Mcpherson and living rural in Kansas (Wichita, Salina: new home, high school, colleges)

[Ithuvanian]

For shopping, Salina has Sam's Club and Target, and it appears Wichita will be getting a Costco in the near future. Hutchinson, Salina and Wichita all have indoor shopping malls; Wichita naturally has a lot more of everything. Also, the State Fair is in Hutchinson every year, if that sort of thing interests you.

[tamaralj]

Originally Posted by Ithuvanian

For shopping, Salina has Sam's Club and Target, and it appears Wichita will be getting a Costco in the near future. Hutchinson, Salina and Wichita all have indoor shopping malls; Wichita naturally has a lot more of everything. Also, the State Fair is in Hutchinson every year, if that sort of thing interests you.

Well this sounds great! So really even being "rural" there is still enough to keep a person happy.

Is there a Kohl's anywhere near by?

[augentier]

Hey there, I was born and raised in McPherson and lived there up until this year (i'm 27, and have had several few-month-long spans of time in other states) ...a lot of young people hate McPherson, it is very conservative, religious, and kinda boring..BUT..that's the young crowd. I actually kinda liked it, and kinda miss it. I was picked on in school for being a little different but it wasn't that bad, there's enough people there to find someone with similar interests.

For retirement, I think it's a great choice if you're into church (LOTS of churches there) and a quiet, easy-paced lifestyle. Summer and winter are harsh most of the time but can be moderate. The weather is a little schizophrenic. Spring and fall can be really nice.

There are quite a few little shops around town, you can get most things you need in town. Wal Mart and Dillons are the only grocery stores. If you want a Kohls or any shopping like that, head to Hutchinson, Salina, or Wichita. Hutch and Salina are super easy, quick drives.

The people are friendly for the most part. Like all towns, there are druggies, crazies, a##holes, etc...but for the most part, you attract what you are...so if you're nice to people, they'll be nice to you. People in Mac for the most part are easy going, family-oriented, and friendly.

The landscape is wide open, not much to do outside but you can be creative and go search. I always loved going camping and fishing at Maxwell State Wildlife Refuge just 20 min. out of town. That was like my 2nd home and there's Kanopolis Lake about 40 minutes away. Lots of pretty country drives in the spring and summer

You could also check out Lindsborg! I like that town..smaller than Mac, closer to Salina, a little more charm. Only 15 miles or so from McPherson on Old 81 highway. There are some hills out that way...I loved taking drives out there.

[tamaralj]

Originally Posted by augentier

Hey there, I was born and raised in McPherson and lived there up until this year (i'm 27, and have had several few-month-long spans of time in other states) ...a lot of young people hate McPherson, it is very conservative, religious, and kinda boring..BUT..that's the young crowd. I actually kinda liked it, and kinda miss it. I was picked on in school for being a little different but it wasn't that bad, there's enough people there to find someone with similar interests.

For retirement, I think it's a great choice if you're into church (LOTS of churches there) and a quiet, easy-paced lifestyle. Summer and winter are harsh most of the time but can be moderate. The weather is a little schizophrenic. Spring and fall can be really nice.

There are quite a few little shops around town, you can get most things you need in town. Wal Mart and Dillons are the only grocery stores. If you want a Kohls or any shopping like that, head to Hutchinson, Salina, or Wichita. Hutch and Salina are super easy, quick drives.

The people are friendly for the most part. Like all towns, there are druggies, crazies, a##holes, etc...but for the most part, you attract what you are...so if you're nice to people, they'll be nice to you. People in Mac for the most part are easy going, family-oriented, and friendly.

The landscape is wide open, not much to do outside but you can be creative and go search. I always loved going camping and fishing at Maxwell State Wildlife Refuge just 20 min. out of town. That was like my 2nd home and there's Kanopolis Lake about 40 minutes away. Lots of pretty country drives in the spring and summer

You could also check out Lindsborg! I like that town..smaller than Mac, closer to Salina, a little more charm. Only 15 miles or so from McPherson on Old 81 highway. There are some hills out that way...I loved taking drives out there.

Thank you for your information. I greatly appreciate it! It does give me some insight to the area. Are there parks in Mac? Like ones with walking/biking or running paths? If I have a nice park to walk in, I am happy.

[Mattks]

Wall Park has a paved path around the small lake, there is also tennis courts, basketball courts, and baseballs fields there. If I remember right you can walk to Lakeside Park from there, can't remember if there is an actual path along the river/stream or just a sidewalk by the road. There is a lot more shade at Lakeside Park, trees everwhere. There is a nice water park there as well. The neighborhoods around the 2 parks are both good places to live imo. I would say walking/bicycling is relatively big for a small town. There are no designated bike lanes that I know of, but plenty of quiet streets.

You are making me want to move back after reminiscing about living there! My best friend manages a local coffee shop called The Well.

[tamaralj]

Originally Posted by Mattks

Wall Park has a paved path around the small lake, there is also tennis courts, basketball courts, and baseballs fields there. If I remember right you can walk to Lakeside Park from there, can't remember if there is an actual path along the river/stream or just a sidewalk by the road. There is a lot more shade at Lakeside Park, trees everwhere. There is a nice water park there as well. The neighborhoods around the 2 parks are both good places to live imo. I would say walking/bicycling is relatively big for a small town. There are no designated bike lanes that I know of, but plenty of quiet streets.

You are making me want to move back after reminiscing about living there! My best friend manages a local coffee shop called The Well.

It does sound like a nice town.

[tamaralj]

Wow, just dropped down on Wall Park via google earth street view. I would love that park! Then I took a "walk" on street view through some neighborhoods. Very nice. Really like what I see!

[augentier]

Wall Park and Lakeside are pretty much the only parks. They are both small but enjoyable to walk around, especially Lakeside. I always just enjoyed walking around the entire town. Doesn't take long and there are a lot of nice neighborhoods.

There is some crime. Recently there was a murder tha has been ruled "no foul play" even though the kid was found with a bag on his head and belt around his neck. There is a problem with the police there. They seem very ignorant, careless, and misinformed. Something you just have to deal with in small town Midwest.

But Mac is totally safe to walk around alone, even in the middle of the night as a female. You just don't mix with the wrong people and you will be fine.

I hope you check it out! I get very nostalgic when I think of McPherson. I come from a more liberal, non religious family and ny dad and his side have lived in the area for generations (they're Mennonite...lots of those there) but despite being out of the mold myself, I still loved my upbringing and made wonderful friends. I went to McPherson College for a couple years and really liked it, too.

If you're open minded and friendly and laid back, you will find happiness just about anywhere. Good luck!

[tamaralj]

Thank you for the feed back. We'll take a look around there, when we drive out again next summer probably.

[ohazco]

Someplace like Colby or Goodland would get you a lot closer to Colorado if that is a major factor. Its 2.5 hours from Goodland to Colorado Springs or Denver. Or you could even get into Colorado... Burlington, Wray, and Yuma are all pretty nice (my preference for Wray). There are certain people on here who like to bad mouth Western Kansas, but if its something that might interest you go visit for yourself and draw your own conclusions! The winters have harsh periods mixed with moderate (40 degrees) spells. They are not like upper midwest winters, but we still get some good blizzards. I-70 between Hays and Denver gets shut down here and there in the winter for snow/ice (maybe 5-6 times a winter guesstimate).