it at least once.
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For entertainment there’s the Skinny Improv, a weekly improv comedy show, and the Moxie independent movie theater. Gailey’s is a breakfast cafe I would recommend. If you like video games, there’s 1984, an '80s themed arcade. The first friday of each month, they have the Art Walk, during which art is showcased at various businesses downtown. You should be able to find a map somewhere that shows what places are participating. I recommend Randy Bacon and Brick City, at least that’s where I went last night. The Coffee Ethic has pretty good coffee. I don’t really know of any hidden places.
I’ve never been there but I do know where the school yard and shopping mall is.
I’ve heard it’s a hell of a town.
Cashew chicken was invented in Springfield.
I hated the town when I lived there, and I still pronounce Missouri “Misery”. I suspect that if I’d had transportation and money to spend, I might have liked it better. Many people enjoy it, though.
Brad Pitt went to high school there.
It’s the largest city in the area, so it has a lot of decent shopping and entertainment. It’s the city where all the people from the backwaters go to shop and go out for the day or weekend. It is, however, very, very churchy. When I lived there, it was also very, very white, but it’s a bit more ethnically diverse these days.
Don’t get a large order at Taco Villa. Get ONE taco, take a couple of bites, and then dutifully avoid those places. They are worse than Taco Bell. You must, however, eat part of one taco, because otherwise you won’t believe how bad they are.
One of my linguistics professors there always was fond of telling us that-- I didn’t really believe him. I guess it’s true though-- somewhat of an interesting fact.
As for being churchy-- I never had really noticed, but then I am from Southeast Missouri, so it could be just what I’m used to.
I know nothing about Springfield, Missouri, but I wanted to come in and say YAY CAPYBARA!!! Congratulations!
Last time we were there we got the impression that all the residents shared a tooth. It was very rednecky.
Thanks, FP. I know, it’s about time, huh? What a relief.
Thanks everyone for the information-- keep it coming.
Cashew chicken was invented by a Chinese immigrant or descendant of immigrants. He deepfried breaded chicken bits, made one of those translucent gravies/sauces that characterize Chinese dishes, and served it over rice, with chopped green onions. He deepfried the chicken to make it more acceptable to the locals, who weren’t used to traditional Chinese cooking. I THINK it was Leong of the Tea House, though I can’t remember for sure. I’m also pretty sure that Leong is dead, and the Tea House has gone out of business.
I live in Fort Worth, Texas, which is very churchy. However, it’s not as churchy as Springfield. The people there take it for granted that you are a Christian and a devout church goer, and think that “Where do you go to church?” is a great way to start a conversation with a stranger.
I went thru there once, and had a real good dinner at a Chinese Buffet. Damn good food. I was pleasently surprised!
I’ve never been to that city, but be sure to check out Bob Barker Avenue if you like The Price is Right. I believe it is on the campus of Drury University, his alma mater.
Ooooh, we cold have our own little doper club! I’ve only been here a year and a half. I too am a lefty, but I was suprised to find neighbors with Obama signs. The Springfield Brewery is OK. I’m dissapointed in any pub that doesn’t serve beer in pints. I don’t go out much though. The Gem of India is a decent place for Indian food. I think they changed owners recently, and the food got better. We live at the far north end of town so going into town can be a bit of a hassle.
I’ve lived in Springfield for a year, and never had anyone ask me what church I go to, though I don’t always feel comfortable admitting that I voted for Obama.
My favorite restaurants are Riad for Mediterranean food, and The Metropolitan Grill for great Italian. They both also have really good service.
There are a ton of parks here, and several of them have nice biking/hiking trails. Busiek state forest is just a few miles south of town for more hiking or camping. It’s quite beautiful.
I’m afraid I can’t help much with the hidden gems, but I definitely suggest going on the Art Walk and just generally exploring downtown.
I’ve never been impressed with Riads. It’s more like a bar with some mediteranean food. It has a lot of non-mediteranean food, and the mediteranean food it does have can’t really be nailed down to anything specific. I’ve never been to The Metropolitan Grill. For fancy date night italian food, there is a great little place on Walnut called Gilardi’s.
One thing that really annoyed me about Springfield was that none of the coffee shops had free wireless. On the west coast, that was standard. Here, I was stuck going to Panera Bread during off hours until I had my internet set up.
I’ve never had anyone ask me what church I go to either, but I didn’t grow up here. There are definitely a lot of churches. I’ve been going to the UU church just for a place to sing and meet other liberals.
Yeah, Art Walk is not only on the to-do list but for me probably nigh-unavoidable. WnP-- do you work at one of the colleges (assumption based on west coast UU leftiness)? DJ-- more good info-- thanks.
Oh, how’s the bicycling community there? Does anyone bike commute? Or is it certain death?
Certain death. I suppose it isn’t that bad but I don’t know anyone that does it. You couldn’t do it on the main roads. There are a lot of rednecks in trucks. I suggest picking out a nice pair of trucknuts for yourself.
Curently I’m a stay at home dad. There isn’t a huge high tech industry here and few people are going to hire a PhD if they think you might leave for better pay anytime. My wife does research at a facility that is affiliated with Missouri State. I know many people that work at several of the local colleges from church. I may get a job teaching at one of the community colleges soon.
What part of the west coast are you coming from? I was in Oregon for a long time.