Is Kansas City "country" I don't think so. (Independence: transplants, 2014)

[kcmo]

50 Largest U.S. Cities Ranked From Most “Country” To Least | Estately Blog

I know some people have always said that KC should embrace it's agricultural and cowtown roots, but I have never really noticed KC having much actual cowtown culture at all. It has always had an agribusiness culture dating back to the stockyards, the board of trade (which I know just moved to Chicago) and the numerous agribusinesses that exist in the area today. But you rarely see cowboy hats, even horse trailers etc. Country music has always come in after urban and rock. Freeways are not clogged with pickup trucks etc.

I have never had a problem with KC doing more with the stockyards etc, It's just not really an image that fits KC like it does Fort Worth, Nashville, OKC or even Dallas or Houston. Even the FFA left and when they did, it seems like they took all the fans of the American Royal with them as the AR draws tiny crowds compared to similar events in other cities.

While I think KC has a very suburban culture, I don't find KC to be very country at all and I think this list actually shows that to some degree even though KC ranked 15th. The only reason the city cracked the top 15 (or 30 for that matter) is because it ranked number one in the BBQ category. Every other category KC didn't rank very "country" compared to most other middle of the country cities that most would label as country.

I just spent two weeks in Texas and have spent a great deal of time in large OK and TX cities over the past few years plus many more visits before that. KC is not even remotely close to being culturally similar to places in TX, OK and other southern states where a huge percent of the population drives large pickup trucks (no matter where they live or what they do for a living) where churches are far larger and there are more of them, where high school and college sports, nascar etc number one on the entertainment lists etc.

KC is more northern than southern to me. More in line with Chicago, Omaha, Minneapolis despite its cowtown/stockyards history and nationally stereotyped "country" image.

Same deal with KC being redneck. I know the city was listed as one of the most redneck based on a few silly things like how many walmarts and gun shops are in the city (which is just because of all the suburban land within city limits).

KC is not very redneck although some suburban areas can be that way.

What do others think?

[TabulaRasa]

Having grown up legitimately "country," um...no.

[pacificwhim]

Couldn't agree more. Having been a lifelong West Coaster before moving here, there's no way in hell I would have suggested to my wife that we relocate to her childhood home of KC if I thought it was a ****kicker cowtown. I do get a kick out of people coming here and inevitably saying, "Wow, I had no idea."

[CrownVic95]

I don't know - a 15th ranking might be about right for a list comparing only the 50 largest cities. But I think therein lies the flaw....and the fallacy in calling it "15 Most Country Cities in America".

There are many smaller cities, like Cheyenne for example, that are much more country than most of those in the big city list. The small to mid-size towns are where most of the real "country" is. Many more in Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada that would be more "country" than most on that list.

[northbound74]

It has elements of that sort of thing, but country isn't a word I'd use. Certainty not like the TX and OK cities you mentioned.
One the other hand, KC isn't as detatched and clueless about rural culture as some larger cities can be.

[MOKAN]

I'm probably the only one who wishes Kansas City were more country and had a stronger Southern influence.

I think Tulsa has a nice balance between urbane and country. I like how they have a very popular fair and a big sporting goods store both just a few miles from downtown. I like how Tulsa represents its rural surroundings better and how they're seemingly more a part of the mix. It's really a shame either Cabela's or Bass Pro wasn't built on the Kansas River in the bottoms somehow. I think that would have been really cool. Actually, it would be have been so cool if pretty much all of the Village West stuff were in the west bottoms and downtown KCK and brought a whole different element/demographic toward the center of the metro. And like I've said before, it would be really neat if the west bottoms were something like the Fort Worth Stockyards.

You could say in other words I'm saying Kansas City isn't country enough, and so I agree it's not very country. I'm not so sure those rankings are too far off though.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by MOKAN

I'm probably the only one who wishes Kansas City were more country and had a stronger Southern influence.

