Is it just the season, or is Kansas City fading out? (live in, shopping centers)

[Destination Succeed]

I hope I don't offend anyone, but I'm just speaking from a point of view ever since my relatives moved to a suburb south of town. However, I do make visits to the KC proper areas.

I'm not new to Kansas City, but this is my first time being in the area longer than a few days. I used to have better feel toward Kansas City, back around 2010-2011. Long story short, a few visits over the years had me unsure about the KC area. Mainly stuff like work events getting cancelled, met some weird people, etc.

Fast forward to now, I'm just feeling a "deadness" to Kansas City that has me reluctant to make any moves here to be closer to relatives. That deadness seems to be a lack of people joining in on invites, an overall fickleness to plans, and a couple of my favorite middle/high end stores seem to have closed down. I also visited the "Noland Fashion Square", and other than FYE and Gordmans which I'm very glad they have here, everything else was vacant

A recent trip to a barbershop in Kansas City proper, there was only 1 barber the week before Christmas. Just being out and about, I just feel there's not as much zest in the vibe here, and I try to keep steady travel plans going.

[kcmo]

I doubt that KC is fading out or anything. If anything, it's getting better and better every year.

Having said that, KC definitely lacks a lot of "vibe". I was just there recently and no matter what it just seems like the city will never have any real urban bustle to it outside a few very tiny pockets. Most of the city always feels "dead" compared to similar sized cities. Very few pedestrians, very little traffic other than on the interstates. Almost nobody out cycling or using scooters compared to other major cities. KC just always feels like it's a Sunday morning to me no matter when you are there. That's not a knock on KC. It's just the way it is. It has its pluses and minuses.

IT's a great city with a lot to and see and you can find plenty of places to go for happy hours etc, but it has pretty much zero big city vibe other than built environment. It's very odd actually and to people not used to that, I'm sure it would come across as dead or vacant etc as a first impression. Where are the people? I always ask that when there. It's like KC's vibe and urban bustle is all hidden underground and you have to be invited to it lol.

[MoNative34]

It's gotten better in the time I've been here. Still has a large couch potato culture, though.

I always tell myself I know I'm in KC when I go to a park for my lunch break on a nice day and see more people sitting in their cars in the parking lot than actually using the park.

[shindig]

I think it depends on your age as well. I used to be very active going out to parks and happy hours and meeting up with friends on the weekend. Fast forward 10-15 years and most of my friends are married with kids, have kids activities every weeknight and on weekends and they usually just don't have the time anymore to just hang out and have a beer. Plus they all live in suburbia now. I still get out, but again, I'm in my mid 40's, don't really like being out late (body doesn't recover as quick as it used to). I also have a 1920's Tudor that I spend a lot of time on the weekends working on plus juggling time with my girlfriend. She's more of a stay in, cook a meal type person on the weekends. Occasionally we go out to dinner or just to grab a few beers or take our dogs to Bar K or other local dog parks. People kind of get in a comfortable rut so to speak.

[James Bond 007]

Originally Posted by Destination Succeed

I also visited the "Noland Fashion Square", and other than FYE and Gordmans which I'm very glad they have here, everything else was vacant

I live right near that, and it's been dying for quite some while. That part of the eastside is basically a "meh" part of the metro, and like a lot of other strip retail shopping centers around the country, it's basically dead. It has nothing to do with KC, it's part of a national trend.

[jason87x]

I notice the same thing as the OP. Both in JoCo and in city areas like Westport or Midtown, Any bars or other types of places where I used to hang out, the vibe seems a lot more dead than say 2-5 years ago.


Though it is not just KC going through that right now. Looking at the Twin Cities, activity levels surprisingly meh even during last summer/fall. I have a feeling many people are broke, and/or not in the party mindset as much as they used to be.

[James Bond 007]

It could also be the aging of the population, which is a particularly acute phenomenon in most of the Midwest. Older people don't go to bars and stuff as much as younger people, so if the population is aging, the bar and party scene is going to mellow out.

[Destination Succeed]

Thanks for all the insight. One thing for sure, it's definitely more dead now since the snowstorm. I mean, the grocery stores seem to be hopping about, but that's about the most action I've seen in town.

Personally, it's getting a bit too intense for me. Cloudy, dead, slow...makes me feel miserable. I've been spending more money out of boredom. Just overall not been happy with the pace of things here. Even though technically I'm not in Kansas City proper where the action is, I can still access the action remotely. As in, if someone or something calls me up to the city, I can get there. Issue is, it's not happening anywhere in the city.

[aliasfinn]

There will be plenty of excitement in Kansas City on the night of February 3rd.

[TabulaRasa]

Originally Posted by Destination Succeed

Thanks for all the insight. One thing for sure, it's definitely more dead now since the snowstorm. I mean, the grocery stores seem to be hopping about, but that's about the most action I've seen in town.

LOL. 160,000 KCP&L customers without power for days can put a damper on going out plans.