I lived on Seneca for a couple years while we were building in Clearwater. Right behind the Circle Cinema, in those apartments. A nice place. My grandma is in that area, near South high. The only bad thing I have to say about Seneca is that it’s sometimes difficult to make a left turn onto it.

I also lived on south Market, between Lincoln and Harry. And that was a rough neighborhood. We moved to Seneca because our house was burgled. So I have some reservations about the south side. But Seneca is a good representation of what Wichita is like as a whole, and of its historical major constituency (i.e. Boeing machinists).

My parents lived right off South Seneca for years, and never had a problem. They had nice neighbors, a great landlord, and cheap, cheap, rent. People also bash the far north part of Wichita where I used to live as the Mexican “ghetto”, yet we had zero crime, knew all our neighbors, could always depend on them to keep an eye on our kids or house if we needed and vice versa. Just because it’s not a gated community or a cul-de-sac doesn’t make it unsafe or the depths of poverty.

As for Riverside Park, I drive in from Cheney now to my office behind Via Christi St. Francis, and I’ve found a route that takes me down Seneca across Riverside. It’s faster than the highway and even better? It’s pretty and calm. Win win!

Finally, as a member of the Native American community, I give this advice to everyone: before you go to a pow-wow, please check this website out. It’s about pow-wow etiquette, and it will help you understand what’s happening, why, and what you need to be doing (and NOT doing). #19 is very important. Also important, and not on here? Don’t cut across the area where the dancers are. Walk around it, please. That may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be amazed.
http://www.powwows.com/gathering/pow-wow-information/49884-pow-wow-etiquette.html