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Old 08-02-2011, 04:42 PM
 
396 posts, read 659,882 times
Reputation: 330

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Quote:
Originally Posted by schmidty223 View Post
Well, here comes a bad thing... I visited Lindsborg and there was nothing special there, just about 1,000 bike riders and old houses. It takes 5 minutes to see everything there.
The bike trail is just one of many things to do in Lindsborg. Did you take in the Sandzen gallery? Go to Coronado Heights? Visit the old mill on the river? Did you take in any of the many festivals? There is more to do in this small town of 3300 than towns 10 to 100 times larger.
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Old 08-09-2011, 09:31 PM
 
1 posts, read 8,897 times
Reputation: 10
Default Overzealous Parsons

Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenScoutII View Post
Parsons, Ks. Never lived there or anything, but it looked just like a Norman Rockwell painting. Ok, maybe that doesn't make it "best", but it sure was a neat little town to spend a couple of hours in.
Don't be fooled, they post a sign saying, "Parsons a nice place to live, stay awhile" Yet they harass you to the point of suicide. I can't even step outside without some trouble. I don't go no where, have no friends, no where to eat, or go out. If you want people to stay, be friendly, easy going, community friendly, allow clubs, parties, drinking, fun. Don't pull people over for tail lights being out. etc.
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Old 08-09-2011, 09:47 PM
 
43 posts, read 84,460 times
Reputation: 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnywhereElse View Post
Everyone recommends Lawrence for about anything but when I looked at the stats after one of our town pervs (married and had affair with underage student) there, I thought the crime seemed awfully high - maybe she thought she would not be noticed? http://www.city-data.com/city/Lawrence-Kansas.html
Lawrence?? I guess I'm not quite certain what your local perv has to do with Lawrence crime rates, but... I've lived in BIG cities and never let crime stats make me a shut-in. Lawrence is a piece of cake after living in a city of 2 million. And, IMHO, it is the best town in Kansas.

If someone came to me and said "you have to live in Ks from now on", I'd pick Lawrence, in a heartbeat.
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Old 08-10-2011, 02:12 AM
 
Location: Aloverton
6,560 posts, read 14,394,270 times
Reputation: 10164
Quote:
Originally Posted by denofhc View Post
The bike trail is just one of many things to do in Lindsborg. Did you take in the Sandzen gallery? Go to Coronado Heights? Visit the old mill on the river? Did you take in any of the many festivals? There is more to do in this small town of 3300 than towns 10 to 100 times larger.
Does anyone there actually speak Swedish? Was always curious about that.
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Old 08-10-2011, 02:48 AM
 
34 posts, read 103,755 times
Reputation: 24
I've been to several small towns, and my husband has family in many of them. I grew up in the nation's big cities and somehow or other, people can tell by listening to me that I'm not "from there". Part of that is I don't have the slower speech or drawl that folks in small towns often have (which is not to say they sound dumb--just a different manner of speech). I also don't keep track of how much rain is in the rain gauge my husband bought, because, well, I simply don't care how much rain I get. People just love to talk about the rain in the rain gauge. *yawn*

Lindsborg is a fun place to visit when there is a festival going on. When there is no festival going on, it looks very charming--just picture book pretty. But, it's a Kansas small town. They want your money, then want you to leave. I have yet to stay in a Kansas small town that liked outsiders. They're happy to take your money, but they don't like you. They really hate Johnson Countians. Big time. Meth is a problem for sure in most rural places, but not really in Lindsborg. Salina has an awesome zoo in or near there, but that's all I know if it. Goodland and Colby--they seem genuinely friendly in those places, and interested in people. Don't know how they are about outsiders actually moving there.

Lawrence is a VERY fun town, but I would not consider it small. It is a high crime place--not so much murders, but a lot of theft and rape, which is way under-reported. As big a town as Lawrence is, you still suffer from the Good Ol' Boy syndrome, just like in smaller towns.

Gardner is sliding into Olathe, just like Olathe slid into Overland Park a couple of decades ago. I consider it a suburb of the rest of the metro area.

Paola is nice enough, Ottawa is nice and really quite friendly. Neither towns are exciting, especially. Both have nice old downtowns. Emporia is looking worse for the wear. The town fathers will not allow companies there, and no one knows why. They basically kicked Cracker Barrel out (were they nuts?!) and won't allow a Denny's. There have been manufacturing companies who wanted to plant themselves there, but... nope. So kids go to school there and then move away for good. It is a nice place to raise a family, but it's also getting a run-down, "old industrial" look to it. It's in the Flint Hills, but mostly it's just... grassy hills.

