moving to kansas city from portland

[ellencb]

Yes, I would agree with the above posters and say you should definitely check out brookside or plaza area. They will have the feel you are looking for coming from portland. I love that area, very cute, young and fun!

[KansasChick]

Based on the information you provided, I would suggest the Brookside/Waldo area as well. Might want to check out the KCPL district by the new Sprint center and Westport area as well - although you need to be careful because within a couple of blocks it can get very seeded and you would need to be careful by yourself late at night. The plaza area is also nice - but safety even there can still be an issue. Unless you get into a higher end apartment - parking will be very limited and you could have to walk a little ways and there is more crime in the area than one might expect for the as high end as it is........Last time I was in the area between the Plaza and Westport - I noticed a lot of apartments had been renovated and looked quite nice.

I would visit and check out the areas in person and see which one best suits your taste.

[fanfares]

I'd say River Market area or the Plaza.

The River Market seems really unique to me. It has great lofts, and while it's not downtown, it's very close to the entertainment and nightlife of the city. Lots of great restaurants (french food - le frou frog, a hugeeee chinese market, succotash and cascone's - great breakfast food, bo ling's, delaware cafe...). It's generally safe. People seem to have a neighborly feel like a suburb, but looks or otherwise feels nothing like one.

The Plaza is more upscale and it costs more. The bars follow the same pattern. Lots of shopping, some reasonable, some not. I don't think of the Plaza as crime ridden by any means, but I vaguely remember an old lady getting attacked in a parking garage a few years ago. Here, you'll also be close to Westport's bars.

Apparently Westport's crime is getting worse (robberies, mostly), however I've never felt unsafe. I always take a cab from the bars rather than walking or riding my bike. As far as what you're looking for as entertainment, this will be the best place. There are a lot of dives & music venues.

[happiroc]

Jenn,

I don't know if your child is school age or not. But you should check out the schools your child might have to attend. Many public schiools in Kansas City can be a bit dicey. But there are a good nimber of private schools. Suburbs have some really good schools and a few less great ones.
My daughter lived in Portland and now Vancouver...things here are soooo much cheaper. But you might find the pay here a bit less.