|
West Wichita |
 |
|
|
|
The homes west of I-235 are among
the newest residences in the city. The area is growing rapidly with
new homes available in virtually all price ranges. The median range
is just over $110,000. The area is one of young families with children
ranging from infants to teenagers. Two out of every three families
in West Wichita have lived there less than 10 years. |
The rapid development of residential areas
has brought with it rapid commercial growth. Shopping centers can be found
at major intersections along Ridge Road, Tyler Road, Maize Road and 119th
Street (north and south) and Maple, Central, 13th and 21st Streets (east
and west).
Southwest Wichita
The housing in this area is older, much of
it built in the 1950s and 60s. Even older, more picturesque neighborhoods
can be found around Friends University, south and west of Douglas and Seneca.
Median prices in this area are around $55,000. Residential construction
in the area is picking up, especially along the far southwest fringes of
the city. And there is activity southwest of the city limits as well.
Northwest Wichita
Few intersections in Wichita are developing
with the speed of commercial and residential growth as the area around 21st
and Maize Road. Here one finds the new patio homes and high-end apartments
that reflect a sudden maturity of the new northwest. Many of these homes
are being bought by older couples whose families have grown, but just as
many are occupied by younger couples with small children. Plenty of restaurants
and extensive shopping centers are also moving into the neighborhood to
serve residents with style.
Southeast Wichita
|
With its proximity to Boeing, Raytheon,
Cessna’s Pawnee plant and McConnell Air Force Base, southeast Wichita
finds its residential strength in the manufacturing employment base
of the community. Demographics indicate residents in this area are
either quite young or just above middle age. Median prices are in
the $60,000 range. Southeast Wichita is always busy, in large part
because of the closeness to the aerospace factories. Economic growth
is rapid and steady as Wichita and its southeast neighbor, Derby,
grow closer together. |
|
|
Northeast Wichita
Perhaps more diverse than any other area of
the city is northeast Wichita. Great restaurants and excellent shopping
are just a few blocks away. Nature trails and walking paths are found in
several areas. The area is roughly bounded by I-135 on the west, Central
on the south and the north and east city limits. The median home price is
$118,000. Wichita State University is in this sector and so are some of
the most prestigious residential neighborhoods.
One of the city’s oldest and most elegant
neighborhoods, College Hill, is part of the area. On the eastern and northern
fringes can be found some of the priciest homes in south central Kansas.
The far northeast represents some of the city’s most accelerated commercial
and residential growth. At the same time, there is a rebirth occurring in
older neighborhoods, particularly along 21st Street where public and private
investment is spurring renewal.
Midtown
At one time, the finest homes in the city
were found just north of downtown. Here, the movers and shakers that made
Wichita a thriving city built their homes and raised their families. Many
of these old homes are being restored to their former glory in the ornate,
Victorian style that made them showplaces in earlier years. Several residences
are on the National Register of Historic Places.
A few Midtown homes have been converted into
offices, especially in the vicinity of Via Christi Regional Medical Center’s
St. Francis Campus. Along Broadway there is commercial development that
dates back many years. Around 21st and Broadway, Southeast Asian and Hispanic
businesses exist side-by-side in an area that has become central to Wichita’s
rapidly growing ethnic communities.
An active citizens’ organization, The Historic
Midtown Association, works constantly to improve and restore the neighborhood.
They have achieved effective results ranging from holiday tours of beautifully
restored homes to crime prevention to neighborhood cleanups. |
