Neighborhoods of KCK (Kansas City, St. Peters, Parkville: lease, buying a home, buying)

[kalisti]

Hi! My husband and I are beginning the process for buying a home. I have lived in the KU Med/Rosedale area, Westport and Waldo at one time or another over the past 10 years, so I am pretty familiar with all of these areas. I grew up in a working class part of Omaha that many would describe as dodgy (although I never felt unsafe or had issues) and have mostly lived in similar neighborhoods during my adult life, so I am primarily interested in hearing opinions from those with real experience living in KCK or know several people currently or recently living there, rather than from people who don't go there and haven't had reason to be there and just rely on what they see on the news as proof of viability (or lack thereof). We do not and will not be having children, so schools aren't a concern for us.

My husband and I have spent time visiting Strawberry Hill at varying hours of the day/night and that is our #1 choice of neighborhoods to move to as homeowners. However, that neighborhood is not very big and we'd rather not limit ourselves needlessly. Recently, we went to a gathering at an acquaintance's home in the Westheight neighborhood and fell in love with what we saw there, and have also heard good things about the St. Peters neighborhood and are curious about the area around Bishop Ward, too. Although I have patronized businesses and restaurants in immigrant enclaves, I have never lived in an immigrant-heavy community and am curious as to what that may be like to live around. We are planning to park the car in a few of these areas and walk around on foot later this week. Any other neighborhoods we may be unaware of that are similar to these are welcome to be suggested, although Johnson County and Parkville are out of our budget and Indy/NKC are too far from work. We like old houses, neighborhoods with sidewalks, and an urban or urban-ish feel without being too close to major entertainment centers.

We are not ruling out homes on the MO side, but I'm not sure how I feel about the Northeast. My husband does not like living in midtown and I doubt the Northeast would be much different for him. Honestly, I am not so sure how I feel about the Northeast, I've not really gotten around to exploring it more than twice or three times but I didn't feel terribly at ease there when I have gone. If anyone has anything to say about that area, I would be opening to listening with an open mind.

Our budget is 100-110k.

[rwiksell]

Originally Posted by kalisti

Hi! My husband and I are beginning the process for buying a home. I have lived in the KU Med/Rosedale area, Westport and Waldo at one time or another over the past 10 years, so I am pretty familiar with all of these areas. I grew up in a working class part of Omaha that many would describe as dodgy (although I never felt unsafe or had issues) and have mostly lived in similar neighborhoods during my adult life, so I am primarily interested in hearing opinions from those with real experience living in KCK or know several people currently or recently living there, rather than from people who don't go there and haven't had reason to be there and just rely on what they see on the news as proof of viability (or lack thereof). We do not and will not be having children, so schools aren't a concern for us.

My husband and I have spent time visiting Strawberry Hill at varying hours of the day/night and that is our #1 choice of neighborhoods to move to as homeowners. However, that neighborhood is not very big and we'd rather not limit ourselves needlessly. Recently, we went to a gathering at an acquaintance's home in the Westheight neighborhood and fell in love with what we saw there, and have also heard good things about the St. Peters neighborhood and are curious about the area around Bishop Ward, too. Although I have patronized businesses and restaurants in immigrant enclaves, I have never lived in an immigrant-heavy community and am curious as to what that may be like to live around. We are planning to park the car in a few of these areas and walk around on foot later this week. Any other neighborhoods we may be unaware of that are similar to these are welcome to be suggested, although Johnson County and Parkville are out of our budget and Indy/NKC are too far from work. We like old houses, neighborhoods with sidewalks, and an urban or urban-ish feel without being too close to major entertainment centers.

We are not ruling out homes on the MO side, but I'm not sure how I feel about the Northeast. My husband does not like living in midtown and I doubt the Northeast would be much different for him. Honestly, I am not so sure how I feel about the Northeast, I've not really gotten around to exploring it more than twice or three times but I didn't feel terribly at ease there when I have gone. If anyone has anything to say about that area, I would be opening to listening with an open mind.

Our budget is 100-110k.

The area you seem to have left out of the equation is Waldo and points south. It's a bit further from KU Med, but certainly not far. And it might very well fit your budget.

[TabulaRasa]

She mentioned that she's already lived in Waldo.

[rwiksell]

Originally Posted by TabulaRasa

She mentioned that she's already lived in Waldo.

My mistake. I wonder if she's not considering it now for some reason.

[kalisti]

Originally Posted by rwiksell

My mistake. I wonder if she's not considering it now for some reason.

