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^I agree with the core premise of pretty much everything he says and have probably traveled the world more broadly than he has. But he takes a knife twisting approach sometimes (toward legitimate issues in KC) that almost comes across as flamebait then alters it with a pro-KC post. I have a bipolar relative who takes the exact same approach, finding the wounded spots (that are indeed real) then drag it in dirt for everyone to see, using 'just trying to have a conversation' tactics. He hasn't live in KC for what, 5 years and is self-proclaimed expert on KC (or all things urban that KC is doing wrong). Is relentless with the knife twisting and then a half-hearted compliment here and there. It's just his style.
I do agree with all weaknesses of KC he points out though, just not the knife twisting approach he takes to 'discuss' it in his view and the CoC sugar coated view that he thinks I only have. I really like the progress that is being made in the City core - yeah, it's not at the rate of other cities and some errors are still made but I am really enjoying the progress there is so are others including many who moved here from larger markets. He's been away too long to understand and just sees where it's not as ideal as other cities and makes sure we know that, using a jagged knife. But I also agree with him KC has too many anti-urban suburban people (like you) compared to metros that are progressing at a faster rate.
All right on. Your post made you sound like some kid from a kansas farm in a city for the first time. What else can I say. And yes, KU people wearing KU crap everywhere they travel is hick. We all have our opinions . I'll leave it at that.
You hate urban areas. Got it.
Try to reply to my last post if you can, otherwise I have nothing else to say here.
Good day, I have to go, need to catch a train with people that may not be like me. Might even say hi to the guy that will no doubt ask me for change...
And you sound insecure. But wait - you must be important if you are going to catch a train! Let me be impressed!!!!
^I agree with the core premise of pretty much everything he says and have probably traveled the world more broadly than he has. But he takes a knife twisting approach sometimes (toward legitimate issues in KC) that almost comes across as flamebait then alters it with a pro-KC post. I have a bipolar relative who takes the exact same approach, finding the wounded spots (that are indeed real) then drag it in dirt for everyone to see, using 'just trying to have a conversation' tactics. He hasn't live in KC for what, 5 years and is self-proclaimed expert on KC (or all things urban that KC is doing wrong). Is relentless with the knife twisting and then a half-hearted compliment here and there. It's just his style.
I do agree with all weaknesses of KC he points out though, just not the knife twisting approach he takes to 'discuss' it in his view and the CoC sugar coated view that he thinks I only have. I really like the progress that is being made in the City core - yeah, it's not at the rate of other cities and some errors are still made but I am really enjoying the progress there is so are others including many who moved here from larger markets. He's been away too long to understand and just sees where it's not as ideal as other cities and makes sure we know that, using a jagged knife. But I also agree with him KC has too many anti-urban suburban people (like you) compared to metros that are progressing at a faster rate.
I can appreciate your comments. I will be the first to say that while I don't understand the "need" to revitalize the urban core, I have no problem with it. It's not where I choose to live, but I'm not going to say others shouldn't. But part of what makes Kansas City Kansas City is that it is NOT like other cities, and I wouldn't want to be like Chicago and eventually Detroit.
I would look to Seattle and Minneapolis as well-balanced urban/suburban cities, not Chicago or Detroit. I agree with most economists that strong metros need a strong city core. In order to have a strong city core, it needs metro wide support, which KC too often lacks.
I would look to Seattle and Minneapolis as well-balanced urban/suburban cities, not Chicago or Detroit. I agree with most economists that strong metros need a strong city core. In order to have a strong city core, it needs metro wide support, which KC too often lacks.
I don't know who would be at fault for that, but there are a lot of things that I think Johnson Countians would support if they were asked, but we are never asked. It's like we aren't considered part of the Kansas City metro in the eyes of KCMO. I know you weren't talking about taxes or financial support, necessarily, but I have always thought that Kaufmann and Arrowhead should be supported by the entire metro. But as long as I've been here, no one has asked Johnson County to be a part of anything on the Missouri side.
I live in the JoCo Bubble because I choose to. I lived in urban Kansas City in my 20s and I wanted to live in Johnson County instead.
