Great article in today's paper about Wichita & young peo

[wxkid23]

I didn't realize the cold made everybody stay in doors...

So what exactly can I do outside when it's 30 degrees outside most of the winter? Im talking about outdoor activities not going somewhere. Im sorry but I just don't find running or walking outside or going to the park in cold weather very exciting. I also can't take my dogs for a walk when it's 30 degrees outside. I feel bad for them because they are small and can only go outside and play half the year.

[ShockerFever]

I agree with wxkid in one aspect.. the city management. This has to be one of the worst run cities in the country. I also agree we have a lot of backward-thinking old folks who want to run it their 1950's way or the highway, even if their 30-yr master plan won't involve them since they'll be dead in 10 years. The constant negativity and the constant voting in of the same political morons definitely pisses me off.

That I will agree on.

However, wxkid, I'm guessing that well at least half, if not more, of the world's population live outside of the tropics. Winter is a fact of life. You're almost condescending the exact same thing you're apparently for when it comes to the city - change. You claim to like change and growth, etc. Well, without the seasons, that wouldn't happen. You just want the same, no-movement season of Florida. There's nothing like singing jingle bells around a palm tree in 70 degree weather.. Whatever floats your boat I guess.

There's pluses and negatives to EVERYTHING. There's negatives in your lifestyle choices as well as ours and everyone's.

So, you're looking into 6-figure homes in Florida? Well, expect to pay more and get less bang for your buck down there with higher costs of living, higher gas, etc.

Oh by the way, how in the world were you able to make that good of mucho in such a wasteland like Wichita?

[SubGod22]

I enjoy the winter weather just as much as the summer. I enjoy going for walks and enjoying what nature offers us at all times of the year. Be it 10 degrees or 100 degrees. Sure, being able to play golf all year would be kinda nice, but I like what Kansas offers in terms of weather. Honestly, there are times I get tired of the heat and can't wait for winter. There are times I get tired of winter and can't wait for summer. But I enjoy it all. I can't imagine having the same weather all year round.

Florida is a fine place to visit, but it's not home. Same for just about any other place I've been. I've considered moving a number of times but there's no place that really offers anything that I'd consider that much better and I must have.

[ABC]

My problem is with the people, apparently like you, that seem to think this place is for everyone and that if you don't like it or complain about it you should be hit with a stick.

No, it isn't just nightlife. Location (middle of nowhere) weather (poor) jobs (not good) pay (not too good either) entertainment (poor) all factor in.

I don't even know why they write this stuff up. Everyone should know why few young people stick around here. Im 22 right now and once I have the funds in place i'll be out of here by 25 or so. They need to concentrate on getting the best of the best from the small towns around here because those people will think Wichita is great compared to where they live.

I have been able to read for a while now. I think the comments above classify as insults. Feel free to try again, though, young Skywalker.

Anyway, there's good and bad everywhere, including Florida.

Still waiting to see where I said anything negative about those that like places other than Kansas and Wichita.

It seems that many, like you, can't seem to just like another place, without disliking Wichita. They are not mutually exclusive.

I've liked everywhere I've lived, including Wichita.

[vbird53]

I always hear about entertainment options, or lack thereof in Wichita, and wonder what it is people are looking to do? While I would admit Wichita isn't necessarily a young single person's haven, much like a college experience, what you get out of living somewhere is what you decide to make it.

Boredom is a self-inflicted wound...

A professional speaker that I contract with often used to live in Hawaii. When talking to kids over there he would ask them what it is like living and growing up in Hawaii. They would often respond that there isn't much to do, and they're bored much of the time. He would sit and look at them (probably with his mouth open) and say, "Dude. You're in Hawaii."

[SpanglerFan316]

I like Wichita but I also like lots of other places too. Everyone needs to travel and experience other places. Find someplace you like and settle down. Or just travel for a few years (or decades).

[rayc]

wxkid23:
...Yep, in a perfect world I would live in Chicago but it's just too cold! So Florida (Orlando) (which my fiance and I absolutely love) is a perfect fit. It offers everything im looking for along with war/hot weather year-around. Is it blistering hot during the summer? Yeah, but at least you are givin the option year-around of being able to do outdoor activities at different times of the day. Around here if it's cold you have no choice but to stay indoors. Orlando is also Florida's fastest growing city and is actually progressing which I like. It offers great entertainment, Pro sports (Magic, Tampa 45min away offers NHL and MLB) it's large enough that it gets all the big-name concerts and it's 45 min from the beach (another thing I love) and offers a nice airport with direct flights anywhere. Is it perfect? No, tons of foreign folks and tourists but it's as close to perfect as I can find for myself.

