Moving to Wichita this Summer - Seeking Advice (Andover, Maize: renter, house)

[runforfun]

Hello,

My wife and I are moving to Wichita in July for a unique job opportunity for her at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. I work remote. We are starting the extremely early stage of looking for neighborhoods we we like to move to.

Both of us our outdoorsy and enjoy running & biking so being near parks or long running/walking paths would be a huge plus. No kids but two cats and a dog. We would be looking for a house rental for the first year (or two) before figuring out where to settle down.

What we are looking for:

2(+)/1.5(+) house with a yard, 1000+ sq ft.
Close to parks and/or trails, preferably <1 mile.
"Safe" - We are moving from a large city and understand that "safe" is relative, but would like to feel comfortable going out for a run/walk at night.

Budget: $2000-2500 with some flexibility, less is always welcome.
House does not need to be newer or updated, but amenities such as central AC would be very welcome.

Initial thoughts are Chrisholm Creek and Riverside areas. Open to peoples thoughts and opinions.
Do people typically use realtors to secure rental housing or find it on their own? Our current location almost exclusively uses realtors for both renter and landlord, who make commission from the landlord.
When would be a good time to start looking for housing with a lease starting July 1st?

Thank you in advance!

[KathleenLM]

I moved to Wichita from Chicago in 1992. I have always lived on the far East side. You may consider Andover - a small community 3 miles east of East Wichita that has a lot of newer housing, great schools and an amazing park with a lake, trail, dog park and great band shell for concerts. Another booming area is the NW side of Wichita. A town called Maize is a few miles west of Wichita and has many wonderful new communities with all the amenities you are looking for plus an excellent school system. Keep in mind, a drive from one end of town to the other is only 30 minutes! So even if your wife works East, living far West is still no more than 30 minutes away. It seems as though the NorthWest side has been growing faster and has done great shopping and restaurants now. Old reviews may not be accurate - it is developing that quickly. The east side has some beautiful older, large homes in College Hill, Eastborough, Vickridge if you like older homes with character. But the jogging trails and better schools are NW and far East sides. Happy hunting. Feel free to contact me if you have specific questions as your journey continues. I’m not a realtor but have lived here since 1992.

[runforfun]

Originally Posted by KathleenLM

I moved to Wichita from Chicago in 1992. I have always lived on the far East side. You may consider Andover - a small community 3 miles east of East Wichita that has a lot of newer housing, great schools and an amazing park with a lake, trail, dog park and great band shell for concerts. Another booming area is the NW side of Wichita. A town called Maize is a few miles west of Wichita and has many wonderful new communities with all the amenities you are looking for plus an excellent school system. Keep in mind, a drive from one end of town to the other is only 30 minutes! So even if your wife works East, living far West is still no more than 30 minutes away. It seems as though the NorthWest side has been growing faster and has done great shopping and restaurants now. Old reviews may not be accurate - it is developing that quickly. The east side has some beautiful older, large homes in College Hill, Eastborough, Vickridge if you like older homes with character. But the jogging trails and better schools are NW and far East sides. Happy hunting. Feel free to contact me if you have specific questions as your journey continues. I’m not a realtor but have lived here since 1992.

Thank you for the insights! Looking into Andover, it looks ike it would check almost every box. I appreciate all of the insights and will likely reach out as the time gets closer.