Looking for information on Goodland, KS (Colby, Lyons: HOA, crime, house)
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I'm looking for reliable, sound information on Goodland, KS. Is the town family-friendly? Are there good jobs in the community? Is the town a "one company town" or dependent on only one industry/business type? Are people moving in to this area or leaving? Why woud someone want to live and work in Goodland? Do people take pride in their community? Thanks!
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Seanchai
I'm looking for reliable, sound information on Goodland, KS. Is the town family-friendly? Are there good jobs in the community? Is the town a "one company town" or dependent on only one industry/business type? Are people moving in to this area or leaving? Why woud someone want to live and work in Goodland? Do people take pride in their community? Thanks!
I have not been to Goodland for decades but I suspect that it, like most NW Kansas towns is aging and dying off slowly. Probably a high population of elderly people that live there. Goodland is rather an odd place because it considers itself more a part of Colorado than Kansas. It is one of a few counties in Kansas that is on Mountain Time and is served by the Denver TV market. Why would somebody want to live or work there? I don't know. I wouldn't.
you should have ties to large scale agriculture, Hospital, school or a goverment job to live out there. People out that way kinda exist in a multi-county community. When I last visited I saw a commercial on local TV for a bussiness hours away. Denver would be your connection to entertainment.
I have not been to Goodland for decades but I suspect that it, like most NW Kansas towns is aging and dying off slowly. Probably a high population of elderly people that live there. Goodland is rather an odd place because it considers itself more a part of Colorado than Kansas. It is one of a few counties in Kansas that is on Mountain Time and is served by the Denver TV market. Why would somebody want to live or work there? I don't know. I wouldn't.
Its kind of the opposite of Lamar Colorado in that way. I remember reading an article about Lamar where they state they might as well be a part of Kansas because Colorado doesn't care about them.
Goodland is a nice town (or my grandpas senile cousin in the retirement home thinks so at least ) despite what crime statistics will tell you. They get all the bad that comes with the interstate. The town is dieing at a medium pace (-11.3% sense 2000) which is ironic considering interstate services are still being built. Same goes for Colby.
I would say if you can find a good job and a decent house to go for it.
1.)Do people take pride in their community? -In Goodland KS? I lived there for two years and never saw ANY indication that the people there cared. Its a dying town and (unlike other dying towns) the people there have that attitude.
2.)Why woud someone want to live and work in Goodland? - I asked that myself every day I was there. I was there for the tech college. I imagine most people were home town heroes that got pregnant and got stuck there.
3.)Are people moving in to this area or leaving?- Leaving as fast as they can. They have a HUGE issue with rual flight of the young people. Leaving the elderly and the criminals and the undereducated. A inventory of the local liquor stores is a good indicator. Cheap low end Beers and Fortified wines. Yes fortified wines, what bums drink and you can usually only find in the depressed areas of large cities. The only rual town i ever found so much Fortified Wines.
4.)Are there good jobs in the community? Is the town a "one company town" or dependent on only one industry/business type?- There are no known decent jobs to speak of. Look at the median income compared to the rest of Kansas. Its mostly service jobs that support Agriculture or the tech college.
5.)Is the town family-friendly?- Im not sure how to answer that one. Yes their are too many churches therefore the congregations are too small and too much gossip. The School system is full of lower achieving students with very few even going on to college, I wouldn't expect a good education there. There is nothing for young people to do, leaving drugs and alcohol to be prominent in their younger life.
I would say if you can find a good job and a decent house to go for it.[/quote]
NOOOOO! don't even think about that! If you think your family needs a small town life to be good, there are thousands of small towns within an hour of a large metropolitan areas to consider. Furthermore they will have services, like shopping, health care, places to eat at, which Goodland dosen't deliver on
Don't pay attention to all the other posts. I live about 2 hours east of goodland and have been there most of my life with the exception of living in the Northwest for 5 years and would say goodland would be a fine place to live. There isn't a ton of jobs, but if your not to picky and have a good attitude you will be able to find something. Farming and small businesses will be the majority. The town is very family friendly although it also very consertive. Like most towns in western kansas it is slowly declining and will probably get worse before it gets better. Like everytown in has its problems but overall its a very nice town. Also to note that there will be alot driving involved for shopping, recreation and etc.. so as long as you don't mind being somewhat secluded.
