So how does Kansas City feel? (Lee's Summit, Blue Springs: home, construction, living in)

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by rwocmo

I have a possible interview for a job in Kansas City and was wondering what the area feels like. Is it rather "fast" and big like a large city or does it feel smaller? So as not to prejudice any answers, I won't say which one I prefer. By large I mean a Chicago or even a St. Louis and by small I mean a Wichita or Louisville, KY.

I'm an 11 year transplant from Chicago. (burbs and city)

I think of the 4 you listed St. Louis would be the best match.

They have a symphony, a world class art museum, pro basketball, pro baseball and a steady stream of top concerts routing through the sprint center.

On the plus sides, the cost of living is VERY REASONABLE and I can get to anything in the metro area including the airport in 40minutes tops. I can also be out in the country hiking or biking state parks in minutes.

Basically, it has a really nice blend of the ammenities of a good sized city without the brutal traffic and cost. I would NOT say that it has the density and diverse neighborhoods like you would see in parts of Chicago, the whole urban flavor is not quite as common but there are spots....just not miles and miles of it.

I'd say that unless you are a true "big city lover" like Chicago\NY\LA sized that it will meet your needs.

[aragx6]

The main reason I put STL and KC in different categories as it relates to "fast" is because I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the number of times a KC resident has complained about the drivers in St. Louis (even though to me they're not half as terrifiying as Chicago drivers). And then even my mom came to KC and honked at people just lackadaisically sitting at green lights. It's a pace thing, and, as a whole, KC's is slower.

[kcmo]

People in StL drive slow as heck, but I would agree that KC drivers are even slower (and more clueless/oblivious). As far as driving goes, KC is like a giant small town, not so big city at all. But that doesn't mean kc feels small at all, just lots of non big city drivers to contend with.

A lot of people in KC don't go to many other large cities or are not from large metros (a lot of people in metro kc are one generation from the farm or smalltown) and so when they go to StL and are forced to navigate a large metro they don't know well, it's intimidating and confusing and they often come back thinking it's chicago lite.

[TabulaRasa]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

I don't really understand why "laid back" is stated as being positive. It just means a bit too much apathy and complacency to me regardless of where a city is geographically located.

I don't get why this is difficult to understand. It seems pretty evident that

a. "laid back" carries different connotations to different people, and some may attach negative associations to the term, and some may attach positive associations.

and that

b. people's opinions of what's pleasant differ greatly.

I, for instance, would never associate being apathetic or complacent with being laid back, to me, it's more indicative of being easygoing and not uptight, or things that go at a more relaxed pace. Drive doesn't really factor in. Given my personal interpretation of what characterizes something as laid back, it's obvious that this is a plus, to me. Others might not enjoy an easygoing atmosphere or relaxed pace.

[xenokc]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

I'm an 11 year transplant from Chicago. (burbs and city)

I think of the 4 you listed St. Louis would be the best match.

They have a symphony, a world class art museum, pro basketball, pro baseball and a steady stream of top concerts routing through the sprint center.

Are you talking STL or KC? You recommend STL but mention KC pluses... and neither have pro basketball. KC has nfl, mlb, mls and racetrack. KC is much much stronger than STL in the arts in my opinion. STL is stronger with mass transit and has more older hoods and that's about it. Neither downtowns are what I'd call high energy but both have significantly improved and are about equal in terms of activity. The downtowns tend to only be active during events. KC's Plaza is probably highest energy for day to day pedestrian activity.

[smellykat]

Originally Posted by kcmo

A lot of people in KC don't go to many other large cities or are not from large metros (a lot of people in metro kc are one generation from the farm or smalltown)..

Total BS

Originally Posted by kcmo

and so when they go to StL and are forced to navigate a large metro they don't know well, it's intimidating and confusing and they often come back thinking it's chicago lite.

I know this will be difficult for you, Mr. Super Driver, to comprehend, but most drivers are somewhat intimidated and confused when navigating a larger metro that is unfamiliar to them. It's not some phenomena associated with the dim witted and backwater Kansas Citian as suggested by your narrative.

[kcmo]

dang, you take things so personally.

Where is Kansas City?

It's in the middle of NOWHERE. KC has always been the big city for hundreds of miles and it has always been a primary destination city for all the rural states around it. Rural america is emptying out and going to metro areas and kc gets a large chunk of its residents from the surrounding rural areas (rural including small cities and towns as large as topeka). Yes, I know KC also gets plenty of people from other large cities, but I said "a lot are from small towns.

I also know a lot of people in kc visit other large cities but a lot don't. Why? Because KC is about as big as you get unless you go to StL or much further to Chicago or Dallas.

For example, here, you can't miss the large cities, they are everywhere and everybody is pretty used to driving in them and most are born and raised in large urban areas. In KC, you can live in KC and never really get used to driving in a large metro and so many people there are from much smaller cities and towns.

I'm fine with the Super Driver name. I have driven extensively in EVERY major city in the country and KC drivers are the absolute worst IMO. On the phones, driving 15 mph below the speed limits in low density traffic, can't merge onto highways or get up to speed to merge, left lane hoggers, they can't or refuse to use dual turn lanes etc, but the same drivers fly through the plaza around pedestrians. I can go on and on. It's more noticeable now then ever. Worst drivers ever.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by kcmo

I'm fine with the Super Driver name. I have driven extensively in EVERY major city in the country and KC drivers are the absolute worst IMO. On the phones, driving 15 mph below the speed limits in low density traffic, can't merge onto highways or get up to speed to merge, left lane hoggers, they can't or refuse to use dual turn lanes etc, but the same drivers fly through the plaza around pedestrians. I can go on and on. It's more noticeable now then ever. Worst drivers ever.

Of the four cities in which I've lived (St. Louis, Columbia, Chicago and Kansas City), I would agree. Chicago drivers were truly scary to me, but I've seen more wrecks caused or almost caused here because of exactly the sort of thing kcmo describes above. In Chicago, people would use the on-ramps, which are also known as acceleration lanes ftr, to do just that -- accelerate. I don't know how many times I've seen trucks on the highway here have to slam on their brakes because someone hit I-35 doing 40 miles an hour. That's passive driving and it's wildly dangerous.

And I've almost been hit by a car as a pededtrian here more times than Chicago. People don't look out for pedestrians here -- especially downtown and on the plaza where there are a lot of non-urbanites out driving.

[TabulaRasa]

Having lived both places, I'm LOADS more comfortable with Kansas City drivers than I am Chicago drivers.

[aragx6]

^I don't even disagree with that, and it's no surprise -- Chicago roads must average more than three times as many cars on them during daily commutes. It's when roads are most busy that I tend to feel the most driving anxiety. But I have seen more cars here almost cause an accident than I ever did in Chicago and I had a long commute.