Orlando is an excellent choice, it’s a nice city, I like it. If you are active in politics, Orlando is one of the few conservative Republican “hot beds” in Florida; it differs from Chicago in more than temperature!

A couple of things to keep in mind though, Tampa may be 45 minutes away if you are flying, but driving you can normally expect a 2+ hour trip, especially to St. Pete (MLB and Gulf beaches), and the Atlantic coast beaches are probably closer to an hour and a half trip or so. I'm less than 10 miles from Clearwater Beach and I'm hard pressed to drive to it in 45 minutes. The beaches are excellent all year, but the water is not warm enough to swim in year around, so plan beach activities accordingly. All in all, Orlando is a nice place, probably my third favorite Florida city (after St.Pete/Clearwater and Key West).

You mentioned having small dogs that you like to take outside, you will need to keep a very close watch on them in Florida when around fresh water lakes and ponds (including retention ponds). They will all have alligators and the gators love our pets. Many newcomers learn this the hard way, don’t be one of them. (We just had an incident in Tampa with a housewife confronting a gator that followed the family pet through the pet door into the kitchen. She was the only one who didn’t find the story amusing.)

But if you want year around non-winter outdoor activities, Orlando is a good choice.

[Snapshot9]

I would like to add a point to this discussion that I have experienced. Some of these cities that are good for young professionals have had major companies that had a lot of 'fat' in their overhead.

Those days are passing, with all the downsizing to 'lean up' the companies operating expenses. Not to mention with all the outsourcing being done so the companies can stay competitive within the global market.

And many of those cities also have their 'drawbacks' as well as their 'benefits'.

Traffic congestion and driving times are a pet peeve of mine, and a source of irritation to me in my daily living. Wichita is excellent for having short driving times to navigate around the city. Most other cities are not that fortunate.

What I am saying is that if you have major daily hassles in your daily life living in a city, then the overall enjoyment of that city decreases because of it.

I like ease of living in my daily life moreso than having a major attraction here that I would frequent maybe 2-3 times a year.

[wxkid23]

wxkid23:
...Yep, in a perfect world I would live in Chicago but it's just too cold! So Florida (Orlando) (which my fiance and I absolutely love) is a perfect fit. It offers everything im looking for along with war/hot weather year-around. Is it blistering hot during the summer? Yeah, but at least you are givin the option year-around of being able to do outdoor activities at different times of the day. Around here if it's cold you have no choice but to stay indoors. Orlando is also Florida's fastest growing city and is actually progressing which I like. It offers great entertainment, Pro sports (Magic, Tampa 45min away offers NHL and MLB) it's large enough that it gets all the big-name concerts and it's 45 min from the beach (another thing I love) and offers a nice airport with direct flights anywhere. Is it perfect? No, tons of foreign folks and tourists but it's as close to perfect as I can find for myself.

Orlando is an excellent choice, it’s a nice city, I like it. If you are active in politics, Orlando is one of the few conservative Republican “hot beds” in Florida; it differs from Chicago in more than temperature!

A couple of things to keep in mind though, Tampa may be 45 minutes away if you are flying, but driving you can normally expect a 2+ hour trip, especially to St. Pete (MLB and Gulf beaches), and the Atlantic coast beaches are probably closer to an hour and a half trip or so. I'm less than 10 miles from Clearwater Beach and I'm hard pressed to drive to it in 45 minutes. The beaches are excellent all year, but the water is not warm enough to swim in year around, so plan beach activities accordingly. All in all, Orlando is a nice place, probably my third favorite Florida city (after St.Pete/Clearwater and Key West).

You mentioned having small dogs that you like to take outside, you will need to keep a very close watch on them in Florida when around fresh water lakes and ponds (including retention ponds). They will all have alligators and the gators love our pets. Many newcomers learn this the hard way, don’t be one of them. (We just had an incident in Tampa with a housewife confronting a gator that followed the family pet through the pet door into the kitchen. She was the only one who didn’t find the story amusing.)

But if you want year around non-winter outdoor activities, Orlando is a good choice.

