Lawrence: a little big town

Downtown Lawrence

I get asked a lot about living in Lawrence.

To me, Lawrence is a little big town. It’s small enough to have similarities to my hometown of Hays, Kan. You can get just about anywhere in 15 minutes (unless there’s a basketball game). The people are extremely friendly. From my first day at KU Law, I felt welcome and comfortable. Lawrence has that small-town feel, where you tend to “bump into” people you know while out running errands.

For fun, some people go to KU sporting events, especially basketball. But the law school football tailgates draw a crowd in the fall, too. As a 1L class, we had a small section bowling tournament. If you are an outdoorsy type, Clinton Lake is just on the edge of town, and there are plenty of parks, biking and running trails around the lake. In these ways, Lawrence is comfortable and easy to learn about and love just like any small town.

If you are starting to think that Lawrence sounds too small for you, fear not! I also spent the last four years living in Washington, D.C., where there are endless museums, concerts, social events and professional sporting events. There are more things going on each night there than one person can possibly do. And I love the city life. I have always thought of myself as a city girl living in a small town.

Like larger cities, Lawrence is full of things to do beyond KU sporting events and bowling. Downtown venues like Liberty Hall, The Granada and The Bottleneck bring in lots of fun concerts, and KU’s Dole Institute hosts speakers and discussions of a political nature. There are art and history museums to peruse if that’s more your thing. Or you can just enjoy a day down on Massachusetts Street, where you will find an array of local boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops and bars.

There are always fun events going on through the law school: speakers, fundraisers, and TGITs (Thank Goodness it’s Thursday!). Another wonderful thing about Lawrence is its location between Topeka and Kansas City. In about 30 minutes in either direction, you can reach the State Capitol or any of the great things Kansas City has to offer – think shopping malls, an international airport and professional sporting events (gotta love the Royals and the Chiefs).

Overall, Lawrence is small enough to feel safe and comfortable and yet big enough to find a variety of entertainment and events! The hardest part about living in Lawrence and being in law school is finding the time to get out and enjoy it all!

Crystal Cook, 1L and Student Ambassador