info on salina (Wichita, Manhattan: how much, houses, neighborhoods)

[shannonM]

hi we might be moving to salina. i was wondering if anyone is from there or knows the area well i am curious to know what it's like. is it a safe community? i hear alot of bad things about wichita is salina also bad? i lived in a small city in WI for a while and it was a nice quaint town the people were a bit out of style but they were all nice. so out of style i can handle but, i heard one guy desribe kansans as dirty and meth addict looking. i'm totally freaked out. please help! thanks--

[quesera]

I love Salina and would move back there in a heartbeat! It's a good mix of a city and a small town feel at the same time. Salina has great shopping if you're into that, and several nice parks. The schools (if that's a concern of yours) are great! There are nice neighborhoods in each quandrant of the city, but each also has it's downfalls. Right now, I can't think of anything bad... I really miss Salina!

[athfo]

Originally Posted by shannonM

hi we might be moving to salina. i was wondering if anyone is from there or knows the area well i am curious to know what it's like. is it a safe community?

Every time I have visited Salina, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of options in terms of shopping, dining and the like.

Originally Posted by shannonM

i hear alot of bad things about wichita is salina also bad?

You can't really compare Wichita to Salina.

Originally Posted by shannonM

i heard one guy desribe kansans as dirty and meth addict looking. i'm totally freaked out. please help! thanks--

Don't listen to blanket statements like that. Every person in this world is different. I'm definitely not dirty and I don't look like a meth addict, so don't assume every Kansan is either. I get so sick of borders somehow "defining" a state. People are people.

[Ranger12]

Salina isn't perfect, but what place is? All things considered Salina is really your only option West of Manhattan if you want to have anything that resembles city life and city options.

As far as your comment about everyone looking "dirty and meth addict looking" I really don't know what to say to that one. Are there people here that look like that? Sure. Are there people that look like that everywhere? Of course.

That said, I will declare that cosmetic wise Salina is not the most attractive in Kansas. I am talking about the people as well as the infrastructure. I moved here from Manhattan about 12 years ago and was shocked to realize that everyone wasn't 20'ish and cute like they were in Manhattan.

I am half way joking but I do remember how much contrast there was between the appearance of people there vs. here. It is HUGE. Also there are strange issues here in Salina that lend themselves to our city NEVER probably being a beatiful place in terms of infrastructure.

The #1 problem is that this is a VERY conservative group of voters that live here and people don't go for "that fancy stuff." The next problem is that the city commission is always comprised of downtown business owners who still haven't gotten over the fact that the Mall was built in the '80's and that it destroyed them.

So they still try and divert as much money and as many projects as they can to downtown. This serves to diminish the improtant areas of town, which is South Ninth street. South Ninth is the main destination of nearly everyone that visits this town, yet the city won't spend any money on it to spruce it up or make it interesting.

Instead it looks like a bombed out Iraqi runway. All of that said... we have issues. Most towns do, but all in all this place is your only hope if you want to live in the western half of Kansas.

[shannonM]

thanks so much for the input. I hope that I didn't offend anyone. the things that you all said does make me feel like it's just a city like any other. and that is actually in a way comforting to me. I have looked at houses on century 21 and the houses and neighborhoods look very cute and well kept. so anyway thanks again for taking the time to respond to my concerns.

[christine70]

I am moving to from Wichita to Salina in less than a month. I've been there several times within the last few months house shopping, looking at schools, and just getting a feel for the town as a whole. I am definitely looking forward to the change. It isn't that I dislike Wichita, but I won't miss the crime, gang activity, traffic, and noise.

[MrsMo]

Salina is a great "little city". My in laws have lived there for 30 years. Plenty of things to do. The only thing I hear them complain about is the taxes. Very clean neighborhoods and well kept lawns. My nephew has kids in school there and we hear no complaints. DH and I would move there if he wasn't just a few years from retirement. You will love it there and should have no problems adjusting. People are very friendly and neighborhoods are real neighborhoods like back in the 60's.

[shannonM]

thanks so much for the info. UPDATE as it turns out we will not be moving to KS after all we are gonna be going to WI. all my best to all you kansans out there it sounds like you have a great state.

[bppronk25]

i as well love salina, the shopping the people, clean town for the most part, stay out of the north side...nice people but trashy area. i'd move there!