Moving to Wichita area need info (Hutchinson, Hays: best city, crime rate, house)

[cougie]

Hi everyone,
We are moving back to the states this winter to Wichita from the UK and my hubby will be stationed at McConnell. We are looking to buy a house and my husband is willing to commute a little to have us living in a nice safe neighborhood. Im sure all this is posted somewhere on this site but im looking for clarification as well. Is the crime rate high, problems with gangs etc? I have 3 boys between the ages of 14-7 and we'd like to get them into a school that offers support, good support, for children who have learning disabilities. 2 of my children are ADHD and my youngest has a speech delay.
Any and all help would be appreciated. I am originally from omaha so I know the nasty weather part of living in the midwest and also the midwest way of thinking. Nothing could be more backward than where we are located now believe me lol!
thanks for your help!
Cougie

[Pthurman]

Hello I live just south of McConnell about 20-30 mins away in a little town call Belle Plaine we are little one grocery store 2 gas stations 4 or so eat places. Currently we do not have the best City council but we have the best school system. As a mom with 2 ADHD kids and one that is just very slow at learning I love or school they really get the best one on one help. There are closer towns to McConnell like Derby and Mulvane They are much bigger and great in sports. also if you were looking at base housing I believe that is Derby as well. I am including a Wichita pd site that gives you crime rate ect. and if you got any question please ask. Also if you need help finding a home just ask my husband is an Auctioneer/Realtor. Good LUck!http://www.wichita.gov/CityOffices/Police/

[rnsltd]

The city of derby has excellent schools, lots of new housing development, close to McConnell and not far from Wichita's east side shopping mall. Here is Derby's website.
http://www.derbyweb.com/

[cougie]

Thank you for your replies. They have been very helpful!
It wouldnt be a big deal if we didnt have special circumstances or werent looking to buy a house. Last thing we want to do is buy a house in a bad part of town and then we cant get it sold when we move again.
any way, thank you again for being so helpful!
Cougie

[cougie]

Thank you for your help. We have been looking at house listings in Derby. Pretty inexpensive and nice! thats something you dont get together very often.
blessings to you all,
cougie

[KansasMom]

We live in a small town called Benton about 5 miles north of Andover, 10 miles NE of Wichita. There is a small airport, awesome schools (Circle School District, USD 375), restaurant, convenience store, and virtually no crime.

[magicmom]

We live in Augusta, about 30 miles east of Wichita. We lived in Wichita for a year when we first moved to KS in 1999, and I just love Augusta. It is a very small town feel, the school district is excellent, and housing is very affordable.

[cougie]

Thank you Kansasmom and magicmom! Ill ad those 2 communities to the areas we are looking at.
blessings,
cougie

[DR1665]

I escaped from Kansas for Phoenix (which I'm now considering leaving in favor of, oh, I dunno... seasons), but when I lived in Wichita, I was up on the north side by the airport. I worked in Derby right off the river. Took me something like 30 minutes to get to work and I thought it was a long commute.

Last time I went through Wichita, I was on I-35 northbound from the center of town at 530 on a Friday and I couldn't figure out why there were all these groups of cars here and there. I didn't even realize that I was in "rush hour." Coming from Europe or another large city, you could live in Hutchinson and not think McConnell is a long commute. :P

I whole-heartedly suggest looking into Derby. Haysville is kinda trashy, imo and the further away from Wichita you move, the more hick-town* it gets. The only thing I might mention about moving to Derby is that there are B-1Bs among the planes flying in and out of McConnell and you might get a monthly dose of low altitude afterburner noise. Neat if you're into it, but not so neat if you're not.

Hope you enjoyed the UK! I was in Heidelberg, Germany for about four years in the early nineties and it's all I want to do to move back. Being a civie doesn't help at all.

*Note:
By "hick-town," I don't mean, "quaint, pastoral, country setting." I mean, nothing better to do than argue Chevy vs. Ford, KU vs, K-State, or whether it's the Ar-CAN-SAW River or Ar-KANSAS River. Dirt roads. Stopping to wait for slow-moving trains. Bumpkins.

[cougie]

Thanks for the info Dr1665. believe me it cannot get any more hick than where I am livng in england. we are taking inbreeding at its worst. Im from Nebraska so I am used to the midwest attitude etc. We have put a bid on a house in derby so wish us luck! I also lived in phoenix for 2 years but it was like you said just no seasons.
thanks for the help!
Cougie