Moving from PA to Kansas City (Lee's Summit, Gladstone: house, transferring to, safe area)

[annasmommy2]

My husband works at Harley here in Pa and is transferring to the one in Kansas City. We want to live in the suburbs. We have 4 children so it absolutely must be a safe area with good schools. I have never been anywhere near MO so know absolutely nothing. Any help would be much appreciated. I'm so stressed trying to find a nice place for my family to live.

[kcmo]

Anywhere in Clay or Platte County (generally called the "Northland"). The Harley plant is north of Tiffany Springs in the Northland. No reason to look any place else. You have tons and tons of housing options from modest to affluent, great schools, great shopping etc. It's a fast growing suburban area. If you want new and a very short commute, look along the highway 152 corridor. The best schools in the Northland will be the ones further north (newer areas) or any of them in Platte County, especially Park Hill.

[annasmommy2]

Thank you! What are some of the school districts in those counties?

[annasmommy2]

There is a house in the Coves that is on our list of possibilities.

[kcmo]

The Park Hill district is one of the best in the state and metro and I would recommend it over Platte County simply because the Platte County high school is clear up in Platte City (they are planning to build another one near Tiffany Springs). Although you may want to look at Platte City if you want more of a small town than suburbia. If don't have high school age kids, it won't matter for a while, but something to keep in mind.

On the Clay County side, you have North Kansas City and Liberty Districts. Both are good especially in the newer parts of the districts. NKC has many older areas, but also very new areas like the Staley high school area in Shoal Creek. Liberty schools are good too and they also have built a new high school recently.

Don't worry about what city yet. Most of the northland is actually the city of KCMO (north of the river is the suburban part of KCMO). But you also have Parkville, Gladstone, Liberty etc. You will hear about the KCMO Etax. Don't worry about it. First off, you will pay it anyway since the Harley plant is in KCMO, second, it's just not that big of a deal.

Map of area districts.

[TabulaRasa]

Park Hill school district is one that's particularly well-regarded. Liberty and North Kansas City are solid also.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by annasmommy2

There is a house in the Coves that is on our list of possibilities.

That's a really nice area, close to everything, nice topography too. Bike trails nearby. I think that would be in the Park Hill district.

[annasmommy2]

That map is so helpful! Thank you kcmo! And thank you everyone.

The thought of the taxes has me stressing too. I heard there is also a yearly tax you have to pay on each vehicle?

[DallastoChicagotoKC]

I'm going to stir up a hornets nest here, but don't forget to look on the Kansas Side. The Shawnee Mission, Blue Valley and Olathe school districts are all very good. I feel that the Kansas suburbs (if you're going to live in the burbs) have the most to offer in terms of restaurants, shopping, entertainment and the like. You may prefer something different. But I'd make sure your realtor, or people from your husband's work, show you the Kansas side as well. I have absolutely nothing against KCMO or the Missouri suburbs. But I do feel that the Kansas suburbs have more "fun" stuff to offer.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by DallastoChicagotoKC

I'm going to stir up a hornets nest here, but don't forget to look on the Kansas Side. The Shawnee Mission, Blue Valley and Olathe school districts are all very good. I feel that the Kansas suburbs (if you're going to live in the burbs) have the most to offer in terms of restaurants, shopping, entertainment and the like. You may prefer something different. But I'd make sure your realtor, or people from your husband's work, show you the Kansas side as well. I have absolutely nothing against KCMO or the Missouri suburbs. But I do feel that the Kansas suburbs have more "fun" stuff to offer.

If they were working downtown or the plaza, I would agree to look at the Kansas suburbs as well, but the districts comparable to Park Hill on the Kansas side will be clear down south. You are going from a ten minute commute to a 40-60 minute commute. And I totally disagree with the KS side having more to offer. Because it's larger, there are a few more high end stores and restaurants, but not much. And fun? Platte County is very comparable as far a bike trails etc, you have Tiffany Springs Aquatics Center, the casinos, Worlds of Fun, Oceans of Fun, Downtown Parkville, Downtown NKC, Smithville Lake, Waukomis Ice Center and lots more. I see they are about to open a Main Event entertainment place. Plus you are very close to the airport and Downtown is more accessible. The topography is also more diverse.

Plus you would be paying the hated etax and not getting anything out of it. No free trash pickup etc. You also won't get discounts to the Zoo. You will just hate the etax like everybody else that live in KS and works in KCMO.

But yea, if commute times were similar, I would say look at the Kansas suburbs or the southeast suburbs Lee's Summit etc. But why would you live an hour away from the Harley Plant. Are people outside of the northalnd still clueless as to just how nice much of the northland really is? I don't think most people from JoCo or south of the river in Missouri have even been to most of the northland. There is a lot more to it than what yo see from the freeways.

If somebody were relocating for a job at Garmin in Olathe, I wouldn't recommend Park Hill or Liberty for the same reasons.

For the record, I have lots of relatives in the Northland, so I'm there a few times a year. I was just there recently helping somebody move to a place near the new Costco.