Kansas City #2 - Quality Hill

[James Bond Agent 007]

This one could almost go in the downtown thread I just made, since it's basically part of downtown, but it does have it's own identity and vibe so I'll make a separate thread for it.

I took these in early March. I might add to this thread on occasion as well.

Quality Hill is KC's oldest residential-only neighborhood. Victorian houses with lots of new stuff mixed in. It was like a combination of Pioneer Square (Seattle) and 4th Ward (Charlotte).

[James Bond Agent 007]

From a few weeks ago. This is one of the projects going up on Quality Hill.





This is the view they'll get. Yes there are some decent views in Kansas City. It's hillier I think than a lot of people probably envision it.



And (sort-of) across the street to the south, another project. Don't have the names of these things memorized yet.

[Murphy de la Sucre]

Isn't it DTKCKS far away?

I used to stay at a motel nearby.

[James Bond Agent 007]

Downtown KCK is the little skyline in the 2nd pic from the bottom.

[Centropolis]

i built up some phat-azz calf muscles in that town on my fixie.

[xzmattzx]

Nice pictures. I like the view of Downtown Kansas City Kansas! Do you happen to know why the Middouri side flourished into the big city, and the Kansas side is smaller?

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Nice pictures. I like the view of Downtown Kansas City Kansas! Do you happen to know why the Middouri side flourished into the big city, and the Kansas side is smaller?

I can answer that!

Take a look at this map. Kansas City developed at a natural landing on the Missouri River, where the bluff isn't quite as steep. Just to its west, there's a highly defensible point with commanding vistas along the Missouri and up the Kaw river valleys. It's an excellent site to build a city.

While Kansas City, KS, is closer to the Kaw's mouth than KCMO, its site isn't as optimal. Its bluff is much steeper, and it doesn't have quite the natural defensibleness KCMO has -- while it's arguable the Missouri River viewshed, especially downstream, is superior, its Kaw River viewshed is much curtailed due to the way the latter river turns north just before emptying into the Missouri. And -- unlike KCMO, which has a relatively gentle hillside between the bluffs -- KCKS just doesn't have a particularly good natural landing; the Missouri is on the far side of its alluvial valley at that point.

That's basically the ca. 1840s logic that put KC on the MO side rather than the KS one, and by the time tech levels passed that, KCMO was already off to the races as the region's main center.

[twan2001]

ah, my old stomping ground. I lived in one of the condos for 5 years. till this day, that was the best place that i've ever lived. man i miss it.

[The North One]

Beautiful city, thanks for the tour!

[kcexpress69]

Nice little community in Downtown KC!! It was one of the first areas redeveloped within the loop. The townhouses were built in the mid to late 80s.

[Urbannizer]

So fascinating! Keep the KC pics coming!

[James Bond Agent 007]

A few I took on February 19.