Kansas City area Fanatics - living in KC advice
- Thread starter Gunnerclone
- Start date
I guess I should add, I've been in KC for 5 years since I graduated. Rented in downtown for 2, then in the plaza for 2 and bought a house in Waldo last year. Would recommend Waldo if you were working in the KCMO limits and already had the burden of the 1% city income tax.
Brookside and Waldo are great neighborhoods but you definitely pay for it. I chose to go north Johnson County because I could get a much more reasonably priced and better condition house plus I preferred to be on the KS side for my job and taxes. Houses built in the 1960s vs. those built in the 20s/30s. So you could check out Mission, Westwood, Merriam, and Shawnee. A lot of Johnson County is upper middle class white suburbia and very generic but there's some older neighborhoods with a little more character and a more diverse mixture of people. I'd also look at the Northland as I've seen and heard of some modern/urban developments that could be interesting and less generic suburbia.
The district tilts moderate democrat. I've seen 3 separate BLM peaceful protests within 5 blocks of my house. Never seen a blue lives matter shirt here. The first house in the subdivision proudly displays an "all are welcome" sign in several languages, and they're over 75 years old. Cargo shorts do exist here so I'll concede that point. Maybe if you ever left the shelter of Brookside, you would find people prefer Nike's and Brook's as their primary shoe. I'm wearing flip flop or Van's generally.
I live in Lawrence and have looked on the Kansas side on and off for years, but my wife's job here is just so easy for us.
We have a middle school aged kid so Missouri is really out for us and even if he went private in KC it would be on the Kansas side.
I am a front porch joint smoker and the only places I would live with my kid in KC are:
Prairie Village
Fairway
Westwood
Westwood Hills
Leawood
Roeland Park
Mission Hills
Mission Woods
These guys who want to send you to Lee's Summit and Parkville should also buy you a MAGA hat, because you would need it.
We have a middle school aged kid so Missouri is really out for us and even if he went private in KC it would be on the Kansas side.
I am a front porch joint smoker and the only places I would live with my kid in KC are:
Prairie Village
Fairway
Westwood
Westwood Hills
Leawood
Roeland Park
Mission Hills
Mission Woods
These guys who want to send you to Lee's Summit and Parkville should also buy you a MAGA hat, because you would need it.
Arguing the Brookside sucks because it is more expensive, the people that live there love it and it is in demand is kind of proving my point its the best part of KC.
If you want 4000 sq ft of boring mid life crisis and angry white guys as neighbors, please, go to Lenexa or Overland Park or whatever. We will keep our high property taxes, as it keeps the rif raf out.
If you want 4000 sq ft of boring mid life crisis and angry white guys as neighbors, please, go to Lenexa or Overland Park or whatever. We will keep our high property taxes, as it keeps the rif raf out.
This thread is weird.
I've lived in KC for 25 years. I have a sister that's lived in NKC, Liberty and now in Grain Valley. Another sister lives in Olathe. My SIL lived in some ****** areas in KCK. Good friends live in Waldo, Brookside, Belton, Overland Park and Parkville.
I live in Western Shawnee in one the original subdivisions west of 435. I miss the open spaces I originally lived in since I've seen a lot get built up around me over the years. However, my daughter is in middle school, walks to school, is safe and has good friends nearby. It's perfect for me right now. If I want to hit a concert, go to a brewery, a sporting event, an art exhibit or whatever, I'm there within half an hour. I really don't care if my house is boring to someone else. It doesn't define me. It holds my stuff just fine.
Every area has selling points and negatives when all is said and done. I've found everyone pretty much sticks to their own microcosm yet touts it like it's so much better than the next. In reality, while there are differences, they aren't as large as they appear. It still comes down to people. A good or bad neighbor can skew your perception.
I will say this, though. In terms of smoking a j: about any suburb in JOCO Kansas is put together with families and raising kids in mind. Smoking a joint on your front porch is probably going to generate a call to the police from someone. My BIL stayed with us for a year and we got a visit while he was lighting up one day.
