Retring to Goodland, KS (Maybe) (Salina, Manhattan: best city, college, to live in)

[jscottyray]

My wife and I are considering retiring to Goodland, after retiring in 3 yrs.
We are also considering Saint Francis, KS. We would appreciate any info or anything else that anyone would like to share.

Thank You

[Lennny]

I know you asked this over a year ago, but I wouldn't retire anywhere in that part of Kansas. With older age setting in, you will want to be somewhere with decent health services and be able to see the specialist you need without having to drive 4-6 hrs. Additionally you will want decent Services (places to eat, shopping, mechanics) that are within a short distance, Goodland offers none of that. There are thousands of small towns closer to metropolitan areas that you can get your small town and the services you need. Additionally the town is dying and the residents act and have that attitude. The town has rual flight problems leaving only the criminals and the undereducated to continue being the population there. I know this is harsh, but the inventory of the local liquor stores is a good indicator of the people there. Lots of cheap low end beers, and cheap fortified wines. The town has no culture either. There is only 1 day a year anything ever happens there (flatlanders in september). If you are truly connected to Western Kansas I reccomend Colby Kansas. It is like being in a different country compared to Goodland. There is a population there and there are always community events to keep you entertained. Most importantly Colby is thriving and growing. Goodland is slowly dying and therefore, the little they offer in the way of services will eventually dry out.

[a.jesse]

I would pick somewhere around the hays area, there are lots of smaller towns withing 10-30 miles radius of hays. My grandparents retired there and its a great place. hospitals, shopping, wal-mart. what more could you want?

[AnywhereElse]

I'm wondering if there is a particular reason you chose those towns. We are in SE Kansas and have lived in Salina (only the best city in Kansas) and the JC/Manhattan area in Kansas and a few other states. Loved Alaska as I was in Anchorage years and years ago. What are your requirements for a city? We have looked at several cities in Kansas for future move, hopefully any time soon would be good. I know for us that we don't care about shopping - we love the internet shopping. And, medicare care, we practice natural medicine. We find nature entertaining. I love snow if I don't have to drive on it! So, really, what are you looking for and maybe I can give you some ideas. We are in our mid-50 so relocation is serious business to us now. My ex-husband grew up in Goodland and I met him in Alaska and all he remembered was that it snowed a lot, a whole lot and he "hated snow" but if you like snow as I did growing up in Michigan.............Let me know.

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by jscottyray

My wife and I are considering retiring to Goodland, after retiring in 3 yrs.
We are also considering Saint Francis, KS. We would appreciate any info or anything else that anyone would like to share.

Thank You

************************************************** ******
JScottyRay,
I was born in St. Francis and still have relatives in the area. I moved to Eastern Nebraska to go to College and have stayed in the area for forty five years but it is getting too crowded around here. St Francis is anything but crowded. I don't know what your interests are but I will fill you in on some of the things I know about the area both pro and con.

First a few negatives:
Specialized Medical help is miles away.
There is not a lot of shopping for anything but the basics.
Everyone will know your business.
If you insist on eating at upscale establishments. . . gas the car up.
If you depend on Government help you will be S.O.L

Now some things I see as positive:
Your lifestyle may eliminate the need for extensive Medical help.
The U.S.P.S, FedEx and UPS will deliver almost anything to your door.
Everyone will know your business, so keep it clean.
If you like great food just go to a Pot Luck dinner at any church in the area.
You don't have nearly as many gov't officials to deal with as in a big city.
Some of the best fishing imaginable close by.
Fantastic small game and bird hunting close by.
Decent deer hunting close by.
Some of the most beautiful Sunrises and Sunsets on the Planet. Every day.
Go two miles from town and you can see forever if the weather permits.
Breath in all that fresh air.
You can plant a garden.
Great people for the most part.
Draw a circle with a radius of 1oo miles around Sainty (what the natives call St. Francis) and the people are still a part of the community.
I love the area and will be moving back within that 100 mile circle as soon as I can.

GL2

[itsMeFred]

I'm not sure why people always think there are no medical services in NW KS...
What do you think we do with our old people? The prairie version of putting them out on an icefloe? We just take them out to someone's pasture, turn them loose and say "good luck?"

Granted, one might have to go a bit further for true specialty services (Greely, CO, for example, is common), but even chemo comes to the local hospitals X times per month.

Winters are fairly warm and open.
Personally, having lived in eastern Nebraska, as well as North Dakota I think we get very little snow, here! lol And when it does snow, it usually melts pretty quickly.

Goodland has hospitals, shopping and WalMart (and apparently one can't ask for more. lol) Sainty has two of the three, and WalMart is about 30 miles away.

I seem to remember you from about a year or so ago, too, scotty. What, in particular, would you like to know?

~Erin

[Gunluvver2]

[quote=itsMeFred;16751080]I'm not sure why people always think there are no medical services in NW KS...
What do you think we do with our old people? The prairie version of putting them out on an icefloe? We just take them out to someone's pasture, turn them loose and say "good luck?"

Granted, one might have to go a bit further for true specialty services (Greely, CO, for example, is common), but even chemo comes to the local hospitals X times per month. . . .
************************************************** ********
Erin,
I didn't mean to imply there were NO MEDICAL services available in St. Francis. What I said was no "specialized" medical services. As you probably know a Family Practice Doctor will send a patient to a specialized Doctor for further treatment when he is not equipped to handle the problem. Here in Lincoln, Nebraska that may be as simple as sending the patient across the hall to see the specialist or across town. For instance our local Bryan/LGH hospital has helicopter and ambulances bringing in patients from Western Nebraska for heart procedures daily. Small town hospitals simply cannot provide many specialized services.

Farm accidents, automobile accidents plus heart attacks are probably the type of emergency medical problems most small town Doctors handle. Usually they will stabilize the patient for transport to a regional hospital better equipped for the problem.

Unless you have a condition that requires constant treatment like Dialysis you will get by just fine in a smaller community like St. Francis. For all I know they may offer Dialysis at the local Hospital.

GL2

[jbtornado]

Hey Fred, you are right in so many ways:

People need to realize, health services do not lack much unless you are going to live in the most remote spot of NW Kansas and E Colorado... Then they seem to act like the winters are so terrible out there, that you cant get around for 4-5 months out of the year.. Iowa is far worse usually, has its cold locked in.. Typically in Kansas, we get spells of weather in winter that vary where a few days we are mild, and another few are cold with maybe some precipitation around.. Our worst winters with the most snow and ice even have warm spells with highs in the 50's and sometimes lower 60's in the middle of January.

[itsMeFred]

For all I know they may offer Dialysis at the local Hospital.

They do. Much like chemo.
Sorry GL, I actually hadn't seen your post when I was responding. I know you know better!

And jb, I completely agree. And honestly, in light of the fact that I live in a pretty remote corner of NW KS (almost to E. Colorado), I still don't worry too much. If something happens, I have four EMTs on speed dial.
Though of course they're on speed dial simply because they're friends of ours.

[Shawnie_08]

You would not have to drive 4-6 hours to see a specalist. We are 2 1/2 hours from Denver, and 2 hours from Hays. We have a very nice hospital here and specalists come down from Denver weekly. And as far as weather goes, I feel like we get the best of both worlds, hot summers and snowy winters (not too much snow though) If your looking for a town that still has raditional values and friendly people...Goodland is the place to be