Favorite Aspect Of Your City (Sioux Falls, Rapid City: waterparks, low crime, homes)

[MJ1986]

We all live in different places across South Dakota... What are your favorite things about your town/city? Or the area that you live in?

[Jammie]

That's a good question, MJ. I'm anxious to see everyone's impressions of their own town.

I think that everyone knows that I live in Mitchell.

It's a very nice, clean town. There are enough jobs to go around here and that's very important. Our housing has increased, but nothing compared to many areas of the country.

One of my favorite things is Hitchcock park. They have a beautiful flower garden there during the summertime and it's well maintained. I like to just sit in the gazebo and admire the flowers.

The Park also has just built a new swimming pool and spray park. It's the first time I'd ever been to a spray park and I just love it. It's definitely getting a lot of use.

Main Street is also so nice during the summertime. They have the old fashioned flower barrels out and they're filled with flowers. I love our old-fashioned street lights, too. We also have cute shops and old fashioned buildings on Main Street and it adds a lot to the city.

Mitchell Lake is also a nice place to just sit and unwind. Some years the water isn't the freshest, but a lot of people love boating out there.

They've done a lot over by Dakota Wesleyan, too. The new McGovern Library is there and their grounds are very nice. They've just put in a nice little pond and I love the sound of the water splashing back down because they have it shooting in the air. OK, can't think of what you'd call it.

Just a bit east of here is the James River and it's a peaceful place for fisherman or just nature lovers.

The Corn Palace gets a lot of flack, but in reality, it's a beautiful building. It takes a lot of planning and a lot of work because they yearly change the decor on it. I can't say enough good things about it all the way from the farmer who grows all the colorful grains that are put on it to the planners to the workers who yearly change the pics on it. The admission to it is free so I'm often confused by the "tourist trap" comments. The Corn Palace Festival is still a tradition here and we still wander around up there every year. It's just nice to see people that you may not see otherwise.

Like most of South Dakota, Mitchell has very low crime. When it does happen, it disgusts most of us so I think that we are a friendly and caring and compassionate community. According to stats, 81% of us consider ourselves to be religious and that's a very high percentage compared to most areas of the country. Of course, it doesn't make us all good people, but I honestly think that most of us try to be.

The Dakota Wesleyan Homecoming Parade is also something I enjoy. I love the marching bands and they have a lot of them.

One of the coolest things is when they have their antique car shows and have some good old rock n roll dances up at the Corn Palace. It seems that more people are starting to come out for them. The funny thing is that by 11 pm, it's clearing out already. Guess most of us can't make it until after midnight anymore.

[Chris19]

I like Lennox in a number of aspects. Being from there, I appreciate the qualities and experience that make the city a worthy place.

I like the people. The people are laid back and down to earth for the most part. Most people are middle class and working class and work hard for what they have. A number may exhibit characteristics of a small town such as being close knit, which has its good and bad points. Any community has its quirks. Most of the people I went to high school with were people of good character.

The school system is good and is not as big on the scale of the Sioux Falls schools, but not too small (in danger of being consolidated). It provides opportunities for students to learn and grow. It is more personable than the larger schools but offers more opportunities in cirriculum and extra cirriculars than the smaller schools. It has a strong boy's basketball team. Go Orioles.

I also like the fact that the city is approximately 15 miles (25 minutes) from the fringes of Sioux Falls. It is handy for employment opportunities, shopping, and access to a strong medical system. The city is close to I-29. It is close to Sioux Falls, but is not suburbanized and retains it small town feel (without having the declining population issues of many small towns in South Dakota). It has over 2,000 people and is growing at a steady pace. The size is a comfortable size and is a good sized community by South Dakota standards.

Lennox has a number of older homes, which is a plus. The older homes have charcter. Some of the ones that need fixing have potential. There are a number of older homes that are well-kept. The city has history to it and was founded in 1879 and incorporated in 1883.

Lennox is clean for the most part and is beautiful in the spring, summer, and fall with the mature trees, expecially on Main Street.

I like the fact that Lennox has a promising future. It has attratcted manufacturing in the past five years with a trailer manufuacturer building a facility that will employ 75-100 employees (with good paying jobs), expansion of a manufacturer, and a new manufacturer moving in. There are plans for additional housing to allow the city to grow and develop a stronger tax base.

I would like to see the city to have additional eating options and a hardware store.

[DannyBanany]

I like how Rapid City is not too big and not too small. It has everything you would ever need and most of the things you would ever want. People here are very friendly and I usually see someone I know wherever I go. The Black Hills are absolutely beautiful and it is always nice to come back to them whenever I've been away from home. I can usually see them from Wall and it makes the stretch between Wall and Rapid City take FOREVER!!!

