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Personally, from what I've seen in OP it leans fiscally conservative, socially ambivalent. I think, at their core, many people are quite conservative, and I by no means claim to know everyone in the county, but I ran into more apathy out there than I was used to. I think my neighborhood suggestions remain the same based on this second post. Are you planning to rent? That might be best until you get the lay of the land and can really find a place you fit.
Do you or any other of the other posters feel that Overland Park or North K.C. mirrors Orange County or Northern San Diego County in any way regarding the live and let live open mind-set you have in much of that area, or would it be on the slightly more conservative side and feel a lot like the Dallas/Houston Area suburbs --Plano, McKinney, Frisco, Woodlands...etc
Overland Park is more like Orange County than KC North is. KC North is part blue collar blue, part white collar/service industry yet is more 'country' in terms of demeanor of people compared to Joco and Orange County yet KCN is still not as red compared to outer Houston areas.
Orange County/JoCo is more fiscally conservative than socially conservative as aragx said, with some exceptions.
KC North has a fair amount of retail stores and is the fastest growing area on the MO side (and Lee's Summit) but JoCo and Plaza to Brookside area have a lot more high end retail if that matters to you.
BTW, JoCo = Johnson County, the county Overland Park is in.
Possible job transfer to Kansas City/Overland Park area.
How progressive is the Kansas City area --- We live in Houston which was a huge culture shock for me, VERY socially conservative and evangelical like the majority of Texas, lot's of rednecks once you get 15 miles outside the major cities of TX - We would prefer a more balanced and progressive culture - I think we would be considered fiscally conservative and socially liberal - prefer Independent Libertarianism aka Libertarian approach to government - I think Orange County,parts of Upper New England and Colorado seem to embrace this type of political culture.
Both of us grew up Catholic, but don't attend church on a regular basis and when we do we go to a great Episcopal church in Houston -- How would you describe the overall culture and politics in K.C?
I grew up Protestant, but haven't attended church in more than 15 years. Kansas City is not nearly as Catholic as St. Louis/Chicago/Minneapolis, but Catholic enough for the fast food restaurants to advertise fish sandwich specials every Lent.
The politics are more mixed than people realize, but leaning conservative, particularly in Kansas. Missouri is especially interesting, because the two urban centers of St. Louis and Kansas City can vote Democrat, collecting enough votes to overtake solidly Republican voting blocks from the rest of Missouri. Conservatives are more visible in the media and in charge of both state legislatures, but Missouri has a Democratic Governor. The more rural you travel, the more conservative and religious it becomes.
Kansas City, in general, has been resistant to change over the years, regardless of political spectrum. They have taken some big steps in the last five to seven years with the revival of downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
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How would you compare Kansas City in terms of its overall quality of life, regional culture, weather, higher education options and the region's metro's overall financial outlook to other similar sized Midwestern cities - St. Louis, Columbus, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Indy etc. (Our other option is Columbus)
The metro's financial outlook is somewhat stable. We have a broad mix of companies: Sprint, AMC, H&R Block, American Century, Cerner, Garmin, Hallmark, YRC and several architectural firms are all headquartered here. Ford and General Motors have large assembly plants, making popular vehicles like the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Malibu. But all have experienced layoffs. There is a bit of a business war, with Kansas and Missouri poaching the other state's jobs. You get much more bang for your buck here than most other urban centers.
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Entertainment -Outside of the Plaza and Westport we really didn't get a chance to see much else of K.C. In terms of dining and entertainment, where are some of the best spots to enjoy on weekends including interesting places, museums, favorite outdoor recreation spots and local weekend getaways
Weekend getaways? Go to my hometown, Lawrence, Kansas, which has a vibrant downtown and a university culture. Missouri has several wineries within driving distance, as well as a huge lake culture.
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Sports - I love Pro sports NFL and MLB, but also love to play soccer and mountain bike (no hills in Houston), how would you rate the area for indoor/outdoor sports and recreation for adults & children?
The metro area, especially Johnson County, has high youth sports participation. Youth soccer is huge in the spring and fall, and baseball in the spring/summer. Johnson County has multiple adult indoor and outdoor soccer leagues too (I played in the indoor leagues). Softball is big for adults in the summer. I have friends playing in adult volleyball and basketball leagues. If you enjoy running, there is a 5k or 10k almost every week, it seems.
