Ex "City Boy" yearns to become a "Country Boy" (Lawrence: homes, neighborhoods)

[Sally Beagle]

The last few days of snow, ice and single digit temperatures got me thinking about the tornado question. The threat of tornados is not the worst of Kansas weather, it is the ice storms. However, even as it gets slippery, it is gorgeous, so there is a good side. And we usually thaw quickly.

Another little known secret about Kansas is it is not all flat. We have a little bit of many kinds of terrain, flat, flint hills----oh so gorgeous and spectacular to watch the spring burnings each year, rolling, thick trees, barren, and the views and sunsets cannot be beat.

When we travel we talk in minutes not distance, need to go 30 miles? Then its a 25-30 minute drive. Want good BBQ? We've got the best. Need culture? We have the symphony, art galleries, places to learn foreign languages, many ethic festivals and 'mini-cultures'. Like to ice-skate? Go to crown center. Like to camp, boat, fish, and hike? Quite a few Corps lakes. The list goes on and on.

What do I love about Kansas? Everything.

[piggydiva]

OK Vegan guy! You asked for it! If you want quiet--western Kansas is the way to go. I've lived on the coast (Oregon), in the SW (Phoenix), the midwest (MO and Wisconsin) and overseas (London, England), and western Kansas is by far the most quiet.

Colby, Kansas (a 3-1/2 drive to Denver, a 5 hour drive to Wichita, or a 6 hour drive to Kansas City or Oklahoma City) is very quiet, somewhat progressive, and a cheap place to live. There are lots of little "towns" (200 or fewer people) in the area. Colby is maybe 4000, on a good day, when the community college is in session, and if you count everyone in the county (and perhaps their dogs). Cattle and corn fields out populate the people. Colby has a prairie museum, a Walmart, a couple of truck stops--one even has a Starbucks, a couple of restaurants, a lot of banks and churches, and a community college, so if you feel like having a bit of culture or intelligent conversation, it is there for the taking. Having lived in Kansas City for three years, I would be comfortable saying a Black man would have fewer issues with race in Colby than in Missouri! There are places to camp, fish, hunt, or just create your own garden and live off of the land. There are also opportunities to work a part time job, if you so desire. Who knows, you might meet some people you even want to hang out with!

I loved the hustle and bustle of the city, but I find it increasingly difficult to go "home" to visit Phoenix and deal with the traffic, the rude throngs of people, the smog, the constant noise, and the high cost of everything. We've lived in western Kansas for almost 4 years. When visiting Phoenix over Christmas break, my children asked me what the funny "smell" was. I replied it was the smell of city.

The weather is a bit more harsh than San Fran. It is hot and dry during the summer, cold and windy during the winter. Some winters it will snow, and other winters it will ice, but generally there are 4 distinct seasons, with only a few tornadic threats (western Kansas is just out of tornado alley, so they don't get as many as the eastern or south-central part of Kansas).

The best part? If you own a house in the San Fran area, you can sell it and buy (probably outright if you have any sort of equity in your current house) a nice house, a chunk of land, and have a bunch of money left over to live on. It is cheap, cheap, cheap to live here! I pay much, much less for everything now--especially car insurance!

Good luck!

[denverian]

Originally Posted by piggydiva

OK Vegan guy! You asked for it! If you want quiet--western Kansas is the way to go. I've lived on the coast (Oregon), in the SW (Phoenix), the midwest (MO and Wisconsin) and overseas (London, England), and western Kansas is by far the most quiet.

Colby, Kansas (a 3-1/2 drive to Denver, a 5 hour drive to Wichita, or a 6 hour drive to Kansas City or Oklahoma City) is very quiet, somewhat progressive, and a cheap place to live. There are lots of little "towns" (200 or fewer people) in the area. Colby is maybe 4000, on a good day, when the community college is in session, and if you count everyone in the county (and perhaps their dogs). Cattle and corn fields out populate the people. Colby has a prairie museum, a Walmart, a couple of truck stops--one even has a Starbucks, a couple of restaurants, a lot of banks and churches, and a community college, so if you feel like having a bit of culture or intelligent conversation, it is there for the taking. Having lived in Kansas City for three years, I would be comfortable saying a Black man would have fewer issues with race in Colby than in Missouri! There are places to camp, fish, hunt, or just create your own garden and live off of the land. There are also opportunities to work a part time job, if you so desire. Who knows, you might meet some people you even want to hang out with!