Not to mention: THE CLIMATE!!! It's always sunny in Rapid City and it's much warmer than anywhere else in South Dakota. It can be 75 and sunny here while it's only 30 and snowing across the Missouri River. Snow melts quickly and summers are dry and hot, yet you don't feel hot because it's never humid. Not that Rapid City has the perfect climate, we get our share of storms and snow, but we have PLENTY of wonderful days here!

I like how there is always something to do here no matter what time of year it is. I can go boating, swimming, hiking, rock climbing, biking, and fishing in the summer; and I can go skiing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, and play ice hockey in the winter. There are also TONS of things to do in Rapid City. It seems like there is always some type of festival or event taking place whether it be the Heritage Festival, Duck Race, or just an open mic night at a coffee shop. Rapid City has bike paths, pools, skating rinks, waterparks, climbing cliffs, and hiking trails. They're also building a second arena for a professional hockey team that will make the Rushmore Plaza the largest event center in the Dakotas.

Also, there is no traffic here... BIG PLUS!!! There's no stress from crime, psychos, or other things that larger cities deal with. Housing costs are not outrageous here like they are most everywhere else. You can actually move up if you have a career here. Most people here get along and treat each other with respect. Your kids can actually play if they are on a baseball team instead of just being another number. Sports are a BIG part of growing up in Rapid City and it's a GREAT way to get to know your neighbors and even people from all over the state. I have a lot of friends in Sioux Falls, Watertown, Spearfish, and Pierre that I have met through sports when I was younger.

Overall, Rapid City is a great place to live. I think most any town in South Dakota is. It seems like South Dakota is like a big blanket that you can hide under from the rest of the world. It just seems like South Dakota is a little piece of paradise that few people know about.

[Curosi-dee]

Originally Posted by DannyBanany

It just seems like South Dakota is a little piece of paradise that few people know about.

That is right...keep it quiet! I hope more people post their opinion on where they live in SD.

[debey]

as I've stated before, I live in ''a village''...80-ish people. We are a close bunch, and can always count on each other, in any type of emergency[blizzard/school closing, to an unexpected death], to any type of ''planned event, be it a wedding,or a new baby....I'm a ''Spink County brat''[born & raised]yet I can't immagine living the rest of my life, anywhere else. Forestburg, in Sanborn County, has been a great place, to raise my kids[and for my grandbabies, to visit], and in return, I make an honest attempt, to know & help the local children broaden their horizons. If you're ever driving by, on hiway 34, and there's an[almost] old lady & several kids flying kites, yep.......that's us!

[Chris19]

Lennox has an excellent 4th of July celebration, which brings back many memories from way back and recent. I always liked the car show, fireworks show, and parade. It has been getting maybe a few too many people, but they are welcome to join us Lennoxites in the 4th of July festivities.

LHS Orioles Basketball, although not as high profile as back in the 1990s with its cross state rivalry with Custer in a few of the State A finals, has a proud tradition of solid seasons.

Very good quotes from all prior posts in this thread.

[MJ1986]

I grew up in a town of 250 people in northeastern SD. My favorite thing was no crime, everyone knew everyone... although, this could be a bad thing!
The school district was excellent... a small grocery store, library, gas station, and a cafe/bar... Unfortunately, the gas station and the cafe have closed... the grocery store is on the verge of closing.
People always pulled together in times of need... During the flood of 1997, it seems everybody in town was filling sand bags... I even got out of class in high school to do it!

[ElkHunter]

I liked my town, even though it was a bigger town, as they go around there. It was about 2100 people.

I liked the fact I could walk down to the filling station and get a pop. Machine was too big for me to handle so I'd get Tippy or Mike to help. Wasn't worried about getting run over because like I was taught, I'd look both ways and be able see all 4 cars on mainstreet.

If I was out a little late, and it was getting close to supper, every woman or man working in their yard would remind me I'd better hurry or I was going to be late getting home for supper. They knew what time our family ate supper.

Had a little fishing pond at one end of town. During the summer, that was a daily trip. All I'd take is a hook and about 5 ft of line. I'd break off a stick to use as a pole, dig up some grubs or catch a grasshopper for bait. Seldom caught anything, but it was always fun.

Favorite aspect of my city? Is it wasn't a city. We'd go visit a City like Huron, or Watertown, or Redfield. I was 20 the first time I went to Sioux Falls.

[debey]

I'd look both ways and be able see all 4 cars on mainstreet.
just gotta love a statement, like that!....It's a walk down memory lane! thanks, Elkhunter!