Moving to Pratt KS (Wichita, Topeka: homes, school districts, community college) - Kansas - City-Data Forum

Fonda McConnell · 12-04-2015, 05:59 PM

My husband and I are both 67 years old and will be moving to Pratt KS this summer. We want to retire there where the people seem friendly enough and the town is 'cute'.
We currently live in Reno (area), NV (originally from San Jose, CA) so are used to the hot and cold climate. Pratt shouldn't be too much different, I'm assuming. We WILL be building a 'safe room' in the basement!! That part, we are not used to. Does anyone ever really get used to that stuff?
Can anyone give me some info on some dos and don'ts about the area? We tend to be fairly liberal and we know there will be some giving there but we can handle that. We both have tattoos and I have a facial tattoo and piercings but I still get the stares from people here so it's no biggie. Just last year I cut all the pink out of my hair and am letting it grow out natural (brown and gray).
My husband has never been in KS but I grew up traveling all over the country from coast to coast and north to south so he is doing all the research he thinks we'll need. I want to hear how actually living in a small town will be like.
Any info appreciated.
Fonda
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thriftylefty · 12-04-2015, 06:20 PM

I go through there sometimes on my way to Denver or Santa Fe and when I get to Pratt I try to convince my self I'm almost there. Not a bad location to be less than a days drive from those two cities if you don't mind driving. Out that way people do get use to driving long distances on a routine basis. I would guess that would be one of the retail areas for those counties. As far as politics it looks like in the last election 26% went for Obama. If we fudge those numbers based on the people who aren't that vocal about their liberal views I might say there could be close to a third of the population who might be liberal leaning and that's not bad for that part of Kansas.

Rivertowntalk · 12-04-2015, 07:34 PM

Pratt is nice and is friendly. I have been there a few times. You will definitely be noticed with a tattoo on your face and piercings! People may be somewhat standoffish because it is not what they are used to. That is true in many parts of the state though. Coming from California, you may feel like you stepped back in time.

News of you will travel fast in a small town. People will know of you, where you live, etc. That is the way small towns are and it can't be changed. When information is communicated, it can evolve into a different story. I have been around the state some and I know people in Pratt and others from Pratt and I live over 200 miles from there. They are very good people.

There is a major farming influence in the community. In this state, if you meet someone from a small town and ask them if they know so and so, they will know them and they may know a lot about them. I met a person from a Kansas small town, recently, and said the only person I know from there is so and so and she said, "He's my brother." I replied that I have met your father then, as well. These type of connections can occur a lot in this state.

empires228 · 12-05-2015, 09:13 PM

Pratt is a great and safe small town with two great school districts and a nice small community college. Shopping is pretty much restricted to Walmart and Dillons (a division of Kroger), but you're not too far from Garden City, Hutchinson, and Wichita for better options. There are quite a few nicer historic homes and everyone seems to know each other. They also have (what I consider to be) a good Mexican restaurant called Playa Azul in an old Golden Coral.

Versatile · 12-08-2015, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fonda McConnell

My husband and I are both 67 years old and will be moving to Pratt KS this summer. We want to retire there where the people seem friendly enough and the town is 'cute'.
We currently live in Reno (area), NV (originally from San Jose, CA) so are used to the hot and cold climate. Pratt shouldn't be too much different, I'm assuming. We WILL be building a 'safe room' in the basement!! That part, we are not used to. Does anyone ever really get used to that stuff?
Can anyone give me some info on some dos and don'ts about the area? We tend to be fairly liberal and we know there will be some giving there but we can handle that. We both have tattoos and I have a facial tattoo and piercings but I still get the stares from people here so it's no biggie. Just last year I cut all the pink out of my hair and am letting it grow out natural (brown and gray).
My husband has never been in KS but I grew up traveling all over the country from coast to coast and north to south so he is doing all the research he thinks we'll need. I want to hear how actually living in a small town will be like.
Any info appreciated.
Fonda
Modcut, no personal information please. Use the direct message function concerning more detailed info.

Rent before you buy! I think you will regret it. Small midwestern towns are very stand offish.A very good lok at the people of Ks is start reading the blogs of THE TOPEKA JOURNAL online. Specifically those of Kevin McGinty and another ny Kansas Truth Teller. You will be shocked.

Room 235 | CJOnline.com

Stand Up and Push Back | CJOnline.com

empires228 · 12-09-2015, 09:58 AM

Oh wow... The people in Pratt are some of the nicest I've ever met... If you want to avoid rude and stand offish people than avoid our dump of a state capital, not Pratt

.

Fonda McConnell · 12-18-2015, 08:41 PM

Thank you all for the notes on Pratt. So far we're sold on it but we're still taking a 'scouting trip' in the spring to make sure.

empires228 · 12-24-2015, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fonda McConnell

Thank you all for the notes on Pratt. So far we're sold on it but we're still taking a 'scouting trip' in the spring to make sure.

I'm glad to hear that

. I stopped in Pratt the other night and the Lemon Park Christmas Lights were just astounding. It really is a charming little town.

Bugzy · 11-07-2018, 09:39 AM

I do not advice families or young people to move here. I grew up in Pratt... It is a very single minded place with no opportunties. It may be a good retirement town but that is about it. As a child growing up there was not much to do. I have some very dear friends there but that is about it it. Alot of people are judgemental and like I said single minded. It's like they don't understand there is a world beyond Pratt but there is and it was for me a hopeless town and I couldn't be more happy to have moved out.