Weather | | How much crime? | | What are the neighborhoods like? | | What are the people like? |
Olathe's weather is very Midwestern. The winters are cold and snowy. The summers are hot and humid. The spring vacillates between warm and cool temperatures, and the fall months are cool and crisp. The best times of the year are spring and fall months. The temperatures are not too hot or too cold. The springtime brings out the greenery and fall brings out the change of colors. The only downside to the spring and fall months is the allergy season and the possibility of tornadoes. | | Crime in Olathe has increased in recent years. Before the city's growth, crime was pretty much in the form of thefts, burglaries, and other minor crimes. However, the growth in population has brought an increase in violent crimes. But the murder rate is still much less than what it is in Kansas City. The increase in crime is in some parts of Olathe, not everywhere, and it's due to the increase of low-income and singles moving into the area. | | The best parts of Olathe is the College Boulevard area. The homes are newer, nice, and the neighborhoods quiet and well-kept. The residents in this area are mostly working class, middle-class, and white-collar. There is a mixture of races in the College Boulevard area but it's mostly White Americans.
The worse part of town is the downtown area. It's a bad area because it is congested, is crowded, and the value of the homes are less than in other areas of the city. The crime in this area is also higher. | | The people in Olathe are pretty conservative and love the fact that their town is still considered a small town. There is a mixture of blue collar and white collar residents. There is a mixture of industrial and manufacturing companies. There is also a mixture of educated and high school graduate residents living in the city. There is a good mixture of older and younger citizens. The largest ethnic group is White. However there is an increase of Black and Hispanic residents. Olathe is mostly a city consisting of families, however, the ratio of singles to married people is about 1 for every 5 married people. There is not a large amount of hippie or alternative lifestyles noticeable in the city. |
Downtown Area | | Restaurants | | Schools | | Single life |
The downtown area is not very nice at all. It's congested with narrow streets and not many places to park. There's not much to do downtown either. The biggest shopping area is west of downtown where there are retail shops, restaurants, and other shops. A few miles north of downtown is the huge Great Mall of the Plains, which has just about every store you can imagine. | | Being in the Kansas City metro area, BBQ is king and Olathe is not without some of the best tasting BBQ in the area. A couple of good BBQ places are Oklahoma Joe's BBQ & Cater and Jack Stack. For some good beef, the Texas Roadhouse is a delight. | | The Olathe School District is one of the best in the area. There are many extracurricular activities and the graduation rate is at least 80%. The schools are much better than the Kansas City Missouri School district. | | There are a few opportunities for single people in Olathe. There are some clubs, bars, and even a couple of nightclubs. However, Olathe is still a family oriented city. |
Noise | | town comparison vs. | | Best hospital | | Tourist attractions |
Most of the unusual noises will come from the main railroad that goes across the downtown area. It can be pretty loud at night. | | Olathe is still a pretty small town when compared to Overland Park. It's almost seems like a suburb of Overland Park although it is a separate city. Olathe doesn't have as much progression or as many nice neighborhoods as Overland Park does. Olathe is cheaper to live in than Overland Park. Compared to Kansas City, KS, Olathe is a much more desirable place to live. The schools and neighborhoods are much better. And the police department is pretty strict. | | Olathe Medical Center is the largest medical center in the city. It is also one of the largest employers in the city. It is known for high quality heathcare. | | The Great Mall of the Plains is a huge shopping center you shouldn't miss. There is a huge Theater in it. |
General comments | | | | | | |
Olathe is a growing but conservative town. It feels like a small town because most of the area looks like a small town. There are railroads and industrial businesses located throughout the town. The downtown area which consist of the police station and other government buildings is fairly small and everything is located within a couple of blocks. There major growth is in the increase of new neighborhoods. | | | | | | |