Young Professional Moving to Kansas City area (Leawood: apartment complex, renter)

[ufjireh]

Hello,

I am moving to the Kansas City area in the next few weeks for work. I will be working in Leawood, KS but I want to live in Kansas City, MO. I am a 30 year old female who would like to live in a safe area with a lot of restaurants and shopping.

I have been to the city a few times - and I have researched some areas- I like the Plaza, Waldo, and Brookside area. But I am open to any suggestions on apartments, homes, or duplexes for unit.

I am looking for at least a 2 bedroom (a 3 bedroom would be great), attached garage, W/D in unit- my budget is $1400 or less.

Any names or suggestions would be great!

[rwiksell]

You've provided a lot of good information here about your needs. I just have a few more questions, though:

1. What sort of shopping do you want to be nearby? Funky independent boutiques? Upscale chains? Big box stores? Do you want nice home-style restaurants around, or something fancier? Is night-life a factor?

2. Is it important to be able to walk or bike to these amenities? Or would you be happy with a 15-minute drive?

3. Do you want to live near other young single professionals? Or are you just as content being surrounded by families, retirees, etc?

[pacificwhim]

West Plaza. It's a great hood of small single family homes, close to the Plaza, and a close-knit feel. The rents would probably be in your range.

[nycrite]

Check out some of the UC-B Properties. They operate in some of the areas you mentioned. Their apartments look nice too. (No, I'm not affiliated with them in any way.)

UC-B Properties

If I was a new renter in KC, I would check out the up-and-coming 63 Brookside area. It's a walker friendly, near a running trail, and it would keep you closer to your Leawood office than the Plaza.

[ufjireh]

1. What sort of shopping do you want to be nearby? Funky independent boutiques? Upscale chains? Big box stores? Do you want nice home-style restaurants around, or something fancier? Is night-life a factor?

I am open to boutiques or chain shopping and I want restaurants where they host happy hours as well. Yes I would like bars, lounges, small jazz joints as well...

2. Is it important to be able to walk or bike to these amenities? Or would you be happy with a 15-minute drive?

I would be open to a 15 minute drive-

3. Do you want to live near other young single professionals? Or are you just as content being surrounded by families, retirees, etc?

Yes I want to live near other young professionals

[SPonteKC]

Leawood is pretty long north-to-south, so 15 minutes distance from 83rd and Lee is quite a bit different than 15 minutes from 159th and Mission.

Neither Leawood nor the SW corridor (S. Plaza/BKS/Waldo) of KCMO has very good highway access - which is a large part of why they both remain so charming and neighborhood-oriented, but it also means only a small part of both are within 15 minutes drive of each other, despite the fact that they are geographically close.

The one area that would probably best suite your desires in Waldo (which is where lots Leawood and Prairie Village people end up going out). It's gotten significantly younger in the last 10 years, and certainly skews younger than Brookside or South Plaza or West Plaza, but it's not the hippest part of town by any stretch. It's still fairly working class except in the northwest corner of the neighborhood, there are probably 10 bars in the area ranging from gastropubs to beersnob bars, to dives, there is a cluster of good restaurants and walkable neighborhood amenities, it has very good transit access to downtown, midtown, Brookside and the Plaza, there is a long rails-to-trails type jogging trail that is bustling and justifiably treasured by the community, and you can get to anywhere in Leawood via Ward PKWY, Sommerset/Lee BLVD or Wornall to the 100's within 30 minutes.

I'd draw about a 1/2 mile radius around 75th and Wornall and start looking. Waldo is generally nicer, more charming and more expensive the further north and west you go in the neighborhood.

[pacificwhim]

Originally Posted by s.davis

Leawood is pretty long north-to-south, so 15 minutes distance from 83rd and Lee is quite a bit different than 15 minutes from 159th and Mission.

Neither Leawood nor the SW corridor (S. Plaza/BKS/Waldo) of KCMO has very good highway access - which is a large part of why they both remain so charming and neighborhood-oriented, but it also means only a small part of both are within 15 minutes drive of each other, despite the fact that they are geographically close.

The one area that would probably best suite your desires in Waldo (which is where lots Leawood and Prairie Village people end up going out). It's gotten significantly younger in the last 10 years, and certainly skews younger than Brookside or South Plaza or West Plaza, but it's not the hippest part of town by any stretch. It's still fairly working class except in the northwest corner of the neighborhood, there are probably 10 bars in the area ranging from gastropubs to beersnob bars, to dives, there is a cluster of good restaurants and walkable neighborhood amenities, it has very good transit access to downtown, midtown, Brookside and the Plaza, there is a long rails-to-trails type jogging trail that is bustling and justifiably treasured by the community, and you can get to anywhere in Leawood via Ward PKWY, Sommerset/Lee BLVD or Wornall to the 100's within 30 minutes.

I'd draw about a 1/2 mile radius around 75th and Wornall and start looking. Waldo is generally nicer, more charming and more expensive the further north and west you go in the neighborhood.

I live in Waldo and you're right, but the trouble is that there are few rentals here and few that aren't single family homes. There are some duplexes on streets like Terrace just south of 75th, and those are OK, but not wonderful. If the OP can find a SFH rental to her liking, she'd probably enjoy Waldo.

[SPonteKC]

Originally Posted by pacificwhim

I live in Waldo and you're right, but the trouble is that there are few rentals here and few that aren't single family homes.

Neighbors in Waldo need to recognize that the area needs some multi family housing. The old Bingham school site is would have been perfect for a high rise of the scope of 333 Meyer, in Brookside, as would a lot of the low-value parcels along Wornall south of 75th. There is a great deal of demand for the neighborhood, and the housing stock is limited in size, form and function. But neighborhood voices will have to start advocating for more openness to multi-family residential in the area.

[nycrite]

Originally Posted by s.davis

Neighbors in Waldo need to recognize that the area needs some multi family housing. The old Bingham school site is would have been perfect for a high rise of the scope of 333 Meyer, in Brookside, as would a lot of the low-value parcels along Wornall south of 75th. There is a great deal of demand for the neighborhood, and the housing stock is limited in size, form and function. But neighborhood voices will have to start advocating for more openness to multi-family residential in the area.

Precisely why I love the 63 Brookside development. It's not Waldo, but it's close, and it will use up some land that is otherwise idle. Waldo should follow suit and allow UC-B or some other developer to put in a small scale, multifamily development. It doesn't have to be a huge apartment complex. Heck, even a four-plex or something more substantial than SFHs would go a long way. Prairie Village is another area that could stand to diversify its options.

[ufjireh]

Thanks everyone! So I have decided to stay in Leawood the first year. It is close to work and then I can learn the area and truly decide where I want to live. I am interested in buying within the next year or so.