[go] A Guide to the North Side
I grew up in Park City. And I pretty much hated it. Since I went to Wichita schools, it meant I was far away from sleepovers and the mall, and going over to a friend’s house to hang out always seemed overly complicated. I lived north of Wichita for 22 years, and when my parents moved to the east side six and a half years ago, I didn’t think there would be any reason for me to go there again.
But, the more I thought about it, the more I felt my distaste for the north side wasn’t fair. As an adult, maybe I would find things to love rather than loathe about the area. So, I set out on a journey to explore, not just Park City, but Valley Center and Kechi. Here’s what I found.
Valley Center
Growing up, I spent a lot of my summers at the Valley Center pool, but I didn’t know much about what else the city had to offer. However, my boyfriend works in VC and is always telling me about the great lunches he has at Spirits Pub (231 E. Main). The pub also has Open Mic nights on Tuesdays, Karaoke on Mondays, and live music on various days. If you go there to eat, try the pizza.
If you’re looking to do a little shopping, Annie’s Attic (205 S. Meridian ) and Meridian Street Art Glass (326 S. Meridian) are two local places to check out. The art glass store offers locally created sculptures, paperweights and wall hangings. Annie’s Attic is a gift shop with a variety of knick knacks.
I have many fond memories of concerts and Thunder games at the Kansas Coliseum (1229 E. 85th St. N.). My first concert ever, New Kids on the Block, was at the Coliseum, and it was a life changing event. It may not be the most modern looking building around, but it’s brought a lot of entertainment to Wichitans throughout the years.
Park City
Ah, my old stomping grounds. Good ol’ PC does have several places to find serious entertainment, including 81 Speedway (7700 N. Broadway) and Hartman Arena (8151 N. Hartman Arena Dr.). I’ve been to 81 Speedway once and found it too dirty and noisy for my taste, but it gets packed during the summer, so obviously there are plenty of people who love it. If you decide to go for the first time, just be aware that you will have dirt flying in your face all night long, so don’t plan to do anything fancy afterwards, unless you make time for a shower. I’ve never been to Hartman Arena, but any place that brings New Kids on the Block back to our fair city is OK with me.
Now, I know Cracker Barrel isn’t a local place, but I think it is worth mentioning as an important part of Park City. This restaurant really started the makeover of Park City – we got more stoplights and other restaurants and fast food places once the Barrel came to town. Another good breakfast place in PC is Auntie C’s (425 E. 61st St.). I recommend the omelettes.
Can a review of Park City really be complete without mentioning Dennis Rader (BTK)? If you find yourself stuck in PC without anything else to do, just start asking the locals if they ever had any interactions with him. He’s been in the backyard of my childhood home, and I know plenty of other people who have similar stories. Creepy.
Kechi
If you’re looking to indulge your creative side, I highly recommend Kechi. There are a couple cute antique shops on Kechi Road (aka 61st St.). Also, the Kechi Playhouse (100 E. Kechi Rd.) offers some really good productions in the summer and fall.
Karg Art Glass (111 N. Oliver) is another neat attraction in Kechi. They have a gallery full of beautiful glass pieces, and they also offer glass blowing demonstrations on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8:30-3 and Saturday 8:30-11.
Did I miss anything? What do you like to do when you’re north of the ICT? Sound off in the comments.
Related posts:
Leave your response!