I don't think people anywhere overwhelmingly want an urban lifestyle. I really don't. My God - there are people who grew up in an urban lifestyle who would love to get OUT! And I don't buy that kids growing up in Overland Park don't want an urban lifestyle because it has been "pounded into their heads" that downtown is bad and dangerous. If anything, that would make a kid WANT to live there, if their parents were telling them not to!
My kids are all in their 20s. They all live in Overland Park. One of my kids was going to move downtown a couple of years ago with a friend, but changed her mind because the apartment was expensive and really not that nice for the money, and there had been some crime issues in the area, and the apartment smelled like mold. Some of their friends live in urban KC, but not a lot of them. Of the ones who do, I know at least some of them live in areas like Hyde Park because it's cheaper than living in Johnson County, not necessarily because they want to live in an urban area. Honestly, more of their friends live in Lawrence, even if they aren't going to school, than in urban KC.
I really hope we DON'T become like Chicago or other cities who are more "in balance."
And that's fine that you have the area you desire to live in. But the metro areas with healthy, desireable urban cores are the metro areas that are growing much faster than KC.
You seem to associate "urban lifestyle" with ghetto, poor people, drugs, filth, crime, etc. Have you ever seen an urban neighborhood where the majority of people are upper middle class and higher? Because those exist. I don't think there are many poor people on welfare living in those high rises on the south side of the Plaza. Or anywhere surrounding the Plaza. Not all urban areas are the south side of Chicago or burned out Detroit. And I do know people who live in Hyde Park who would never consider moving out to JoCo because they love being in the middle of things. And their houses are quite nice.
And you're right.. I grew up in OP and couldn't wait to get out. As soon as I could drive, I was spending time in KCMO, in the city. Not that everywhere I've lived was some urban oasis, but I always had a more adventurous side.
I don't know who would be at fault for that, but there are a lot of things that I think Johnson Countians would support if they were asked, but we are never asked. It's like we aren't considered part of the Kansas City metro in the eyes of KCMO. I know you weren't talking about taxes or financial support, necessarily, but I have always thought that Kaufmann and Arrowhead should be supported by the entire metro. But as long as I've been here, no one has asked Johnson County to be a part of anything on the Missouri side.
I would assume the state line is probably to blame for that. Denver doesn't seem to have that in-fighting that KC has. The entire metro area came together and voted to build out an extensive light rail system that runs through parts of 6 different counties. But I never hear anyone from one part of the metro area putting down other parts, as is done in KC. My own family is a perfect example. Part of my family is on the MO side, part on the KS side, and I can't think of a single instance where anyone moved across that nasty state line!
Maybe you should have vacationed in Denver to see a vibrant urban core/downtown. Urban Denver is not an unpleasant place to live. If it were, they wouldn't be building thousands of condos and apartments. Rents wouldn't be high either. Denver's (the city) population has risen from something like 450K residents in 1990 to now over 600K. People move to this city for it's urban environment.
You say that typically, urban cores become undesireable. What year are you living in? 1975?? Your attitude is typical of JoCo residents in the 70s and 80s. Do you ever watch Househunters on HGTV? They often show people looking for urban homes. It's definitely a trend that's mostly bypassed KC, apparently. Although I did see a couple episodes where people in KC were looking for urban homes. It seems to me like you just hate cities and are completely incapable of understanding why anyone would want to live in an urban ares, so you don't care what happens to urban KC.
As for San Francisco, I'm sorry you don't like people who don't look and act like old upper middle class people in JoCo. I've been on the train in Denver and saw a very wide variety of people, but I don't expect everyone to be just like me. If you just can't stand anything urban, stay in the 'burbs. But don't expect the rest of the world to agree with you.
I have vacationed in Denver, including downtown. My brother lives there.
I know people like urban areas. That's not necessarily new, it's just that it used to be New York, etc where people revamped old buildings for living areas. It doesn't mean I have to want that for myself.
You apparently are uninformed about Prairie Village because it's not all old upper middle class people. Actually there are a lot of young families in Prairie Village, so much that there are complaints about some of the classes being overcrowded.
I don't expect everyone to be like me, either. I never said that. I also don't expect everyone to agree with me. And in fact, I said the opposite. But everyone doesn't agree with you, either. Yes, there are more people who want to live in urban areas than in the past.
The things I don't like about urban areas are things I would think other people wouldn't like, either - crime, homelessness, and living in close quarters. If you like it, that's fine. But most people try to move AWAY from that, not to it.
