Out of simple curiosity, I decided to count the number of houses I’ve lived in. Nineteen. I’m 23 years old. Needless to say, I was a child totally unphased by spontaneous relocation. As an adult, I’m intrepid. With all of this packing and unpacking, and the strange collection of homes I’ve claimed, it takes a truly remarkable location to make an impression. For instance, the cement-walled hostel I lived in while working in West Africa, or the farmhouse nestled between two sloping hills of purple wildflowers in eastern Tennessee. Or Seneca Street.

Wait. What?

I hear it all of the time. “Ew. The south side?” There’s this aversion to the south side of Wichita that I simply don’t understand and, after living here for a combined four years of my life, have no evidence to validate. People tell me about the muggings, the crazies, and the ghettos. I hear it constantly, but don’t see it anywhere. My neighbor brings my dog bones after he makes a stew. The kid who works nights at the gas station is an innocent flirt. The woman who takes orders at my favorite restaurant wears a pearl necklace and calls me a “darling.” I go to pick up my 2 a.m. donut and I’m greeted by the baker who has known me since I was a whole foot shorter.

Despite all of this, the terrible reputation remains. A college friend of mine took up a teaching job at a nearby middle school and loves to bash the neighborhood. “These kids have violent families, you know. Like, they have nothing. No hope. You wouldn’t understand. The poverty is just, like, so sad.” Poverty? Hardly. Lower middle class doesn’t mean hopeless. I went to that school. We used to ride bikes to the park and make cookies in between rounds of trampoline acrobatics. All of my close friends went to college, not to jail. They got married, not shot. I forgive her these misunderstandings. She grew up in a different kind of neighborhood where they give teenagers sports cars for no good reason.

So allow me to give Seneca Street (which goes all the way to Riverside, thank-you-very-much) a new voice.

I’ve heard that Seneca will take you clear down to 119th St. South, but I’ve never followed it that far. I’ve gone long enough to see the small plots of farm land, the horses, and the signs that point to outdoor markets and corn mazes, but I usually turn back after picking up a pumpkin or snapping a photo. As for the north end of the street, I can say even less. It stretches up to Valley Center, and then ends abruptly. It’s the heart of Seneca that I know best. Few of my days spent living in Wichita don’t include the Seneca that starts at Riverside Park and ends at 31st. Between these two points lies the essence of the city.

You should be ashamed of yourself for not spending more time at Riverside Park. It sprawls out around the Arkansas River, and has so many foot paths that you’d need a map to find them all. I’ve never known a day that someone wasn’t there; skating, taking photos, walking their dog, picnicking, playing in the leaves, having a snowball fight… It’s almost too perfect. There’s a wildlife exhibit, historical markers, and playgrounds, but the beauty of Riverside is the open space. There isn’t much of this valuable commodity left in the ever-growing city of Wichita. Enjoy it.

A little south, nestled in the still sacred land of tribes native to Kansas, is the Mid-America All Indian Center. If you haven’t been to a Powwow, resolve to do so.  At dusk, you can walk to The Keeper of the Plains and see it light up inside a ring of celebratory fire.

At the corner of Seneca and Douglas is the most decadent quiche I have ever tasted. For less than $10, enjoy a scrumptious meal at the criminally overlooked restaurant La Galette. Box up a tiramisu for a friend, and earn yourself the insider’s praise you deserve.

Continue down to the Masonic Home. Not only are the building and grounds beautiful, but the residents are too. You can play Bingo here, or watch a handful of local folk musicians without worrying about crowds or tickets. The event planners at the home are always delighted to see outside visitors, so don’t be shy.

Have you been bowling recently? Have you ever sat down, popcorn in hand, to watch a fierce, heated bowling championship showdown? Try Seneca Bowl, and rejoice at the low prices and short lines.

You may laugh at me for including this next destination on to your tour-de-Wichita, but I don’t care. The best fast-food soda in the state? South Seneca Taco Tico. I kid you not. There’s never that syrupy mouth-feel, and it’s never flat. Trust me, I’ve been going for years.

And for the love of your mother and mine, try a Winchell’s Donuts chocolate twist. I go at all hours of the day (and night), but I recommend going late. You can ask for something off of the cooling racks of fresh baked donuts, and the staff are usually happy to oblige. Nothing beats a still hot, sticky, and sweet chocolate pastry at 3 a.m. It used to be my post-date ritual.

And if you’d like some truly delicious (and very reasonably priced) Mexican food, try El Mexico. Don’t expect Corona specials and a high school wait staff, though. El Mexico has a bit more grit than that. Then again, coming from someone who’s gone all the way to Baja for her tostada, I wouldn’t have my Mexican food any other way.

And since we’re finding ourselves on a bit of an international food crawl, why don’t you wrap up your journey down Seneca Street with an Italian soda and artichoke dip at Marchello’s? If you can be patient with the often grouchy waitresses and laid-back-to-a-fault kitchen staff, you’ll be rewarded with some lip-smackin’ pasta goodness. You’ll get hooked, but don’t worry; they deliver.

So, with plenty to do and plenty more to eat, Seneca street is a terribly misunderstood gem of Wichita. It isn’t some back-alley slum full of no-good characters and slimy barmen, it’s a fun neighborhood with a menu that reads more like an atlas than a yellow-page. Don’t be talked out of trekking to the parts of Wichita that aren‘t cleanly labeled “East” and “West.” Between these two chain-retail mega centers and totally blasé capitals of things-you’ve-already-tried lies a whole new, fun and delicious spin on Wichita. The book is pretty awesome, despite the lackluster cover. You’ll just have to trust those of us who have read it.

Photo courtesy of Ty Nigh

Related posts:

1. [do] Mosley Street Melodrama
2. [do] Guide to the South Side
3. [do] Neighborhood Guide: College Hill
4. daily [snap] – Foggy Riverside Park
5. [drink] Patio Quest 2010: Old Town