Tuesday, February 24, 2009
For nearly half of Americans, home is not where the heart is.
A survey released by the Pew Research Center on Jan. 29 found 46 percent of the public would rather live in a different community from where they live now. Kansas City was the fifth least popular city on the survey, but with record enrollment for the University, more students than ever are making Lawrence their home.
Illustration by Sarah Taggart
The University’s Web site ranks Lawrence as third on its list of “10 great things to know about KU.” Kolby Lanning, Independence, Kan., senior, said the downtown shopping, nightlife and general atmosphere of Lawrence made the city a great college town. Last fall, 1,512 undergraduate transfer students enrolled at the University, the most recorded since 1998.
Before living in Lawrence, Lanning attended Baker University in Baldwin City. He said he thought Baldwin was too small for him, and said he frequently made trips to Lawrence to visit friends or go shopping. By sophomore year, Lanning said, he was ready to move.
“Baldwin had one stop light,” Lanning said. “As a college student, I think living in Lawrence and still being able to stay in Kansas is great. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
The Pew survey found people between 18 and 29 were the least likely age group to enjoy the community they lived in. Alex Maycher, a Wichita freshman at the University of Nebraska, said he was considering transferring to Kansas largely because he preferred Lawrence to Lincoln. He said he wouldn’t move just because he liked the city, though. Nebraska is cheaper for him and he said he didn’t think the University would accept all of his credit hours. Still, he said, if everything were taken care of, he would definitely make the move.
“At Nebraska, you have to be either in a frat or know someone really well to go out, so I don’t do as much on the weekends,” Maycher said. “In Lawrence, I feel like there’s more stuff to do, and it’s closer to home. Plus there is more of a local scene.”
Although the college town atmosphere attracts incoming freshman and transfer students to Lawrence, it also plays into why others leave the city.
The lively Lawrence atmosphere helped 2009 graduate John St. John enjoy college life, but he said it didn’t take long for the party scene to get old for him.
“Lawrence was awesome freshman year, and then I guess the coolness of it wore off, and I was ready to get out by senior year,” St. John said.
The Pew survey found college graduates were the most likely people to enjoy their community. Now living in Lenexa, St. John said he liked living in a smaller town close to a big city. Although the Pew survey found only 18 percent of people in Kansas City and the surrounding area enjoyed living there, St. John said he was exactly where he wanted to be.
“I have my friends, family and job in Lenexa. I don’t want to live in a busy area so its perfect,” St. John said. “If I wouldn’t have liked anything I would have moved.”
— — Edited by Melissa Johnson
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Lawrence attracts freshmen, transfer students
"The city that surrounds you...not quite the best reason to go to KU."
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