I have no problem with people who are different than me. That doesn't mean I have to like crime or homelessness or places that smell like urine.
I have vacationed in Denver, including downtown. My brother lives there.
I know people like urban areas. That's not necessarily new, it's just that it used to be New York, etc where people revamped old buildings for living areas. It doesn't mean I have to want that for myself.
You apparently are uninformed about Prairie Village because it's not all old upper middle class people. Actually there are a lot of young families in Prairie Village, so much that there are complaints about some of the classes being overcrowded.
I don't expect everyone to be like me, either. I never said that. I also don't expect everyone to agree with me. And in fact, I said the opposite. But everyone doesn't agree with you, either. Yes, there are more people who want to live in urban areas than in the past.
The things I don't like about urban areas are things I would think other people wouldn't like, either - crime, homelessness, and living in close quarters. If you like it, that's fine. But most people try to move AWAY from that, not to it.
I have no problem with people who are different than me. That doesn't mean I have to like crime or homelessness or places that smell like urine.
I've heard that the homeless issue in San Francisco is overwhelming and not the norm for most major cities. I can't remember when or where I read it, but at some point, the city started giving money to the homeless, which just attracted more homeless people from other cities. So you're not the first person to complain about that. Denver has homeless, but not on that level. And all urban areas do not have high crime, homelessness and urine smell.
Our house is on a small lot. houses are very close together, but we like it. It only takes me ten minutes to mow my lawn, and I like that when I walk the dog, I can talk to many neighbors along the way. And we have tons of kids on close proximity, so my kids have fun playing. We like all our neighbors.And we don't have homelessness or any unusual crime in our neighborhood, and we're 6 miles from the middle of downtown. Housing prices keep rising here, so supply and demand shows that many people do like this style of living.
I have friends in Prairie Village, and they're a younger gay couple. I know it's changing in NE JoCo. Neighborhoods go through cycles over the years of who lives there. They like it because of its proximity to the Plaza and urban KCMO.
I've heard that the homeless issue in San Francisco is overwhelming and not the norm for most major cities. I can't remember when or where I read it, but at some point, the city started giving money to the homeless, which just attracted more homeless people from other cities. So you're not the first person to complain about that. Denver has homeless, but not on that level. And all urban areas do not have high crime, homelessness and urine smell.
Our house is on a small lot. houses are very close together, but we like it. It only takes me ten minutes to mow my lawn, and I like that when I walk the dog, I can talk to many neighbors along the way. And we have tons of kids on close proximity, so my kids have fun playing. We like all our neighbors.And we don't have homelessness or any unusual crime in our neighborhood, and we're 6 miles from the middle of downtown. Housing prices keep rising here, so supply and demand shows that many people do like this style of living.
I have friends in Prairie Village, and they're a younger gay couple. I know it's changing in NE JoCo. Neighborhoods go through cycles over the years of who lives there. They like it because of its proximity to the Plaza and urban KCMO.
When we were in San Francisco someone told us that they spend I think they said $340,000 a DAY on the homeless. So I can see why they would go there. There were homeless people following people down the street, ranting at them about their lot in life.
I actually didn't see any homeless people when I was in downtown Denver. Maybe I just missed it, but there were a lot of people out and about; I just didn't notice any homeless people.
There were big plans for Prairie Village a few years ago, before the economy tanked, to turn 75th Street into a Boulevard with parking on both sides of the street and shops along 75th Street, and also to redo the Village and Corinth shopping centers, with new shops and possibly housing above the shops and I think they even mentioned a condo at one time. The 75th Street corridor plan was put on hold, but they are doing a lot at Corinth and now also the Village. Corinth is busy all the time now. There are several new restaurants there and they remodeled the grocery store.
I don't know what the plan is for 75th Street now. I think they are doing something now from Mission Road to State Line, but the original plan was to go all the way to Lamar (I think. Maybe it was Nall) to State Line, take out houses on both sides of the road, make the road wider, and add shops along 75th. I actually think that would be a good thing.
I know a lot of houses in Mission Hills are being bought and torn down and new homes built on the site because people like the location. Must be nice to have enough money to buy a Mission Hills house, tear it down, and build a new house!
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. I'll leave it at that. 
