Scarritt/Pendleton Heights/Hyde Park neighborhood associations (Independence: apartments, crime)

[Reptar]

I am currently researching older homes to possibly buy within the next six months and I am very curious about the Scarritt neighborhood and Pendleton Heights neighborhood. I have read many of the posts on here about the two neighborhoods and after a drive through I'm a bit surprised at what I saw.

I have heard that the areas are both very dilapidated, riddled with crime, and not to invest time or money there if you want any type of a return. I am interested to know if anybody on here is active in either the Scarritt, Pendleton Heights, or Hyde Park neighborhood associations. I would love the opportunity to talk with people that are active in the associations and get more information about the neighborhoods, current projects, and getting involved in the association.

I read through their websites but I didn't find a lot of updated information. I saw lots of information about tax incentives; does anybody know more about these? Has anybody in these neighborhoods had success getting their home on the National Register of Historic Places? Lots of questions I know! This is actually my first post.

Thanks!

[buck75061]

I lived in KC back in 2005 and really loved the Hyde Park and Pendleton Heights neighborhoods. I'm not familiar with Scarrit. I met a guy who completely renovated a home in Hyde Park that he listed for $1.2 million. He showed me the home and it was indeed breathtaking. I can't remember what he originally paid for it.

By the way, I think the City-Data forums are a great resource, but keep in mind that its participants are often suburbanites who don't always "get" those of us who enjoy living in older neighborhoods inside a city. I suggest that you also try posting at KCRag Forum - Index. It tends to draw more urbanites, so you may get a quicker response. Good luck!

[Reptar]

Thanks for the information! I will do that.

[UrbanTile]

All the areas you mentioned are really not that bad and are getting much better. I live in the Waldo/Brookside area (south of Hyde Park, and have been looking to move further into the city as well. Pendleton Heights is becoming a more artsy neighborhood and is for sure getting better, but many of the houses there have been torn down and replaced by 1950's style homes or apartments and many of the houses left have been added on to and repaired in odd ways just to keep the house livable. There are still many homes in that area that are original wood work and just need modern updates, but lately investors have been buying the houses for cheap redos and selling them for a decent profit. The crime there is mainly from street walkers (which there is a lot of them) who break into mainly cars. I would feel perfectly safe living there but I would maybe stay on my toes a bit more.

Hyde Park homes are really coming up in value Most homes are of good size and have not really been added on to. Its kind of a alternative/artsy area. The homes here are a lot closer than other neighborhoods and cars line the small streets because most houses have short diveways if any at all and also many of the homes are rented or turned into duplexes.

Scarritt is a lot like Pendleton Heights, but since its a little further east, there is a little more crime that goes on there and no good grocery store to go to.

My search for a home is taking place in the Westside of downtown because it is a better fit for me and much closer to highways. The thing about looking on the eastside where you are us that most of the kansas city crime/shootings happen on the east side, mainly in the 20th blocks. I figured If I go to the westide then I will be further from the crime in kcmo, still have a cool old home, and have easy access to grocery stores and drug stores. The crime in kansa city kansas is not that great either, but kcmo and kck are seperated by the west bottoms industrial area so the bad neighborhoods of kck are a few miles away.

Thats all what I have to offer.

[brian89gp]

I live in Pendleton Heights and confirm what UrbanTile says. Hyde Park and the Westside are definately more established and are safer feeling but that doesn't make Pendleton Heights or Scarritt unsafe. In general the majority of the crime happens south of Independence Ave or in the farther east parts that are north of it, Scarritt and Pendleton Heights are mostly spared.

As far as Pendleton Heights goes it does vary street by street, some are much nicer then others and it tends to relate to the number of owners vs renters. There is a artsy feel starting to develop probably due to the cheap housing options and proximity to Downtown, Rivermarket, and the Crossroads areas.

As far as what you have heard, there are people that think that the Plaza is actually Downtown KC and you will be shot on site if seen by thugs in a "bad" area. As you saw from your drive around the area what you heard was not exactly accurate.