Louisburg, Garnett, Iola, and Fort Scott are big NO's. Garnett looks the nicest of those four, but the police force is so corrupt (and fat, and lazy) and hardly anybody gets along in that town. Very snooty and clannish. Last names are *everything*. And ever since all the surrounding towns' schools were closed and consolidated to Garnett, the teen drug and pregnancy rate skyrocketed. Major bullying, there, and teen drinking, and larceny. The police hide a lot of this because they are friends with the parents. Too many pedophiles for such a small town. Murder isn't really a problem. They are cracking down on the meth, there; I'll hand them that. One of the funniest things in Garnett is seeing Amish teens smoking. Just looks wrong, to me. Louisburg is similar to Garnett, only I don't know about the police force there. Tons of gossip and nosy people.

Burlington is way better than it used to be now that it has the nuclear power plant, but mostly it's boring like the rest of the small towns I mentioned. It's not a snooty place, however. Osage City is a very decent place to raise a family, but there's not much going on there, either.

Tiny towns like Harveyville, Allen, Admire, Miller, Burlingame, Reading (which is now half gone from the tornado), Hartford, Lebo, Neosho Rapids, and similar, are very depressing places. These were once vibrant communities, and now the remaining buildings are falling apart and only the old timers are left. They do have neat stories to tell about when they were young people with big dreams in these places. I guess there are a few families in these teeny places, but mostly they just sleep in these towns and spend the rest of the day somewhere else.

Council Grove--charming and historical, but people do not want you to move there. Trust me. Coffeyville is a nasty looking place ever since its big flood, which will probably never see repairs or re-builds.

If I were to pick a rural area in Kansas, it would be northeast. You'd be close enough to the airport and the city, but still be out in the rolling green hills (that have trees, unlike the Flint Hills). Atchison comes to mind. Yeah, I'd pick Atchison. It reminds me of the rural towns that surround Nashville... only without the floods.
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Old 08-10-2011, 02:51 AM
 
34 posts, read 103,755 times
Reputation: 24
Quote:
Originally Posted by j_k_k View Post
Does anyone there actually speak Swedish? Was always curious about that.
Yes, many do still speak Swedish. When you go there, ask someone to say the number, "777,777" in Swedish. It's a riot. I have family that came from Lindsborg, and this is one of the few towns in America that kept its "Swedishness". Even Andersonville, Illinois has lost it except for the Swedish museum lady there.
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Old 08-10-2011, 03:02 AM
 
Location: Aloverton
6,560 posts, read 14,394,270 times
Reputation: 10164
Quote:
Originally Posted by VixenKS View Post
Yes, many do still speak Swedish. When you go there, ask someone to say the number, "777,777" in Swedish. It's a riot. I have family that came from Lindsborg, and this is one of the few towns in America that kept its "Swedishness". Even Andersonville, Illinois has lost it except for the Swedish museum lady there.
Next time I get back there I'll have to visit. My Swedish was never good, and is pretty rusty now, but it'd be fun to try it. If you can get lutefisk there, that's a good sign. If you can get surstromming and glogg there at the holidays, I think my Swedish friends would acknowledge that as very Swedish.
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:31 PM
 
13 posts, read 41,173 times
Reputation: 30
Funny that you mention Independance as the home of Laura Ingles Wilder, My husband and I were first drawn to Kansas for relocation because of Coffeyville/Independance area... but he needs a job in the city- and its a little far to commute, but just last night I was thinking we feel like the modern version of the Little House on the Parie days- but sick of California crowds and longing for a safe and beautiful place to put down roots and raise a family! No matter how many houses I find in Wichita, I still find myself drawn to the houses with a little bit of prarie So were looking now at Valley Center, Kechi, Goddard and other smaller towns within driving distance for work. But one day we may end up in your neck of the woods, cause so far its our favorite!
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Old 08-10-2011, 07:13 PM
 
Location: Tippecanoe County, Indiana
26,372 posts, read 46,204,927 times
Reputation: 19454
Quote:
Originally Posted by Depfamily View Post
Funny that you mention Independance as the home of Laura Ingles Wilder, My husband and I were first drawn to Kansas for relocation because of Coffeyville/Independance area... but he needs a job in the city- and its a little far to commute, but just last night I was thinking we feel like the modern version of the Little House on the Parie days- but sick of California crowds and longing for a safe and beautiful place to put down roots and raise a family! No matter how many houses I find in Wichita, I still find myself drawn to the houses with a little bit of prarie So were looking now at Valley Center, Kechi, Goddard and other smaller towns within driving distance for work. But one day we may end up in your neck of the woods, cause so far its our favorite!
If you have to live in Kansas your best bet is northeast KS near Kansas City metro. Lots of smaller towns to choose from as well in that area. I would recommend it way over Wichita and I'm certainly not a big fan of Kansas City either.
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Old 08-10-2011, 08:02 PM
 
Location: Aloverton
6,560 posts, read 14,394,270 times
Reputation: 10164
Quote:
Originally Posted by GraniteStater View Post
If you have to live in Kansas your best bet is northeast KS near Kansas City metro. Lots of smaller towns to choose from as well in that area. I would recommend it way over Wichita and I'm certainly not a big fan of Kansas City either.
All right, but is my understanding correct that you basically don't like any place in Kansas to begin with? That's the impression I've gotten.
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