My weekend in K.C./ first impressions (Kansas City, Springfield: Valentine's day, 2009)

[musicmanjrm]

I visited your city last weekend for a Valentine's Day wedding. My first impressions of K.C. was that it was a large "sprawl" city without the hustle and bustle of similar sized city on the east coast. It was the first time I have visited a city in the Mid-West and it had a very different feel to it. I'm currently living in Baltimore (used to live in Pittsburgh) and I can say that K.C. is much quieter and less busy than either of these cities.

I flew in on a Friday expecting to be stuck in endless traffic on my way through the city, but I encountered almost nothing! I was shocked that there wasn't any gridlock on my route whatsoever. I went out that night with a bunch of other people from out of town. We went to the Power and Light District. Once again, there was no battle for parking, and in fact, parking only cost $2!!! That is outrageously cheap compared to parking in any Northeastern city where it may cost anywhere from $5-20 for a night out. We visited an Irish pub there, and once again, we encountered very sparse crowds. I would hardly call the place a crowd of people, because when my group left, the place was virtually empty. Not to mention, my group got carded on the way out of the bar!!! Maybe it was because we had ID’s from all over the country, but I found that very strange.

Some other things I noticed were:
1) People do not drive around (at least during my stay) blasting music out their windows while cruising.
2) I didn’t encounter much diversity. The only African American’s that I ran into were catering during the wedding reception, and on a brief walk downtown, several went into a strip club that was on Grand Blvd. I didn’t encounter any Hispanic’s. or other nationalities.
3) The three tourist/restaurant/ bar locations were all brand new, or at least seemed to be. I’m speaking of the Power & Light District, The Plaza, & Crown Center. I particularly loved the Plaza section. It must be beautiful in the summertime.
4) The mall at Crown Center was the only place that encountered any crowds, and it was mostly children oriented.
5) There seems to be a huge gap of nothingness between Crown Center and Downtown that is just begging to be redeveloped.
6) Not many trash cans within the city or around Crown Center. I had to walk with empty coffee cup for something like 8 blocks before I found one along Grand Ave. Not sure if the rest of the city is like this though.
7) K.C. seems to have more of a police presence than either Baltimore or Pittsburgh. I guess that’s a good thing.
8) I asked a bartender and he said the city has a population of close to 2 million….well, where are all the people??? Do people just stay indoors a lot?
9) I felt very safe thoughout my entire stay. I walked all around the city, and never once did I feel I was in a bad area.

I’ve been reading some of the other posts from people that currently reside in K.C. I have to disagree completely with the people that are begging for a light rail. I would say that with what I experienced, there wouldn’t be enough people using it to be able to fund it. I had no trouble finding parking, at anytime. Larger cities that would benefit from having a light rail extension are having enough problems with funding as it is, so I don’t think it would be successful at this time in K.C.. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be great to have one, because it would be a great option, but it wouldn’t be realistic.

I also felt, not unlike Baltimore in some ways, that K.C. lacks an identity. It seems to be in a transition period like a lot of other cities. Unlike either of these cities, Pittsburgh knows it’s identity and what it wants to evolve into. I’m not one to suggest what makes K.C. unique, because I haven’t lived there, but that’s what the city needs to find, and capitalize on it. To me, K.C. has a lot of potential. I’ve compared it to Northeastern cities, because that’s what I’ve experienced, but that’s not to say that K.C. should be like them. Personally, I think the city needs a little more culture (museums, arts, & entertainment). All in all, I enjoyed my trip there, but I will probably not be visiting again anytime soon. There are so many places to see, and so little time!

[northbound74]

Thanks for the observations.

That gap between Crown Center and Power & Light is called the Crossroads Arts District, it can be quite lively on First Fridays. It does need some more stuff to fill it in, though.

[kcmo]

Very cool. Thank you for posting this!

First, even though I agree with most of what you said, I will defend KC a bit and hope you get a chance to come back.

Downtown KC can be very vibrant and bustle like any major city. But this time of year, catching the city like that is much more hit and miss, even on the weekends.

If there is nothing at the Sprint Center, and nothing at the theaters and no conventions in town and the general weather is pretty cold, downtown KC can look at lot like a ghost town. KC is also an amazingly busy city during the holidays with the Plaza all lit up, ice skating and the mayor’s Christmas tree in crown center and even downtown seems to be more active.

I think you hit KC at the worst time of year.

In the spring and summer, there will be concerts and festivals nearly every weekend in Crown Center, the Arts District, which is the area between Crown Center and Downtown kicks into high gear. This area (crossroads) is going through major re-investment, but most of it will be several blocks west of Grand, although I do agree, it still underutilized. The Power & Light District has concerts in their big outdoor venues 2-3 nights a week and they can draw huge crowds. Combine that with events at the arenas, theaters, convention center etc and downtown can become more like what you would expect.

