Sorry for redundancy...but there's a lot of Wichita relo's going on... (Derby: wood floors, middle-class)

[toogabooga]

Haysville is a nice town but their school system fails miserably. Derby is nice but very clicky and trying to be a "big town" so more than likely we will see it going downhill over the next few years as the greed continues. Mulvane is a very nice little town and the school system there is excellent. Any of these would be within 30 minutes of your job. I agree that the area south of Maize & Kellogg is a nice neighborhood and might be a good choice for you. The town of Maize is in fact growing quickly but I'm not too confident in the school system there either. Honestly, with the exception of a few smaller suburban areas......schools in the Wichita area simply fail the grade. I'd definitely opt for one of the smaller suburban areas or private schooling. I'll agree that the YMCA's in our area our absolutely wonderful. Lots of nice churches as well. As per the racial diversity.......honestly, I can't say as I pay much attention to it. I don't see color, I see people! I think overall we are finally seeing more and more people realize that color has nothing to do with what kind of person we are. I do however completely understand your concern over your child being the only black child in a classroom. I don't think you'll have that to worry about though. Congrats on the job!!!

[talbet]

Originally Posted by Modron

My neighbor was a welder for Case for, like, 25 years. We live south of Kellogg and Maize Rd. Hoover Rd. is just east of here, maybe, ten minutes. We're in the Goddard school district, a town just west of Wichita, which has a better reputation than Wichita public schools. I have no idea what the ethinic mix is in Goddard district, but that information may be available online. The west side is not as well integrated as the east side. Personally, I would LOVE for my neighborhood to integrate.

There has been development on the west side as far as services, like salons and restaurants. I think it still doesn't offer as much "culture" (bookstores or more expensive restaurants; if you want to spend $200 plus per person dining out it's easier on the east side.) as the east side of Wichita, but the streets are a little wider and the pace is a little slower.

Best of luck.

That 200$ meal better come with a topless massage. There is no dinner that is worth that kind of money. Reminds me of the Penn and Teller Bull#hit show where they gave a stage hand instant potatoes and few cans of tomatoes and some .50cent spices and had him whip up some junk put on nice plates and serve it at a fake upscale restaurant, The marks who were pompous people brought in by friends to bring them down a notch closer to reality, As they ate they would act so ridiculous about how good the food was. It was so funny to watch these people act like they were eating something from the gods. LOL. If you pay that 200 a plate you are not only sending the chef’s kids to college but are participating in the kings new cloths.

[averagejoe76]

I like to throw Haysville out there because it gets looked over alot.
I think the School system is decent(finished high school there)
Frankly,theres alot a good places to live around Wichita.
Maize is building a huge new School that will be finished by Fall 09.
To a earlier post,im not sure of any place in Wichita you would spend..
200$ per person,of course im a working class guy but ive never heard of it here.

[rooch]

Well I went to have my meeting there - which was really just a formality type of meeting and saw Wichita. It's a little barren there if you ask me...I drove from the airport to the Old Town Hotel and didn't see much of ANYTHING. So I was a bit nervous.

I then went to view some apartments over on Governeour St (I think East Hampton Apartments); I didn't like them one bit...saw some graffiti on some bricks across the street...so I was turned off from there. Drove around and saw a house on the NW side of town (I think 19th St.) -- it was pretty bad...it's a LOT of houses with wood door garages in that area although it was in the Maize school district...I don't really like how dingy they look...and a lot of those houses over there just look old and bad to me.

In suburban Atlanta there seems to be much more newer housing...maybe I was looking in the wrong place or something, I don't know. I then saw some apartments called Yorktown (or Yorkshire) Estates...they're owned by the same people who own those East Hampton Apts...but they're MUCH better and cleaner IMO. I don't know where the NEW housing is there on the NW side...well I did run across some neighborhoods over there near Ridge Rd but they seemed TOO darn exquisite and expensive. Now we're thinking about buying since it seems that the rentals are not what we expected...now two level townhomes or condo style apartments or anything (at least that I've come across)...3 bedrooms in an apartment/townhouse with a garage and a washer/dryer is almost like finding a needle in a haystack.

I went to a great restaurant next to the hotel and had a Rock Island Red beer which was the best Amber I've had in a long time. Also the steak I had at the restaurant was magnificent. I'm not sure how we got on this $200 meal tip...but I'm DEFINITELY not seeking to spend that much except maybe at the grocery store

When I mention school systems, I'm just mainly speaking of elementary schools. I'm near certain my job will call on me to move again well before my kids are in high school.

I didn't get to go to the Riverfest...it seemed to have a decent crowd around there. The downtown area seemed a bit empty although it was a Monday, so understandable. But there's just a lack of buildings down there it seems. I walked around from Old Town Hotel, to Old Chicago Pizza, past a Sushi restaurant and back...then went over to the brewery to have that Rock Island Red and stopped at the Martini Bar next to it...but there just seems to be something missing...lol---I guess I just expect more buildings and things. I'm curious what my wife will think.

