Relocation Help... (Overland Park, Kansas City, Olathe: low crime, established neighborhood, purchase)

[OPSMAN]

There is a good chance that I will be relocating for work purposes to a plant in Spring Hill. Could you please point me in the right direction as far as which counties/towns I should be looking into.

I am married with 2 small children (5 & 2). I don't mind living somewhat rural as long as a decent metro area/civilization is within reasonable driving distance. Any help is appreciated.

OPSMAN

[TheDrax]

Spring Hill is a pretty decent area just south of Kansas City metro. Good schools. If i were moving with a family I would look at living in Edgerton, KS. It's a very nice area that is somewhat rural but only 30 minutes from downtown Kansas City. Any one of Kansas City's southern suburbs would be nice as well. Leawood is the most ritzy. Overland Park or Olathe are nice. What price range are you looking for in housing?

[OPSMAN]

I am looking to purchase in the $200-250K range. Right now, schools, low crime and proximity to shopping/restaurants/social activities is very important to us. Just out of curiousity, what is the climate like right now? Does it get really hot in summer and really cold in winter months, or is it more mild?

OPSMAN

[GraniteStater]

I had no idea Spring Hill had a plant?
Are you interested in older neighborhoods or newer areas?
Do you prefer to live close to where you work, or is commuting a short distance an option?
If you are looking for established neighborhoods I would look at northern sections of Overland Park. However, the commute to Spring Hill would likely be longer, but possible.
The Gardner/Edgerton area is VERY conservative so if you want a little more diversity I would suggest Overland Park/Olathe.
Spring Hill is growing, but probably will remain a rather small town. It does not have a Wal Mart right now

[OPSMAN]

I like established neighborhoods with trees/parks, etc., but I also would consider newer construction. It really doesn't matter. As far as the length of commute, I currently drive 1 hour each way to and from work, which can get very old. I'd like to set a max commute time of 40 minutes if possible.

When you say VERY conservative, what exactly do you mean? I interpret that to mean there's nothing fun to do and everyone is uptight. Am I right?

We like to go out to eat at restaurants, bars ocassionally, malls, outdoor activities, etc. I also don't mind living in a small town atmosphere as long as a larger metro-type area is within 30-45 minutes for some type of nightlife.

OPSMAN

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by OPSMAN

I like established neighborhoods with trees/parks, etc., but I also would consider newer construction. It really doesn't matter. As far as the length of commute, I currently drive 1 hour each way to and from work, which can get very old. I'd like to set a max commute time of 40 minutes if possible.

When you say VERY conservative, what exactly do you mean? I interpret that to mean there's nothing fun to do and everyone is uptight. Am I right?

We like to go out to eat at restaurants, bars ocassionally, malls, outdoor activities, etc. I also don't mind living in a small town atmosphere as long as a larger metro-type area is within 30-45 minutes for some type of nightlife.

OPSMAN

Based on those statements you would probably like Overland Park better. I would recommend the Broookridge neighborhood which is located north of 103rd street between Metcalf and Lowell Avenue. Other nice established neighborhoods are Wycliff and Oak Park, but they tend to be closer to the interstate highways if that bothers you.
Overland Park has plenty of restuarants, malls, and park trails. The city also has the Overland Park Arboretum which is a fairly nice park area.
When I mean conservative I am tallking mostly politics. People from Olathe had elected a reactionary style conservative representative by the name of O'Connor a few years ago.
The commute from those Overland Park suburbs I mentioned would be about 30-35 minutes in heavier traffic and 25 minutes in lighter traffic. However, many people are commuting from the opposite direction so that should not be a big problem.

[TheDrax]

I would suggest eastern Olathe. Around the 151st and Pflumm area. Newer neighborhoods but not so new that there are no trees. Very nice area, close to Overland Park and good restaurants, nightlife, etc. 20 minute drive to downtown Kansas City and 20 minutes to Spring Hill in the other direction. The climate here is anything but mild. Spring and Fall last for about 2 weeks each. It goes from very very hot humid summers (95-105 degrees) to very very cold snowy windy winters (15-35 degrees). I would say at least 2/3 of the year temperatures are between one of those extremes.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by TheDrax

I would suggest eastern Olathe. Around the 151st and Pflumm area. Newer neighborhoods but not so new that there are no trees. Very nice area, close to Overland Park and good restaurants, nightlife, etc. 20 minute drive to downtown Kansas City and 20 minutes to Spring Hill in the other direction. The climate here is anything but mild. Spring and Fall last for about 2 weeks each. It goes from very very hot humid summers (95-105 degrees) to very very cold snowy windy winters (15-35 degrees). I would say at least 2/3 of the year temperatures are between one of those extremes.

The commute to Downtown KC from 151st and Highway 69 is more than 20 minutes without a doubt. In heavier traffic I would say around 35 minutes at least.

[TheDrax]

well right, during heavier traffic, but that's in rush hour. If they are living in Spring Hill then they won't be going downtown during rush hour traffic anyway. On a normal evening or weekend in decent weather, if they wanted to go out to the P&L district, or out to a bar or restaurant downtown or in westport... 20 minutes is about what it would take