Wichita’s got all the right stuff when it comes to quality of life: a thriving business community‚ cultural opportunities‚ plenty of family-friendly things to do‚ a low cost of living and one of the shortest average commute times in the nation.

But when you ask Wichitans what they love about their city‚ it’s often the people they point to.

Case in point: Mayor Carlos Mayans‚ who describes Wichita as a “friendly‚ welcoming place.”

“We have neighbors who care about each other and who care about their neighborhoods‚” he says.

Mayans has experienced Wichita’s open arms firsthand. Born in Havana in 1948‚ he came to Wichita from a refugee camp in Florida when he was just 13.

As he grew up‚ built a business and entered public life‚ Mayans has often seen Wichita welcome other refugees and people in need. “Wichita is known to be accepting of other people‚” he says.

Monique Henriques echoes the mayor’s sentiment. The New York City native‚ and a Wichita transplant of just five years‚ says she has found it easier to meet people and make connections in Wichita. She has found generous pro fessional opportunities‚ as well.

Henriques has moved up in her career in human resources over the past five years‚ and today is employed by Kenexa Inc. as an on-site staffing consultant for Spirit AeroSystems.

“Here‚ you can actually be recognized‚ because people take the time‚” she says. “It’s not so fast-paced that you go unnoticed.”

Wichita‚ Henriques says‚ offers big-city amenities with small-town access. In fact‚ Forbes magazine recently named it the No. 1 place in the country to live the good life cheaply.

“It’s not congested‚ but you can still get the same kind of things you find in a big city‚” Henriques says. “Wichita has the trendy shops‚ sidewalk cafés‚ little boutiques – it’s just with fewer people.” That makes the city a dream come true for home builders in Wichita.

Within two weeks of moving to Wichita from Princeton‚ N.J.‚ Henriques took up residence in a loft apartment in the city’s trendy Old Town neighborhood. The home features the high ceilings and huge windows that urban dwellers elsewhere in the country only dream of affording. Henriques has lived in Old Town ever since and enjoys that 10-block district’s many amenities.

The largest city in the state‚ the Wichita metropolitan statistical area has a population of 584‚671.

Mayans says Wichitans’ openness to new things and interest in the efforts of others help make the city a good place to build a business.

“Customers here‚ whatever the business happens to be‚ are very open to experiencing your product or participating in the service you have to offer. Perhaps that is what makes this such a successful place for so many people‚” he says.

Indeed‚ Wichita is the home of the original Pizza Hut – now franchised internationally. And companies such as Coleman Co.‚ White Castle‚ Rent-a-Center‚ Beech and Learjet all began in Wichita.

The people of Wichita are welcoming and accepting of others‚ but they also have certain expectations‚ Mayans says.

“They will welcome you‚ but you had better be prepared to come to work‚ to educate yourself and to learn the culture‚” he adds.

Again‚ opportunities abound. The Wichita area is home to 17 universities‚ colleges and community colleges‚ including Wichita State University‚ Friends University and Newman University.

For Henriques‚ the educational opportunities proved irresistible. She has earned an associate’s degree since moving to Wichita.

Despite considerable growth‚ the city has remained manageable. Commute times average just 16 minutes‚ the second lowest among 68 cities of similar size nationwide.

Wichita has been proactive in planning its transportation infrastructure‚ Mayans says. “My predecessors were visionary enough to keep up with the infrastructure. They saw the importance of that.”

The city continues to look to the future‚ building partnerships with area municipalities and local organizations designed to strengthen Wichita. Positioning Wichita requires working together‚ Mayans says. “There has been a huge effort of collaboration.”