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Old 05-11-2014, 01:18 PM
 
10 posts, read 20,528 times
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Hello there. I've been reading this forum for a while now trying to get a feel for Kansas, but this is obviously my first post. Long story short, I've been contemplating a move to the Midwest for over and year. Orignally I was looking at places in Nebraska, but one of the universities in Kansas have come to catch my eye (KU). I've been focused on Kansas ever since. You see, I can find information for days about the University of Kansas and Lawrence. I've already talked to people there. And by reading threads here, and countless other sites, I've got a good (but admittedly, basic) view of Lawrence. My first move to Kansas however, would be somewhere else besides Lawrence. That's where you all come in

I'm a young adult male, 28 single, and this would be my first big move. I guess I'm looking for city/town suggestions? A place with a low unemployment rate would be nice since I would be looking for a job. Maybe some average apartment or home renting prices in the area.

I would prefer a small to midsize town, but I could do cities if that's the best option for someone like me.

I absolutely LOVE the look of rural western Kansas, but that would apparently be out the question when it comes to employment. I would be coming from a small town in NC, so I'm already familiar with that type of living if it helps.

All in all, I'm looking for any information. Suggestions for other sites or things to read would be welcomed as well.

Thanks!
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Old 05-11-2014, 03:35 PM
 
Location: Burlington, Colorado
350 posts, read 845,251 times
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Actually western KS has the lowest unemployment in the state... what kind of job will you be looking for?
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Old 05-11-2014, 05:15 PM
 
10 posts, read 20,528 times
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Originally Posted by ohazco View Post
Actually western KS has the lowest unemployment in the state... what kind of job will you be looking for?
Really? I wouldn't have guessed that.

When it comes to employment, I wouldn't be too picky. I've got experience in everything from retail, medical office work, to a little bit of real estate appraisal. The only thing which might hinder me is not knowing anyone. I'd be on my own on that front.

Eventually I plan to return to school in Kansas, so realistically I wouldn't be looking long term. At least not yet. That goes for where I'd be living as well. I just need a good start. Somewhere I can call home until I save up enough to finish schooling.
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Old 05-11-2014, 05:50 PM
 
Location: Boilermaker Territory
26,399 posts, read 46,333,932 times
Reputation: 19509
Quote:
Originally Posted by RollingHeels View Post
Really? I wouldn't have guessed that.

When it comes to employment, I wouldn't be too picky. I've got experience in everything from retail, medical office work, to a little bit of real estate appraisal. The only thing which might hinder me is not knowing anyone. I'd be on my own on that front.

Eventually I plan to return to school in Kansas, so realistically I wouldn't be looking long term. At least not yet. That goes for where I'd be living as well. I just need a good start. Somewhere I can call home until I save up enough to finish schooling.
The vast majority of higher paying professional positions are in eastern Kansas, specifically Johnson County, KS within the Kansas City metro area. KU in Lawrence is located right between Topeka and Johnson County. Unemployment rates are low in western Kansas because the area is very rural and has few amenities to be able to retain any people- so many do leave. Places like Hays have a low unemployment rate with a large number of people working in healthcare, medical, and education- with energy jobs playing a role. If you are looking for areas that have stronger job growth I would look into Texas or Colorado, though..
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Old 05-11-2014, 06:16 PM
 
10 posts, read 20,528 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GraniteStater View Post
The vast majority of higher paying professional positions are in eastern Kansas, specifically Johnson County, KS within the Kansas City metro area. KU in Lawrence is located right between Topeka and Johnson County. Unemployment rates are low in western Kansas because the area is very rural and has few amenities to be able to retain any people- so many do leave. Places like Hays have a low unemployment rate with a large number of people working in healthcare, medical, and education- with energy jobs playing a role. If you are looking for areas that have stronger job growth I would look into Texas or Colorado, though..
That confirms a lot of what I've already heard. Also I may have to check Hays a bit more, it sounds pretty good.

You guys have any reading suggestions, besides here of course , of you know just anything Kansas? History related, economy, whatever. The more the merrier. I'd like to become familiar with the state as much as possible before landing there.
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Old 05-12-2014, 01:21 AM
 
Location: Aloverton
6,560 posts, read 14,415,539 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RollingHeels View Post
You guys have any reading suggestions, besides here of course , of you know just anything Kansas? History related, economy, whatever. The more the merrier. I'd like to become familiar with the state as much as possible before landing there.
For a microcosm of rural Kansas, I suggest William Least Heat-Moon's PrairyErth. Full disclosure: I have an attachment to the book for more than one reason. The largest is that both my parents were raised there, our family ranch is still there, and if I have a home base on earth, it is Chase County. The book takes a very deep look at this rugged piece of Kansas. I find its representations of Flint Hills Kansas to completely agree with those I know and grew up with. Heat-Moon is from Missouri, which makes his incisiveness and observation stand out even more.

