Tell us what you think of the No. 1 city on this year's Best Places to Live list.

What makes this city a great American town?

If you don't live in this city now, would you consider moving there? The best replies will be published here.

We came to Overland Park, KS in year 2000 and didn't expect anything from a "heartland" town. We wanted to stick it out for a couple of years tops and move on. This city turned out be one of America's best kept secrets. It's a perfect place for a growing family! Great neighbors, fantastic civic facilities and some of the best school districts in the country. Now we dont ever want to move from here

We moved to Overland Park, KS in 2000 from a large world class city and after some adjustment love it here. The city is well cared for, the schools are great and the people are very friendly. It is definitely a great place to live with a very good quality of life.

This is a great place to live if recreation (mountains, ocean, lakes etc) are not of importance. I have lived in Arizona, Cali, Georgia, Colo and you cannot compare O.P. to those locations. It has a "clean-feel", but the only real negative is the heat! Yes, O.P. feels hotter (heat index +15 degrees) than AZ or GA.

I grew up in Overland Park. The area started out with farm land surrounding the area. At one time, Olathe seemed like a long drive. Now, with all the growth, industry, and box stores towns appear to merge into town after town. What made Overland Park great is not only the convience of most of anything from shops to restaurants is the highways.The 435 loop, 69 and 35 made it possible to get about anywhere in no time.

After reading Best Places To Live, my husband and I are really concidering moving to Overland Park in the future. We are currently caring for my ailing parents and are torn by the appeal of a fresh start and family ties. Maybe if he can find a super job there we could find the push to move sooner.

I came to Overland Park as a teen from the East Coast; went to college here and married a MidWesterner. We ended up on the West Coast for a short time...until we had our first son and knew we needed to be back in the heart of it all. I miss the ocean, I love the history of the East Coast but I wouldn't raise my kids anywhere else. My voice is heard at the city level and state level and my concerns and ideas have merit here; hard working, smart people who value their families.
We road trip every summer to one coast or another to see it all....

I've moved all over the world living in the military (both as a kid, and a soldier) and I've moved a bit on my own. Of all the places I've lived, when it was time to settle down and raise a family, the Kansas City area was tops on the list, and in KC, OP is THE place to live for all the reasons already listed...good schools, low crime, plentiful well-paying jobs, GREAT housing (compared to the coasts we have twice the house for half the money!) Kansas may be the butt of a lot of jokes...but let them keep laughing, they've never been here!

We moved to Overland Park, KS in 2004 after visiting friends. We loved the hidden secret of the stress free town; the wonderful communities and school system. I hope that it continue to keep the small town feeling now that the secret is out.

I was born and raised in Overland Park, but left at the age of 18 to go to college in Texas. I returned to Overland Park 18 years later (3 years ago) to complete my Master's Degree. I fell in love with the city all over again after seeing it through new eyes as an adult. I love Texas, but I certainly don't miss the heat and the 1-hour-plus commutes. You can get anywhere in Kansas City from Overland Park in less than 30 minutes. Sports teams, museums, theater... it has it all. Though we could use better restaurants.

i moved here from EastGrand Rapids Michigan three weeks ago. I think that the traffic is horrible and the homes all look alike (and are BORING and cheaply built). All of the shopping centers look alike - and the stores are all chain stores - nothing unique or special. There are far too many fast food restaurants. This could be a pretty place to live if there had been some nice planning. Even the farmers' market here is TINY compared to our old one. So far, I feel no sense of "community" and no one seems to walk anywhere. We used to walk to the shops, delis, the lake in the center of town, and the kids walked to school. I feel like a "freak" walking here. I would rather live in the town that time forgot than here - anyday. Yes, the jobs are here - but I would not recommend Overland Park as a place to live. It's not pretty! Do people really think the plastic looking homes are nice?? TRY BRICK AND TRY FRONT PORCHES!

I love Overland Park. It is one of America's best kept secrets. the people are nice and its very beautiful. The weather is great and there aren't to many people

I've lived in Overland Park for almost all of my life, and I love it. I've traveled around a lot, in both rural and urban areas, and the cleanliness, friendliness, and overall feeling of Johnson County never fails to impress me when I see other areas. The heat can be a bit much sometimes, but you just kind of learn to live with it. In response to Nancy's comment about brick, there's a story behind that about some rift between the bricklayers (years ago) and the builders. The public school systems here are top of the line.

I've been living in Overland Park all of my life. I can't see myself living anywhere else. This is where I want my children to be raised. The people, scenery, attractions, homes are all beautiful.

the schools are fantastic, the children inquisitive, eager to learn and athletic. Very active doing things outside instead of sitting around the computer or TV. This is a service-oriented community that goes the extra mile. The houses that you can purchase for $300K would cost you $900K in New Jersey. It's easy to see that this is an educated community and so much for young families to do. We are thinking of retiring to this community so that we can get far more for our money. In addition, the health care facilities are terrific. This is truly the heartland of America

I lived in HongKong, Beijing, China, Tokyo, Japan, San Francisco, CA and Fairfax, VA in past 25 years. I would say Overland Park is one of the best place to live on earth. You wouldn't see so many "blue sky" days in a year and breath so much fresh air (ox2)in New York, D.C, Beijing and Tokyo.