IMO, the political talk is garbage. There are definitely areas of each, but it's much more mixed than people think. It's just people paying attention to the loudest voices and painting with a broad brush. It's rural KS and MO that keeps the states red.
Finally, the roads during the winter are well taken care of, and I can only think of maybe one or two times that I didn't feel safe hopping on an interstate, even during a crappy storm. Ice is more prevalent here than in Iowa, but they generally do a really good job getting in front of it. I find people drive worse in rain than snow.
I've lived in KC for 25 years. I have a sister that's lived in NKC, Liberty and now in Grain Valley. Another sister lives in Olathe. My SIL lived in some ****** areas in KCK. Good friends live in Waldo, Brookside, Belton, Overland Park and Parkville.
I live in Western Shawnee in one the original subdivisions west of 435. I miss the open spaces I originally lived in since I've seen a lot get built up around me over the years. However, my daughter is in middle school, walks to school, is safe and has good friends nearby. It's perfect for me right now. If I want to hit a concert, go to a brewery, a sporting event, an art exhibit or whatever, I'm there within half an hour. I really don't care if my house is boring to someone else. It doesn't define me. It holds my stuff just fine.
Every area has selling points and negatives when all is said and done. I've found everyone pretty much sticks to their own microcosm yet touts it like it's so much better than the next. In reality, while there are differences, they aren't as large as they appear. It still comes down to people. A good or bad neighbor can skew your perception.
I will say this, though. In terms of smoking a j: about any suburb in JOCO Kansas is put together with families and raising kids in mind. Smoking a joint on your front porch is probably going to generate a call to the police from someone. My BIL stayed with us for a year and we got a visit while he was lighting up one day.
IMO, the political talk is garbage. There are definitely areas of each, but it's much more mixed than people think. It's just people paying attention to the loudest voices and painting with a broad brush. It's rural KS and MO that keeps the states red.
Finally, the roads during the winter are well taken care of, and I can only think of maybe one or two times that I didn't feel safe hopping on an interstate, even during a crappy storm. Ice is more prevalent here than in Iowa, but they generally do a really good job getting in front of it. I find people drive worse in rain than snow.
This is the exact same argument for the PV/Fairway area.
Brookside north to the Plaza is the only place on the Missouri side I would live, but it would take more money than I have to do it the way we would want to with my kid.
Is the Waterbury neighborhood in DSM diverse?
Is Roosevelt HS diverse?
I see what you’re doing and it’s dumb.
Waterbury=93% white.
Roosevelt High School=59% white
Note sure where the diversety cutoff is but I'm guessing 93% in Des Moines doesn't cut it.
So you can live in a neighborhood that might not be that diverse and still go to a school that is diverse. Read the OP. Good talk.
Sorry about that, I reread the original post and now see that you mentioned diversity only being important on the school side.
I didn’t attach importance to any of the items I noted. It’s simply a list to get conversation going in the thread. Don’t get too excited about your perceived “gotcha” moment. Go try and cancel someone else.
Another vote for Parkville here. I actually rent near Gladstone and don't mind it. I like being in the north much more than I liked being down south (between Lee's Summit and Grandview). Proximity to the airport is important to me, and living up here also shaves a good 30 min off of my drive whenever commuting between DSM and KC.
kcbob79clone
Well-Known Member
Haven't lived in the area but here is what we learned after many years of living in the metro on both sides of the state line
- winter storms always seem worse North of the river
- Johnson County taxes are really high
- stay out of Jackson County Missouri
- our selection was Cass County which would include parts of Lee's Summit (already mentioned) but you might consider Raymore. Ray-Pec schools were good then but not sure about now
- in KC area, there is no bad bbq, there's just some a little bit better than others
- winter storms always seem worse North of the river
- Johnson County taxes are really high
- stay out of Jackson County Missouri
- our selection was Cass County which would include parts of Lee's Summit (already mentioned) but you might consider Raymore. Ray-Pec schools were good then but not sure about now
- in KC area, there is no bad bbq, there's just some a little bit better than others
At the Big 12 tourney a few years ago one of the guys in our group booked an Airbnb on Van Brunt because it was cheap. Fun times.
