Wichita Is the Worst

I’m going to go ahead and say what everyone (apparently) is thinking: Wichita is a terrible place. It’s ugly. The weather sucks. No ocean. No mountains. It’s boring. There’s nothing to do here. 

Earlier this year Wichita received negative attention leading up to the NCAA tournament. What followed was a grassroots deluge of reactionary, defensive social media posts. My feelings we’re hurt by the initial criticism and preconceived notions of my beloved city by outsiders, but the (over-) reaction from others rushing to defend our beloved city stung too. It was borderline desperate and nearly embarrassing. You see, Wichita doesn’t need an army of defenders. Anyone who is paying attention can see that ours is a city with a lot to offer residents and tourists (and it’s a helluva place to enjoy a beautiful Spring weekend and basketball). 

I love that Wichita is small, but has the variety of offerings of a much larger city. Are you passionate about theater, history, live music, film making, cycling, conservation, public art, social justice? There’s a niche group, organization, or non-profit for you to get involved with. You’ll find older homes in neighborhoods loaded with character, new construction in a handful of Wichita adjacent suburbs, downtown living, or a short commute to the wide open spaces of the open plains. In Wichita we love food, all kinds. We have museums, great ones. We have parks and green spaces, over a hundred of them. We have history, a proud one. 

A friend from a much larger city moved to Wichita and found what she calls an easy way of life. They left behind the commutes and found free evenings and weekends for quality family time and adventuring. Wichita is a place to work hard and play hard. There’s not so much a ladder to climb, but a jungle gym of work-life balance. There’s room for entrepreneurship and adaptation. In my work role I get to interact daily with Wichitans who saw a need in our community and filled it. Whether it was a craft brewery, gift shop with party space, a juice bar, or even a local parenting resource website, Wichita is a city that embraces innovators and risk-takers.

Wichita’s reputation among the non-local residents is that you cry when you come here and you cry when you leave here. I love that even for the reluctant Wichitans, it wins them over. It’s a city that under-promises and over-delivers. 

If you can’t accept the beauty of the rolling prairie and the most stunning sunsets you ever did see, there’s nothing I can offer you. If you can’t put yourself out there enough to explore new neighborhoods, try new cuisine, see a show, or join a club, Wichita isn’t going to impress you much. If you can, however, embrace the charm of this big-little town in the Midwest you open your heart to all the potential Wichita has too.


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Ginny Ellis
Ginny Ellis is a hometown girl who happily resides in East Wichita with her husband, two young sons, two rowdy dogs, and one spoiled tortoise. Together they enjoy taking part in all our city has to offer, especially if it involves being outdoors, supporting the arts, or is particularly delicious. She is a WAHM who serves as WMB's Events Director as well as holding volunteer positions in Junior League of Wichita, on her neighborhood elementary school's PTO Board, and for United Way of the Plains. Ginny is a podcast enthusiast, laundry folding procrastinator, and insatiable reader who loves the Shockers, theme parties, and her margaritas on the rocks.