Another good method is coffee table books. There are several good ones available that portray in superb photography so many aspects of Kansas life and history. The way I would describe it is that most transitory people look at Kansas in a rather nearsighted way: they see the grain elevator, the KHP cruiser hidden in the dip between freeway directions (they are real, real sneaky), the stuff available where one stops for gas. They never see my Kansas, because their distance vision does not focus outside the near area. And that's a shame, because when you get off the freeway, you start to experience Kansas as it is: sometimes taciturn, but warm-hearted behind the outward reserve. You find out how very good the food is, and you see and feel artifacts of bygone ages.

If there's one historical detail worth studying above all others, it would be the way the state was formed. By the time the Civil War began in earnest (Kansas, becoming a state in 1861, was Star 34), Kansas and Missouri had been at daggers drawn for seven years. Short version: Missouri did its all to see that Kansas became a slave state, and Kansan abolitionist sentiment was second only to perhaps Massachusetts. This led to a cycle of atrocity and reprisal along the border with no real good guys. Whether one was a Border Ruffian or a Jayhawker, what that meant in practice was an arsonist, a rapist, a horsethief, a cattle rustler, and a murderer. The Kansan in me can only take the side of my home state in any review of a trial of arms, but the historian in me must acknowledge that our partisans were no better behaved than Missouri's. At one point, as the Civil War went on, it got so bad that I guess the Union Missouri governor had to write to Lincoln something to this effect: 'I'm not sure you have any idea what we're dealing with out here, but half my state wants to hang me, I am holding it in the Union by my fingernails, and having cavalrymen in blue raiding into loyal territory to make more enemies for me is NOT HELPFUL, and I would be delighted if you would DO SOMETHING about this.' I have read that Grant's idea was that if that's how the Jayhawkers prosecuted warfare, perhaps they should be sent to Arizona Territory to try it on the masters of the trade: the Apache. In any case, no one can understand Kansas well without understanding the Civil War's impact.

Here's a sample. Some years back, the year I tore my knee cartilage, KU and Misery were both doing very well in football (that's maybe once in a generation). Their annual Border War rivalry game would decide the Big 12 North title, Nebraska being in the doldrums at the time. This game has always, I believe, stirred the ghosts of old, but always with a sense that we are far better off that we handle it with a football game, as in recent times, than of old, when we handled it with abominable atrocities. That year, and I'm not sure who started it, Missouri fans began wearing t-shirts showing the famous painting of Quantrill burning Lawrence, which said "164-0" (the casualty toll of the attack, though in fact some of Quantrill's men did also become casualties) and "SCOREBOARD." The kind of t-shirt that could get one's ass kicked in parts of Kansas. Well, a maverick t-shirt store in Lawrence came out with t-shirts depicting John Brown holding a shotgun and a bible, and the legend: "KANSAS: KEEPING AMERICA SAFE FROM MISSOURI SINCE 1854." I suspect that would be pretty inflammatory in Columbia, too. My own story was that I was in PT for my knee at the time, and one of the PTs (not mine) was a loyal Missoura man. Come game week, I had to represent (I went to UW in Seattle, but I have family allegiance to KU), and I was geared up in KU colors for my PT torture session. Of course, in the jovial way of the rivalry, the Missoura fellow started in (I think it was about allowing criminals to play basketball). So I smiled, put my hand on his shoulder in a congenial manner, and drawled: "Well, I can see that you've got your pants zipped up, and you're wearing shoes. And when I can say that of a Missoura man, I know he's doing his best." All in the spirit of the rivalry (we lost the game, damn it).

There. If that sinks in, or inspires your interest, you'll find Kansas, because you'll look hard enough. I wish you well, and hope you don't have to take a no time. Say howdy to it for me, because even though its leadership has gone apocalyptically stupid, I still miss home.
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Old 05-12-2014, 07:21 AM
 
Location: Western Nebraskansas
2,707 posts, read 6,215,243 times
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And being a PT, he probably had all of his teeth, too!
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Old 05-12-2014, 02:19 PM
 
10 posts, read 20,528 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by j_k_k View Post
For a microcosm of rural Kansas, I suggest William Least Heat-Moon's PrairyErth. Full disclosure: I have an attachment to the book for more than one reason. The largest is that both my parents were raised there, our family ranch is still there, and if I have a home base on earth, it is Chase County. The book takes a very deep look at this rugged piece of Kansas. I find its representations of Flint Hills Kansas to completely agree with those I know and grew up with. Heat-Moon is from Missouri, which makes his incisiveness and observation stand out even more.

Another good method is coffee table books. There are several good ones available that portray in superb photography so many aspects of Kansas life and history. The way I would describe it is that most transitory people look at Kansas in a rather nearsighted way: they see the grain elevator, the KHP cruiser hidden in the dip between freeway directions (they are real, real sneaky), the stuff available where one stops for gas. They never see my Kansas, because their distance vision does not focus outside the near area. And that's a shame, because when you get off the freeway, you start to experience Kansas as it is: sometimes taciturn, but warm-hearted behind the outward reserve. You find out how very good the food is, and you see and feel artifacts of bygone ages.