We still are considering Waldo But I have no questions about that neighborhood, as I've lived there recently already. We are trying to keep our options wide open, though, and really preferred the housing stock in KCK. The homes in Waldo in our budget tend to be a bit small, though, which is okay, but we would like 2 bathrooms if we can, or an extra bedroom to eventually convert into an extra bathroom. We sort of want something that we can update ourselves, rather than something that has already been flipped, which is getting harder and harder to come by in Waldo. But still, for the right house, it is not out of the question.

[Truly Missouri]

Originally Posted by rwiksell

My mistake. I wonder if she's not considering it now for some reason.

Mistakes happen.

And it sure is good to know that we don't have people in this forum looking over our shoulders seizing upon our mistaken moments with snarky comments, as read in this other thread:

Southwest is practically begging KC to let the airport build a new terminal

Sounds like you're new to this topic. Unfortunately the topic has been spun round and round for years.

I recommend you actually read the article. There are no proposals to build anything across the reservoir, nor should there be. Terminal A is mothballed. The plan is to demolish it and build a new terminal in its place. But the obstacle is that too many people in Kansas City like the airport just the way it is, dammit.

This is not happening, sorry bud. No one is proposing it, and no one is willing to try and make it happen.

Try and focus.

[rwiksell]

Originally Posted by Truly Missouri

Mistakes happen.

And it sure is good to know that we don't have people in this forum looking over our shoulders seizing upon our mistaken moments with snarky comments, as read in this other thread:

Southwest is practically begging KC to let the airport build a new terminal

What are you trying to say? Your combination of sarcasm and passive-aggression makes it hard to tell.

[KC_Sleuth]

I really have this longing hope for Strawberry Hill to be the next up-and-coming "cool" spot...yes, it would take some time and you would have to be patient...but right now you can buy a house there for a steal. I won't say I haven't considered it...but I just haven't taken the plunge.

[KC_Sleuth]

Originally Posted by kalisti

Although I have patronized businesses and restaurants in immigrant enclaves, I have never lived in an immigrant-heavy community and am curious as to what that may be like to live around.

My wife and her family are immigrants. War refugees, actually. Her father fought alongside US troops in the civil war in Laos, and some years after the communists took over, he moved his family on sponsorship here and settled in KCK. The neighborhood she grew up in - and her family still lives in - is part SE Asian and part Hispanic. Becoming part of an immigrant family & community and adopting some of these customs has been an amazing, humbling experience for me. I speak a little bit of Lao - I am learning more (her older siblings don't speak as much English as she does). We married in "Buddhist-lite" ceremony. Every so often we go to temple. We go to her family's houses in KCK and eat their food (sticky rice and gao, laab are amazing dishes). Some of her cousins have married Hispanics in KCK, and I have gotten to know their families as well. It's made me a more accepting person, and a calmer person too. She grew up relatively poor in KCK (though it was paradise compared to her economic situation in Laos before she left at age 5). Yet, she went to Wyandotte High, was a great student, went to college on scholarship and became an accountant. KCK gets a bad rap, but there is some amazing stuff to be found there. We go there quite a bit and there are some great experiences to be had in these little pockets of the city.

There are definitely comprimises you have to make, too though. I strongly dislike gambling..., but it is one of the social lubricants in many of the SE Asian communities. At house parties and social gatherings, it is not uncommon to have three tables going. My wife doesn't partake, but we both check our hang-ups at the door and it's cool. The other day for dinner at my brother's house they served fish heads (tom hua pa). You read that right. But, life's about adventure, right? Granted, your probably wouldn't get that deep into it just living in the neighborhood, unless you want to befriend them and go to their houses for dinner...so experiences vary.

I will also say our neighborhood here is largely Korean - we live relatively close to a large Korean church and frequent many of the Korean-owned shops on Metcalf and 103rd (Shout-out to Tous Les Jours & Cafe Vie). It's also pretty fun.

[kalisti]

"I really have this longing hope for Strawberry Hill to be the next up-and-coming "cool" spot...yes, it would take some time and you would have to be patient...but right now you can buy a house there for a steal. I won't say I haven't considered it...but I just haven't taken the plunge."


Strawberry Hill won us over immediately, we would have moved there over Midtown when our lease ran out in Waldo, but we struggled to find anything for rent when we needed it. As someone looking to buy, that's favorable, though! As far as becoming a "cool" neighborhood, I could see that potential. We're fine with it staying the way it is, too. It seems stable and down to earth, and I do enjoy popping in for a pint at the little neighborhood dives down that way every once in awhile.