Relocating from Scottsdale to KC, advice please! (Liberty: home, neighborhoods)

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by alwaystraveling25

HOW TRUE! That is exactly why I do not miss living there AT ALL! It really left a bitter taste in my mouth, living wise.

JOCO caters to a specific demographic, ESPECIALLY towns like Olathe and Gardner. If you are single you should definitely live closer to the city. If you do not like an urban setting then I would recommend areas closer to Downtown Overland Park or NE JOCO. Those areas are older, more established, and feel a little more urban compared to suburban.

[buck75061]

I lived in KC for a while and looooved it! I ended up in Dallas for work and didn't like the me-ism scene there. I’m back in Wichita, Kan. for family reasons, but I would like to return to KC someday. Consider the Brookside or Waldo neighborhoods in KCMO if you want a yard for your pets but would still like to be within a short, tree-lined drive to the heart of the city. These are great neighborhoods with a lot of young professionals who want an alternative to the 'burbs but aren’t into apartment/condo living. Enter these two areas as keywords on Craigslist's rent section (or a similar site) and you’ll return several options in your price range. Good luck!

[Isaiah30:18]

Originally Posted by KCBound

I noticed that too, most likely because phx/Scottsdale has a major over-supply of investment property, particularly condos that were converted from apartments. This is forcing the low rents right now in some prime areas, especially old town area.

Got it. That makes much sense esp. in old town.
(In this area, the condo I'm in has stayed the same price going up to two years now - but then again, it's privately owned, that's likely why nothing's changed. Oh, have you found there tends to be a good supply of privately-owned condo-apts. in KCMO? Those always seem the better deal as far as finding s.thing not too overly-lived in and well-located; for e.g., this one only had two previous tenants and they both didn't stay too long. I believe I'm the longest tenant he's had. Just s.thing that occurred to me.)

[Isaiah30:18]

Originally Posted by buck75061

I lived in KC for a while and looooved it! I ended up in Dallas for work and didn't like the me-ism scene there. I’m back in Wichita, Kan. for family reasons, but I would like to return to KC someday. Consider the Brookside or Waldo neighborhoods in KCMO if you want a yard for your pets but would still like to be within a short, tree-lined drive to the heart of the city. These are great neighborhoods with a lot of young professionals who want an alternative to the 'burbs but aren’t into apartment/condo living. Enter these two areas as keywords on Craigslist's rent section (or a similar site) and you’ll return several options in your price range. Good luck!

Those neighborhoods sound nice, and I'm picturing kind of historic? (b/c of being in KC with tree-lined streets)

I am also looking at KCMO. Do you know if there are ways I could find out about privately-owned upper house apts...like the old manor homes which have 2-stories where the upper story is a full apt.? Do you know of any or where I could begin to look (besides Craigslist, I mean)?
Thx. 4 any help.

[buck75061]

Sure. In addition to Brookside and Waldo, try Dutch Hill, Union Hill, Westport, Hyde Park, Valentine and Rockhill. An option to Craigslist might be Backpages.com, which is affiliated with the “Kansas City Pitch” (a sister publication to the “Phoenix New Times”). You can grab a hard copy just about anywhere in KC and turn to the classifieds. There are houses converted into apartments all over the city.

I lived in a big old arts & crafts-style house near UMKC that had been converted into a duplex. It had two spacious levels plus an unfinished basement with a laundry area. I can’t remember the rent, but I had a roommate and we were never broke. I also lived in a studio in the Dutch Hill area. It had been remodeled and had hardwood floors and new kitchen appliances. I paid $385 in rent in 2005, but new lofts two blocks around the corner were listing at $350,000-plus. Both of the areas where I lived were transitional, which meant that you would see yuppie types jogging, artsy rocker types walking their dogs and homeless people panhandling. I never had problems with car break-ins, but I did hear of it happening. Regardless, the Bishop Arts District, Downtown, Westport and the Plaza were all less than a 10-minute drive. I had a blast! You MUST try Gates BBQ at Main & 32nd St. – I miss that place!!

Another good forum for your search, one that is very urban in its focus, is KCRag Forum - Index. Also, try looking at the following websites:

Kansas City - Classifieds
Neighborhoods & Properties (http://www.downtownkc.org/content.aspx?pgID=883 - broken link)
About the Valentine Neighborhood (http://valentineneighborhood.com/about.html - broken link)
Home - Hyde Park - Kansas City
The Heart of Brookside - Morningside Neighborhood Association Kansas City Home Page
Waldo Area Business Association - Kansas City, Missouri
Rockhill Gardens Neighborhood Association - Kansas City, Missouri (broken link)

Regards,
Buck

[Isaiah30:18]

Wow, Buck you're awesome! Thank you sooo much. (You've got a rep from me, that's right!) My friend loves KCMO and is hoping I won't move much farther than that. V. much appreciate all the detail!

[KCLucymom]

Hmmm. Well, maybe you all are "partiers". I'm not. Maybe that is why I like OP and you all think it's not for young people. I liked it for the shopping, food, parks, indoor athletics/teams (hockey, soccer, etc.), theaters, opportunities, variety, etc. I'm not a drinker, so if you are looking for a bar scene, I'm not the one to ask.

[KCLucymom]

Oh, and I wasn't referring to children's soccer. I was referring to the young and old adult leagues. They've got a lot to choose from.

[aragx6]

I don't think it's all necessarily about nightlife. The median age for OP is 36 and 61% of the population is married, so if you're young and new to an area and looking to make friends, it's going to be significantly harder to make like-minded friends in the same place in life as you if many of them are at PTA meetings.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by aragx6

I don't think it's all necessarily about nightlife. The median age for OP is 36 and 61% of the population is married, so if you're young and new to an area and looking to make friends, it's going to be significantly harder to make like-minded friends in the same place in life as you if many of them are at PTA meetings.

The median age of 36 is fairly typical of an established suburb. The median age in Olathe is only 30 and Gardner is 29. Those suburbs tend to attract conservatives, and larger families.