Poplar Bluff, Missouri

Life in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, explained by people who’ve lived in Poplar Bluff:

*Response format = Answer (Your name, How long you’ve lived in Poplar Bluff)

Poplar Bluff Favorites

What’s your favorite thing about living in Poplar Bluff?

Don’t have to drive very far for groceries/household items. (Brittney, 2 years)
Convenient. (Anonymous, 8 years)
The small town feel. (Dorian, 10+ years)
Kind people. (Christy, 13 years)
I know my way around. (Nicole, 20 years)
My family and friends. (Keeleann, 25 years)
It has something for everyone. (Rachael, 25 years)
Seeing the town grow each year. (Shane, 28 years)
Good place to raise kids. (Melvina, 33 years)
How easily a person can escape to the country from the hustle and bustle of town. (Penny, 36 years)

What’s your least favorite thing about living in Poplar Bluff?

People don’t know how to drive. (Brittney, 2 years)
Doesn’t have enough high-paying jobs. (Anonymous, 8 years)
Lack of a target or no place like Dennys, no more places like Family Fun Center or a more bowling- need more 24 hour stores. (Dorian, 10+ years)
Closed minds. (Christy, 13 years)
There’s nothing for adults to do in this town anymore, we need more stuff like a good bowling alley or a drive in, a mall. (Nicole, 20 years)
All the bad drivers who can’t find their blinker! (Keeleann, 25 years)
Too many drugs. (Rachael, 25 years)
The speed limit is too slow. Need more lanes. (Shane, 28 years)
Drugs. (Melvina, 33 years)
Too many stop signs and traffic lights. (Penny, 36 years)

What are fun things to do in Poplar Bluff?

Idk. (Brittney, 2 years)
Movies, water park. (Dorian, 10+ years)
Movies, bowling and drinking. (Christy, 13 years)
Nothing. (Nicole, 20 years)
Movies, shopping. (Keeleann, 25 years)
Collaseum: pool, Zumba, gym, walk path, concerts. Go to the show at AMC, water park, laser tag at Extreme family fun, SKATE city has a skating rink and a fun plex for kids. (Rachael, 25 years)
Not much, but go to the billiards for pool or the theatres for a movie. (Shane, 28 years)
Movies, dinner. (Melvina, 33 years)
Swimming, movies, shopping, and eating out. (Penny, 36 years)

What’s Poplar Bluff known for?

What’s the crime like in Poplar Bluff? (hot spot areas, etc.)

Very, very high, 10+. (Brittney, 2 years)
Medium. (Dorian, 10+ years)
Meth, theft. (Christy, 13 years)
Moderate. (Nicole, 20 years)
Not as bad as big cities but their is a drug problem. No one part of town is worse than another. It’s just you hear more about the low income parts more because the upper class can afford lawyers and know the right people to keep things quiet. (Keeleann, 25 years)
Mostly drugs and thieving. A few murders once in a while. (Usually someone who hung out with the wrong crowd). (Rachael, 25 years)
Okay! Mainly thiefs and drugs, not really much murder. (Shane, 28 years)
All over. (Melvina, 33 years)
Stealing, drugs and a lot of traffic violations. (Penny, 36 years)

Any advice for people moving to Poplar Bluff?

Don’t live on the east and south side. (Brittney, 2 years)
Be up for nothing to do after midnight. (Dorian, 10+ years)
Find a church family. (Christy, 13 years)
Always watch your surroundings. (Nicole, 20 years)
Be kind to others, and we will be kind to you! (Keeleann, 25 years)
Stay on the good side of Main street. (Rachael, 25 years)
Be prepared to know your neighborhood. You will become a close family! (Shane, 28 years)
Enjoy. (Melvina, 33 years)
Get involved with our community. (Penny, 36 years)

Share an experience you’ve had in Poplar Bluff (fun, crazy, dangerous, etc.).

Boreing after midnight. (Dorian, 10+ years)
Once when PB had a particularly good HS football team, another team came to town for sectionals and they were so bad, they “darned near killed that mule” that ran the track every time Poplar Bluff got a touchdown. (Christy, 13 years)
Bonfires and good friends during the fall is always my best memories! (Keeleann, 25 years)
I used to play in the creeks near Planet Fitness as a child. (Rachael, 25 years)
During Spanish class we got to make a little diary of each other with pictures buying and making a Mexican dish. We then had to have pictures and everything translated to Spanish. Was fun to learn and do. (Shane, 28 years)
An overwhelming sense of pride after the new high school was finished. Very proud of the new football field and the growth of P.B. (Penny, 36 years)

How do you think Poplar Bluff will change over the next 10 years?

More growth, with more businesses. (Anonymous, 8 years)
More 24 hour things, more factories. (Dorian, 10+ years)
Very little. (Christy, 13 years)
I’m not really sure, but in hoping town will grow and we will have more adult activities. (Nicole, 20 years)
I think we will grow ten times over and bring in more businesses and jobs. (Keeleann, 25 years)
I think it will continue to expand at a fast pace. (Rachael, 25 years)
Possibly double in size. Population will grow. Maybe get an actual mall. (Shane, 28 years)
A lot of growth. More stores, more people, more jobs. (Penny, 36 years)

Any other interesting facts about Poplar Bluff?

Nope. (Dorian, 10+ years)
Some of the history includes interesting facts about segregation in the town, especially in public education. (Christy, 13 years)
Tyler Hansborough went to school here before going basically pro! (Shane, 28 years)
Poplar bluff is also known as Little Chicago! (Penny, 36 years)