After growing up in the urban sprawls of Florida, the last place Matt Kassawara expected to end up was a small town in southeast Kansas.
So why does Matt now call Pittsburg home? We asked him.
How did you first learn about Pittsburg?
I first learned about Pittsburg in 2003 when I was looking for a job after graduation from UCF. The economy was not great and options were few. I was hired at PSU to work in (then) OIS. I was familiar with the university IT environment because I had worked as a student at UCF. I wouldn’t have known about Pitt if it wasn’t for the job. Kansas was pretty far off the radar after growing up in urban Florida, especially a small town in Kansas.
You left Pittsburg for a bit. Why did you decide to move back?
Of all the places I’ve lived, and that’s been many, the most people who kept in touch were people I knew from Pitt. I came back to visit almost every year, usually for the Gorilla Century over Labor Day Weekend. I watched Pitt transform from a college town with college bars to a place with a variety of upscale restaurants, coffee shops, and bars… then TOAST and the breweries appeared. I was getting tired of the crowds and expense of Denver, and I was getting older, so a slower life but still with things to do seemed reasonable.
I had worked remote before, but the pandemic sort of solidified that idea enough to move back here. Low cost of living and fast fiber Internet were draws. I should also mention I’m a cyclist, and Roger Lomshek over at Tailwinds got me into cycling back in 2004. So coming back, I also got to return to the cycling group here, although most of it was new people. We all got older!
What makes Pittsburg a great place to live?
It’s mainly a combination of a slower-paced lifestyle. There are places to go and things to do, but they’re seldom packed with people and I don’t have to fight traffic or drive 30 minutes to get there. Finally, affordable living. I can live a lot better here and have hope for paying off a house versus major metro areas. Housing just went crazy in so many places.
What are your opinions on how to make Pittsburg an even better community?
Well, I’d say more of what’s happened in the last 5 or so years. Interesting restaurants and other eating/drinking establishments — not necessarily high end, but not college bars either. Probably more trails or pedestrian-friendly roads. Bike lanes and stuff. Some repaving on a lot of roads would go a long way. The city government has made a lot of progress. Maybe fix the Besse Hotel once and for all. It’s a landmark.