I loved the hustle and bustle of the city, but I find it increasingly difficult to go "home" to visit Phoenix and deal with the traffic, the rude throngs of people, the smog, the constant noise, and the high cost of everything. We've lived in western Kansas for almost 4 years. When visiting Phoenix over Christmas break, my children asked me what the funny "smell" was. I replied it was the smell of city.

The weather is a bit more harsh than San Fran. It is hot and dry during the summer, cold and windy during the winter. Some winters it will snow, and other winters it will ice, but generally there are 4 distinct seasons, with only a few tornadic threats (western Kansas is just out of tornado alley, so they don't get as many as the eastern or south-central part of Kansas).

The best part? If you own a house in the San Fran area, you can sell it and buy (probably outright if you have any sort of equity in your current house) a nice house, a chunk of land, and have a bunch of money left over to live on. It is cheap, cheap, cheap to live here! I pay much, much less for everything now--especially car insurance!

Good luck!

I love the fake palm trees at that Oasis truck stop. Makes you do a double-take!

[Nameless]

I've driven from Oklahoma City to Denver a number of times and I can say I've been pleasantly surprised by Hays and Colby while passing by, two towns in the "middle of nowhere" but everything someone really needs. Myself, I'd prefer Salina, as I'm younger and want more going on. You can't go wrong with Hays or Colby, though.

One advantage to Colby over Hays is closer to a major city, Denver. Colby is 3 hours from Denver, 4 from Wichita, and 5 from Kansas City. Hays is 4 1/2 hr's from Denver, 2 1/2 from Wichita and 3 1/2 from Kansas City.

[rtrimble]

I would absolutely agree that Kansas is the place to be. I was born and raised in NE Kansas. My husband and I have recently purchased 87 acres and personally built a rustic style home a few miles outside of a Blue Rapids - right along the Big Blue River.
We are wanting to sell approximately 50 acres of our land (approximately 34 acres of tillable ground and 16 acres of timber) to someone wanting to build a home and/or have small farm. This land butts up to the Tuttle Creek Resevior Public Wildlife Area and also has a new rural water line going down the side of it (for those of you interested in building). Another option for anyone interested in building is that my husband teaches and coaches, but does construction in the summers. He built our new home and would be willing to make this part of the land purchase if interested.
We wake up to whitetail deer and turkey in our yard on a regular basis and enjoy the rolling hills throughout the varying seasons. You would love it too!

[HUSHYS]

Consider Hays as it offers many advantages. Hays is a regional center for NW Kansas offering a regional medical center, 4 year university, regional airport with daily flights to Kansas City & Denver, and shopping. This is a diverse community and progressive. There is a Hays Has Jobs program for those seeking employment either full or part-time.

[jmages]

Check out Argonia, KS....they are giving away 1 free acre if you come build a house. Housing is cheap and the land is free. Only 35 miles from Wichita. Take a look at ADC - Home

Thanks

[lebanonmom]

Here are some pictures, not sure how they go on but I am trying. They are the Center, one is a picture standing in the center looking toward town.

[HUSHYS]

Progressive Farmer magazine has rated Ellis County, Kansas as the Number 2 place to live in the USA! Hays is the county seat of Ellis County. So if you are looking for a good place live take a look at us!

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by HUSHYS

Progressive Farmer magazine has rated Ellis County, Kansas as the Number 2 place to live in the USA! Hays is the county seat of Ellis County. So if you are looking for a good place live take a look at us!

I lived in Hays a few years ago. It definitely the best town in western Kansas. SW Kansas towns are just not that appealing to me. I have seen all of them.