Wichita, Kansas

JustMyThoughts2525
Living in Wichita
6mo ago
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Best part is there is limited traffic, great place to raise a family, and it’s affordable compared to other places. Wichita had very similar demographics to America as a whole, so there are a lot of good restaurants and cultures in the area.

Bad: entertainment options can be limited depending on what you like to do. Luckily KC, OKC, and Dallas is a short road trip. The mountains or a nice lake are also easy to drive to.

Worst: this is probably true for any mid sized city, but job availability can be very limited based on the industry and the major companies are well aware of the lack of competition.

Theonethatgotawaaayy
Living in Wichita
6mo ago
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I moved here from Southern California when my husband was still in the AF. To say it was a culture shock is an understatement. There’s nothing really to do here unless you like museums and driving to KC lol There are lots of museums and the zoo is pretty neat. Since having a kid, my priorities are less social scene and more kid friendly things, so I will say Wichita (East side at least) is very family friendly. Can’t beat the cost of living. Our house here cost the same monthly as my studio apartment in LA 💀 Drivers here are insane, the merging lanes onto the highways are short and dumb, there’s one mall that isn’t dilapidated, but the YMCAs are awesome. Good luck on your move OP whatever you decide to do!

bigbura
Living in Wichita
10mo ago
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I like it alright

"Pretty OK" comes to mind right often when thinking about this place. I find I'm using that phrase in describing things to the kids, who are not local, after visiting or doing something new here.

This place has 4 full seasons of weather, plenty of wind to make the air feel fresh/don't have to worry about the hairstyle too much since the wind blasts it to smithereens in seconds, road construction is mostly well ahead of the curve, and folks are pretty nice. Are you cool with the risks of tornadoes? We watched the Andover tornado from some miles away, neighbor lady had a moment, "I've lived here 35 years and this is the first tornado I've seen." She moved away within a year, no idea if the weather or other life events drove that move. Another poster on here said its been 50 years of living here and hadn't seen a tornado.

There are some tasty restaurants, a bunch that are 'pretty OK', and some not so good ones around, but that is common enough no matter where you go.

Understand the politics of the large religious participation here, the leaning towards heavy conservatism, and the never ending assault on ladies rights to proper reproductive healthcare. Do you have the emotional energy to deal with these things, whichever way you feel about these issues?

We have a spiffy airport with 'pretty OK' options for getting out of here and into the main transportation hubs. Its 3.5 hours of driving to hit the next size up in cities(KC/OKC), and some 5.5-8.5 hours' drive to the next step in size (Dalllas/Denver). Oh, and sports blackouts, KC/Denver is 'in market' so you may have to 'sail the high seas' to view your fave teams.

chrissb1e
Lived in Wichita
3y ago
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Cost of living is so cheap here and I genuinely like it here. I was able to purchase a home (pre pandemic) on my own with no bachelors degree. Wichita is pretty chill. It does not have some of the draws that larger cities have but I don't mind it. The food scene here is phenomenal so there is always a good meal to be had. I have been getting more and more into the local music scene and there are some good local bands to enjoy. There is always someone playing what seems like every night. A lot of times they are playing at local restaurants. Shopping is lacking a bit but it has picked up in the last couple of years. Traffic is not bad I live and work on opposite sides of town and I can get home in 25 minutes.

If your a sports fan (Which I am) look at the 3 hour drive time radius of the city. You have OU, OSU, KU, K-State, WSU, Tulsa, Wind Surge, Royals, Sporting KC, Chiefs, and the Thunder. For college sports that currently spans 2 conferences and soon to be 3. I really enjoy golf and the city courses are pretty good and better priced than other cities I have played in. There is also Sand Creek Station in Newton which is a great course.

For day or weekend trips there is Dallas, KC, Tulsa, OKC, and Branson. There is direct flights to Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, St Louis, Atlanta, and Destin.

Wichita KS Pros and cons 5 of each | Living in Wichita, KS