Andover, Kansas— I Really Love This Place!
Updated: Nov 15, 2019
Written by JOICE HENRY, Industry Expert in Being a Mother and Raising Children in Andover, Kansas
Andover, Kansas— I Really Love This Place!
I remember the week we bought our house in Andover, Kansas, which also happened to be the same week we got married— talk about a whirlwind. Our neighborhood is off of 21st Street and I remember it was a one lane street under construction to expand it. Fast forward 10 years and this little town that is Andover, Kansas is still growing. That might be my favorite part about this town. We only grow by changing, and this little community is growing and changing for the better each day.
I have lived in a lot of different places and I remember the day I moved to Kansas. I was very scared that I was going to be stepping off the airplane, and onto a farm field. I am glad that wasn't the case. I mean, there is a farm behind my back fence.... but boy am I glad that we chose to start our family and to raise our kids in a place where we can go apple picking, blackberry picking, visit multiple pumpkin patches, buy fireworks from a corner fireworks stand… and the list goes on. I was reading an article just last week that listed the “Top 50 Places to Live in the USA", https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/09/10/americas-50-best-cities-to-live/40089949/ , and Andover, Kansas was on it. Man, was I proud! The thing is, Andover doesn’t have the hustle and bustle of a big city, it is calm, it is safe, and it is a community. We need to educate the rest of the country on the beauty of the Midwest. It’s the perfect place for kids to learn how to play outside, to ride their bikes, and to be kids.
The main reason we chose Andover was the school system. USD385 is dabomb.com plain and simple. We are in our third year in this season of our lives, and I can’t imagine our kids anywhere else. These teachers, administrators, and everyone we’ve met have been so friendly, supportive, outstanding...and the list goes on. I really love this place! And no they didn’t pay me to say that.
Our neighborhood is unreal. It’s a hub of neighbors who met because of our vicinity, and we all have become more than friends, we are family. How lucky we are that we live in a place with so much “family” around each and every corner. It gives our kids a sense of unity, even when our country and the world seems, at times, to be in such dissonance and disarray. I really, really love this place.
As this town grows and changes, more and more independent businesses are popping up. These new businesses are current and trending, and the community is thriving. My most recent favorite business is The Rusted Rooster, https://www.ksrustedrooster.com/ What a perfect place to have a cup of coffee, do some homework, or play some games outside on their patio. And hey, they now have a drive thru, and (starting this week) they serve dinner! #doublepunchwednesdays I really love that place. And no they didn’t pay me to say that either.
In all, I really love this little town I live in. I am so thankful we found this diamond in the rough.
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Joice Henry, Wichita Children's Theatre and Dance Center, Once Upon a Time Series Player and Dance Instructor, Tobie Andrews Photography Assistant aka Baby Whisperer, and Creator/Administrator of Drama Mama of 3 Blog
