Moving to Sioux Falls... (house, motel, travel)

[BuffaloMD]

Mark's questions were very helpfull. I have learned quite a bit about Sioux Falls. Thanks for everyone's input!
I have received a very good job offer in Sioux Falls for (believe or not) 2009. I went for an interview there already. My fiancee and I were pleasantly surprised with the city. However, I've heard Sioux Falls has flooding issues. Is that true? Which areas of town are concerning if flooding is a real problem? Any suggestions for nice communities not too far from (not more that 10-12 min) away from Avera Mckennan? Thank you for your time.

Fernando.

[DannyBanany]

Buffalo,

I am not from Sioux Falls but I too have heard of the flooding problems. I think it was mostly in much older homes along the Big Sioux River and it happened during a really wet spring. I also heard of T.J. Maxx getting flooded not too long ago but it was due to a water main break. Sioux Falls itself does not really have a major flooding problem.

Sioux Falls' bedroom communities like Tea and Brandon are very nice and not more than 10 minutes from town.

[Chris19]

Buffalo,

I agree with DannyBanany on the flooding issue. Many older homes have full basements and would be more prone to flooding problems. The city's flooding in most cases does not put entire areas deep under water. Towns Sioux Falls size (150,000 plus) are going to have areas that are prone to flooding. It would be good to go to the FEMA website to see the floodmaps for the area and that would give you an idea of where the flood zones are. Lincoln County has been having their flood maps updated south of Sioux Falls and Sioux Falls is in the process of updating its maps.

Some areas south of Sioux Falls have high water table and may have water issues, thus many newer houses are split-foyer or split-level houses. This is common in Harrisburg and Tea and this style of home is well-suited with the clay soil and the water table.

Harrisburg will be a handy choice if one works at Avera. It is a straight shot south of Cliff Ave. and is a growing community that is progressive. It is three miles south of city limits and 7-8 miles south of Avera McKennan hospital. There is a newer Sunshine Foods on the south edge of Sioux Falls and is five miles north of Harrisburg and would be on your way to Avera if you live in Harrisburg. It is a city of 3,000 and is growing.

I agree with Danny that Tea and Brandon are also good communities. Brandon is hilly and nice and has about 8,000 people and has a grocery store, several restaurants, several gas stations, and banks. Tea is a city of 3,500 that is growing also and has a Sunshine grocery store along with two banks, a credit union, several eating places, two gas stations, and a bakery. The city along with Harrisburg and Brandon have a lot of younger couples and families.

Best of luck to you.

[nastia]

Originally Posted by GI_Mark

Things are great and now I'm looking into getting back into some college courses. Take care.

Check out University Center http://www.sduniversitycenter.org/
It is a fairly new addition in Sioux Falls and is the only public university in the Sioux Falls area, the private collages here are good but too expensive for me.

University Center offers degrees from all the state universities and has a nice range of classes.

Good luck with everything in SFSD. I think you will miss Ohio though. I lived in Yellow Springs (yes, I was one of those kids) and loved it so much, it is such a beautiful area. I had in-laws in Cincinnati and spent quite a bit of time there. Winter there and in SFSD are two different things, as I am sure you have figured out by now! Spring is here and warm weather will soon be on it's way. Wait until it is 92° and the wind is blowing 30 miles an hour. You will be longing for those humid Cinci days.

Also, not only will you not be able to get it, the people here will have no idea what 3-Way Chili is (much less 4-way or 5-way.) Enjoy SF and good luck with everything.

[computerguysd]

I've been making 3 way chili for years. Just call it goulash or a hot dish and you don't have to explain anything - lol

[nanjosbrand]

Originally Posted by BuffaloMD

Mark's questions were very helpfull. I have learned quite a bit about Sioux Falls. Thanks for everyone's input!
I have received a very good job offer in Sioux Falls for (believe or not) 2009. I went for an interview there already. My fiancee and I were pleasantly surprised with the city. However, I've heard Sioux Falls has flooding issues. Is that true? Which areas of town are concerning if flooding is a real problem? Any suggestions for nice communities not too far from (not more that 10-12 min) away from Avera Mckennan? Thank you for your time.

Fernando.

Congratulations on your job offer! As far as flooding issues in Sioux Falls, if there's a large rain, the west side of town has streets that will flood. In the spring of 2004, the central part of Sioux Falls had a few homes that had flooded basements. Most homes around here have sump pumps, and you will want to make sure that they work. The west side of Sioux Falls is located in a flood plain area, so I would veer away from that area. I live on the southeast side of Sioux Falls in a very nice area, that is located 1 mile from the Avera Mc Kennan Fitness Center. The area is approximately 10 minutes from Avera McKennan Hospital.
You can virtually get anywhere in Sioux Falls in less than 20 minutes, so traffic is not too big of a deal. Personally, I would stay away from the 41st and Louise and Kiwanis area on Saturdays. That area is nuts! During the week it's not too congested.
People have mentioned the smaller towns as great places to live--they are, but staying in Sioux Falls is very convenient. If you have any further questions, feel free to DM me.

[Chris19]

The prior post along others bring out excellent points about Sioux Falls. There are a few other things I would like to add.

In the next few years, there should be additional shopping options on the east side with two outdoor malls/lifestyle centers with talk of a Target, Kohl's, and Best Buy going in one of the outdoor malls. This should lessen the need to head to 41st and Louise for some. I live in Lincoln county and the Empire Mall area is the closest area when I come into Sioux Falls. It gets very busy on weekends and around supper time, but is mild compared to mall areas in other parts of the country.

I agree with the prior post that the west side has streets that flood, but that is more common near the Big Sioux and in southwest Sioux Falls (where the land is flat). Northwest Sioux Falls in the new residential developments going up north of Madison St. and near Marion Rd. are filled with gently rolling hills and should have less issues with flooding. The eastern part of the city (in my honest opinion) is better suited for building houses than the undeveloped areas in the central-western and southwestern portions of the city.

Advantages of living outside of town in a nearby community such as Tea and Harrisburg include: smaller schools (more personable), lower housing prices, quieter environment, and more community togetherness. Disadvantages of living in a nearby community would include winter driving (when roads get icy or snowpacked/slushy), not as many areas with mature trees and parks, time and distance (when running errands in Sioux Falls). I live out of Sioux Falls and choose it for the peace and quiet and liking the small town atmosphere and will tolerate the winter driving, time, and gas. For others, it may be a different story for others, not a bad thing.

The area as a whole is safe, clean, and affordable to live in relative to many other areas of the nation. The area has a promising future.

[BuffaloMD]

Thank you!

[GI_Mark]

Hello all, it's been a little while since I have had the chance to play around on the computer. Things are going well for the family and I. The job is good (great hours) and I'm just happy the cold weather seems to be gone for the time being.

I do come bearing a new question though... The guy I'm replacing is leaving and I was just curious is anyone out there had any good going away gift ideas that are specific to Sioux Falls and not the "norm"... They get him a framed picture of the Falls here in the city, but I was wanting to do something a little more unique from the section he has been working in for the past 3 years. He's not only leaving Sioux Falls, but also the Army after 21 years of service. Any ideas or thoughts would be a good thing. You guys have always been more than helpful and this was my first stop to ask such a question. Thanks and I hope all is going well for you all !!!

Mark...

[DannyBanany]

Hmm... Does yur wife bake? Maybe she could make him some kuchen or kolaches. They're the "state desserts".