College sports are a big deal for the alums of Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri, whom you would encounter in bunches. Even the graduates of smaller schools, like, Emporia State or Northwest Missouri State, will align with one of the big state schools. But perhaps you saw that in Houston with Texas and Texas A&M alums.
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Weather - I know it gets hot and humid there in the summer,(not nearly as hot as Texas) does anyone get bad seasonal allergies, (Houston is tough on allergies) What are the summer months like, & how much heavy snowfall does the area get in the winter months? What type of activities do people do in the winter to keep themselves busy and entertained (especially if you have young children).
You will experience a wider variety of weather here than Houston. We have four distinct, mostly equal seasons, with a slight edge to summer.
December-February: Winter. High temperatures in the 20s/30s/40s. Average winter snowfall is 20", but we greatly exceeded it the last two winters. Winter air is usually dry.
March: tossup. A couple of years ago we had 9" of snow on the first day of spring. But other years the weather will warm up quickly. High temperatures 40s/50s. Precipitation is usually rain.
April-May: Spring. These are the rainiest months of the year. Temperatures 50s/60s. Flowers will bloom in May. May and June are peak tornado months.
June-September: Summer. Temperatures 70s-100s. July and August are the hottest months, and usually dry (not nearly as humid as Houston, but not dry like west Texas). The tornado threat usually diminishes after June as the jet stream lifts north. September is when my ragweed allergy explodes.
October-November: Fall. Temperatures 50s-60s. The leaves change colors for about two weeks in October before the first cold wind blows it all away. My birthday is in November, and snow has fallen on my birthday a couple of times, but other years, the temperature has risen above 70.
Last edited by RadioSilence; 08-22-2011 at 03:35 PM..
The history of neighborhoods/ suburban development may also help you understand the culture of the residents and the aesthetics of the housing stock.
Kansas City downtown and its immediate surroundings goes back to the turn of the last century. The oldest neighborhoods that still survive from those times are Midtown and some other areas between Westport and downtown. Generally, the strongest neighborhoods are west of Troost (the city east of Troost has been somewhat abandoned since the 1960s). The Plaza was developed in the 1920s, as were the neighborhoods to its south -- Country Club, Brookside (MO) and Mission Hills (KS). The next ring of suburbs, namely Prairie Village, northern Leawood, northern Overland Park, south KC, etc., were developed in the 1940s-1950s. Next you have Lenexa, southern OP, southern Leawood -- mostly built out in the 1980s. The fringe suburbs (south of 119th street), Olathe, etc., mostly built since the 1990s. This is the primary development pattern for KC -- the city and points south in JoCo.
Much of the other suburbia north and east of KC was developed in 2 spurts -- the 1960s with the airport, and recently all over the map in "subdivisions" (since the 1990s). KCK is older stock, and has its own pattern.
The public schools in KC proper or KCK are probably not going to satisfy. In Johnson County and the Missouri suburbs, the public schools are good. KC has a smattering of decent private schools and also a good selection of Catholic schools. Quite a few "City Catholics" I know swear by Brookside, which is within city limits, centered around 63d and Wornall.
Quite a few "City Catholics" I know swear by Brookside, which is within city limits, centered around 63d and Wornall.
Yeah, Brookside is Catholic central in the metro area - more contemporary attitude than STL/E Coast Catholics (I'm from STL). There is also a contemp Episcopalian private school in Midtown that is so popular (and wealthy, most are not practicing), there's a long waiting list to get in.
If you want to be closer to city living with kids and you're Catholic, you can't beat Brookside. If you want United States of Generica suburbia with mainstream consumers and newer homes, Overland Park would fit the bill and maybe KC North. I think Liberty leans pretty Catholic - but is long haul to OP for work.
Hmm... All these JOCO comparisons with Orange County. I was right all along! JOCO just does not have much in common with the Midwest at all. KCMO does. After living in many areas of the core of the Midwest, JOCO definitely has a very distinct postmodern, high tech, new age, faster pace feel compared to many areas. Density also tells a big story with JOCO now having a HIGHER population density average for the entire county compared to Jackson County, MO (KCMO).
