The first answerer was too rough on Manhattan. I lived there for years and its a great place to live and raise a family. It is a town of two personalities. One when the students are there and a bit more laid back when they are gone for the summer.
The Kanza Prairie is just south of Manhattan and is the largest unbroken tall grass prairie in the world. You can see things there that you just won't see elsewhere like prairie chickens "booming" during mating season (you must get a reservation to witness from a blind - way ahead of time). Tuttle Creek Reservoir is only a couple miles NE of town and provides lots of opportunity for fun. There you can witness nesting Bald Eagles. On the far side of the reservoir you can see giant (ugly) turkey vultures. Manhattan is in the flint hills, so unlike other areas of Kansas, the landscape is interesting. There is a lot of limestone quarried in the area, so many buildings old and new are limestone and even the fence posts are often limestone.
The university is well known for many areas of academia, but with a large and visible portion being devoted to ag, horticulture and vetrinary science, you can expect to be well exposed to rural culture. There is no lack of social opportunities among staff in off hours.
Fort Riley is just to the west, so there are many military families who live and shop in Manhattan, offering another facet to the culturally diverse town. Real estate is a safe investment because houses are always in demand. Expect to pay more than other areas of Kansas, but far less than major metropolitan cities.
I still have friends there even though I've been gone since 1991. If you would like to get a little taste by visiting with some of them, I'd be glad to pass along contact information. You didn't mention churches, but you would be welcomed warmly at the one I went to. And you would find many faculty members among its congregation. Look at the photos and you'll see Manhattan is a pretty fun place to live. Here is a link if it interests you:
http://www.manhattankschurch.org/