[JivecitySTL]

Well my wife and I just returned from a very brief trip to KC. I had not been there for at least 7 years. I must say that I was VERY impressed with the city. It is absolutely beautiful. I love the layout-- how boulevards wind through the city, offering really nice views of various neighborhoods and downtown. I wish I could have been there in warmer weather because you guys have some great little parks that I bet are really nice in the summer. The city really puts on a great face to visitors and it looks like there is a lot happening to bring people back.

Kansas City people are some of the friendliest of any city I've ever visited. Wherever we went, people initiated conversations with us and even invited us out with them. We had drinks at Grinders and then at Jilly's and everyone was so fucking nice, we couldn't even believe it. We ended up exchanging phone numbers with some people and are even hosting a few of them when they come for Soulard Mardi Gras in Feb!

The vibe of Kansas City is completely different than the vibe of St. Louis. We definitely felt how KC was more similar to Denver and cities of the west than to the east. Aside from being much, much friendlier than St. Louis, it seemed like the people in KC are younger too. The city looked bigger than I remember, but overall the metropolitan area felt pretty small. Highway 70 is pretty much two lanes until just outside the city, and there wasn't much traffic to contend with. We were in and out of metro KC in no time at all, whereas St. Louis goes on forever and the traffic sucks. St. Louis definitely feels like a bigger city, but KC has a more "pleasant" feeling IMO.

We did a lot of driving through different neighborhoods and really enjoyed the "KC flavor" of the city. Saw a lot of cool, cozy neighborhoods and some great architecture. Looks like there's a pretty lively art scene there, too. The architecture of the new buildings being built downtown is really impressive and edgy; we loved it. A lot of glass, which I like and think it looks good mixed with the older buildings. Westport was lively and seemed like a nice mix of places; River Market seemed was interesting, albeit a little too sanitized for my tastes. We had brunch at Succotash, which was a great pick.

Now for a couple questions...On Armour Blvd. just east of Main, there are some old mid-rise apartment buildings that are boarded up. What's happening with those? What a terrific neighborhood! Also, I noticed that the taxis in KC do not have the new yellow taxicab license plates; they just have the regular Missouri plates. In StL, every taxicab licensed in the city or county must have the MO taxicab license plates.

All in all what a great city. Missouri is very lucky to have two gems with very distinct character. Thanks, Chrizow, for the great suggestions and hope to be back soon!

[chrizow]

excellent trip recap, good sir. i'm glad you had a good time in our fair city.

i have to say, though, that the metropolitan area feels far from small due to kansas city's epic north-south sprawl. from east to west the metro is maybe 35 miles wide but from north to south it is probably 60 miles wide. ouch! this is not a good thing! youre right about traffic, though. :)

i hope you got the pancake of the day at Succotash - you gotta spread that incredible butter all over it, snarf the entire, steering-wheel sized cake, then just sit back, unbuckle your belt, and wait for your heart to stop.

come back anytime.

[DeBaliviere]

I was in KC last week for (unfortunately) a funeral. We spent most of our time there in my wife's relatives' neighborhoods, Brookside and Crestwood(?) which were very nice - lots of cool craftsmen homes, which I absolutely love, and great little shopping districts. Saw UMKC for the first time - must be nice to have your UM school actually in the city itself and not in a crappy suburb. The city looked beautiful with a fresh blanket of snow - I love the hilly terrain.

[chrizow]

I was in KC last week for (unfortunately) a funeral. We spent most of our time there in my wife's relatives' neighborhoods, Brookside and Crestwood(?) which were very nice - lots of cool craftsmen homes, which I absolutely love, and great little shopping districts....The city looked beautiful with a fresh blanket of snow - I love the hilly terrain.

i'm sorry you had to be here under those circumstances, but crestwood/brookside/morningside are magical in the winter! very cozy.

[STLtrent]

I'm a Rockhurst Alum, and I enjoyed my two years there very much. UMKC is right across the road from the Rock. We spent most of our time in the city, which is the main reason I chose Rockhurst over other non-urban schools.