We currently in Upper Kirby right off Westheimer, close to River Oaks and Rice Village very central, we used to live in Katy/Cinco Ranch area the first year we moved to Houston which was extremely boring along with being very socially conservative
Where you live now is an area I knew well. An interesting galaxy of disparate neighborhoods there along Kirby Drive. That would be quite a change from Katy, ha-ha...the difference between having breakfast at Perkins and having it at House of Pies. (I do miss that place!)
Well, if KC had a House of Pies, you'd probably find it in Westport, or maybe Brookside, or even somewhere in Midtown on Broadway or Main. Eclectic neighborhoods all, sadly burdened by the curse of subpar Kansas City schools. Also, you mentioned newer housing, so....
I think you should take a look at Leawood, Kansas, a small affluent suburb that abuts KCMO along the state line. The area I'm thinking about is bounded approximately by State Line Road on the east, Roe Avenue on the west, 83rd Street on the north, and 119th Street on the south. The farther south you go, the newer the houses. There are houses in your price range, and many more expensive than that. The schools are excellent and you will find it, if not exciting or lively (think quiet, safe, tree-lined streets), at least convenient to places you may be driving to on a regular basis. Overland Park south of the 635 freeway may suit you as well, but that puts you farther from central KCMO and its attractions. For what it's worth, the Asian population seems to be choosing southern Johnson County, Kansas in strong preference to other parts of the region.
You asked about a live and let live mindset: does Overland Park or KC North more resemble Orange County, California on the one hand, or Texas towns like Plano on the other? Are Plano and Orange County so different, really? In my experience, wherever you find well-educated, well-read people -- and you can find them in abundance in California, in Texas, and in Kansas City too, with a bit of investigation -- the attitude is basically live and let live. Funny though, it's the small things that get to people. In an average upper middle income neighborhood of college-degreed residents, they don't care what you think or who you vote for, they don't care where you go to church, or whether you believe in a supreme being, they don't care who you sleep with. But paint your house a different color or let your grass go unmowed too long...someone is liable to say something.
My SO and I are both transplants, as well...came to the area around five years ago. We're early 30s, no kids. I'm a native midwesterner, but my previous urban living experience prior to KC was in Chicago. My SO is a New Yorker who came to KC after time spent living and working in Texas.
Each of us loves KC, and is glad to have moved here. My SO came for a job when a company headhunted him while he was working in Austin. I met him shortly thereafter and moved to the city to close the gap on our long-distance relationship. We both adore it, and, after a couple of years renting and testing out various neighborhoods/areas, decided to buy a home, so we're here for the long haul and feel great about that.
We both love the affordability. We both are musicians (for fun vs. for full-time work, although my SO has been known to take a paid jazz piano gig here and there), and like that we haven't had to sacrifice the fine arts...there's a strong arts community here. As a midwesterner by birth, I like the general down-to-earth vibe/lack of BS, but, depending on the suburb, the more suburban you get, the less down-to-earth it can be. That's anywhere, though. We actually live in a MO side suburb these days, after initially living in the urban core, and find it to be anything but pretentious. There are all kinds of communities in the metro, with all kinds of varying character. The quality of life is great for me, but it's a personal thing, of course. I was raised very rurally, lived very urban as a young adult, have done the small town thing, and now am experiencing suburban existence, so I've got a pretty broad basis for comparison. Right now, I have a good job, urban amenities and cultural offerings easily accessible, can shop for necessities easily and without a commute, and drive 15 minutes and be out in the country looking up at the stars while a cow moos and crickets chirp, like I enjoyed as a kid. It's pretty ideal, for me.
The community where I live now, Lee's Summit, is one of the MO side suburbs that seems to be popular with families. I know our neighborhood is home to many families with grade school aged children. It has schools that consistently perform well. I work in education and have lots of dealings with most of the metro school districts, and there are numerous suburban districts on either side of the state line that are well-regarded, to balance out the quality/accreditation problems of the urban districts. You will doubtless hear that a certain suburban district is the "only way to go;" regardless of this, I urge you to do your own investigating and not swallow the line wholesale, based on my professional experiences.