BEWARE! Avoid this place! The city council is extremely hostile to outsiders! It's no wonder people are fleeing, & businesses avoid Goodland. I've restored properties in the Midwest for over 30 years, & have never remotely experienced treatment like this by any local government! I purchased a property there in 2008. Due to the economy, it's been vacant, like half the homes in town, since that time. It's not a windowless ratsnest, like many in town, that they turn a blind eye to. In fact, it doesn't even have a broken window!!!! I been subjected to a litany of unfounded complaints since purchase! Though I've planted over $500 in nursery stock, brought a 16 foot truckful of new buildings materials, and made 4, 2000 mile round trips there in the last 5 months, the city has proceeded to condemn my property based on a list of fabricated complaints that they REFUSE to proove! It has taken 6 months to get these people to even provide a list of what they actually think is wrong with the place! Apparently, unlike the rest of this GREAT country, a house can't sit empty in this ignorant, backwards, property stealing, hypocritical, Republican ghetto. It's become apparent this year that they never actually wanted me to fix the house, they just want to run the outsider out of town! Ironically, the town is proud of its High Plains heritage, but deserves the treatment Clint Eastwood dished out to the cowardly, outsider-hating residents in the classic, High Plains Drifter. PAINT THE TOWN RED, & Change the name to what it is- HELL!!!
We moved here recently because we were looking for a place close to Colorado and family, but wanted a small town and happy people instead of depressed people. I think partially it depends on who you talk to and what your attitude is, but people are happy here and so nice. I have felt no outsider prejudice, on the contrary people were welcoming and glad to have us here.
The population its actually younger that elsewhere in Kansas, look at the stats above. And my family members who have been to visit have been pleasantly surprised with the place, two even starting to look at local property (one to move, the other for a cheap second home for the future) there aren't many places like Goodland. The local movie theater is run by a retiree who heard it was going to close and couldn't stand the thought. Some young guys just started a video game store on main street. The rotary club, Lyons club, Kiwanis club and knights all thrive here, showing people do care.
We moved out of a huge metropolis and I am so happy we did. Yeah, we buy a lot off of Amazon because the local choices are pretty underwhelming, but I feel like I actually live in a community now, instead of a simulated HOA enforced one.
BEWARE! Avoid this place! The city council is extremely hostile to outsiders! It's no wonder people are fleeing, & businesses avoid Goodland. I've restored properties in the Midwest for over 30 years, & have never remotely experienced treatment like this by any local government! I purchased a property there in 2008. Due to the economy, it's been vacant, like half the homes in town, since that time. It's not a windowless ratsnest, like many in town, that they turn a blind eye to. In fact, it doesn't even have a broken window!!!! I been subjected to a litany of unfounded complaints since purchase! Though I've planted over $500 in nursery stock, brought a 16 foot truckful of new buildings materials, and made 4, 2000 mile round trips there in the last 5 months, the city has proceeded to condemn my property based on a list of fabricated complaints that they REFUSE to proove! It has taken 6 months to get these people to even provide a list of what they actually think is wrong with the place! Apparently, unlike the rest of this GREAT country, a house can't sit empty in this ignorant, backwards, property stealing, hypocritical, Republican ghetto. It's become apparent this year that they never actually wanted me to fix the house, they just want to run the outsider out of town! Ironically, the town is proud of its High Plains heritage, but deserves the treatment Clint Eastwood dished out to the cowardly, outsider-hating residents in the classic, High Plains Drifter. PAINT THE TOWN RED, & Change the name to what it is- HELL!!!
I have a feeling there is a lot more to this story.
GL2
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) despite what crime statistics will tell you. They get all the bad that comes with the interstate. The town is dieing at a medium pace (-11.3% sense 2000) which is ironic considering interstate services are still being built. Same goes for Colby.
Avoid this place!
Avoid this place! The city council is extremely hostile to outsiders! It's no wonder people are fleeing, & businesses avoid Goodland. I've restored properties in the Midwest for over 30 years, & have never remotely experienced treatment like this by any local government! I purchased a property there in 2008. Due to the economy, it's been vacant, like half the homes in town, since that time. It's not a windowless ratsnest, like many in town, that they turn a blind eye to. In fact, it doesn't even have a broken window!!!! I been subjected to a litany of unfounded complaints since purchase! Though I've planted over $500 in nursery stock, brought a 16 foot truckful of new buildings materials, and made 4, 2000 mile round trips there in the last 5 months, the city has proceeded to condemn my property based on a list of fabricated complaints that they REFUSE to proove! It has taken 6 months to get these people to even provide a list of what they actually think is wrong with the place! Apparently, unlike the rest of this GREAT country, a house can't sit empty in this ignorant, backwards, property stealing, hypocritical, Republican ghetto. It's become apparent this year that they never actually wanted me to fix the house, they just want to run the outsider out of town! Ironically, the town is proud of its High Plains heritage, but deserves the treatment Clint Eastwood dished out to the cowardly, outsider-hating residents in the classic, High Plains Drifter. PAINT THE TOWN RED, & Change the name to what it is- HELL!!!