Frankly I never understood the KC/STL rivalry. I loved my time in KC, and look forward to going back to visit friends as often as I can (which has been a lot less in the last few years, unfortunately). I remember there was this Mexican restaurant, on what I think was Westport Road, just east of State Line (iirc). We used to go there and get the Nachos appetizer, which was big enough to split between two people and only $6! We went there once a week. After I graduated, I went back the next fall, and they had upped the price significantly. We had many a cheap meals at that place. I wish I could remember the name of it.

I also miss going to D'Bronx. Great grinders. And the BBQ kicks STL's ass all over the place.

I like to eat. :)

[SuburbanNation]

I'm a UMKC alum, spent 2 years walking and biking to school from midtown, it ruled. i really miss 'the roasterie' coffee (even bagged from price chopper) and the local weekend blues show and sonic spectrum on kcur. ( can stream it i guess).

oh, and daves stagecoach... :(

[Buckeye Native 001]

I haven't been to KC since 2001 (stayed at Rockhurst for a week), but from all the photo threads I've seen, things keep looking better and better for that town.

[DeBaliviere]

i'm sorry you had to be here under those circumstances, but crestwood/brookside/morningside are magical in the winter! very cozy.

Yeah, it really is a beautiful part of town. We also visited some friends in Fairway, Kansas, which is a lovely little community as well.

Whenever I'm in KC, I get the feeling that the Jayhawks are a lot better supported than the Tigers. Is that accurate?

[chrizow]

Whenever I'm in KC, I get the feeling that the Jayhawks are a lot better supported than the Tigers. Is that accurate?

as an MU super-alum (two bachelors, one JD, seven years) that is a huge understatement. :haha:

fairway is great too and shows that a WWII-era suburb can really be quite attractive - and the home prices reflect it. yowza.

i'm still unclear on where else Jive went on his trip. more details!

[KCtoBrooklyn]

I'm a UMKC alum, spent 2 years walking and biking to school from midtown, it ruled. i really miss 'the roasterie' coffee (even bagged from price chopper) and the local weekend blues show and sonic spectrum on kcur. ( can stream it i guess).

oh, and daves stagecoach... :(

The bike ride from midtown to UMKC is nice, but the ride back up that hill is a pain. Really, the ride back to midtown from anywhere is all uphill.

I was just thinking about how much I miss roasterie coffee while drinking my cup of joe today.

[KCtoBrooklyn]

Whenever I'm in KC, I get the feeling that the Jayhawks are a lot better supported than the Tigers. Is that accurate?

I would say that in the city (KCMO) the support is fairly even between the two. But on the Kansas side of the state line, its all Jayhawks, tilting the balance of the metro easily towards KU.

Its too bad the Tigers haven't give us more to cheer about lately.

[DeBaliviere]

It will be interesting to see the percentage of each school's fans when they play each other at Arrowhead next year! When Mizzou played Illinois in St. Louis (a series that will begin again this year), it was pretty much 50-50.

My wife earned her J.D. from Mizzou as well, as did almost all of the other attorneys in her family. It was funny to hear her great aunt complaining about "all the damn KU flags" hanging on houses in their neighborhood!

[chrizow]

heh, the MU-KU game at Arrowhead will be fun...my guess is that enough students will be present to make the game pretty close to 50-50 - unless one of the teams is just truly awful.

it kind of makes sense that KU gets so much more attention in KC, since Lawrence/KU is physically (though not technically) in KC's metro area - 40 miles from downtown KC (and less from suburban KC on the Kansas side). it would be as if Columbia were in Wentzville or something in STL.

[DeadManWalking]

Also, I noticed that the taxis in KC do not have the new yellow taxicab license plates; they just have the regular Missouri plates. In StL, every taxicab licensed in the city or county must have the MO taxicab license plates.

This could be because the cabs in KC have to do business in Kansas as well.

[JivecitySTL]

^No that's not it because St. Louis taxis do a lot of business in Illiniois. I found the answer though-- taxicabs licensed in St. Louis City and St. Louis County are regulated by the St. Louis Taxi Commission, which requires each cab under its jurisdiction to have the specialty plates.

I guess KC doesn't have a taxi commission.

[SuburbanNation]

The bike ride from midtown to UMKC is nice, but the ride back up that hill is a pain. Really, the ride back to midtown from anywhere is all uphill.

