Moving from Houston to KC, need advice on neighborhoods (Kansas City: lofts, low crime)

[mike68]

Hi! I will be moving to KC within the month, and am looking for advice on neighborhoods. I will be working downtown. I'm looking for area that's upscale, white-collar, clean, low crime, etc, housing between 200-300k.

From reading some of the posts here, Overland Park or Olathe may be possibilities, although the commute may be a little long, and it may (or may not - I'd have to see it) be too much cookie-cutter suburbia to suit me.

I like larger lots and lots of trees (but not way-out "country living"). Are there any closer-in neighborhoods that fit the bill, or any other suburbs you'd recommend?

Which neighborhoods or areas should I avoid, assuming I don't want to be in any blue-collar, industrial, or similar areas?


Thanks!

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by mike68

Hi! I will be moving to KC within the month, and am looking for advice on neighborhoods. I will be working downtown. I'm looking for area that's upscale, white-collar, clean, low crime, etc, housing between 200-300k.

From reading some of the posts here, Overland Park or Olathe may be possibilities, although the commute may be a little long, and it may (or may not - I'd have to see it) be too much cookie-cutter suburbia to suit me.

I like larger lots and lots of trees (but not way-out "country living"). Are there any closer-in neighborhoods that fit the bill, or any other suburbs you'd recommend?

Which neighborhoods or areas should I avoid, assuming I don't want to be in any blue-collar, industrial, or similar areas?


Thanks!

If you are looking at Johnson County on the Kansas side I would recommend old Leawood (generally north of the I-435 corridor), Prairie Village, and established areas of Overland Park (generally along and north of the 119 street corridor). Leawood is the most spendy of the three areas with fairly high housing prices compared with the rest of JOCO.

[northbound74]

Parkville and Lee's Summit.
Also, the areas in Kansas City, Missouri, directly south of the Country Club Plaza. That area is by far the least cookie cutter around.
Anywhere in Johnson County would suit you, I suppose (except it's very cookie cutter in most places), except Olathe can be kind of trashy in some areas. Several of the suburbs in JOCO have really high-end areas, but there are quite a few blue-collar neighborhoods, as well. Fairway and Westwood are worth a look.

[hbmom]

Unless you have kids, I would advise you NOT to do Overland Park or Olathe. Downtown has several high end luxury lofts. Brookside has older homes within Kansas City. Very white collar, older neighborhood, many parks and trees.

[bls5555]

Originally Posted by mike68

Hi! I will be moving to KC within the month, and am looking for advice on neighborhoods. I will be working downtown. I'm looking for area that's upscale, white-collar, clean, low crime, etc, housing between 200-300k.

From reading some of the posts here, Overland Park or Olathe may be possibilities, although the commute may be a little long, and it may (or may not - I'd have to see it) be too much cookie-cutter suburbia to suit me.

I like larger lots and lots of trees (but not way-out "country living"). Are there any closer-in neighborhoods that fit the bill, or any other suburbs you'd recommend?

Which neighborhoods or areas should I avoid, assuming I don't want to be in any blue-collar, industrial, or similar areas?


Thanks!

I live in the Parkville area up North and it is a great area. Olathe and Overland Park are VERY cookie cutter suburban. I really dislike most of Johnson country because of this. We looked around Parkville for this reason. It is a very nice area as are the surrounding areas. Don't necessarily discount it if it says KC, MO instead of Parkville as the KC MO areas around Parkville are very nice also.

[Sparky13]

North of the river, nice safe area, quick downtown commute. Country living, close to the city.
Good luck and welcome to the area.
Sparky

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by bls5555

I live in the Parkville area up North and it is a great area. Olathe and Overland Park are VERY cookie cutter suburban. I really dislike most of Johnson country because of this. We looked around Parkville for this reason. It is a very nice area as are the surrounding areas. Don't necessarily discount it if it says KC, MO instead of Parkville as the KC MO areas around Parkville are very nice also.

Overland Park has many older neighborhoods compared with Olathe. You will find many older neighborhoods closer to Downtown Overland Park. I agree completely that both cities have plenty of cookie cutter houses.

[sundaygirl]

North of Kansas City is a fast growing location. The schools in Liberty are top notch. We relocated here a few years ago and chose the Liberty location for the schools and the convenience to downtown (about 15 minutes). Get a good agent who knows the area and listens to what you want in a home. We used Royce Ann Kennedy when we relocated, and we couldn’t be happier. You can look at her website at www.royceannkennedy.com. She knows the area and the home builders well. In the price range you are seeking, be sure you look for quality work. There are a few high quality builders in the area, and then there are others which are not so quality. Don’t be fooled by the address. We have a KC address, but we are in the Liberty school district. Good Luck!

[kcfan]

Check out the south end of Lee's Summit. Check out Raintree Lake and Lake Winnebago for homes. Hwy. 291 and 150 Hwy. vicinity. Lee's Summit has some of the best schools in the area, if you have a family. My kids just finished their public school life and now it's off to college. This is a great area.