And yes, the Plaza is amazing during the later spring and summer months, lots of traffic, live music in many sidewalk areas etc. The city market north of downtown is also very popular in the summer months and not so much this time of year.

So give the city another chance and if you do come back in the winter, do so before January!

[kcmo]

OH and to hit on a few more of your topics since you went through the trouble, so will I.

People do not drive around (at least during my stay) blasting music out their windows while cruising.

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Sure they do, again, you must have missed out or were not in the right part of town, although it might not be quite as annoying as it in other major cities (I have not noticed it being worse elsewhere).

I didn’t encounter much diversity. The only African American’s that I ran into were catering during the wedding reception, and on a brief walk downtown, several went into a strip club that was on Grand Blvd. I didn’t encounter any Hispanic’s. or other nationalities.

I would say the main reason for that was you probably stuck to areas that are more suburban oriented. KC is pretty diverse, especially in the urban core. The P&L District for example is more of a suburban/tourist draw than a local draw. KC is diverse, but it's also very segragated compared to eastern cities. It's not just a KC thing, all major midwestern cities are like that. Even Chicago.

The three tourist/restaurant/ bar locations were all brand new, or at least seemed to be. I’m speaking of the Power & Light District, The Plaza, & Crown Center. I particularly loved the Plaza section. It must be beautiful in the summertime.

The Power & Light District is brand new. The Crown Center complex is not, but has been updated quite a bit over its 30-40 year history. The Country Club Plaza is very old (for KC), but there are so many new office and condo buildings as well as newer retail buildings that it can look brand new in certain areas. But that area dates back to the 20’s (again, young for east coast, but old for Midwest).

Not many trash cans within the city or around Crown Center. I had to walk with empty coffee cup for something like 8 blocks before I found one along Grand Ave. Not sure if the rest of the city is like this though.

General basic city services and aesthetics is one of KC’s biggest problems that they just can’t seem to fix that. Did you notice how many of the sidewalks and other basic infrastructure in the downtown area was in disrepair once you leave the immediate P&L or Crown Center areas?

K.C. seems to have more of a police presence than either Baltimore or Pittsburgh. I guess that’s a good thing

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I guess that’s a good thing because it’s one of our complaints. Not enough police in the city, they are always on the east side where they are kept quite busy.

I asked a bartender and he said the city has a population of close to 2 million….well, where are all the people??? Do people just stay indoors a lot?

Yea, the metro has about 2 million. But the city north of Westport still has a long way to go. That area needs far more residents. The areas around the Plaza, Westport, Midtown etc, are quite busy, again, you must have hit those areas during off times.

I felt very safe thoughout my entire stay. I walked all around the city, and never once did I feel I was in a bad area.

Well, you need to tell that to our local suburban population. So many of them think anything in the city is crime ridden ghetto. They have no idea.

One more thing. KC’s urban core really doesn’t have much traffic because of the freeway system here. We have so many freeways and if you do work downtown, you are only a block from an entrance to a freeway, so less time sitting in traffic on surface streets. The area between downtown and the airport is probably one of the lesser built up suburban areas as well, so there is not much traffic. Traffic can and does get pretty nasty in many of the areas of the metro out east and south.

But KC does feel different than most eastern cities. The core of the city is not near as crowded like it is in Baltimore or Philly. You just drive into KC and park your car. In most large coastal cities, driving into the center city can be a real pain and you will need to ditch the car in one of those $25 parking spots asap or you will be pushed around by traffic and never get anywhere. People in KC are intimidated by our downtown and parking fees? Drives me nuts.

One thing is for sure. Be glad you came to KC in 2009 and not 2002. This city was as dead as you saw it during the best months every day, and in far worse shape. The entire downtown area was nothing but vacant buildings and parking lots, outside a few office towers. KC was a total disaster up till about 2-3 years ago and on its way to making buffalo look amazing.

As far as light rail, we don't need it. But if you go to many cities like Dallas, Phoenix, Denver, St Louis etc, you would see that their central cities are not much different than KC's in terms of density. The biggest reason KC needs LRT is to help build more density along the route in the city and fill the gaps between Downtown, Crown Center and the Plaza to make it more of a continuous urban corridor. So it would be more of an investment than a need at this time. Light rail to the suburbs makes no sense.

So, we have a long way to go, but we have a lot to be proud of too. I just hope the city can keep the momentum going that brought the city back from the dead. I'm not sure yet if it does. Many residents in this town are just too laid back and too conservative. KCMO elected a total moron for a mayor and we have a state line running down the middle of the metro that really causes a lot of problems. Plus the city is pretty much ignored by the state of Missouri (it goes St Lous, rural MO/Springfield then KC). KCMO has everything stacked against it. But it will always be my home!

