Topeka’s College Hill neighborhood winner of Best Neighborhoods in Kansas
A central Topeka neighborhood is getting recognition for being one of the best in Kansas.
The 2018 Best Neighborhoods in Kansas list, compiled by The Kansas Leadership Center’s quarterly publication The Journal, chose four winners as the best neighborhoods and six honorable mentions. This year, College Hill made the cut as one of the best communities to live.
Chris Green, managing editor of The Journal, said great neighborhoods are more than property values and test scores of schools, but they have a “distinct look and style.”
“There are hundreds of very good neighborhoods across the state of Kansas that provide comfortable housing, wonderful neighbors, pleasant amenities and opportunities to connect,” Green said. “But the best neighborhoods in Kansas have high aspirations. They invest in building and maintaining community to the highest degree possible.”
Sue Flacker, a resident of the College Hill neighborhood for 40 years, said the area is diverse and not “cookie cutter.”
Flacker, who came from Denver with her family, didn’t anticipate staying in Topeka, but said they stayed because they found something in the neighborhood through the people and the homes. Her family has lived in two different houses in College Hill.
“It’s a unique neighborhood, but we really value our history,” Flacker said.
The neighborhood began in 1880 as a place for professors and staff at Washburn University to live and has transformed into a neighborhood that has a tradition of preserving its history, according to the KLC.
College Hill is located across the street from Washburn University, and Flacker said she frequently utilizes the campus for walking and residents partake in the activities hosted by the university.
Boswell Square Park is a wonderful part of the neighborhood, she said, and over the years residents have helped to keep the area nice. She said they have made great friends with the help of the neighborhood.
“There is a little something here for everybody,” Flacker said.