I was just thinking about how much I miss roasterie coffee while drinking my cup of joe today.

that hill...:haha: but i finally got to the point that i felt i could take any hill...the only downside was that i was constantly soaked in sweat...:slob:

the hill up 50th and right on cherry to the top at umkc is pretty steep too though so you have a climb both ways really...

i wasnt much of a coffee drinker 'till i discovered the roasterie...much better than starbucks and local...

[SuburbanNation]

Whenever I'm in KC, I get the feeling that the Jayhawks are a lot better supported than the Tigers. Is that accurate?

theres a fair number of bars in urban KC that have a KU, MU, and maybe KSU flag hanging...KU seems more visible (a KU JoCo campus, etc) but does not absolutely dominate unless you are in a strip mall bar at 151st and Metcalf...likewise if you are in Lee's Summit, you will likely see MU plate frames, etc and not a shred of KU accutrement. the urban core seems like a "neutral zone..."

[ThreeOneFour]

I haven't been to Kansas City in a couple of years, but the last time I was there, I had a chance to explore its neighborhoods thoroughly, and I came away with a strong appreciation for the city. My overall impressions are similar to others previously mentioned.

The vibe of Kansas City is completely different than the vibe of St. Louis. We definitely felt how KC was more similar to Denver and cities of the west than to the east. Aside from being much, much friendlier than St. Louis, it seemed like the people in KC are younger too. The city looked bigger than I remember, but overall the metropolitan area felt pretty small. Highway 70 is pretty much two lanes until just outside the city, and there wasn't much traffic to contend with. We were in and out of metro KC in no time at all, whereas St. Louis goes on forever and the traffic sucks. St. Louis definitely feels like a bigger city, but KC has a more "pleasant" feeling IMO.

I agree with all of those observations. I don't think Saint Louis is unfriendly by any means, but I think that people are more guarded and reluctant to let outsiders into their inner circles than they are in Kansas City, where nearly everyone seems welcoming. I wish exiting Saint Louis via Interstate 70 was as painless as it is in KC- then there would be no Saint Charles! Although I am quite happy living in Saint Louis, KC has a pleasant, laid-back vibe. I think Denver is a good comparison.

I love the historic neighborhoods that stretch along and beyond the north-south axis formed by downtown, Crown Center, and the Plaza. The boulevard and parks system is beautiful, and it (combined with the street grid) makes getting around KC a breeze. It's a beautiful place in the winter, but I am looking forward to visiting in the summer, maybe this year.

I am looking forward to seeing what the downtown area is like in a few years, because I think the potential is immense.

I never understood the STL-KC rivalry, as I have always thought both cities were great in their own right. They're both great cities IMHO, but I've always wondered how much better they could be if their leaders would work together to form an urban agenda that would effectively counter the rural-dominated legislature in Jefferson City. I think the two cities feel as if they are in competition for the same dollars, and while it may not be realistic or possible, I wish leaders from both cities would develop a different attitude and move toward greater cooperation.

Jive, interesting factoid about the taxi license plates. I guess the STL Taxi Commission made this change in the last year or two, because it was only a couple of years ago when STL city and county taxis displayed regular Missouri license plates.

[BG918]

I somehow make it up to KC usually once a year, either on my way somewhere else or for sports (Big 12 championship last December was my most recent trip). I'm cheap and stay away from anywhere cool, in fact the last time I was just north of the river and downtown by some factories! But I always manage to head downtown and especially to the Plaza area, I really like that part of town and it's fun to just drive around there. It's much better in the spring and summer when everything's green for sure.

[lilred731]

I visited KC recently for a funeral. The snow covered grass was great to see. The neighborhood we visited the most was undesirable to me.

BUT there is a GREAT bbq resturant there called Gates bbq. If you have visited there you know what I mean. If you will be visiting KC visit Gates also. I highly recommend it.

My family would like to visit again during the summer to explore other parts. We were mainly in the south KC area by 435 and 71.

[STLtrent]

Gates is overrated IMO. There are many more 'hole-in-the-wall' or 'mom & pop' type places that do it better. For the name recognition, Arthur Bryants is the best.