By Sharon Van Horn
I’m a lifelong resident of Wichita, and boy has our city changed over the last several years. I can remember when restaurant choices were few and far between, and if you wanted to order an alcoholic drink at a club you had to buy a membership, buy a bottle of liquor and then they would pour your drinks out of your bottle when you visited the club. To say it was archaic is putting it mildly.
Now Wichita is a foodie paradise with every kind of restaurant you can imagine. An exciting new development is the addition of retractable or garage doors that make the beautiful outdoors a part of your dining experience. Popular restaurants like the Belmont, Monarch, Pumphouse and YaYa’s Eurobistro have retractable garage doors. Georges French Bistro has had retractable doors since its remodel, and you can imagine you’re dining in Paris. If you haven’t tried this dining experience, I assure you it is amazing.
In addition to all our food choices, Wichita has great “staycation” experiences. Did you know that the Sedgwick County Zoo and Botanica are the two top tourist attractions in the state? And they are right here for us to enjoy every day. Exploration Place is a terrific place to entertain kids and grandkids. And for adults, Music Theatre of Wichita is one of the best live theatres in the country. There are many smaller theatrical venues as well.
Another wonderful part of Wichita is our vibrant live entertainment scene. Wave is bringing people to Wichita from all over. A recent young visitor from Kansas City commented, “Wichita is blowing me away!” You can find music on patios everywhere.
Like Wichita, The Active Age has grown over the last 40-plus years. But unlike other print publications that have either greatly reduced in size or gone out of business, The Active Age has become the largest print publication in Kansas, printing and distributing more than 60,000 copies each month to readers in Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties. That’s largely because of your support, whether it’s being a loyal reader, donor or advertiser. The board and staff of The Active Age thank you!
Sharon Van Horn is a member of The Active Age’s board of directors. She can be reached at sharon@wichitacrimecommission.com.