If there's one historical detail worth studying above all others, it would be the way the state was formed. By the time the Civil War began in earnest (Kansas, becoming a state in 1861, was Star 34), Kansas and Missouri had been at daggers drawn for seven years. Short version: Missouri did its all to see that Kansas became a slave state, and Kansan abolitionist sentiment was second only to perhaps Massachusetts. This led to a cycle of atrocity and reprisal along the border with no real good guys. Whether one was a Border Ruffian or a Jayhawker, what that meant in practice was an arsonist, a rapist, a horsethief, a cattle rustler, and a murderer. The Kansan in me can only take the side of my home state in any review of a trial of arms, but the historian in me must acknowledge that our partisans were no better behaved than Missouri's. At one point, as the Civil War went on, it got so bad that I guess the Union Missouri governor had to write to Lincoln something to this effect: 'I'm not sure you have any idea what we're dealing with out here, but half my state wants to hang me, I am holding it in the Union by my fingernails, and having cavalrymen in blue raiding into loyal territory to make more enemies for me is NOT HELPFUL, and I would be delighted if you would DO SOMETHING about this.' I have read that Grant's idea was that if that's how the Jayhawkers prosecuted warfare, perhaps they should be sent to Arizona Territory to try it on the masters of the trade: the Apache. In any case, no one can understand Kansas well without understanding the Civil War's impact.

Here's a sample. Some years back, the year I tore my knee cartilage, KU and Misery were both doing very well in football (that's maybe once in a generation). Their annual Border War rivalry game would decide the Big 12 North title, Nebraska being in the doldrums at the time. This game has always, I believe, stirred the ghosts of old, but always with a sense that we are far better off that we handle it with a football game, as in recent times, than of old, when we handled it with abominable atrocities. That year, and I'm not sure who started it, Missouri fans began wearing t-shirts showing the famous painting of Quantrill burning Lawrence, which said "164-0" (the casualty toll of the attack, though in fact some of Quantrill's men did also become casualties) and "SCOREBOARD." The kind of t-shirt that could get one's ass kicked in parts of Kansas. Well, a maverick t-shirt store in Lawrence came out with t-shirts depicting John Brown holding a shotgun and a bible, and the legend: "KANSAS: KEEPING AMERICA SAFE FROM MISSOURI SINCE 1854." I suspect that would be pretty inflammatory in Columbia, too. My own story was that I was in PT for my knee at the time, and one of the PTs (not mine) was a loyal Missoura man. Come game week, I had to represent (I went to UW in Seattle, but I have family allegiance to KU), and I was geared up in KU colors for my PT torture session. Of course, in the jovial way of the rivalry, the Missoura fellow started in (I think it was about allowing criminals to play basketball). So I smiled, put my hand on his shoulder in a congenial manner, and drawled: "Well, I can see that you've got your pants zipped up, and you're wearing shoes. And when I can say that of a Missoura man, I know he's doing his best." All in the spirit of the rivalry (we lost the game, damn it).

There. If that sinks in, or inspires your interest, you'll find Kansas, because you'll look hard enough. I wish you well, and hope you don't have to take a no time. Say howdy to it for me, because even though its leadership has gone apocalyptically stupid, I still miss home.
Thank you.

That was a great read, and I will definetly give William Least Heat-Moon's book a looking into. I love sports as well, and coming from Carolina we have some great rivalries also. Most notably to the outside world being Carolina/Duke. While it's crazy intense on the court (football too, but basketball more so) it doesn't have the same background as say a KU/Missouri. In other words, no bloodshed. Well come to think about it there was a couple games there... I digress.

I'm hoping you're an author (I see you wrote historian), because you provided a great summary and place for me to continue my education of Kansas.

For now I will read up on the Flint Hills of Kansas, next up being that book.
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Old 05-12-2014, 04:51 PM
 
4,668 posts, read 3,874,130 times
Reputation: 3437
Hays is a good small town. Strong economy and good paying jobs relative to living costs.
My wife lived there for 5 years and I lived there a short time as well. You might also look into McPherson, I lived there 3 years and loved it. Actually, I'd say most of the towns 15,000-100,000 in Kansas have decent economies. If you're just looking for a job and a place to live until school why not just pick Lawrence, its a great town. The economy might be a little sluggish relatively, but isn't bad by any means. I live in Lawrence now and its a great place to be. Imo its in the top 3 towns in Kansas. The others being McPherson and Manhattan.
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Old 05-12-2014, 06:01 PM
 
Location: Cleverly concealed
1,198 posts, read 2,032,861 times
Reputation: 1416
If you intend to live in western Kansas, Hays is probably the way to go. It is a small town built around a small university (Fort Hays State). But realistically the best opportunities in the state will be in Lawrence or the Kansas City area.

My most recent read on Kansas came through a P.R. packet at work: The Ogallala Road. It's more of a love memoir than anything, but touches on land ownership and dwindling water.
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