Drive By Shootings in...Olathe? (Overland Park, Kansas City: hotel, houses, established neighborhood)

[Jimmy Burma]

Hmm, well don't get me wrong. I know that Olathe isn't a crime ridden town and also know that it's not Mayberry either...ha I just used that analogy more in reference to my first impression of Olathe but that's been over twenty years ago. I will say again though, it's Olathe and not Compton, CA or East (or even North) St. Louis so it just seems insane to read about some of the violent crime that I've read about happening in Olathe, KS. I don't think it's all that random either. Seems to be mostly of the typical BS, wanna be banger violence and thugs coming from KC proper for the occasional car jacking etc. Eh, it's a shame I only brought it up because it seems to odd to think about that type of crime being even half way regular in Olathe. Well, it certainly fits with the current model anyhow. In relation to crime, the suburbs will become the city and the city will become the burbs (I see more and more gated, security patrolled communities within the big cities these days). It seems like the only areas rarely plagued by this type of formerly urban style crime are yuppie bubbles within the cities, extremely wealthy suburbs and rural areas. It looks pretty bleak for the working class folks who do the right thing but can't afford to live in a "safe" environment. There's really nowhere left to go...if your not wealthy that is. Anyhow, I'm sure that Olathe is still overall an okay place for the states except for a few problem areas. It is interesting to hear from people who currently live in Olathe though and thanks for the replies and insight.

[KansastoSouthphilly]

Wow...I think you are really overreacting. A few instances of crime not denote a massive crime problem in Olathe. The reason these stories are newsworthy are because they happened in Olathe. There are carjackings/shootings everyday in KC.

The bad things people mention about Olathe have been bad for a long time and are not getting worse. Downtown Olathe has always been awful. Olathe is still ranked the 11th best city to live in the NATION. Calm down.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by KansastoSouthphilly

Olathe is still ranked the 11th best city to live in the NATION. Calm down.

Ya, Olathe is horrible for single people. They should avoid Olathe like the plague. Olathe is the place to be for people who want to be married with kids by the time they are 20-25. Outdoor opportunities are quite limited and traffic is horrible.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Ya, Olathe is horrible for single people. They should avoid Olathe like the plague. Olathe is the place to be for people who want to be married with kids by the time they are 20-25. Outdoor opportunities are quite limited and traffic is horrible.

lol. Everything is relative.
I know several hot single gals that live in Olathe....but mainly they go out to places all over the metro area but that only takes 30minutes.
The traffic is bad relative to other parts of KC. I'm guessing you've never lived in say...Chicago or worse...either coast?
Limited outdoor opportunities? Not sure how to respond to that...if you are into surfing and snowboarding then well duh.
Otherwise, there are tons of parks, extensive biking trails and lakes\nature stuff all over within a 30-45minute drive from there.

Good luck finding the uncongested place to live with lots of singles and yet easy access to "outdoor opportunities".

[cp1969]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Ya, Olathe is horrible for single people. They should avoid Olathe like the plague. Olathe is the place to be for people who want to be married with kids by the time they are 20-25. Outdoor opportunities are quite limited and traffic is horrible.

What the ??

As if living single in Olathe somehow restricts one's search for a mate or procreational opportunities?

GraniteStater, you have some serious issues. You do realize that you no longer live here, haven't for years, and have no dog in this fight, don't you?

Yet you bash every outlying city around KC every chance you get.

What's up with that?

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by cp1969

What the ??

As if living single in Olathe somehow restricts one's search for a mate or procreational opportunities?

GraniteStater, you have some serious issues. You do realize that you no longer live here, haven't for years, and have no dog in this fight, don't you?

Yet you bash every outlying city around KC every chance you get.

What's up with that?

I lived in the KC area for many years. Singles would be probably be much happier in an urban setting in a desirable part of KC, MO. In case you haven't noticed, Olathe caters very heavily to families, and much less to single people overall. It is not bashing but a statement of fact. I know several of my family members who moved on over to KC, MO because they were "bored" with JOCO. To each his own. I no longer live in the KC metro, but a lot of my family still lives there.

"You do realize that you no longer live here, haven't for years"
Wrong. I lived in KC, MO and JOCO between 1985 and 2004.



"Yet you bash every outlying city around KC every chance you get."
No, I find any exurban area or very low density suburban development to be an eggregious waste of productive agricultural land- regardless of what metropolitan area it is. I have come to realize that I prefer to live right in a city or out in a completely rural area.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

lol. Everything is relative.
I know several hot single gals that live in Olathe....but mainly they go out to places all over the metro area but that only takes 30minutes.
The traffic is bad relative to other parts of KC. I'm guessing you've never lived in say...Chicago or worse...either coast?
Limited outdoor opportunities? Not sure how to respond to that...if you are into surfing and snowboarding then well duh.
Otherwise, there are tons of parks, extensive biking trails and lakes\nature stuff all over within a 30-45minute drive from there.

