Young Couple (no kids) looking for hangouts in Wichita (Andover: best city, theater)

[pepsicommando]

A Little Background: My wife and I moved to Wichita last July. I came here for work as an engineer and she is now a graduate student. We are miserable... We live on the east side, and have had a horrible time trying to make friends (we have none locally). It seems as though everyone here has at least 3 children.

Anyway, I did not come here to rant or start a flame war. I came in search of where young people hang out. We are both in our early 20's with no children. We don't attend church and have a liberal political leaning.

We would like to be able to hang around, at least until her degree is finished, but at this rate I don't think we'll make it. I've already started surfing the job boards for Chicago.

We've looked around Old Town, but it seems that it is a place to troll for singles. We're tired of watching movies (but do absolutely love the warren theaters). We are desperate...

Anyone have any ideas?

[averagejoe76]

Have you tried any Coffee shop type places?Vagabond Cafe on Douglas
Theres a few hookah bars i passed by but cant remember exactly where they are..
Could be interesting.

[alwaystraveling25]

Originally Posted by pepsicommando

A Little Background: My wife and I moved to Wichita last July. I came here for work as an engineer and she is now a graduate student. We are miserable... We live on the east side, and have had a horrible time trying to make friends (we have none locally). It seems as though everyone here has at least 3 children.

Anyway, I did not come here to rant or start a flame war. I came in search of where young people hang out. We are both in our early 20's with no children. We don't attend church and have a liberal political leaning.

We would like to be able to hang around, at least until her degree is finished, but at this rate I don't think we'll make it. I've already started surfing the job boards for Chicago.

We've looked around Old Town, but it seems that it is a place to troll for singles. We're tired of watching movies (but do absolutely love the warren theaters). We are desperate...

Anyone have any ideas?

Used to live in Kansas, so I love to help someone out that lives there.

It sounds like you would be a good match for Chicago - the Cost of Living is substantially more then Kansas, but you will be able to meet other young couples and people who lives do not revolve around church.

I know there are people in Kansas who do not have kids nor live their lives around their faith, but they are few and far between. I spent 8 months looking for a job in Chicago, and as soon as I got one, I turned my notice in and was living here within two months!

I would strongly encourage you to do the same...if you are young and childless, Chi-Town is the best city in the Midwest!

[athfo]

Originally Posted by pepsicommando

A Little Background: My wife and I moved to Wichita last July. I came here for work as an engineer and she is now a graduate student. We are miserable... We live on the east side, and have had a horrible time trying to make friends (we have none locally). It seems as though everyone here has at least 3 children.

Anyway, I did not come here to rant or start a flame war. I came in search of where young people hang out. We are both in our early 20's with no children. We don't attend church and have a liberal political leaning.

We would like to be able to hang around, at least until her degree is finished, but at this rate I don't think we'll make it. I've already started surfing the job boards for Chicago.

We've looked around Old Town, but it seems that it is a place to troll for singles. We're tired of watching movies (but do absolutely love the warren theaters). We are desperate...

Anyone have any ideas?

Try Riverside Perk, Zoomdweebie's Tea Bar, The Hookah Cafe, Heat Cigar & Hookah Lounge (if you're into Hookah), Daily Grind Unwind coffee shop, Got Coffee, etc.

Also be sure to check out Final Fridays throughout the downtown, Old Town and Delano District areas on the last Friday of each month.

[GraniteStater]

pepsicommando,

I hate to do this, but I have to agree with a previous poster. A city like Chicago or Minneapolis is going to cater MUCH MORE toward singles and dual income no kids couples compared with Wichita. Sure in Wichita you have Old Town and the historic district, but it is widely known that many single people leave KS for other metro areas that have wider offerings. The KC metro area is a big in-migration destination for former Wichita residents.

[athfo]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

pepsicommando,

I hate to do this, but I have to agree with a previous poster. A city like Chicago or Minneapolis is going to cater MUCH MORE toward singles and dual income no kids couples compared with Wichita. Sure in Wichita you have Old Town and the historic district, but it is widely known that many single people leave KS for other metro areas that have wider offerings. The KC metro area is a big in-migration destination for former Wichita residents.

I don't really think this is much help, though. He lives in Wichita, not Chicago. While it may be nice to offer alternative cities, it doesn't address the issue at hand.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by athfo

I don't really think this is much help, though. He lives in Wichita, not Chicago. While it may be nice to offer alternative cities, it doesn't address the issue at hand.

That is true, but the OP was already scouting a potential move elsewhere.
"We would like to be able to hang around, at least until her degree is finished, but at this rate I don't think we'll make it. I've already started surfing the job boards for Chicago."

[thriftylefty]

You might try hanging out at the Artichoke Sandwich Bar, they have an eclectic range of live music and I think they might be considered kind of progressive, it's small, funky , and has had the same owner for maybe over 25 years, It might be an "out of Kansas experience"

[pepsicommando]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I think we'll head out friday night and check them out!

I've noticed that a couple of these places are located more on the west side. We live east of webb and north of 13th n, is it possible that we're just living/hanging out on the wrong side of town?

Any thoughts?

I'm also glad to hear that our future residence choice will be a more favorable place for our current lifestyle. We've been to Chicago a few times and absolutely loved it! But, being here for a little while longer would really make me a lot more marketable to future employment. Thanks for keeping things from getting too off topic.

[KansasKris]

Try some of the sports bars on the east side. A lot of people your age go to Shadows at Rock and Central, Walts (behind Picadilly's - kinda across the street from Shadows, around the back side), Boltons at Greenwich and 13th, Tanners (they changed the name) but it's at Woodlawn and 21 st, (if you ask about Tanners someone will know the new name), Stooges in Andover, Timbuktoo in Andover, hhhmmmm.....maybe I will come up with more later.