Thanks for the good info!

I love Chicago... it's my dream city considering im a huge White Sox fan and the city is flat out awesome but the weather is seriously worse than Wichita. If I have the money when im older I will buy a second place in Chicago but Florida to me is the best compromise considering im not a person that likes to stay indoors that much. Im not that active in politics but as long as the city itself is progressive that's all I really care about. Florida is expensive but the reason is because demand is high.

My Fiance and I have 3 chihuahua's so we are pretty used to staying right on top of them. When you have dogs that weigh little more than 5 lbs a lot of things can happen. Probably will need to try and find an area to build that isn't right next to a lake although that's pretty difficult in Florida lol.

I have been to Orlando 20+ times in my life so im fairly familiar with the area. I have done the drive from Lake B Vista to the coast (E) in less than an hour several times so it's not too bad. I have never been to Tampa but 2 hours is less than it takes to get to KC or OKC from here. My Fiance and I are also Disney fanatics (as is my whole family lol) but that's far from the reason I want to move there. Orlando is really a nice city with a lot to offer overall and I think it's showing with the fact Orlando is growing so rapidly the last few years. And IMO being the capital for tourism is a plus in my book because tourists mean something is always going on.

I have never been to Miami/S FL but am going to make a point to make it there in the near future. I realize the area gets a bad rap for crime and stuff but it's absolutely beautiful.

[ShockerFever]

im not a person that likes to stay indoors that much.

That's kinda funny because you come off as a thin-skinned, bony, little weakling who can't take a little cold a few months out of the year. Are you sure you're not like 60 or something? Wanting to move to Florida with your 6-figure home plans makes it all seem like you're a retiring old gabber.

But that's just me.

[wxkid23]

My problem is with the people, apparently like you, that seem to think this place is for everyone and that if you don't like it or complain about it you should be hit with a stick.

No, it isn't just nightlife. Location (middle of nowhere) weather (poor) jobs (not good) pay (not too good either) entertainment (poor) all factor in.

I don't even know why they write this stuff up. Everyone should know why few young people stick around here. Im 22 right now and once I have the funds in place i'll be out of here by 25 or so. They need to concentrate on getting the best of the best from the small towns around here because those people will think Wichita is great compared to where they live.

I have been able to read for a while now. I think the comments above classify as insults. Feel free to try again, though, young Skywalker.

Anyway, there's good and bad everywhere, including Florida.

Still waiting to see where I said anything negative about those that like places other than Kansas and Wichita.

It seems that many, like you, can't seem to just like another place, without disliking Wichita. They are not mutually exclusive.

I've liked everywhere I've lived, including Wichita.

This topic was about young people leaving and I explained in my opinion the likely reasons for that. If you want to take that as an insult that is pretty weak. Like has been explained previously most (not all) young people prefer to be somewhere active and most will agree this isn't a place with a lot going on. Location, weather, entertainment choices all factor into this as well as jobs.

I don't understand what's wrong with liking another place and disliking Wichita. If you don't like something you don't like it.

[RoyalShock]

Since I know a little bit about you, wxkid23, I'm a little surprised that you have voiced so much displeasure for the weather here (though I understand disliking winter). Unless, of course, you prefer hurricanes to supercells! :D

[wxkid23]

im not a person that likes to stay indoors that much.

That's kinda funny because you come off as a thin-skinned, bony, little weakling who can't take a little cold a few months out of the year. Are you sure you're not like 60 or something? Wanting to move to Florida with your 6-figure home plans makes it all seem like you're a retiring old gabber.

But that's just me.

That's way out of line, dude. You guys talk about insults and then come off and say stuff that like that. What do you do sit around your computer all day and try to figure out how to make yourself look good? Man, you just cannot say anything bad about this place without people literally jumping all over you.

I have been "taking" the cold weather for 22 years just fine. It's understandable I guess that a lot of people don't mind the cold here considering a majority of the city is obese.

And BTW... cold weather is not a "fact" of life everywhere... where do you get this stuff from?

[wxkid23]

Since I know a little bit about you, wxkid23, I'm a little surprised that you have voiced so much displeasure for the weather here (though I understand disliking winter). Unless, of course, you prefer hurricanes to supercells! :D

Chasing is great and this is the place to be for that but it's really something I can come back and do during a vacation in the future. As for hurricanes... I still prefer the supercell greatly over the hurricane :D