As new developments come, Baldwin City retains an old-timey feel
Baldwin City stays true to its vintage charm while adding more residential spaces to the area. New developments surround its downtown, home to Baker University, the oldest in the state. Sidewalks line many streets, connecting homes to downtown businesses and nearby parks. “Baldwin has a lot of kids walking around after school, like you’ll see a pack of 10 year olds or 7 year olds. If you go to the library, there’s always a group playing [games] on the computers or walking to and from the swimming pool,” says Emily Ferguson, a Realtor at Countrywide Realty Inc., licensed since 2018.
Historic homes, 21st-century subdivisions and townhouses
Many of Baldwin City’s original homes are Victorian, Cape Cod and Four Squares, built on gridded streets south of U.S. Route 56. Their prices range from about $100,000 to $380,000. Around the turn of the 21st century, many single- and multi-story New Traditional homes were built in subdivisions, including Firetree Estates and Signal Ridge. Prices go from around $230,000 to $750,000. Townhouses are also in the area, priced roughly between $170,000 and $340,000.
The CAP Index Crime Score in Baldwin City is 2 out of 10; compared to the national average score of 4.
From primary education in Baldwin City to Baker University
Baldwin City Unified School District 348, which allows out-of-district transfers, serves the area. Baldwin Elementary School Primary Center, a kindergarten through second-grade school, earns an A-minus grade from Niche. Baldwin Elementary School Intermediate Center oversees grades three through five and receives a B. Niche gives Baldwin Junior High School a B-plus. The B-graded Baldwin High School offers career and technical education courses in pathways, such as health science. Baker University is a four-year private institution with on-campus degree programs, including nursing and accounting.
Downtown’s brick roads lead to local shops and restaurants
Red brick roads run through downtown Baldwin City, a community gathering area with locally owned restaurants and shops, such as Quilters’ Paradise. “El Patron is a homey, traditional Mexican restaurant. They have murals on the wall, sombreros everywhere and Mexican music playing all the time,” Ferguson says. “Baldwin City Beer Company is more like a big city brewery. Everything’s stainless steel, and you can see through the glass to look at the vats they make beer in. It’s more of an industrial feel.” Baldwin City Market, a local grocer, is near US-56.
Maple Leaf Festival, a downtown event celebrating fall
Downtown’s streets become walk-through only during the Maple Leaf Festival, a two-day event on the third weekend in October. In 1958, event founders noted that the best time to view the fall foliage was around the third weekend of October, so they decided to time the event accordingly to celebrate the harvest season. Decades later, the celebration features a parade and quilt show. “It’s a huge event, like if you live in Baldwin, people pay for parking in your yard. It’s a nightmare logistically, but it’s cute and fun. They have a petting zoo for the kids and face painting,” Ferguson says.
Downtown green space, golf and sports facilities indoors and outside
Sullivan Square is a downtown green space with a stage where events such as the Sundays at Six summer concert series occur. Grove Park’s playground is on Fremont Street near Baldwin City Pool, an outdoor aquatic center with a slide and a lap pool open during the summer. Pool guests must purchase a pass, except for the Independence Day Celebration, when admission is free. Baldwin Golf Course’s nine-hole course is public. A basketball court and playgrounds are near the intersection of High and 11th streets. Baldwin City Community Center features indoor multi-use courts, and Baldwin City Sports Complex consists of baseball and softball fields. Douglas State Fishing Lake spans 538 acres, with wildlife areas open to hunting year-round, and the water is stocked with largemouth bass and channel catfish.
Proximity to the University of Kansas and an international airport
U.S. Route 59 connects Baldwin City to Lawrence, home to the University of Kansas, about 20 miles away. Nearby, Interstate 35 ties the area to Kansas City within approximately 50 miles. Kansas City International Airport, with nonstop flights worldwide, is about a 65-mile drive. Train tracks lay across Baldwin City’s western region. Some excursion trains, such as the Ottawa Northern Railroad’s seasonal Christmas Train, travel along them.