We have lived all over from Phoenix to Raleigh/Durham... and have been in Overland Park for 6 years. It has all the advantages anyone could ever want to raise children with: excellent schools, lots of youth activities/sports, low crime etc. It is also very "vanilla." The houses look the same, everyone dresses the same, drive the same cars...keeping up with the Jones's etc. If status, materialism and uppity attitude appeal to you then you will love it here. For many people the good outweighs the rest.

I just relocated to Overland Park from Northeast Louisiana. It is beautiful and there is alot to do. I don't like the drive into Kansas City every morning and afternoon. The traffic is pretty awful. I was under the impression that Southerners cornered the market on friendliness. I was wrong--the people here are very nice and have been very accepting of this Southern girl. I can see why it made the cut for the top places to live. It is great here and I personally love it.

I have lived in the Chicago, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Prairie Village, Ks, 2 miles from Overland Park, KS. If you have young children or you are retired, it is manageable and affordable. For the arts, culture, diversity, shopping, the sea and mountains, forget it. Lived here 20 years and would love to find the sophistication of the east coast. I am 51 years old, have a house and great job, but that is it. The city gov't is terrible and so are the schools in MO, just over the state line. The only thing here is the KC Chiefs. Other than that, it is culturally dead and very plain vanilla.

I personally love Overland Park, and all of Johnson County for that fact. We do not live there, but we do have family there and I go there as much as I can. I would really like to relocate to that area. The shopping is amazing, the resturants are wonderful, and by far the most important is the Blue Valley School District is the top in the nation!!

If you are bored in Overland Park, it is your own fault. There is so much to do there and it is very diversified!

I lived in Overland Park for three years before moving to the San Fransisco Bay Area. While we lived in Overland Park we liked it and did not have much to complain about. However, after living here in the Bay Area, I would not want to go back. Yes, the cost of living here is definitely higher. But in return you have more job opportunities, higher paying jobs, a more intellectually stimulating environment and lots of cultural diversity/acceptance and great schools for higher learning.

WHAT IS THE MINIMUM WAGE RATE FOR OVERLAND PARK?

I grew up in Overland Park in the 50's and 60's and still visit often. It has matured into an even better place to live than before. It benefits greatly from its proximity to Kansas City's diverse cultural, dining and entertainment offerings. But, drive for half an hour out of town in any direction and you will discover that Overland Park/Kansas City is an island surrounded by the epitome of "flyover country". The nearest mountains or seashores are literally hundreds of miles away. While a great place to live, Overland Park is an oasis in the middle of endless corn and soybean fields.

I lived in OP for 18 years before going off to college and then moving to Chicago. I miss it everyday. If I could talk my girlfriend into moving back with me, I would be back in a second. Yes, the houses do all look the same. Large, new, and affordable.

I have grown up in the KC area and I am 30 years old now. I went to college nearby at the University of Kansas and came back after I graduated. It's a great, laid-back town, but not the best place to be if you're single. If it weren't for my entire family living here, I would have moved probably to somewhere like San Diego. However, I just got married to my Peruvian Princess and we will probably be here for quite a while and possibly the rest of our lives. It's a great place to raise a family and very low-stress. My job pays well and the cost of living is very low, relatively speaking, which has allowed me to put a lot away for retirement.

I just found this website. I moved to OP/Olathe area two years ago from Torrance, CA where I lived for 30 years to be closer to family. The traffic in CA is horrendous, the houses are built within 12 feet of one another, no lawns, no privacy, very little green space. CA does have mountains and the ocean if you can get to them and it's expensive to live there. Frankly, I like the slower pace, neighbors who actually talk to you and help you, and intellectual stimulation and culture. It is what you make it. So they can just continue to "fly" over.

for the guy who said olathe/overland park....the two towns are nothing alike and the schools are not even comparable. so unless you are living in Cedar Creek and sending your kids to private school its not even close to OP. oh and im not sure why leawood isnt on here. granted its only a mile a way i think its pretty comparable if not better than OP.

Relocating to OP, KS from Indpls, IN from Newark, NJ. I have heard OP is very similiar to Indianapolis,IN where I have lived for 8 years. Adjustment was rough - cultural, slower pace, diversity in foods, intellectual stimulation, vanilla. I have gone back to NJ for visits - Sure the mountains and oceans are nice. How often does anyone go there. Life in the mid-west is EASY. No Worries, Gorgeous Dream Homes, Close to Venues, No Traffic, Low Taxes, No Hassels - EASY. Life in NJ was a HASSEL!