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Oh man, need a disclaimer...not everyone from that area is crazy...there are some very nice people and nice places, but overall, the negative made all that irrelevant for me, personally.
JoCo, KCKS and KSMO are all terrible places to live. I've lived in both Mission and KCMO and it was the worst time of my life. I've never met so many rude/crazy (and I mean crazy in the literal sense) people in all my life. And I'm not from an affluent place that lacks crazies...
I moved there to find work b/c the rural town I lived in had something like a 20% unemployment rate in at the beginning of the recession and I couldn't get a job after recovering from a birth-related illness. One week while living there, there were literally 7-8 random murders that I heard about (without watching the news) in a week. I worked as a waitress and was robbed in the first week. I also had a literal crack ho ask to borrow my car while I was working...where does that happen!? Really!!?
I spent outrageous amounts of gas just to get from point a to b. Ugh...I hate that metro. But, if you want to buy a lot of drugs...this is the place for you!
I decided to move back in with my mom just to get away from it...that says a lot.
JoCo is ok. And that's it. It's ok. The amount you are paying for real estate to begin with and the subsequent property taxes is not worth what you get. And most of what you get is in KCMO (other than like the one impressive park I found there)...which you aren't even paying for...lol. And the weather...oh, lord...
The cost of living and economy seems to be better than a lot of places. It's got that going for it, which is no small thing. But I'll live in poverty somewhere else, thank you!
And to defend the person who hates Kansas...Wichita is not much better. I think the crime rate might be slightly lower...but figure in the density and population and the crime rate is outrageous. It's not an attractive or safe city to say the least. You can buy some really frickin cheap houses there, though....but there is a reason for that.
I'm sure there's validity to much of what you're saying, but overall I'm afraid you don't know what you're talking about. I really like Oklahoma and spent a lot of time in the eastern and northeastern part of the state for 5 years of my life, but much of what you've said is horse**** (as they say down there). Worst is the fact you think JoCo is the only decent part of the KC metro. Quite frankly, I know enough about you from your post that I can safely say the Missouri side suburbs would have been a better fit. Johnson County wasn't the place for you. It's too bad your experience here has left a sour taste in your mouth, but your ignorance of the rest of the metro is, well, just that.
If you want to refute what I've said, you can explain how Parkville, Platte City, Gladstone, Liberty, Blue Springs, Lee's Summit, and Belton are such horrible places.
BTW, you can buy dirt cheap houses in many cities worst areas, including north Tulsa, northeast OKC, old Muskogee, and well, housing is cheaper everywhere in Oklahoma than anywhere in KC or anywhere near the KC area, but then I consider that a good thing. Of course, an OK hater could just as easily say "there's a reason for that". Look, I know that Oklahoma isn't horrible just because it has ghetto areas, I'm just looking for the same from you regarding my city.
I was just ranting. It's all good. I'm from Kansas...I'm only in Oklahoma temporarily and can't say much about it because I have little experience here. Basically, from my little experience, Oklahoma is Kansas with lower taxes. And casinos. lol
I lived right outside of Raytown as well and much of my bad experience was there. I can't say anything about the Missouri suburbs...I spent most of my time in JoCo and within the city limits of KCMO. Are you trying to pin me as a redneck? Oh, you are so good. lol
But yeah, my time in Kansas City was limited so I probably don't know what I'm talking about. I just did not have a good experience there. It's all relative, though.
I was just ranting. It's all good. I'm from Kansas...I'm only in Oklahoma temporarily and can't say much about it because I have little experience here. Basically, from my little experience, Oklahoma is Kansas with lower taxes. And casinos. lol
I lived right outside of Raytown as well and much of my bad experience was there. I can't say anything about the Missouri suburbs...I spent most of my time in JoCo and within the city limits of KCMO. Are you trying to pin me as a redneck? Oh, you are so good. lol
But yeah, my time in Kansas City was limited so I probably don't know what I'm talking about. I just did not have a good experience there. It's all relative, though.
Peace and love!!
Redneck? No, not necessarily. Just non-pretentious, which is a good thing. What part of Kansas are you actually from?
JoCo, KCKS and KSMO are all terrible places to live. I've lived in both Mission and KCMO and it was the worst time of my life. I've never met so many rude/crazy (and I mean crazy in the literal sense) people in all my life. And I'm not from an affluent place that lacks crazies...
I moved there to find work b/c the rural town I lived in had something like a 20% unemployment rate in at the beginning of the recession and I couldn't get a job after recovering from a birth-related illness. One week while living there, there were literally 7-8 random murders that I heard about (without watching the news) in a week. I worked as a waitress and was robbed in the first week. I also had a literal crack ho ask to borrow my car while I was working...where does that happen!? Really!!?
I spent outrageous amounts of gas just to get from point a to b. Ugh...I hate that metro. But, if you want to buy a lot of drugs...this is the place for you!
I decided to move back in with my mom just to get away from it...that says a lot.
JoCo is ok. And that's it. It's ok. The amount you are paying for real estate to begin with and the subsequent property taxes is not worth what you get. And most of what you get is in KCMO (other than like the one impressive park I found there)...which you aren't even paying for...lol. And the weather...oh, lord...
The cost of living and economy seems to be better than a lot of places. It's got that going for it, which is no small thing. But I'll live in poverty somewhere else, thank you!
And to defend the person who hates Kansas...Wichita is not much better. I think the crime rate might be slightly lower...but figure in the density and population and the crime rate is outrageous. It's not an attractive or safe city to say the least. You can buy some really frickin cheap houses there, though....but there is a reason for that.
It sounds like you are younger. I would generally not recommend JOCO to younger single people although I do know some that like it here.