I think Tulsa has a nice balance between urbane and country. I like how they have a very popular fair and a big sporting goods store both just a few miles from downtown. I like how Tulsa represents its rural surroundings better and how they're seemingly more a part of the mix. It's really a shame either Cabela's or Bass Pro wasn't built on the Kansas River in the bottoms somehow. I think that would have been really cool. Actually, it would be have been so cool if pretty much all of the Village West stuff were in the west bottoms and downtown KCK and brought a whole different element/demographic toward the center of the metro. And like I've said before, it would be really neat if the west bottoms were something like the Fort Worth Stockyards.

You could say in other words I'm saying Kansas City isn't country enough, and so I agree it's not very country. I'm not so sure those rankings are too far off though.

Well, you know my thoughts on that. Downtown KCK could be pretty much a carbon copy (probably even better) than downtown Oklahoma City if just half of Village West were built in the KS side of the bottoms and Downtown KCK. The track, water park, NFM, walmart etc could stay out west and the casino, outlet mall, sporting stadium, tbones park and cerner could be in downtown KCK. You are right, I would bring a whole new demographic to the urban part of KC and create sort of a suburban type development that suburbanites like in the city. So a lot lot what OKC has done with their downtown. It would compliment KCMO.

Originally Posted by northbound74

It has elements of that sort of thing, but country isn't a word I'd use. Certainty not like the TX and OK cities you mentioned.
One the other hand, KC isn't as detatched and clueless about rural culture as some larger cities can be.

True. KC is not country at all, but country culture is very accessible from the city.

[KC_Sleuth]

Is NASCAR considered country, or Southern? NASCAR seems to be way more popular here than anywhere else I have lived (Boston, Buffalo, and Austin). I do think that there are a lot more transplants from small towns (a.k.a. "the country") than anywhere else I have lived before, so in that sense I suppose their experiences probably shape the culture of KC a bit; but I don't think the city is overly country.


Aside from the music scene, which it has in abundance...I find Nashville to be much more cosmopolitan than country. It's also very corporate and touristy. There is a lot of urban infill and it is becoming more dense; our IT office is in an old urban warehouse in the Gulch...a neat urban Nashville neighborhood. They have a hockey team and nice cultural amenities (I wish KC had an NHL team). Our zoo, museums, and galleries are better though. Really the biggest thing lacking is the NHL team. Our football stadium is neater, but their's is in a better location.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by KC_Sleuth

Is NASCAR considered country, or Southern? NASCAR seems to be way more popular here than anywhere else I have lived (Boston, Buffalo, and Austin).

Aside from the music scene, which it has in abundance...I find Nashville to be much more cosmopolitan than country. It's also very corporate and touristy. There is a lot of urban infill and it is becoming more dense; our IT office is in an old urban warehouse in the Gulch...a neat urban Nashville neighborhood. They have a hockey team and nice cultural amenities (I wish KC had an NHL team).

NASCAR seems to be a bit of both, but I think KC having a major track is why it's popular there. I pretty much hate nascar, but I have been to several races in KC just because it was something to do and I got free tickets. I'm not sure the actual fan base of NASCAR is really all that different in KC than most cities. The track draws from a huge area. Indy races draw a completely different demographic and those races also draw well in KC. I wish KC had an urban race. I have gone to the Baltimore Grand Prix and I enjoy those. An annual event like that would be great for Downtown KC.

I agree on Nashville though. It's sort of a sophisticated country culture, very different from Fort Worth, OKC, even San Antonio etc, but still "country". Nashville has more of a urban twist.

And yes, KC needs an NHL team. KC is awesome in the spring through fall months, but there is not much to do in KC in the winter. I think an NHL team would do great in KC. I hear the minor league team in Independence is doing very well.

[TabulaRasa]

Originally Posted by kcmo

True. KC is not country at all, but country culture is very accessible from the city.

Accurate.

And not something I personally see as a bad thing. For me, it was a draw, since I have nothing but fondness for legitimately rural culture, having spent half my life in it. Zero interest in NASCAR, though.