Useful tips about Dodge City- Please!! (Garden City, Cimarron: to rent, house, neighborhoods)

[weathergal]

Usually the north side of town (north of Comanche) tends to be nicer, although prices will be a bit higher. As for schools, a co-worker sends his first grader to Miller and has good things to say it. Another co-worker was fairly pleased with Northwest. I've heard you can rank your choices as to what elementary school you want to go to, then then those schools feed into one of the two Intermediate centers (5th and 6th grade). There is only one middle school and high school in town.

Finding a rental in Dodge can be kind of a headache. Checking the classifieds in Dodge City Globe that Torn2Pieces linked would be you best bet. Other than that, driving around town and looking for "for rent" signs when you get here is about the only way.

As for tornadoes, yes we are in a tornado prone area. However, a tornado affects a very small amount of territory, especially in comparison with hurricanes and earthquakes. Statistically your chances of being hit are not that high (Greensburg was extremely unlucky). Figure out where to go ahead of time (basements are best), get a weather radio, and pay attention when it's storming out, and you will probably be fine. I'd avoid living in a mobile home if you can afford it, since they can be rolled even with regular thunderstorm winds.

Wal-mart is the center of shopping here in Dodge, but there is a JC Pennys and a Stage, along with other smaller shops in our tiny mall. There are also several Dollar stores, a Hobby Lobby, Hastings (books, dvd's, etc), and Oschelin's Farm stores. For big shopping for Christmas, most people will make a trip to Wichita.

The movie theatre has 8 screens, although I personally find the seats rather uncomfortable so I don't go that often. There is a second run theatre (I think they're charging $3-4) that has two screens, and there is a drive in that runs during the summer (again, with second run movies). I know of one bowling alley that's pretty nice, although there could be one on the south side of town I don't know about. All-for-fun also runs during the warm months and has mini-golf, go-carts, etc.

Good luck

[NorthCarolina-Girl]

Thank you weathergal for your kind advices. I have heard that North West Elementary School should be good, and also heard that they opened up a new one, Ross I belive it was called. Any feedback on this one? I like to, as most seem to advise us on, to move to the north side, and then also would like to find a school in the same area.

I have followed the advises on the Globe, and have called on a few rentals there, and also called on a few houses for sale. We have to see if it gives anything. If anyone out here are looking for someone to rent their home, maybe someone who wants to sell the house and it just keeps standing empty, we are very much interested to rent!!

If you have family or friends out there that knows about any rentals, please let me know, I would so appreciate any help that we can get! You seem to be very kind people, as far as I have learned over here!!

Thank you also for shopping and activities, I will have a look when we get there. Any ideas about ballet classes anyone?

Thank you!

[NorthCarolina-Girl]

Also, what about the food plants? Which side of town are they located at? You who know the town, on the map next to North West Elementary School, there is a big building complex, anyone who knows what it is? Can't tell from the map? Hopefully that's not the food plant..??

[weathergal]

No, the meat packing plants are way on the east side of town, off of Trail St. The big area near Northwest school that you are seeing on the map is probably the Civic Center. Soule Intermediate Center is right next to Northwest on the east side, then there is a fire station and National Guard Armory, then the Civic Center is just south of that.

I'm a transplant so I don't have any family in town, although I can see if some of the people I know have any idea about rentals. One place you can also try is contacting the real estate agencies in town. I know some of them will sometime keep lists of rentals and contact info for the owners.

[NorthCarolina-Girl]

Weathergal,
thank you for taking time to answer all my questions!! It really means a lot!! It would be great if you could come back to me about any rentals, I've contacted a few people that are selling, if they would be interested in renting, I've also checked the newspaper and called around there. But the more help the better!!

Good to hear that the food plants would be more outside of town. I don't know about the smell, but some here says it not that great!! If you have names of the real estate agencies in DC, please let me know, the ones I've been looking up have not been located in town.

Thank's again, and have a great evening!

[phern01]

That awful smell is the smell of money!!

[weathergal]

Originally Posted by NorthCarolina-Girl

If you have names of the real estate agencies in DC, please let me know, the ones I've been looking up have not been located in town.

I'll Direct Message you, since I feel a little weird posting phone numbers on a public message board.

[NorthCarolina-Girl]

Hello Weathergal! That would be wonderful if you could give me some information, and I totally understand that you don't want to give out names here.
Direct message, I have no idea how that works, but here is my emailadress, please feel free to use that one!
Modcut- Send e-mail to poster via a Direct Message please.

Thank you so much, very much appreciated!!

[Torn2pieces]

Here's a rental agency in Dodge...I used them when I rented a house for a year.

Professional Rental Agency..... Do a search, it should pull up a number.

You can get rentals for around 500.00, nothing great.

I paid about 600.00 for 2 bedroom and landed up buying a house a year later.

[chele123]

Good luck to you!