Why St. Louis is MADE to Keep the Transplants

Written By Julie Lane

Photo By Suzy Gorman

I am a proud St Louis “transplant.”  My husband, Rich, and I moved here from the South Loop in Chicago in 2000 for his first job right out of DePaul University. As anyone will tell you, Chicago is a great town. Our friends and colleagues were supportive of the move, but seemed worried as if we were going to live in the middle of nowhere. They’d say things like, “Sure, you can get a ‘mansion’ for almost nothing, but where do you go for culture?” “What about for entertainment?” “Is there even good food there?” They seemed “optimistically” concerned for us. They had no idea what St Louis has to offer to the locals, the visitors and the ever growing number of transplants like us: The Saint Louis Art Museum, the Cardinals (11-time World Series Champs, something hard to admit for Cubs fans who can only boast three titles), the St. Louis Blues (yep, we are Stanley Cup Champions too), Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University, any restaurant Gerard Craft opens, The Pageant, the St Louis Zoo, The Muny, Forest Park (fun facts: it’s larger than Central Park, and played host to the 1904 World’s Fair), Enterprise, Centene, World Wide Technology, Express Scripts, Square, the Danforth Center …and the list goes on and on and continues to gain accolades from national rankings and publications.  

As a Realtor, I find most clients, even some lifelong St. Louisans, are unaware of all the great opportunities our city has to offer.  Through the years, I have met so many incredible individuals along my path from business owners to artists to professional athletes. Each client has a unique story of why he or she has chosen to make St Louis a place to call home.

I met Chrissy [Christine Taylor] and Lee Broughton on a late summer day in 2009. I was just starting my career as a Realtor when they asked me to show them homes in St Louis.  Chrissy was born and raised in St Louis while Lee was from the UK. They were moving here from the UK, for their positions with Enterprise Holdings and were anxious to find their St Louis home. As a Realtor, I have the privilege of meeting people that grew up in St Louis as well as those from all over the world. Chrissy and Lee represented both. I quickly learned I had a common bond with the Broughton’s: we share an affinity for St Louis. Afterall, her family chose long ago to headquarter Enterprise Holdings in St Louis and have always donated generously to the city, from Forest Park Forever to securing the new MLS Team. Lee, a “transplant” like myself, is also very pro St Louis. Where else can you take in a world class art exhibit, a Blues or Cardinals game, attend a concert or send your kids to the best public and private schools in the country all within a 15-minute car ride? It’s unfathomable how so many others know so little about this vibrant gem of a city!

Fast forward a few years, Lee has stepped  away from his position as Vice President of Global Brand Marketing at Enterprise Holdings and founded Broughton Brand Company in 2018.  One of his first projects was uncovering an authentic narrative that would help the St. Louis region better attract and retain talent and investment. Lee explains, “We listened to people across the region share their personal stories and their feelings about St. Louis and what makes it a great place live and work. And we also listened as they shared their concerns about this place they love.”

The stories Broughton’s team heard from natives, transplants and “boomerangs” all had a common theme: that St. Louis is big enough to offer plenty of opportunities for all kinds of people to start up businesses and careers; that our small town vibe makes it easy to connect with mentors and support systems that can help you stand out and make an impact; and that our affordable cost of living combined with world-class arts and culture allow you to stay right here and enjoy it all. He points to the Pulitzer Arts Foundation in the Grand Center Arts District – the first freestanding building by world renowned architect Tadao Ando in the US – as just one of many creative institutions that hosts public programs for all. 

“People close to the urban core were eager to talk about the renaissance they were seeing in the city, and that was the inspiration for #STLMade.” Broughton describes #STLMade as a social movement working to elevate perceptions of St. Louis from the inside out. #STLMade insists that we can acknowledge our challenges and our achievements by shining a light on the people and ideas that are moving St. Louis forward. TheSTL.com is full of stories about tenacious, creative, big-hearted people who are collaborating in ways big and small to make St. Louis a place that’s creating more opportunities for all.

According to Broughton, “[Until now] there has been no cohesive narrative. No consistency in how we talk about living and working in St.Louis.” START UP, STAND OUT AND STAY gives us a very simple framework for personalizing our shared experience.”

Broughton feels that now is the time we all need to tell our own St Louis story. “So many great things are happening in St Louis. Over $10 billion is being invested to revitalize our urban core, the Blues won the Stanley Cup, a majority-female ownership team brought us an MLS team, our art scene is dynamic, Bayer has relocated here,” Brougton says. And on 314 Day (March 14th), Broughton promises a big announcement surrounding our new MLS team.  

I am very positive about St Louis.  When I welcome new transplants like myself to St. Louis, Rich and I are proud to say that this is where we chose to “START UP, STAND OUT AND STAY.” Maybe that’s your story too. If it is, I hope you also feel that you made a great choice.  

Julie Lane is a top producing Realtor in St. Louis.

Start Up, Stand Out and Stay!