Impressions of Overland Park (Kansas City, Olathe: transfer, elementary school, to live)

[WhiteSandsYucca]

Originally Posted by denverian

I've noticed before that it takes less gas to drive from Denver to KC than the other way, especially if there are strong winds out of the west. Kansas is just one big hill! Maybe that could be a state slogan.

I've wondered if the elevation here had anything to do with the generally shorter deciduous trees, although they're pretty big in older parts of Denver. I was in Philly last week and the trees everywhere are incredibly tall - almost claustrophibic feeling in areas.

I'm not sure; It probably has to do with both: elevation and less moisture. I noticed Wichita has shorter trees than places like KC. Basically, as you drive west through the Great Plains, the landscape gets drier and has more of a wind-beaten look.

[Highlandangel1]

My husband and I live in western NC, and are considering a move to Overland Park, Kansas. I am used to looking out my door and windows and seeing the blue haze on the mountain tops of the Blue Ridge everyday.

I cam to this site hoping to learn something about the area and the people. I learned a lot about the people there - not, unfortunately all that good.

The bickering between those who like Napierville, Ill, and Overland Park seemed out of place. I've never heard of Napierville, (my spelling is probably wrong), and the snippets of arguments about the two struck me as being childish. Frankly neither city stood out in my mind as a place I would like to settle down. At as far as the people are concerned.

Fortunately I read all the way to the end of the posts.

WhiteSands, however despite your debate about plains states and trees, and the other posters who were writing to and with you all did help to curb some of my original dislike of the idea of moving to Overland Park. I thank you for sticking to the topic. I have visited the area on several occasions and have found it to a pleasant city, if a bit too flat.

From the southern point of view, any state that has lots of pictures of wheat and high grass is considered a plains state.

Having visited Overland Park, and observed the rather flat areas, and now having read the about the potential squabbling between Mo. and Kansas I find I am hestitate. If that squabbling is anything like that between those of Overland Park and Napierville , perhaps our staying here may be the right decision.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Highlandangel1

My husband and I live in western NC, and are considering a move to Overland Park, Kansas. I am used to looking out my door and windows and seeing the blue haze on the mountain tops of the Blue Ridge everyday.

I cam to this site hoping to learn something about the area and the people. I learned a lot about the people there - not, unfortunately all that good.

The bickering between those who like Napierville, Ill, and Overland Park seemed out of place. I've never heard of Napierville, (my spelling is probably wrong), and the snippets of arguments about the two struck me as being childish. Frankly neither city stood out in my mind as a place I would like to settle down. At as far as the people are concerned.

Fortunately I read all the way to the end of the posts.

WhiteSands, however despite your debate about plains states and trees, and the other posters who were writing to and with you all did help to curb some of my original dislike of the idea of moving to Overland Park. I thank you for sticking to the topic. I have visited the area on several occasions and have found it to a pleasant city, if a bit too flat.

From the southern point of view, any state that has lots of pictures of wheat and high grass is considered a plains state.

Having visited Overland Park, and observed the rather flat areas, and now having read the about the potential squabbling between Mo. and Kansas I find I am hestitate. If that squabbling is anything like that between those of Overland Park and Napierville , perhaps our staying here may be the right decision.

I hope that you make a visit to the Kansas City metro area, and visit Overland Park. Overland Park has SO much variety to choose from in terms of neighborhoods and general location. The northern part of the city is much older and more established with many trees. The older part of Overland Park is also closer to Downtown Overland Park which has many nice shopping areas including restaurants.
The southern part of the city is newer with larger cookie cutter houses, and far less trees. Traffic tends to be heavier in Johnson County KS compared with the northern part of the Kansas City metro area in Clay and Platte counties. I would make sure to look at the "northland" area in Platte and Clay counties in MO if you make a trip to the KC metro area. Overland Park real estate tends to be more spendy compared with many similar suburban areas on the Missouri side of the metro area.
The people tend to be mostly middle to upper-middle class in most of Overland Park. Sure, you will find some areas of the city that have less desirable neighborhoods, but the average real estate price is quite high by Plains standards. "Keeping Up With the Jones" attitudes are common in JOCO, but not everyone has those same attitudes.
Naperville, IL is a suburb of Chicago which does have some similarities to Overland Park in terms of having a large population, a good deal of employment opportunities, good schools, and traffic issues.