Very likely I'll stay in that Northwest area...there seems to be civilization out there.

On a positive note, I got to the airport 30 minutes ahead of time and STILL made my flight. Conversely, I got to the airport in Atlanta an hour and 10 minutes ahead of time and they gave my seat away lol. I love small airports!

[rooch]

Also on a separate note toogabooga, while it's very PC to say 'I don't see color' - to some of us in the world it can be perceived as disingenuous. To not see race is to ignore a facet of an individual for whatever reason...but race isn't "bad" - it's part of all of our makeup and makes us who we are. So you can notice it...it's okay

It's similar to the whole "Obama transcends race" that people have taken a liking to saying. That's another underhanded comment that people don't realize. No one who is white "transcends" race. There's no need to ever "transcend" race--we are who we are. It's almost like saying, 'I forgive your blackness...because you're so smart/wise/cool/President of the U.S./insert whatever here"

Ahh, here I go hijacking my own thread.

[averagejoe76]

Wichita has grown quite a bit,since i have lived here and the downtown area as well.
Atlanta is HUGE and Wichita is a medium sized city but we do have plenty of..
Dining,Shopping & one of the countries best Zoo's.
Funny thing is we have so many places to eat and you will find most of them packed!
Wichita hasnt seen the growth of many cities i have lived(Omaha,Lincoln,Neb)
And has somewhat of a inferiority complex.Its also really hard getting Casino's etc
An Amusement park opened here and closed within 3 months partly to Weather..
And the owners shady dealings.Overall its not a bad place to live esp for a family.
Traffic isnt too bad,crime is typical for a city it's size.Housing is pretty affordable.
Many Wichita attractions struggle(Cowtown,etc)and its not going to improve much..
Until the Metro population increases.

Most of us notice race, lets be honest just human nature.
Wichita isnt worse than any other place when it comes to racial issues.
If you decide to move here then welcome!
Many folks in Wichita are friendly and would be happy to give any information..
You might need.

[rooch]

Well...thanks averagejoe...at this point it's really a done deal...I'll be there lol. It was once of those company "choices" that isn't really a choice - but hey--in this economy, I'm simply glad my work was thought highly enough of that I was given the "choice" to transfer instead of being laid off or something. But it'll be good for the career and it'll give my wife the chance to finish up school since it's a smaller city and she can actually get to school without it taking an hour or hour and a half just to make it to class. So there are some positives...

[athfo]

Originally Posted by rooch

Well...thanks averagejoe...at this point it's really a done deal...I'll be there lol. It was once of those company "choices" that isn't really a choice - but hey--in this economy, I'm simply glad my work was thought highly enough of that I was given the "choice" to transfer instead of being laid off or something. But it'll be good for the career and it'll give my wife the chance to finish up school since it's a smaller city and she can actually get to school without it taking an hour or hour and a half just to make it to class. So there are some positives...

Check out Riverside, Delano, and College Hill. Also, it sounds like you didn't see any east or northeast areas - a must-do.

[MissChrista]

Originally Posted by rooch

In general, how is Wichita's black population? I don't care about the racism crap because that's everywhere--but if there's a good number of educated, professional black people--that would be good.

We just have no clue as to what to expect!

I am black and I live in Wichita. There is a decent amount of black people here, i mean not as many as Detroit or Atlanta or anything major of that nature. There are only about 39,000 black people. There are some black educated professionals. Some are more prevalent in the community than others. But there are a decent amount, most of them are church affiliated and so if you are into church you will run into most of them. Hope that helps!

[rooch]

Thanks.

I'm finding it unbelievable hard to find a place to live there though. I've gone through a ton of postings (renting, not buying) - sooo many 3 bedroom homes have 2 bedrooms on one level and 1 on another. I have a newborn and a 6 y/o -- neither of them are staying on a lower level than me and my wife. I find it preposterous that this floorplan is so dominant in Wichita. Secondly...that whole 'cheaper cost of living' idea? Hell no...the rents there are higher than anything I'd ever pay in suburban atlanta. I'm about 25 miles out of Atlanta in what many consider the best school district in the state and pay 1100 for a 3 bedroom with brand new stainless steel appliances (washer/dryer) included; hardwood floors and one car garage.

There? They're trying to damn pillage me for 1400 and beyond for something NEAR what I'm currently in. Me and my wife are growing ever frustrated with this. We don't find many rentals to begin with and when we do--they either have the horrible floor plan; appliances from yesteryear, or both.

I can't seem to find a townhouse complex in the city that has 3 bedrooms and the one I did find was basing renting on some income requirements that I make too much money to meet.

We're going to come there and hope to goodness that we magically run across something other than what we've seen on the internet and in the newspaper online. It seems like there is a lack of housing there in general and as a result they spike up the rents to these amazing amounts--but I'll be damned if I move to Wichita, KS and pay MORE in rent than I paid outside Atlanta...that just isn't happening.

/frustration off