Why do people hate Topeka? (Kansas City, Olathe: low crime, good schools, income)

[Steveareeno5]

Why do people hate topeka so much?
Looking at cheaper places to live, one of the cities is Topeka
KS The thing that makes me hesitant about Topeka is that it
seems most people hate the place.

The population has actually declined over the years. Reports from most everyone is that there is little to no job growth,born out by the various statistics.

The City took the extraordinary measure of bribing
people with money awards to move there (it was mostly a fake publicity stunt though)

Even though the rents are cheap,but not as cheap as other cities it's size, it has a very high vacancy rate. The stress levels as measured by bestplaces website are high and the negative/all review ratio on various city review sites are quite high, much worse than for bigger cities. Videos on youtube like "N
reasons why you should NOT move to Topeka." And most all reviewers say they head for Lawrence or K.C. just to get away from the place. And many commute to Lawrence to work.Beyond that,the contacts I have had on FB with Topekeans show them to be insular and not very friendly. Reviewers complain about the high drug use, meth crime, etc.

So I guess these are SOME of the reasons, but OTHER cities have the same characteristics but yet
people still move there and they don't as often post scathing reviews of the place.

[KansastoSouthphilly]

It has been quite some time since I lived in KS but when I was there it was generally perceived as the worst of all worlds. Too big to be a small town. Too small to have most big city amenities which were drawn to KC and/or Lawrence anyway. The downtown is boring. Much of it is suburban in nature but doesn't have suburban benefits like good schools, services, or low crime rates. The high crime rate was the most consistent critique I remember hearing.

[GraniteStater]

Topeka is one of the worst capitol cities of its size anywhere in the country. They just have bad city and county management that can't really capitalize (pun intended) on the location when the far more prosperous and economically dynamic areas of the KC metro area and Lawrence are right down the road. The crime rates and the very spotty nature of the quality of residential areas from one block to another in the city limits of Topeka is a big issue.

[KSinmyrearviewmirror]

Topeka => 90 mph in the wrong direction:

KS Senator, DUI, 90 mph in the wrong direction,

March 16, 2021, arrest after his vehicle was observed traveling the wrong direction on Interstate 70 near downtown Topeka.

Expected to resign in January 2023 . . . .

When you consider all the morally superiors in Kansas are elected from across the state tp serve in Topeka, it's not surprising there's some hate generated for their playground.

[RadioSilence]

Topeka is just one of those cities that shuts down at 5:00, or so it seems. It's stagnant, and has been for decades. Even the government office buildings are falling apart. I knew people who commuted all the way from places like Olathe and Lenexa.

[Steveareeno5]

haha thanks for all the replies, kinda confirms my impressions. I wonder if it's genetic or something in the water, haha

I tried to reach out in the FB topeka groups but got zilch back. Like they're all the walking dead.

Almost forgot. two of the other cities similar in size actually have WORSE crime rates than Topeka, but unlike Topeka, people are still moving to them.

[bfrabel]

If you just really need a cheap place to live, it's hard to do better than Topeka. My dad lived there for a few years after he got divorced and was down on his luck. I think that's probably a common story. People live there because they are "down on their luck" and can't afford to live any place better. It's rife with low-income people who have drug problems or gambling problems or mental health issues or who are stuck on the welfare marry-go-round with too many kids.

In general, it's a depressing place filled with depressing people.

[Steveareeno5]

Originally Posted by bfrabel

If you just really need a cheap place to live, it's hard to do better than Topeka. My dad lived there for a few years after he got divorced and was down on his luck. I think that's probably a common story. People live there because they are "down on their luck" and can't afford to live any place better. It's rife with low-income people who have drug problems or gambling problems or mental health issues or who are stuck on the welfare marry-go-round with too many kids.

In general, it's a depressing place filled with depressing people.

Any better? I read a lot of complaints about meth users in Topeka. The City Gov. there seems rather do nothing lame. They have a Hispanic mayor there I believe. He does not answer his emails.

[City Guy997S]

its nowhereville Kansas!

[thriftylefty]

Because its not Lawrence. There are two or three detention facilities there in addition to the county jail. I have visited two of them years ago and used to deal with young men from the youth lock up. I don't remember them being all that violent. I would suspect in a city of that size there would be a good portion of former inmates on the streets.
The old saying was that Topeka was the middle ground between Kansas City and Lawrence and a lot of no good came out of there. I had a young nephew murdered there less than a year ago. He didn't live there , I guess he was off his turf.