Good luck finding the uncongested place to live with lots of singles and yet easy access to "outdoor opportunities".

I have found that lifestyle "with a few compromises" in NH. I would rate it as the best state that I have lived in so far. The singles scene here is not terribly great, but the proximity to Boston, the coast, lakes, woods, and mountains is quite ideal. The cost of living here is higher, but salaries are excellent.

[cp1969]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

I lived in the KC area for many years. Singles would be probably be much happier in an urban setting in a desirable part of KC, MO. In case you haven't noticed, Olathe caters very heavily to families, and much less to single people overall. It is not bashing but a statement of fact.

Quite the contrary; it is a statement of your opinion, not fact.

I know several of my family members who moved on over to KC, MO because they were "bored" with JOCO. To each his own. I no longer live in the KC metro, but a lot of my family still lives there.

So that makes it universal? No one else could have any other opinion? No one else could possibly not be "bored" with anything other than inner city living? I mean, this is the advice you are handing out--to avoid any and all suburban locations around KC despite the fact that over a million, and probably closer to two million people have made the opposite choice. They must all be wrong?

"You do realize that you no longer live here, haven't for years"
Wrong. I lived in KC, MO and JOCO between 1985 and 2004.[

I reiterate: You have not lived here in years. Five years is five years, not a year, not a month, not a week, and not a day. Years. A lot changes in five years. For instance, your comment about traffic being so horrible in Olathe...did you know the railroad tracks that used to block traffic on eastern Santa Fe no longer do?

"Yet you bash every outlying city around KC every chance you get."
No, I find any exurban area or very low density suburban development to be an eggregious waste of productive agricultural land- regardless of what metropolitan area it is. I have come to realize that I prefer to live right in a city or out in a completely rural area.

Again, your opinion. No quibble with your desire to live your life as you choose. But other people make different choices that are right for them and that includes suburban living, quite contrary to your central urban planner wishes.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by cp1969

Quite the contrary; it is a statement of your opinion, not fact.

So that makes it universal? No one else could have any other opinion? No one else could possibly not be "bored" with anything other than inner city living? I mean, this is the advice you are handing out--to avoid any and all suburban locations around KC despite the fact that over a million, and probably closer to two million people have made the opposite choice. They must all be wrong?

I reiterate: You have not lived here in years. Five years is five years, not a year, not a month, not a week, and not a day. Years. A lot changes in five years. For instance, your comment about traffic being so horrible in Olathe...did you know the railroad tracks that used to block traffic on eastern Santa Fe no longer do?



Again, your opinion. No quibble with your desire to live your life as you choose. But other people make different choices that are right for them and that includes suburban living, quite contrary to your central urban planner wishes.

You do not quite understand the difference between suburban and exurban. Most of JOCO fits under the suburban category. Exurban is the next rung below suburban with much lower population densities in usually smaller towns. Suburban population density is substantially higher compared with exurban. Exurban in KC would be southern Cass County, Miami County, Linn County, Bates County, Caldwell County, Clinton County, Franklin County, and Lafayette County.

Yes, I am an urban planner and GIS Analyst. Dealing with zoning issues is an important part of my job. The best balance is to offer something for everyone when it comes to a larger city. A multitude of housing types is good along with vibrant commercial districts and office park zones. Land conservation is another very large priority in my area. People often donate land as a conservation easement so it can not be further subdivided or developed. This, in turn, creates a relative scarcity of buildable land sometimes. We often have to strike a delicate balance between developers, residents, and conservationists.

No, I never once said I had any problem PERSONALLY with people living in suburban areas. For singles relocating from Chicago to KC I will specifically tell them that JOCO is suburban, and they would probably find the urban setting of KC, MO more to their liking.

Not all suburban cities are equal in the KC metro area. I recommend a PLETHORA of good cities in the area if families w/kids express interest.



"did you know the railroad tracks that used to block traffic on eastern Santa Fe no longer do?"
Yes, I keep up with the news. The internet sure is great.

[Jimmy Burma]

Well, I won't dispute that good old Olathe may not be the best place for singles but I'm not sure what that has to do with the OP? Also, I know that the sky isn't falling in Olathe, etc but I was just a bit perplexed at what exactly was or is going on out there in relation to violent crime? Trust me, I know that type of thing happens in Kansas City every day, no doubt. The point is that regardless of how allegedly crappy old Olathe use to be, drive by shootings and car jackings were not a daily occurrence or even weekly, or I doubt even monthly occurrence ten years ago? I'm unfortunately all too familiar with what inner city crime is like and it disheartens me to see that type of thing spread to far flung suburban areas like Olathe (again it's Olathe and not Inglewood, CA or even Elgin, ILL). I was just curious as to what had changed and what the outlook is like for Olaaathe (as they use to say in the old Used Car commercials)?