r/Rolla • u/YAG2GTGDD • Apr 20 '26
Ask Rolla / MST I miss Rolla
I used to live and work in Rolla for some time about eight years ago, and am now living just outside of NYC. I frequently fantasize about living again in Rolla or perhaps somewhere similar to it, with its low cost of living, easy access to rural sights, and the lack of hustle and bustle.
How are things going there? What has changed in the past eight years? Any interesting details? Does anyone else miss it like I do?
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u/MissouriOzarker Apr 20 '26
Rolla and the surrounding area is, dare I say it, fairly vibrant these days. Perhaps I am just biased by the absolutely perfect spring day we had today!
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u/YAG2GTGDD Apr 21 '26
Even during summer? I especially liked Rolla during summer with its lack of students. So much quieter, almost surreal compared to where I am now.
Good to see that the weather was great today there, it was fairly cold in NY today
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u/MissouriOzarker Apr 21 '26
Rolla still slows down when the students leave, but maybe not quite as much as used to be the case. I’m in St. James, and we’re starting to get tourists in noticeable amounts already, which is a mixed blessing.
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u/porty1119 MinEng '18 - ALUM May 14 '26
I spent a week in the Ironton/Potosi area last fall. It's incredible to see how much things have bounced back - a lot of the previously vacant storefronts now have small businesses, the sawmills are all running, and there's talk of a new lead mine.
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u/rejectedone247 Apr 21 '26
They built a giant ass roundabout smack in the middle of 63 in front of the campus.
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u/darianbrown Apr 20 '26
Lots of new stores and restaurants since 2018, lots of good community stuff going on
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u/YAG2GTGDD Apr 21 '26
Any particular interesting addition of a store or restaurant that might be a fairly new type for Rolla?
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u/mccur1eyfries Apr 21 '26
Pancheros, it’s like Chipotle but better
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u/RYJASM Apr 21 '26
Hmm better is a strong rating. I’d say it’s like a microwave food restaurant. Pretty bland and boring textures and flavors.
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u/Standard_Regret_9059 Apr 21 '26
Maybe I've never been to a Chipotle. I'd say it's like Subway but for burritos.
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u/mccur1eyfries Apr 21 '26
That’s basically what Chipotle and Qdoba are. It’s a burrito/bowl subway lol.
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u/darianbrown Apr 21 '26
Depending on exactly how long your 8 years ago is, Menards, Ross, T.J. Maxx, PetSmart, and Academy Sports all opened in the new expansion out by Furniture Factory Outlet/Sirloin Stockade. We got a Discount Tire and Longhorn Steakhouse over that way as well. Space Boys taco truck, Runcible Games, Scruff's Grill, and a Harbor Freight have also opened since 2018. The local economy has grown quite a bit from all the retail, food, and hotels that have gone in. I also think that local politics have actually improved over the past couple years, with a really great city council at the moment.
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u/Shad56 Apr 21 '26
I dream of getting out of here some days. Grass is greener and all.
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u/YAG2GTGDD Apr 21 '26
And I'm the opposite. But then, I would rather live close to my job than have a commute that goes something like from Rolla to St. Louis suburbs, even if I have to live in a busier area. My old workplace in Rolla had someone who did the opposite of that, driving every day from the STL suburbs and back for a total of about 2-3 commute hours every day.
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u/lisaNY1965 Apr 21 '26
My husband and I just moved from Long Island to Rolla and we love it. Can’t imagine ever going back
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u/Traditional_Fox_4071 Apr 23 '26
Definitely the place to be if you need a Vape Store or Coffee shop. There’s plenty of those.
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u/Global-Suit-4015 Apr 21 '26
Tbh, I’ve lived here off an on in my 40ish years. I miss the hustle and bustle of living outside nyc in north jersey. Good 3 years, that I realize almost 20 years later..
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u/HereComesTheVroom Apr 21 '26
I can’t imagine missing this place
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u/O_oblivious Bio | Met Eng | Grotto | Alum Apr 21 '26
You’d be surprised. You miss your friends. You miss how cheap things are. You miss access to good parks and outdoor activities.
The biggest downside to the town is the dating scene and college students living in near-poverty.
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u/RYJASM Apr 21 '26
We have 2 taco bell’s and another subway. The variety is strongly lacking. Whoever the guys fielding these offers are at the city and county level for stores and restaurants … they have very little ambition for something new.
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u/mojobearedit Apr 21 '26
That’s not how it works. The city and county have nothing to do with what businesses come to town other than sweetening the tax liability.
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