Which side of Wichta...? (Wichita, Derby: job transfer, school district, to live in)

[KansasKris]

Having lived here a long time now, this debate has gone on probably since the Delano District actually had red lights!

The east side is considered the "older" side, with the "old" money, while the west side is considered "newer" with "new" money. Gas prices are usually higher on the east side, people wear their collars turned up, and never, never, would admit to eating Miracle Whip - only Helman's Real Mayonnaise for east-siders!

[leighland]

Originally Posted by KansasKris

Having lived here a long time now, this debate has gone on probably since the Delano District actually had red lights!

The east side is considered the "older" side, with the "old" money, while the west side is considered "newer" with "new" money. Gas prices are usually higher on the east side, people wear their collars turned up, and never, never, would admit to eating Miracle Whip - only Helman's Real Mayonnaise for east-siders!

That is the best explaination I've had! Thanks! Rep points to you!

[KansasKris]

Thanks, Leighland!

[arcticablue]

There are nice places on both sides of the city, but if you move to Maize or Goddard it is quite a drive to Wichita for shopping and events. Many people know that the West side of Wichita has lots of residents that think they are all that and a bag of chips and throw their noses up in the air. There are some nice people, so don't get me wrong or take offense (to the nice West siders!). The East side rocks. You will be close to shopping and many things to do and there are lots of really nice places to live. College Hill area is beautiful. If you want to live in Midtown and want that white picket fence kind of neighborhood...Riverside is nice. I live in the Midtown Historic District. I love my house, but the area is too close to the downtown cockroaches that are too lazy to get a real job. You should be able to contact USD 259 and find out which schools are the top schools. My children attend a magnet school and are required to do far more work than the students attending regular schools. I am quite satisfied with my childrens' education although I teach them a lot of things that the school does not teach. Good luck in making your decision...although, keep in mind that the West is more spread out. I always head East when I need to shop. Good luck!

[bluede78]

My husband and I do not want to spend more than 165000. We are looking for the typical 3-4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 car garage. Nothing too fancy....

[ahads]

I just moved away from the area, but we lived in Bel Aire, which is essentially NE Wichita. It's a great area with easy access to everything & virtually no crime. We had a 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 car garage & it was in the 160,000 price range. There are several houses in the 150-170 range that would easily meet your needs for a home. Check them out on Realtor.com. Good luck!

Originally Posted by bluede78

My husband and I do not want to spend more than 165000. We are looking for the typical 3-4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 car garage. Nothing too fancy....

[athfo]

Originally Posted by arcticablue

Many people know that the West side of Wichita has lots of residents that think they are all that and a bag of chips and throw their noses up in the air. There are some nice people, so don't get me wrong or take offense (to the nice West siders!). The East side rocks.

This is funny, as it is common knowledge that east-siders are the ones "that think they are all that and a bag of chips and throw their noses up in the air".

Oh, but wait. You followed that with:

Originally Posted by arcticablue

The East side rocks.

You must be an east-sider!

[OTstuckinKS]

There should be some nice ones in your price range within Wichita city limits but in the Maize school district. Also, you could get a nice home in Andover (great schools) for that price range. You will probably need to look into the newer home developments. I have noticed that any established neighborhoods in Andover will cost quite a bit more. We have lived in this area for over 25 years and these 2 school districts are where we would move with our children.

[OTstuckinKS]

A quick note. The west side has many of the same shopping and restaurants as the east side. Also, keep in mind that Wichita is a 20-30 minute city (in other words, you can easily get from one side to the other in no more than 30 minutes unless you hit every red light and the rare occasion of real traffic).

[george1208]

I lived on the far west side of Wichita all of my life and about 2 years ago moved to the far east side of Wichita to put my children in a specific school. I can definitely tell you a lot of the assumptions people make about east Wichitans are true. Definitely less friendly, faster paced. I love the east side, but do miss things about the west side. It feels like an entirely different city being out here.
There are some very nice neighborhoods on both sides of town, but you get more bang for your buck on the west side. I think there is less traffic, people are generally friendlier, and the social scene is very different. If I were moving here with a family in the price range the OP suggested I would definitely look west.