As far as progressive atmosphere, KC has the capacity to be as progressive as any other metropolitan area in the heart of the country...that is to say, not necessarily as overtly progressive as either coast, but more progressive than much of the south. You'll have your progressive pockets, and your staunchly traditional areas. I consider myself a liberal, my SO is considerably more conservative and self-identifies as libertarian, and neither of us feels out of place in the climate in KC proper (KS side tends to see the most vociferous conservative constituency, I think, but the Jackson Country Republican Party does have large presence in my community...surprisingly, I don't really see much evidence of this in my day-to-day life...my neighbors are all moderate-to-liberal. My SO has noted that people speak far more openly about their religious views (and a greater percentage of the population seems to even espouse particular religious views) here than he has experienced elsewhere (i.e. in New York); to me, it's not so markedly different than what I experienced growing up in Illinois. But you can be as churchgoing or as non-churchgoing as you want in KC, and nobody's really going to bat an eye. I attend a progressive Lutheran church, as is my lifelong affiliation, and my SO, a lapsed Catholic who grapples with various questions of faith often attends with me b/c he likes the people.
As far as entertainment, I could write a long time about that, but suffice to say that there is ALWAYS something going on; often, it's free. So many times, I've had to make tough choices, because there IS so much going on that I couldn't be two or three places at once. But it all depends on what you're into. Most of our interests lie in music and local festivals and celebrations. I'm not a huge sports nut, but do love my summers at the Royals. My SO is a hockey diehard, and we have a CHL affiliate that's a couple of seasons old and they put on a surprisingly good show. College athletics and allegiances are big. My workplace CONSTANTLY does intermural athetics all over the metro...we've had kickball teams, softball teams, dodgeball teams, participated in Corporate Challenge...Rollerderby is also a presence in the metro in case your wife has a riot grrl streak. Lots of outdoor options (although no mountains, obviously). Lake culture is big...not my cup of tea, but others seem to enjoy it.
There are rednecks here...it's the great plains. But there are also tons of people who aren't rednecks.
Weather...the summer heat can get oppressive, and the humidity, in my experience is pretty intense. The winters are an absolute cakewalk, by my standards (bearing in mind that my basis for comparison is mostly northern IL, WI, and MN). This past winter had a more significant amount of snowfall than most, but even at that rate, not bad. Because it's warm enough to support lots of flowering trees and tons of varieties of pollenating grasses and weeds, seasonal allergies can be killer, here. I'd never suffered from seasonal allergies in my life, until I moved here. I still am only minimally affected, though; my poor SO suffers horribly in both spring and fall, and also in the summer when it's really humid and the mold spore count rises. I don't have small children to entertain in the winter, but I do a lot of outings with the youth I work with, and sledding hills and skating rinks are popular when weather permits. It's seldom cold and snowy enough to be truly shut in, though, for anything long-term.
Last edited by TabulaRasa; 08-22-2011 at 07:55 PM..
aragx6- Are you planning to rent? That might be best until you get the lay of the land and can really find a place you fit. I would look at Fairway, Mission, Prairie Village or Shawnee to start (in that order)
aragx6 -- thank's so much for your recommendations regarding the inner ring suburbs, lot's of solid options and definitely on my radar for the end of this week. We would definitely rent for the first year to see if this is the area we would like to settle in and make a permanent home --- Any new apartment or loft recommendations for those areas would be helpful -- 2-3 bedrooms 2 bath. Rent $1200-$1450.
RadioSilence- Go to my hometown, Lawrence, Kansas, which has a vibrant downtown and a university culture. Missouri has several wineries within driving distance, as well as a huge lake culture.
Excellent Post!!
All of the things you mention here are very appealing to us, they're are a good number of people living in Houston that are originally from the Kansas City metro area and many of them go back to the Lake of the Ozarks and Stockton lake for their vacations and visit the wineries in the summer and early fall....they always tell me how nice it is there.
I have got to make it out to Lawrence, KS this weekend, I understand it's only 30-35 miles from K.C. with some great culture, vibrant downtown, a beautiful campus on the hill and a pretty spectacular basketball team.
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But perhaps you saw that in Houston with Texas and Texas A&M alums.
LOL - That's for sure, too many --- I'm more of a UT Fan!
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