[musicmanjrm]

Originally Posted by kcmo

General basic city services and aesthetics is one of KC’s biggest problems that they just can’t seem to fix that. Did you notice how many of the sidewalks and other basic infrastructure in the downtown area was in disrepair once you leave the immediate P&L or Crown Center areas?

Well, you need to tell that to our local suburban population. So many of them think anything in the city is crime ridden ghetto. They have no idea.

One more thing. KC’s urban core really doesn’t have much traffic because of the freeway system here. We have so many freeways and if you do work downtown, you are only a block from an entrance to a freeway, so less time sitting in traffic on surface streets.

I just wanted to respond to some of your comments. I did take note of some of the infrastructure, and I guess it's a common problem in a lot of cities these days. Living in Pittsburgh off and on for eight years, I really can appreciate when sidewalks and roads are repaired. For the most part, K.C. could use a little touching up, but it certainly isn't all that bad.

Also, as far as crime, like I said, there are a lot of other cities (like Philly, and Baltimore) where there are blocks and blocks of shady activity. I didn't notice that in K.C., so you guys may know better.

As far as the traffic, it did occur to me that the grid-like nature of the city seemed to dissipate the traffic. I'm so used to driving in gridlock, but the thought did occur to me, if I saw a city with excellent roads, would I even recognize it? Maybe K.C.'s roads were so efficient that I under appreciated the fact that traffic moved so smoothly.

Anyways, I appreciate the feedback from my earlier comments. Although it wouldn't be my first choice to settle down, I think K.C. has a lot going for it. By the way, what are some of the unique things that K.C. has to offer, whether it be foods, traditions, ect? I know it used to be big in jazz, but that was so long ago.

[kcmo]

They don't understand that most large urban cities do not have new sidewalks and bridges everywhere. It has never bothered me, but I think it has rubbed off on me a bit as you can tell by my previous post. When I lived in StL, I never even thought about that kind of stuff. The city has older infrastructure. Big deal, it never bothered me. But people in metro KC hold the city to a "suburban" level that it will never be able to reach.

KC has plenty of crime ridden areas. They are mostly east and southeast of downtown a few miles. They my not be quite a bad as some areas of Philly or Baltimore, but they are pretty rough.

KC needs more street traffic in the core. It makes the city seem dead. Kind of like the airport.

KCI is not a small airport, but the way the terminals are set up and the way you go through security near your gate make the airport seem dead and tiny and makes it nearly impossible for the airport to sustain basic airport retail and dining options because there are no major areas where passengers flow through. I would like to hear your take on MCI as they are looking at building a new terminal to fix these problems.

OK, back to the topic…the freeways in KC really suck the life out of the surface streets downtown. Not sure what can be done about that now though.

Some things unique to KC or at least special to KC are the BBQ and Mexican restaurants, what’s left of the jazz/blues scene, the art deco towers, foutains, trains trains trains, the art museums and the city has a pretty strong baseball history. Big annual events include the lighting of the Country Club Plaza, Royals opening day, one of the largest St Pats day parades and the American Royal and BBQ and the Plaza Art Fair, one of the country's largest.

[northbound74]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Sure they do, again, you must have missed out or were not in the right part of town, although it might not be quite as annoying as it in other major cities (I have not noticed it being worse elsewhere).

As far as loud music blaring out windows, I've noticed MUCH less of it here than in Little Rock, where you couldn't get away from it... even in the suburbs. Every night at certain times, I could expect to hear the "boom-boom-boom" driving by, and at stoplights almost every time I was stopped at one.
Maybe it's just Independence, but I rarely hear that in my neighborhood or even driving down any of the streets. It's one thing I certainly appreciate about living here.
I drive around in the city quite a bit, and don't notice as much there, either.

[musicmanjrm]

Originally Posted by kcmo

KC needs more street traffic in the core. It makes the city seem dead. Kind of like the airport.

KCI is not a small airport, but the way the terminals are set up and the way you go through security near your gate make the airport seem dead and tiny and makes it nearly impossible for the airport to sustain basic airport retail and dining options because there are no major areas where passengers flow through. I would like to hear your take on MCI as they are looking at building a new terminal to fix these problems.

I have to agree with your statement. Though, coming from BWI in Baltimore/Washington area and then on a connecting flight from Minneapolis, K.C. was in a much smaller. I didn't realize that there were three horseshoes, but I figured it out once my ride said they drove through twice without seeing me.

