Moving from California to Garden City Area (Dodge City, Cimarron: tornado, wages)

[CalitoKansas]

Hi All

My husband and I are moving from a slightly rural area in California to the Garden City area. I am really nervous about the move. We will rent initially but I have found that there are not many "quality" rentals.

I have read many negative comments about the area on this board. I would really like to read something positive about the area. I understand there are plenty of immigrants but I am sure that is true everywhere. I am very familiar with living with immigrants- I live in California.

Would anyone like to tell me something positive about the area?

Also, how about the tornado activity in SW Kansas?

Thank you!

[GraniteStater]

The positives:
1) Housing is very very cheap.
2) I have heard people say that Garden City Community College is fairly good.
3) Small town= generally less stress

The negatives:
1) An economy that is not very diverse.
2) Low wages
3) The smell from the feedlots.
4) If you are coming from CA you will feel right at home here because the demographics are similar to that of Fresno, CA. The only difference is that this is a small city.

[CalitoKansas]

Pretty funny you mention Fresno because I lived there for years!! I hope to get used to the smell of the feedlots. I guess housing is cheap for a reason!

What can you say about Sublette or Satanta?

[verynicebecky]

CalitoKansas,

I grew up in Sacramento and attended jr. and sr. high school in Elk Grove, Calif. When I began jr. high Elk Grove only had one stop light and it was considered to be rural. I joined the Army and thought I had lived in some pretty small towns and rural places that is until I moved to NW OK and SW Kansas. NOTHING I had experienced had ever prepared me for it. It was a huge adjustment (for me) and it took me years to appreciate that level of rural living. I think that the closer to Garden City the easier things will be for you. I lived in Ashland and in Protection Kansas. Shopping was in Dodge City and it was about a 50 min drive. Prior to that I was living just across the state line in Buffalo and Laverne, OK. and shopping was still about a 50 min drive, in Woodward, OK. It took me about 8 yrs to adjust to driving these long distances (just to get to a WalMart) until one spring day as I was driving the back roads, searching for one room school houses (or where they once used to be) and I fell in love with the country side. I hope that you will as well. I have been away from the area for two years now. I miss the winter wheat and the amazing thunderstorms. I have lived where tornados have touched down close by but have never had anything damaged by them. It gets very exciting. You will become informed about them and what to do when you move to there, if you pay attention to the weather on the news. Having a basement will make you feel a lot better about the situation.

May I ask, what is taking you to Garden City?

[CalitoKansas]

Very Nice Becky

My husband is getting a job transfer. We chose to take it because of the cost of living. I really hope that I end up loving it! I hear the people are very nice. That really makes a difference.

Thank you for the information. Right now it is a 20-30 min. drive to a grocery store and Walmart from where I live now so I think I am prepared for the longer drives.

Any more information will be appreciated!

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by CalitoKansas

Very Nice Becky

My husband is getting a job transfer. We chose to take it because of the cost of living. I really hope that I end up loving it! I hear the people are very nice. That really makes a difference.

Thank you for the information. Right now it is a 20-30 min. drive to a grocery store and Walmart from where I live now so I think I am prepared for the longer drives.

Any more information will be appreciated!

Do you have a good knowledge of Spanish? It would come in handy in Garden City because 60% of the population is Hispanic.
If you are looking for a smaller town within driving distance of Garden City I would suggest Cimarron in Gray County. It is a decent town.
I should alert you to the weather hazards of western Kansas. The wind blows all the time! A "calm" weather day is when the wind only blows around 10-15 mph. Winter is very wind and cold, but with little snow. Summer is generally hot with low humidity. The area gets around 16 inches of precipitation a year on average. If you like extreme changes in the weather you like this area. The advantage is that humidity is usually fairly low during the summer season.

[verynicebecky]

Originally Posted by Plains10

If you are looking for a smaller town within driving distance of Garden City I would suggest Cimarron in Gray County. It is a decent town.
I should alert you to the weather hazards of western Kansas. The wind blows all the time! A "calm" weather day is when the wind only blows around 10-15 mph. Winter is very wind and cold, but with little snow. Summer is generally hot with low humidity. The area gets around 16 inches of precipitation a year on average. If you like extreme changes in the weather you like this area. The advantage is that humidity is usually fairly low during the summer season.

Cimarron is a nice town...and I had forgotten to mention the wind. Well, no place is perfect.

I am excited for you and please let us (or at least me) know how things turn out.

[CalitoKansas]

No I do not speak Spanish (not yet lol) I am not fond of Wind so I guess I better get used to it. I will only rent/buy a house with a basement! How hot does it get?

What about Sublette or Satanta What can you tell me about those towns?

[Ohs]

Yikes, this place doesn't sound pleasant at all. Do you have to move there? What's the pull? It seems like you could find somewhere else with more going on with a low cost of living.

[CalitoKansas]

Its a career move for hubby.