Being New Yorkers passing through Kansas to finish the last leg of our Highway 83 quest, we felt duty bound to make a detour to check out the self proclaimed "Little Apple", Manhattan Kansas. Founded in the 1850's, it has a long and very colorful/bloody history in the evolution of the mid-west which resulted in it becoming a substantial small city whose present major source of prosperity and importance distinguishing it from some many other less fortunate towns in the vicinity is the looming presence of Kansas State University. After passing through a litany of semi-abandoned, depressing small towns experiencing varying states of decay and irrelevance, this little boutique town of cute shops, and eateries, etc. well maintained buildings and manicured lawns was a delight. The icing on the cake was our breakfast at The Chef, a place Jackie zeroed in on, and as usual, she was right in choosing. It was worth the 25 minute wait for a table. No photos, but great breakfast. Not much else to say about the place, but here is a sample of buildings along the main drag, Poyntz Street, so you'll get the idea.
So this is a fair sampling of what Manhattan looks like, more or less. If the last 3 photos have a monotonous sameness about them, that's because that's how the town feels after a few hours. Don't think I could live there. When you only spend a short time in a place you are passing through, you are thankful if the sun is shining, there are clouds in the sky, and the sunny side of the street is the interesting one. This last photo marks the end of Poyntz Street and the beginning of the shopping mall to the far right. In spite of that, if you are in the neighborhood, Manhattan Kansas is recommended. But if you are not going to school there, it seems like a place that might get old pretty quickly so if you are just there to look around, a one night stay is enough.
Don't forget breakfast at The Chef!!!
Pablo