If you want to know more about the KC area please ask

[denverian]

Originally Posted by Highlandangel1

My husband and I live in western NC, and are considering a move to Overland Park, Kansas. I am used to looking out my door and windows and seeing the blue haze on the mountain tops of the Blue Ridge everyday.

I cam to this site hoping to learn something about the area and the people. I learned a lot about the people there - not, unfortunately all that good.

The bickering between those who like Napierville, Ill, and Overland Park seemed out of place. I've never heard of Napierville, (my spelling is probably wrong), and the snippets of arguments about the two struck me as being childish. Frankly neither city stood out in my mind as a place I would like to settle down. At as far as the people are concerned.

Fortunately I read all the way to the end of the posts.

WhiteSands, however despite your debate about plains states and trees, and the other posters who were writing to and with you all did help to curb some of my original dislike of the idea of moving to Overland Park. I thank you for sticking to the topic. I have visited the area on several occasions and have found it to a pleasant city, if a bit too flat.

From the southern point of view, any state that has lots of pictures of wheat and high grass is considered a plains state.

Having visited Overland Park, and observed the rather flat areas, and now having read the about the potential squabbling between Mo. and Kansas I find I am hestitate. If that squabbling is anything like that between those of Overland Park and Napierville , perhaps our staying here may be the right decision.

I would suggest looking into Kansas City as a whole, meaning the entire metro area. Because if you move ot Overland Park, you're really buying into what KC has to offer. Check out downtown, Midtown, the Plaza, ball parks, museums, etc. Having grown up in Overland Park, I always considered myself to be a "Kansas Citian", not and "Overland Parkian", not that that's a word!

If you move ot Overland Park and never leave Johnson County, then it's really just any generic suburb in America. Get out and enjoy the entire city.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by denverian

I would suggest looking into Kansas City as a whole, meaning the entire metro area. Because if you move ot Overland Park, you're really buying into what KC has to offer. Check out downtown, Midtown, the Plaza, ball parks, museums, etc. Having grown up in Overland Park, I always considered myself to be a "Kansas Citian", not and "Overland Parkian", not that that's a word!

If you move ot Overland Park and never leave Johnson County, then it's really just any generic suburb in America. Get out and enjoy the entire city.

You get a rep point from me for those true words

[denverian]

Originally Posted by Plains10

You get a rep point from me for those true words

Thanks! And the good thing about Northern OP is that you're only about 15 min. from the Plaza and urban life. I've noticed that some people tend to live in a JoCo "bubble", never taking advantage of urban KC, like my parents. I guess I'm just a little more adventurous. As soon as I got a car and could drive in high school, I started exploring the city.

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by denverian

Thanks! And the good thing about Northern OP is that you're only about 15 min. from the Plaza and urban life. I've noticed that some people tend to live in a JoCo "bubble", never taking advantage of urban KC, like my parents. I guess I'm just a little more adventurous. As soon as I got a car and could drive in high school, I started exploring the city.

Funny, that describes exactly my experience growing up-- except replace "Overland Park" and "urban KC" with "SE Aurora" and "Denver."

[TinaMcG]

Originally Posted by Highlandangel1

Having visited Overland Park, and observed the rather flat areas, and now having read the about the potential squabbling between Mo. and Kansas I find I am hestitate. If that squabbling is anything like that between those of Overland Park and Napierville , perhaps our staying here may be the right decision.

I hear about the snooty Overland Park attitude all the time, l but I have yet to encounter it. My impression of Overland Park is that it is pretty cookie cutter, kind-of-high-end suburban, and almost without exception, the people are welcoming, friendly, and very eager to help newcomers to the area. We live in unincorporated Olathe, in south JoCo, but I shop in OP and have friends there. We're kind of in the middle of nowhere, so we spend a lot of time in OP. Everyone is nice; I've even noticed that the drivers are more courteous than I'm used to.

From the first day we lived here, I felt like I belonged. I know more neighbors here than I did in my nine years at our last house in the Chicago area. So this is just an impression from a recent transplant. The people in NE Kansas are REALLY nice.

[mercedes1]

Thank you, TinaMcG, for posting positive comments about Overland Park. It's a great place to live and raise a family.

[Sonrise]

Would anyone mid posting some pictures of OP? I've never seen any and am just curious as to what the city looks like, i.e sub divisions with big wooded lots, cookie cutter sub divisions with lots smaller then welcome mats, old downtown, new downtown, parks, schools office complexes, etc. Whatever you got. Thanks