Nice areas SOUTH of KCMO? (Kansas City, Independence: get credit, how much, big home)

[Songbird111]

Hi, we may be relocating to KCMO where my husband would work near River Market area. I think the owner of the company lives in Lee's Summit area. How long of a commute is that? Also, it seems as if everyone is saying north of city is the place to go. What about south, east? Any decent suburbs in these directions? Southwest as opposed to Southeast? I would like specifics, please. We have two children, so we are interested in safe, middle class america suburbs with good schools. Thank you, nice people!

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by Songbird111

Hi, we may be relocating to KCMO where my husband would work near River Market area. I think the owner of the company lives in Lee's Summit area. How long of a commute is that? Also, it seems as if everyone is saying north of city is the place to go. What about south, east? Any decent suburbs in these directions? Southwest as opposed to Southeast? I would like specifics, please. We have two children, so we are interested in safe, middle class america suburbs with good schools. Thank you, nice people!

My husband also works near that area.

Lee's Summit is nice, good schools from what I understand. Commute is probably about 30-40 minutes give or take.

Liberty is also a nice area with good schools and a shorter commute to downtown.

If I had to live on the Missouri side, I'd choose one of those two areas with Liberty being my first choice because it's closer.

You will pay a little more to live in Johnson County on the Kansas side and have a downtown commute anywhere from 15 to 45+ minutes. Some (and I'm one) think it's worth it and that the schools are better. Others disagree.

[TabulaRasa]

You'll be able to find something decent and middle class in all directions from downtown. Just depends on what you're specifically looking for, and how much time you wanna spend driving.

[Tamtam1974]

Lees Summit is nice and so is Blue Springs and the newer parts of Independence, like near Center Point Hospital. Otherwise, not much in the way of decent.

[Songbird111]

TamTam -- gosh. The poster above you said I'd find all kinds of decent middle class suburbs in every direction. You stated a "few" areas and then said nothing else is much decent. What am I to think???? I guess everyone has their own perspective of what "decent" means. Can you elaborate a bit? Thanks for your time!

[Songbird111]

Samantha S. -- I would pay taxes in both states if I lived in Kansas and worked in MO? Can you elaborate on this? Thanks again for your time!

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by Songbird111

Samantha S. -- I would pay taxes in both states if I lived in Kansas and worked in MO? Can you elaborate on this? Thanks again for your time!

If you haven't already, I recommend perusing all of the recent threads regarding moving to Kansas City. You will see many common themes and lots of opinions.

There are also a couple of recent threads regarding taxes. Both my husband and I have lived in KS and worked in MO for most of our careers, it's really no big deal.

You do have to file returns for both states, but they are not complicated forms. I used to do them myself with no difficulty. KS and MO are reciprocating states so you will get credit in KS for the taxes you pay to MO, but KS taxes are a little hgher, so you will have to pay some extra to KS. Typically, we get a refund from MO and owe the refund plus a little to KS.

If you work within the city limits of KCMO you will pay a 1% earnings tax to the city. If you work outside the city for part of the year, you can file for a partial refund of that. I never found it to be worth the trouble. If you work in MO but outside the city limits, this is not an issue.

If you are looking for nice suburbs with great schools, Overland Park, Leawood, Merriam, Shawnee and Lenexa are worth checking into. Lee's Summit has gotten a little pricey from what I understand and so you may not save much and have a longer commute than you would from JoCo.

Liberty/Gladstone area is also very nice. With the nicest parts rivaling JoCo. But their prices are also beginning to rival those in Overland Park and Western Lenexa/Shawnee. So if it were me, I'd choose the KS side, but I am admittedly biased.

We currently live in Western Shawnee (near Johnson Drive and K-7) and my husband's commute to downtown is about 20 minutes. (Want to buy a house? ) We are currently househunting in the Prairie Village/Leawood/East OP area. So I've seen a lot of what's out there.

Let us know what areas you are looking in. I can give you pretty good info on comparing detailed areas of JoCo. My info on the MO side is much more general and is based on what I know from others who live there. But there are several people here who can give better detail on those neighborhoods.

[JackieB23]

I'm very biased in favor of the Northland.

That being said, Lee's Summit and Blue Springs are both great places to live with great schools (it's been a while since I've spent a lot of time in Lee's Summit but it had a funky little "Old town" downtown that was kinda neat). I don't know Blue Springs as well as I know Lee's Summit, but I have never heard anything really bad about it - it's a nice suburb as far as I can tell.

Of course Johnson County has some wonderful neighborhoods and excellent schools.

[MrQuincy]

I grew up and went to school in the Lee's Summit R7 district and have lived just south and east of Lee's Summit in a town called Greenwood all my life. Lee's Summit schools are well funded and plentiful, but I never felt like my instructors took an interest in me until I went to a satellite college program during my junior and senior years of highschool. The school district paid for it and that's where I found a place to excel, so overall I'd say my highschool experience was as successful as high school experiences can be expected to be! I got to do some really cool stuff for CHEAP too! I spent a month traveling in Italy for $1400 all included through the R7 school district!!! I can't speak for other school districts, but the R7 is pretty nice. As far as Southeastern areas in KC I'm somewhat of an expert having spent a great deal of my childhood hanging out in southeast KC.

Lee's Summit is the epitome of suburbia. Neighborhoods clinging to 291 north on the west side are some of the best and most affordable homes IMO. Lakewood has some great BIG homes if you are looking to spend a little more to get a little more. If you want something really cheap, there are options just east of 291 north between 50 highway and WalMart. Raintree is off of 291 south...but to my knowledge the properties values are terribly inflated and the people there are snooty...but not as snooty as Lake Winnebago which is their next door neighbor. If you want to move somewhere you can buy lawncare equipment in a competitive and passive aggressive fashion...look no further, Lake Winnebago and Raintree are the spots where you need to be.

Raytown is planned rather terribly, but the housing is safe, affordable and it is RIGHT next to the city. It's definitely more blue collar, and I've considered living there on more than one occasion. If you need LOTS of space for cheap look at some houses off of 40 highway closer to KC than not.

Grandview can get a little intense at times. I dated a girl who lived in a suburb of Grandview and it wasn't foreign to be approached by men roaming and drinking Colt 45's. I probably wouldn't live there unless I found a really good deal off the beaten path.

Belton...naaaaaaaaaah.

I would say most in Lee's Summit have combined salaries of 100k-150k and judging from what little info I know about you...this is probably where you want to be southeast of Kansas City-wise. A lot of my recommendation would come from where your roots are. Where are you from? What demographic are you used to being around?

[cp1969]

Originally Posted by MrQuincy

Belton...naaaaaaaaaah.

What exactly is wrong with Belton? It hasn't been the hangout of Tiny Mercer and his gang for a loooonnnng time.