St. Louis , General info:
9/10

St. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is bordered by the Mississippi River on the east and by St. Louis County on the north, south, and west. St. Louis is the largest metropolitan area in Missouri. Sometimes written as Saint Louis, the city is named for King Louis IX of France. St. Louis is known for its French and German heritage and Victorian past. Two events at the beginning of the 20th century, the 1904 World's Fair and 1904 Olympic Games (the first ever held in the United States) are of particular pride to St. Louisans. In the 21st century, St. Louis has transformed from a manufacturing and industrial economy into a globally known focus for research in medicine, biotechnology, and other science. St. Louis is also called "Gateway to the West" on behalf the many people who moved west through St. Louis.

St. Louis , Cheap stuff:
9/10

Anheuser-Busch Brewery, a Free tour (with free beer samples for those of legal age) of one of the world's largest breweries and bottling factories. The Clydesdales and their historic truck and stables are one of the biggest attractions on the tour, as are the brew house and packaging facility.

St. Louis , Different stuff:
7/10

The Gateway Arch, Riverfront, designed by Eero Saarinen, it's the world's tallest national monument, built to be a symbolic gateway to the west. The icon of the city, the Arch is located in the Jefferson Expansion National Memorial Park by the Riverfront. You can ride a unique elevator - essentially it's a cross between a cable railway and a ferris wheel - up to the top. There is also an innovative historical museum under the Arch. Don't miss the movie, "Monument to the Dream," about the building of the Arch--it is an exceptionally well-made and memorable tribute to how a vision was made tangible. The Arch was designed as a parabola scaled from 21 inches of string held 7 inches apart. Its foundation is anchored 60 feet underground.

St. Louis , Don't miss:
9/10

The Saint Louis Zoological Park, one of the oldest and largest free-admission zoos in the country, is home to an Insectarium and the Prairie Village. The St. Louis Zoo is the most visited zoo in the United States, having surpassed the San Diego Zoo in popularity. It boasts many exhibits with animal-friendly habitats. The zoo is located in Forest Park, adjacent to the St. Louis Art Museum.

St. Louis , Food:
9/10

Try St. Louis original foods - *Barbequed Pork Steaks, St. Louis Style Boston Butt sliced into steaks, basted with Maull's Barbecue sauce.

*Gooey butter Cake, a type of coffee cake with a bottom layer of buttery yellow cake and a top layer of either egg and cream cheese, or butter and sugar.

*Gus's Pretzels, great hot large pretzels about 1' long and 1" diameter.

Maull's Barbecue Sauce, a spicy, semi-sweet tomato-based sauce unusual for containing pepper pulp and anchovies. Eight varieties.

*Provel Cheese, a soft, white processed cheese made from cheddar, swiss and provolone. Mainly found on the pizzas at local favorite Imo's Pizza.

*St. Louis Style Pizza, made with Provel cheese on a super thin crust.

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. Something that every St. Louis resident has had. Ted Drewes has two locations in St. Louis, and features dozens of flavors of its famous frozen custard.

*Toasted Ravioli, or really, breaded and deep-fried. Is found on the menu of most St. Louis restaurants, including several upscale ones.

St. Louis , Hotels:
9/10

St. Louis does have the host of usual Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn, and the like, chains. One great thing about the city is an abundance of hotel rooms, convention and meeting space, and amenities for travelers. Since the city boast a low cost of living, even for the Midwest, you might find even the most expensive hotels relatively affordable; rooms at even the Ritz-Carlton start in the mid $200s per night.

St. Louis , Safety:
10/10

St. Louis' recent designation as the Most Dangerous City in America should not deter the potential visitor. Areas most often visited by tourists are no more dangerous than any other large American city. The more popular and most-visited areas in the city, such as Clayton, Downtown, the Central West End, and Forest Park have very low crime rates, even for the Midwest. Caution is warranted in other locales, particularly the North Side. . East St. Louis, in Illinois, is also noted for a higher crime rate than the Missouri side. Most tourists, however, will have little reason to visit these places, so it should not present reason for much concern. Some Metrolink stations are located in areas some may find questionable after dark as well, but most downtown areas around Busch Stadium, Union Station, St. Louis University area, and commuter lots near the airport are generally safe and patrolled.

Urbana , General info:
10/10

Urbana has maintained its status as a Tree City USA since the programs inception in 1976, and is the only charter member still in the program in the State of Illinois. It maintains over 100,000 trees on over 95% of its parkways.

Urbana , Cheap stuff:
8/10

Low cost of living.

Urbana , Different stuff:
9/10

Candlestick Lane is the name for a neighborhood in eastern Urbana. It is called Candlestick Lane because every year the residents decorate their yards for Christmas with lots of lights and figures. The tradition began in 1961 (maybe 1960) as a house-decorating contest sponsored by the Illinois Power Company.

The Urbana Free Library is located in the downtown area. The library is one of the first public libraries in Illinois and was founded in 1874. The library houses historical archives of Champaign County which can be used for genealogical research. The Urbana Free Library ranked 8th out of 877 public libraries rated by “American Libraries” in 2002. It has been ranked in the top 1% of American libraries every year since rankings began.

Urbana , Don't miss:
9/10

The Market at the Square - Every Saturday morning from some time in May to some time in November, dozens of vendors set up shop in the Lincoln Square parking lot in downtown Urbana. They primarily sell local produce (including corn, tomatoes, and watermelons), but one can also find local crafts, music, and booths for various community and political organizations

Urbana , Food:
8/10

Everything you can find in average U.S. city.

Urbana , Hotels:
9/10

Lots of motels and B&B which is normal comparing to size of the city, just a few hotels.

Urbana , Safety:
9/10

Crime rate is above U.S. national average.