I can totally understand that there are parts of JOCO that wouldn't suit my needs whatsoever, it's a big county.
I personally hate cookie-cutter sprawl and there are some big tracts of that in places.
A quick breakdown on my current state of residence: New Hampshire has a lot of advantages, particularly the lack of income or sales tax. I much prefer the independent streak of many who live here as well as the outside the box thinking. Fiscally conservative and socially moderate to liberal works well here and valuing land for conservation instead of development is a huge priority. The natural amenities from the coast, lakes, forest, orchards, and farms are hard to beat. It does come with a higher cost of living, but I feel it is well worth it. I haven't felt the need to take a vacation elsewhere for awhile. I am a huge outdoors person so I love the easy access to national forest, state forest, and conservation lands. Oh, summer average high temperatures are in the low 80s as well.
I have a feeling that NH and I would get along just great.
One more thing, just researching college costs and for example KU is about 21k a year for everything while my alma-mater is closer to 29k (U of IL). Missouris also reasonable.
I think IL is getting more expensive because the state is in a major fiscal crisis.
I was a married chick with a kid when I lived there. Not interested in the young people scene...although I was still pretty young (hence why I was still a waitress). Anyway...the issue is mostly because I really am a redneck that can't deal with city life. I am from southeast Kansas btw. I've lived in cities in other states though. I've been around...but still mostly a rural person. I think I'd fit into the rural atmosphere of like Vermont better though. I love the country but still hopelessly liberal. It's a love/hate thing with Kansas.
Recently I've kinda looked into moving to Prairie Village, but that even appears too pretentious for me. And like, $2,500+ for property taxes for some tiny ugly ranch house is just not cool. lol Living close to a Trader Joes is very appealing though. Those weren't in KC when I lived there. My opinion would probably be the polar opposite had a Trade Joes been there!
Anyway, I meant to respond to the OP's question about music. Most people in Kansas still listen to country. There are younger people who listen to about everything, but overall, most people listen to country, especially in the smaller towns. I know the area I grew up in didn't have a rap station until about eight years ago. I went to college and people made fun of me because I didn't know who Ludacris was. And those people were from rural Kentucky. haha
I hear New Hampshire has high property taxes. Prove me wrong and I might relocate!!
I was a married chick with a kid when I lived there. Not interested in the young people scene...although I was still pretty young (hence why I was still a waitress). Anyway...the issue is mostly because I really am a redneck that can't deal with city life. I am from southeast Kansas btw. I've lived in cities in other states though. I've been around...but still mostly a rural person. I think I'd fit into the rural atmosphere of like Vermont better though. I love the country but still hopelessly liberal. It's a love/hate thing with Kansas.
Recently I've kinda looked into moving to Prairie Village, but that even appears too pretentious for me. And like, $2,500+ for property taxes for some tiny ugly ranch house is just not cool. lol Living close to a Trader Joes is very appealing though. Those weren't in KC when I lived there. My opinion would probably be the polar opposite had a Trade Joes been there!
Anyway, I meant to respond to the OP's question about music. Most people in Kansas still listen to country. There are younger people who listen to about everything, but overall, most people listen to country, especially in the smaller towns. I know the area I grew up in didn't have a rap station until about eight years ago. I went to college and people made fun of me because I didn't know who Ludacris was. And those people were from rural Kentucky. haha
I hear New Hampshire has high property taxes. Prove me wrong and I might relocate!!
I'm telling you, the Missouri-side suburbs would be best for you in the KC area. They're middle-class, have good schools, and aren't pretentious. They're not exactly liberal, but there are many working-class Democrats. A lot of folks in the Missouri suburbs have either lived there since they were more like small towns and many have moved to them from actual rural areas and small towns outside the KC area. Liberty, MO is a really great suburb with a lot of history as a historic small town and still has an active downtown with restaurants, etc. If you want to live further out more detached from the immediate KC area, Kearney (north of Liberty), Platte City (north of KCI), Smithville (by Smithville Lake), and Pleasant Hill (outside of Lee's Summit) are great places, all towns of just several thousand people. On the Kansas side, Spring Hill and Desoto in Johnson County fit that bill, as well as Basehor and Tonganoxie in Leavenworth County (west of the Speedway/Legends area). Leavenworth, KS, even though very close to KC (despite off the interstate grid) retains a very rural, independent small-town/rural culture, and it's a bigger, historic town (oldest in KS), with about 35,000 people and 10,000 in Lansing, it's "suburb" - which is similar in size and sort of acts like Bartlesville or Muskogee do with Tulsa. I know I've thrown out a lot here, but there are options around KC. JoCo just isn't the right place, for the most part.
Honestly, though, I guess Oklahoma is even better for how you describe yourself. I relate because I like smaller/rural areas too, and the immediate KC area snubs rural types, unfortunately. I've lived in KC all of my life except for 5 years, which I lived in southeast Kansas and went to HS in Independence, KS, and spent a lot of time in northeastern and eastern Oklahoma. The small-town and rural culture was quite refreshing after having lived in KC all my life. I look back and realized I took it all for granted and that it was a privledge to experience, and I've pretty much lost all my connection to down there.
I have a feeling that NH and I would get along just great.
I think so as well The best job markets are in the southern and southeast portions of the state with more tech and medical positions. The 128 corridor south of there is good as well. Property taxes are dependent on the town. They are lowest in the Lakes Region, about 30-45 minutes north of where most of the higher paying jobs are. Many people live there and commute further south. Ok, the lowest tax town is Moultonboro, so factor in a rate of $8.00 per $1,000 assessed value and you're about $1800-2200 yr in property taxes on an average 2000sqft house.
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