What's good about the Wichita area? (Maize, Sedgwick: rent, insurance, crimes)

[christy2]

I've been reading threads that go on and on about all the bad in Wichita.

What's good? We're looking at moving into the Maize school district so we would live on the west side someplace. My parents and brother's family both live in the area.

I know there's a nice YMCA because I've been to it. Lots of shopping.

Give me something positive!

christy

[crazyma]

I live near Rock & 21st. I like that area, although Many of the people are stuck up and snooty if you don't dress like them, etc. But most all the workers at the stores and restaurants are nice and helpful. A lot will recognize you as you become a 'regular'. Have pretty nice neighbors. Close to everything we need.
I love Botanica. Like an oasis int the desert...
There are some great thrift shops if you are into that.
Traffic isn't bad, and horrific crimes are rare.
The airport is easy to get to and navigate in.
It's okay, I can think of a lot worse places in america.

[drjones96]

Relatively low cost of living. (Energy, Insurance, and property taxes are significantly lower than where we came from) And if you rent you can find relatively inexpensive apt's (but be careful because some of them are pretty dated).

Decent place to raise a family.

Moderate to Low traffic even during the worst times of the day.

Easy to get around (all the streets run N/S and E/W)

Good Eats (Has the usual suspects when it comes to nicer quality chain restaurants...maybe it doesn't have a lot of unique restaurants like large cities do but it's good enough for me.)

Warren Theaters (One of the best movie theaters I've seen)

Good Shopping (Similar to eating it's got a lot of the same chain stores you'd find anywhere. If you come to rely on having certain things from certain stores you will be ok here.)

Weather - I suppose it's all relative but the weather here is better than where I came from. In Fort Worth we were having 90F days in early April. It would just go from Summer to Winter and then back again. There isn't really a spring or Fall. I like having 4 seasons. It's more like that here. I don't really care for the windy days here but it's not anything I can't deal with.

[crazyma]

Yeah the wind is a trip. I don't even worry about my hair now

[cjones15]

The people!!! Everyone here has been very nice to me!!! I've had t ask for directions, recs for docs/dentist, etc and have always received helpful info. When you are in heavier traffic and you let someone out of a parking lot people waive to say thank you!! That is unheard of where I come from!! The people make the town!!

[Modron]

Talking about anything other than directions frequently results in Wichitans getting mad and mean. They cannot stand views unlike their own which they never question themselves. The number of people who've ever found a true friend here, one they can truly share their thoughts and feelings with borders on zero.

Originally Posted by cjones15

The people!!! Everyone here has been very nice to me!!! I've had t ask for directions, recs for docs/dentist, etc and have always received helpful info. When you are in heavier traffic and you let someone out of a parking lot people waive to say thank you!! That is unheard of where I come from!! The people make the town!!

[Modron]

In Wichita:

Botanica: Luminaries at Christmas, very lovely.

Old Cowtown: Christmas there is lovely. They're having a 50 year anniversary with the Girl Scouts this year. The Diamond W Wranglers are there now. They've added a great new entrance, gift shop and conference room.

Wichita Art Museum: They offer opportunties for kids and families to learn about and do art things. I'd say once a week docents give brief lessons (15 min) on different kinds of art. There's a video series with 20-30 min videos about different kinds of art. Vincent Price collected American art. He said this museum was a good one for that. They have traveling exhibits. Their website is full of events.

Wichita Center for the Arts: Again, classes for kids and adults ranging from watercolors to gardening. They're doing o few plays this year.

Exploration Place: That's pretty much a once every year or two thing for me.

Indian Center: I think they're trying again to have offerings for the public. I keep an eye out for re-enactments of Old West events.

Great Plains Nature Center: They're having a campfire this Friday night, 8/1/08, at 7:30. They also have a website with their events. The center has good information about wetland habitats and native plants and animals. The touching exhibit is awesome. Kids would love it.

(South-West side) Lake Afton Observatory: They have some cool activities. Going in the evening can be a pain. But, you do get to see the "cosmos" through that big telescope.

(West side) Sedgwick County Zoo: Great zoo. Nationally and internationally recognized.

(West side) Sedgwick County Park: Adjacent to the zoo. Fishing, walking, tennis, biking, picnic shelters, horseshoes, bocci ball, a couple of little playgrounds. They're putting in a nice play park. Softball diamond. Exercise course. Basketball.

(West side) The Sedgwick County Extension Service: Master Gardening classes. Classes for seniors about Medicare benefits. Tomato Days. Breast-feeding classes. I think, they've offered sewing classes. There's an arboretum adjacent that's kind of small, but I look for them to add on. There's a rose garden. There are examples of gardens up near the building.

(West side) Farm and Art Markets: Sedgwick County Extension Service parking lot and Old Town. i like the one at the Extension Service. Produce. Bakery items. Craft items. Native plants. Etc.

Bike routes: In a lot of place around the city. Westsiders are holding up the rails to trails program which, in my opinion is unfortunate. The bike path that goes around the zoo on the Zoo Blvd side, actually, takes you downtown. You have to cross thirteenth and then there's a walking and biking bridge across the Big Ditch (?). From there you can bike to Riverside Park.

Riverside Park: The river and bike paths go right past it. Has that little zoo with native animals. There's a nice play park. They conserved the old Rocket slide. There's a gazebo. Waterlily pond. There's a pretty little exhibit of different types of solar calendars. (Kinda wish people would stop carving up the rocks. But, it happens.) Lots of open space. In that attached group of parks there's tennis and three wall racquetball (or used to be). Riverside Perk is down in that area, too. There's that Villa. Along the gravel walk way there are markers that tell about some of the items related to the park.

K. I'm getting kinda tired. But the point is, there's a lot to do in Wichita. That people don't know about it and take advantage of it to improve the quality of their lives is a reflection on the people, not the city.

Originally Posted by christy2

I've been reading threads that go on and on about all the bad in Wichita.

What's good? We're looking at moving into the Maize school district so we would live on the west side someplace. My parents and brother's family both live in the area.

I know there's a nice YMCA because I've been to it. Lots of shopping.

Give me something positive!

christy

[athfo]

Originally Posted by Modron

Riverside Park: The river and bike paths go right past it. Has that little zoo with native animals. There's a nice play park. They conserved the old Rocket slide. There's a gazebo. Waterlily pond. There's a pretty little exhibit of different types of solar calendars. (Kinda wish people would stop carving up the rocks. But, it happens.) Lots of open space. In that attached group of parks there's tennis and three wall racquetball (or used to be). Riverside Perk is down in that area, too. There's that Villa. Along the gravel walk way there are markers that tell about some of the items related to the park.

Riverside Park makes me happy to be alive.

[Modron]

Ditto

Originally Posted by athfo

Riverside Park makes me happy to be alive.

[crazyma]

hey thanks for the ideas of stuff to do Modron