I am being laid off from my job in my current location, but may have the opportunity to take a position in the Wichita area. Can you ladies tell me a little about Wichita?
- What do you like?
- What do you hate?
- Are there areas of town I should stay away from? (I am a single mom, so I am definitely budget conscious. It seems like several apartment complexes are on the affordable side, but they don't seem to be super concentrated in one area. Where I currently live, usually the cheaper areas will attract trouble, but I can't really pinpoint where that would be in Wichita.)
- What are your favorite things to do in town?
- Is Wichita a friendly area?
- How often/much does it snow?
I am sure there is more. I am very nervous about moving....:nervous: So, please, help me either be more or less comfy.
Oh, and do any of you have a recommendation for an in-home daycare or sitter? I have been watching craigslist for possibilities, but thought I might could get a good recommendation here.
If I do move, it will be sometime between the end of January and the end of March.
Thanks!
Rebekah
nicoleb
12-07-2008, 09:43 AM
Well, I am from Haysville, which is a suburb. I have lived in the Wichita area for most of my life.
It's a great little city and an affordable place to live. My husband and I love to go out and eat at all of the restaraunts and we try to take some of our extra cash to go to the movies.
The weather can be very unpredictable and it will snow. The bad thing is you can have one year where it snows from October to March and another where it snows one in February. We have ice storms, heat waves, and occasional tornados. The good thing is you can have a beautiful spring day in February or a Warm sunny Thanksgiving.
In my experience people here are nicer than in New York, but there are unpleasant people everywhere. I have also found that I meet more friendly people in the less wealthy parts of town and ruder people in the more posh parts of the city. (Maybe it's just me.)
We have a lot of great things in the area, but not everyone takes advantage of them. There is Exploration Place (a science museum), Old Cow Town (a old 1800's town reproduction), art museums, 5 star movie theatres, ballet, opera, local farms, the nationally recognized Sedgwick County Zoo, and some great LaLecheLeague groups.
If you decide to move and are coming out pm me if you have any questions or need advice.
ShyDaisi
12-07-2008, 09:32 PM
Thank you so much for your response! It seems like there are a lot of things to do around town. I do worry a little more about the tornadoes than the snow. It might be nice to build snowmen with Micah or have snowball fights! :)
The more I think about it, the more I am leaning towards moving. Sometimes I can see only the good and none of the bad, so I just wanted to make sure I wasn't blindly jumping into the deep end with out realizing it, you know?
Thanks again!
mrickmon
12-07-2008, 09:46 PM
We used to live in KS about an hour and a half from Wichita and, although we didn't live in or right outside Wichita, my son was born there so my OB was there and we would go there about once a month to shop, go to the zoo (which is excellent!), and just do other things in the city. We loved Wichita! We found that most people were nice and we really enjoyed living in Kansas.
We never had an issue with tornadoes where we lived (Medicine Lodge, KS), but there is that risk. We did have a decent amount of snow at times but, like the other mom said, you can have a nice warm spring day in Feb and a late Indian summer day in November. I miss so many things about living out there, but the people and just how nice they are is probably the biggest thing I miss.
We moved back home to VA to be closer to family so our kids would grow up knowing their grandparents and aunt and uncles, but as excited as I was to be closer to family, I was sad to leave.
Anyway, hope this helps some even though I didn't live right in Wichita! :) Good luck!
mother4JC
12-09-2008, 08:31 AM
I live in Rose Hill, suburb of Wichita as well. To be honest I think for a city it is great. All cities have their ups and downs. I think there is quite a bit to do here. The biggest thing is if you live in town really research the schools. I live outside of Wichita for that fact. Now I am not saying that any of the schools are bad, but I would be choosey. I love the school system out here and that is why we are out here. That would be great to have another mama around to meet!
