Westport/Plaza safety (Independence, Oran, Miami: low income, apartment, to rent)

[efrenb5]

I have been dreading to ask this question, but my wife is twisting my arm so, here it goes.

How safe would you consider the Westport/Plaza neighborhoods for a Puertorican couple with no children?

Will we get weird looks for living in those neighborhoods?

As some of you may already know, I am planning to move without a car, so my choice of neighborhoods is limited to where the buses' reach. So far, the Main MAX route is looking great for what I need. This takes me to the Westport/Plaza neighborhoods south of Crossroads where my candidate employer has his office.

My wife is worried that we will be the only Latino couple in the area and she may feel like a roach in a chicken dance. I tell her that while it may be true that there will be lots of white people (no offense intended, apologize in advance) around, this doesn't mean that we will be in any danger or be victims of discrimination.

Would you agree? Would you say that the possibility of discrimination happening in those neighborhoods would be higher than, say, any other neighborhood in KC?

[TabulaRasa]

I can't imagine it would even be an issue, honestly.

I live in the Plaza, walking distance to Westport. Hang out in both neighborhoods a lot. As do my friends, who are Latino, black, white, Korean, Indian, etc. The Plaza is touristy, so it's generally full of people of many different ethnicities. And Westport is pretty chill,overall.

[xenokc]

Midtown to Westport/Plaza is one of more diverse areas of city. There are quite a few Latinos, you won't stand out. I just checked and 64111 zip code (Westport/Midtown) is 22% Latino/Hispanic, though like I said it's mostly Mexican/Central American.

Plaza area leans whiter but not 'VWP' (very white people), there are also many Asian/Persian people in the area partly due to UMKC nearby. This area tends to attract people from everywhere who move to KC. There are a lot of ethnic restaurants from Asian to Latin to a recent big increase of MidEast/Med eats to hookah lounges - Egyptian to Moroccan as well as Ethiopian to Indian.

If you want to be around mostly Latinos, check out the W side of downtown around SW Blvd to Summit or NE Side along Independence Ave. But those are lower income areas (compared to the rents you were seeking) and NE Side has pretty high crime. I have several Latino friends in KC who live all over metro including in very white areas. A female friend from Argentina lives alone near City Market downtown - she loves it. It's a non-issue most anywhere in metro.

Many many professionals also live in the urban core stretch along Max Orange line. It's a mix of high and low income and every race. The downtown/midtown to brookside/waldo stretch is best part of KC for those who want urbane living mixed with diversity.

On crime, 64111 zip has its share of crime but is lower than comparable areas of Miami, Minneapolis, STL and DC. I personally don't know of anyone who has been mugged walking down the street but it does apparently happen at times.

If you want safer, check Plaza Library area along MAX line. Volker/Roanoke/W Plaza/w39th is safer than center of midtown/westport too but not near Orange line.

[aragx6]

I don't blame your wife for wondering about a new area, but honestly this is absolutely a non issue. Particularly in Westport, which is one of the most diverse places I've ever lived.

[TabulaRasa]

True. If cultural diversity were important to me, Westport would probably be near the top of my neighborhood list.

[TabulaRasa]

To whomever repped me, KCK is indeed diverse, but not a neighborhood. It's a separate city.

[xenokc]

Found another source by zipcode that is updated for 2010. For Westport/Midtown (64111), it shows 15% hispanic and 7% other, which tends to be mostly Latino/Hispanic so maybe why other sources say 22% Hispanic. That area is 73% white (including Hispanic) and 15% black. It actually says there are about 46 Puerto Ricans in that zip...

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

Here is Plaza zip and further south... more white, a bit more asian than latino...
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

[efrenb5]

You guys are awesome! This is even better news than I expected. We are not that concerned about a low PR population, but rather being the only non-whites around. This information is priceless to my wife and gives us a better idea of what to expect.

I just received an e-mail for a second interview. If things go well, I could have an offer by the end of next week. If so, I'll be sure to post another thread asking about good brokers in the area.

By the way, I have noticed that some places in Westpost/Plaza can go as low as $700 in some complexes for a two bedroom. Are these good real options or should I be very careful of them?

Thank you all again.

[TabulaRasa]

Most of what I've seen/lived in is closer to that price for 1BRs, but it depends on the building. It doesn't necessarily mean that the apt. is shady. More likely just not huge/exceptionally updated. There are a number of vintage 1920s-30s buildings that are in various states of retrofitting, and that can contribute to pricing. For instance, in the vintage buildings, central air is not a given, and things like that can contribute to rent breaks, etc.

[efrenb5]

Awesome. I'm sure the first place I pick won't be the last. After all, I would be picking the first place with some rush. Just want to know that those places are viable at all.

For places that require a pet deposit, do you know if I can begin living in the apartment without paying the deposit (I won't have my cats when I first move in), and once my wife comes over I pay the deposit?