The one thing that wasn't so convenient, as you mentioned, was that there were no centralized retail sections. I noticed that other airports had a lot more variety. Also, most other airports, you have to pass through security and then you are free to roam around and get food. In K.C., once you enter past security, you're only options for food are a little snack cart.

To me, K.C. was nice in that it was a functional airport, meaning that you can enter and exit quickly. That might hurt retail, but it is nice when you travel to be able to get to your ride quickly. I know in Pittsburgh, you may be dying to get back home, but you have to take an underground light rail to the pick-up location, and during busy times, not everyone can fit on at once. My overall impression was that the airport could use an overhaul at some point, but it still serves its purpose well.

[Jimmy Burma]

Well, while KC does not have the hustle and bustle of an Eastern or any large city on either coast I think that it does have a lot more going on than may appear to someone who comes for a short visit or just passes thru. I am glad to hear that for the most part you sounded like you had a positive experience in Kansas City as it is my home town again after some years spent on the West Coast and in Chicago.

Back to the OP though. KC most certainly does have a pretty substantial and somewhat influential African American Community. I think the current demographics show something like just a little over 30% but this number would probably be more like over 50% if the area "north of the river" were not included. African Americans are active in KCMO city politics and are very influential and some might say even run the KCMO public school district. Actually some of the things that do make up KC's unique character are greatly influenced or given to the city by its African American heritage such as Jazz (Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Big Joe Turner) and some of KC's most legendary BBQ restaurants such as Arthur Bryants and Gates. As for Hispanics we have a pretty large number of Hispanic Americans as well and more than a couple of neighborhoods that are well know for being predominantly Mexican American such as the West Side of KCMO and Argentine Dist of KCK. Also Hispanic and African Americans are pretty well distributed throughout numerous suburbs of KC as well. The reason I mention this first is because I've noticed that KC is generally thought of as being pretty homogenous among people from either coast and we've actually got a bit more ethnic diversity than most would think. For instance, the area just east of the River Market area...Columbus Park is a Vietnamese enclave that still has a smattering of Italian Americans (it use to be KC's Little Italy) and still has more than a few Italian American businesses going strong in the area.

As for the observations about the ease of parking, etc yes I'd say we have it pretty easy in that respect. I've had more trouble finding parking in a city like San Diego (that though beautiful sometimes resembles a huge strip mall in many parts of town) than I've had here in KC. Kansas City is definitely a Midwestern city with the emphasis on Western as compared to STL which leans more to more of an Eastern but still Midwestern Vibe.

As for crime and public safety...well I'm glad that you were able to move freely without any troubles and I do love this city (my disclaimer) but trust me you cannot walk all over this city without encountering any problems. The Power and Light Dist that you mentioned has taken very measured and controversial measures (see "dress code") to lure suburbanites and folks from out of town. Unfortunately we do have miles of urban landscape that I would not recommend that someone from out of town walk through day or night. I only mention this because it is the truth and I'd hate to see some unsuspected visitor run into problems. We do have a significant problem with crime (esp violent) for a city of our size. I'm not saying that the whole city is a "crime ridden ghetto" as that is definitely not the case but we've got more than our fair share. With that said though, most of the areas that most people would visit are reasonably safe as long as your aware of your immediate surroundings as in any other large or mid sized city.

I noticed that you didn't mention Westport or at least I don't think you did (I'll go back and check). Anyhow, Westport is just a few miles south of downtown and I'd say probably has more importance or stature as an entertainment dist than Power and Light. It still retains a bit of the smaller town feel, as well as some interesting Civil War era history but I'd highly recommend it as a place to unwind, have a few drinks, a bite to eat or take in a film at Manor Square theater. Also, we do have the Nelson Atkins Art Museum just east of the Plaza, which in my personal opinion definitely merits a visit. I could go on but will sum it up by saying that while KC is definitely no Chicago it does hold a lot of cultural and entertainment options and when you get down to its core has a distinctive character and interesting history. All said though it sounds like the OP had a mostly pleasant experience and I'm glad to hear that, I only wish that they could have seen a bit more.

[skrazzle]

Originally Posted by kcmo

KCI is not a small airport, but the way the terminals are set up and the way you go through security near your gate make the airport seem dead and tiny and makes it nearly impossible for the airport to sustain basic airport retail and dining options because there are no major areas where passengers flow through. I would like to hear your take on MCI as they are looking at building a new terminal to fix these problems.

Mixed opinion on the airport. It doesn't have the central areas that other airports have, but many people recognize KC is one of the easiest and fastest airports to go through because of the current layout. It is easy to get to, get in, and get out.

The design is favored by many people. The main reason they talk of redesigning it is because of how security works. Since it doesn't have a central security check and instead are at the gates, it cost WAY more for security at MCI then other airports.