What do you dislike about Kansas? (Wichita, Syracuse: vehicle registration, home, employment)

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by JHG722

They're that bad?

JOCO is a decent place to grow up, but terrible for singles and younger professionals. The county caters very much to families. Also, I don't care for the "rat race" and snobby attitudes there from a good number of the people. Other things that I disliked about the area included: the bland conformity of the landscape (many developments looked exactly alike, and nearly all roads are at right angles). The lack of trees and outdoor activities is a big negative for me. The extreme weather swings and winds are not pleasant at all. (This is why I am glad I now live in a valley in the northern US that is protected from most wind. I like the cold temps, but not fierce winds).

[denverian]

I was born and raised in JoCo and left promptly after graduating from high school. I have lived away from KS so long, I don't really even associate with being a native anymore. And I know so many other native Kansans who have left - mainly, anyone who isn't very religious and conservative.

So my dislikes:

Weather - goes from too hot and humid to too cold and humid, so there's really no point in wasting money on a deck or patio - you rarely want to be outside.

Too conservative

Too many religious nuts

The whole "Wizard of Oz" thing. Then next person who says, "Say hello to Dorothy and Toto" to me gets it!

On the positive side, I find the Flint Hills beautiful and really like Lawrence. It's a relatively clean state, good roads. I think that's it.

[JHG722]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

JOCO is a decent place to grow up, but terrible for singles and younger professionals. The county caters very much to families. Also, I don't care for the "rat race" and snobby attitudes there from a good number of the people. Other things that I disliked about the area included: the bland conformity of the landscape (many developments looked exactly alike, and nearly all roads are at right angles). The lack of trees and outdoor activities is a big negative for me. The extreme weather swings and winds are not pleasant at all. (This is why I am glad I now live in a valley in the northern US that is protected from most wind. I like the cold temps, but not fierce winds).

Oh okay. I've actually never been to KS, but I know about JOCO. I know that it's very wealthy overall, so snobbiness and keeping up with the Jonses isn't surprising.

[TinaMcG]

Originally Posted by j_k_k

What I dislike about Kansas is that when people ask you where you are from, and you tell them, 80% of them blurt something idiotic from the Wizard of Oz. And you can't win. Having heard it several hundred times, if it was ever funny, it no longer is, so you can hardly pretend to laugh. But if you don't act like it's the first time you ever heard the joke--either by long-suffering strained silence, or outright scowling--you come off churlish.

I just choose to be churlish. I got so sick of hearing the Wiz references that I started to tell people to knock it off. We moved here right before the Greensburg tornado, and we've had unusually wet weather ever since. At least I hope it's unusual. We had a leak in the house that cost a fortune to nail down. We had water issues on our acreage and it cost a zillion bucks to fix. I ended up with storm phobia, or somehthing really close to it. My brother sent me a DVD of 'The wizard of Oz' for Christmas about five years ago. I chucked it in the trash this year. I'll never watch that movie again, and I'll never set foot in one of those Kansas Sampler stores, either.

[TinaMcG]

Originally Posted by JHG722

Oh okay. I've actually never been to KS, but I know about JOCO. I know that it's very wealthy overall, so snobbiness and keeping up with the Jonses isn't surprising.

We live in south JOCO. I was concerned this neighborhood would be unwelcoming and snobby, but I was pleasantly surprised. All the people are down to earth, hard working, and very very neighborly. Our next door neighbors have invited us over for Christmas Eve. When tornado sirens went off in September, neighbors were calling me to see if I was okay (I wasn't, I was freaked). When our mower was in the shop, the lawn was 6" high and my husband was travelling, a neighbor drove his lawn tractor down the street to our place and mowed two of our three acres.

I've never lived among people who are so friendly, and I never thought people were unfriendly back in Chicago. Now I think maybe they were...

[smellykat]

Originally Posted by TinaMcG

We live in south JOCO. I was concerned this neighborhood would be unwelcoming and snobby, but I was pleasantly surprised. All the people are down to earth, hard working, and very very neighborly. Our next door neighbors have invited us over for Christmas Eve. When tornado sirens went off in September, neighbors were calling me to see if I was okay (I wasn't, I was freaked). When our mower was in the shop, the lawn was 6" high and my husband was travelling, a neighbor drove his lawn tractor down the street to our place and mowed two of our three acres.

I've never lived among people who are so friendly, and I never thought people were unfriendly back in Chicago. Now I think maybe they were...

Thank you so much from a native Johnson Countian for your kind words. I get so sick of all the Johnson County bashing that goes on in this forum and the KC forum.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by TinaMcG

I just choose to be churlish. I got so sick of hearing the Wiz references that I started to tell people to knock it off. We moved here right before the Greensburg tornado, and we've had unusually wet weather ever since. At least I hope it's unusual. We had a leak in the house that cost a fortune to nail down. We had water issues on our acreage and it cost a zillion bucks to fix. I ended up with storm phobia, or somehthing really close to it. My brother sent me a DVD of 'The wizard of Oz' for Christmas about five years ago. I chucked it in the trash this year. I'll never watch that movie again, and I'll never set foot in one of those Kansas Sampler stores, either.

It could be worse. You could have a native Kansan grandmother who is actually named Dorothy, as I do. (89 and still doing fine. Flint Hills ranch life = healthy life.)

Or you could be from Georgia, and have everyone mentioning Deliverance all the time. My wife is an Alaskan, and I think she wishes she had a penny for every time some donkey has brayed about living in igloos.

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by smellykat

Thank you so much from a native Johnson Countian for your kind words. I get so sick of all the Johnson County bashing that goes on in this forum and the KC forum.

Here Here!!

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by j_k_k

It could be worse. You could have a native Kansan grandmother who is actually named Dorothy, as I do. (89 and still doing fine. Flint Hills ranch life = healthy life.)

Or you could be from Georgia, and have everyone mentioning Deliverance all the time. My wife is an Alaskan, and I think she wishes she had a penny for every time some donkey has brayed about living in igloos.

I have an "Auntie Em"

The Wizard of Oz references don't bother me though. I have always loved the movie and enjoy places like the Oz museum in -- oh I forget where - Wamego? Doesn't matter, they are everywhere.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by smellykat

Thank you so much from a native Johnson Countian for your kind words. I get so sick of all the Johnson County bashing that goes on in this forum and the KC forum.

I am also a native of Johnson County (lived there many years), and can generally point out its positives and negatives for those wishing to relocate there...