South KC Rennaissance (Lee's Summit, Blue Springs, Liberty: city hall, crime, chapel)

[viva kc]

I am fairly new to the KC area and have taken up a home in south KC. I love where I live and the proximity to which I am to everything. Living close to wornall/ward and bannister/95th street, I feel as if I am within a 15-20 drive from all the amenities the city has to offer. The plaza, brookside, westport, west 39th on the MO side and neighborhood friendly shopping plazas in prairie village to major malls and shopping districts in leawood and OP. Driving down town is approx. 20 minutes!

I also really enjoy how wornall rd has become such a major vein for the south KC culture. I am really curious on what everyones prospects on cleaning up the wornall corridor? I know some areas such as brookside and the plaza area already cleaned up, but how about westport? What about south waldo? I just see so much potential for city that offers its residents so much within its city limits especially for people that still want to be connected to the city and not drive a 30-40 minute commute every day?

What your YOUR thoughts?

[northbound74]

Well, the Plaza and Brookside never needed cleaning up, from what I understand. They've always been nice areas. Westport is what it is, an eclectic neighborhood full of all sorts of people. It will probably never be squeaky clean, and those who live there most likely would like to keep it that way. Making it less prone to crime is the biggest concern.

KC is a complicated town with complicated people. Getting anything done is quite the ordeal. Revitalizing large sections of town has been done, but you have to be in a part of town that The Powers That Be actually care about. Hopefully, south KC will get it's turn. The Bannister Mall-to-soccer stadium/complex project is a good start.

[kcmo]

Sounds like he is talking more about the Waldo area and SKC area (inside the 435 loop) than Brookside or far Southeast KC.

We lived near 91st and Wornall for five years and really liked it. Like you said, it's close to EVERYTHING. JoCo, Brookside, Plaza, highways, office parks and the ghetto.

Our house was a mille from very run down areas and a mile from very upscale areas. Life in the urban core.

We had no problems at all though. I really enjoyed it. I did notice that some of the stores that were near us have closed or turned into thrift shops which is a bit disappointing. Waldo is a gritty area, but I wouldn't think twice about living there.

We left when the our first child started elementary school. There is the biggest problem.

But South Waldo should remain a solid starter home area for the long term. The housing stock is perfect for young people or first time home buyers that want to be in the city, yet close to JoCo/SKC office parks etc.

So I don't see Wornall taking a total nosedive, but it would be nice if the city and the neighborhoods put more effort into redeveloping the Wornall corridor. KCMO really has its hands full though, so it's going to take residents coming up with a plan and implementing it.

[viva kc]

KCMO,

You've hit on my forefront thoughts exactly. Being one of those young couple and in a starter home I would like to help maintain this side of town. As you said, the schools would be the game changer for us, but until then, we'll enjoy our proximity to everything. If you don't mind me asking, what school district/part of KC metro do you reside as to ensure a quality education? Also, what can a neighborhood do to get notice of city members and neighborhood works projects to improve our neighborhood?

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by viva kc

KCMO,

You've hit on my forefront thoughts exactly. Being one of those young couple and in a starter home I would like to help maintain this side of town. As you said, the schools would be the game changer for us, but until then, we'll enjoy our proximity to everything. If you don't mind me asking, what school district/part of KC metro do you reside as to ensure a quality education? Also, what can a neighborhood do to get notice of city members and neighborhood works projects to improve our neighborhood?

We ended up in the Blue Springs district. We live in the Woods Chapel corridor which is close to the BS/LS/Indy border. It really would not have been my first choice, but we had to for family reasons. It’s not that I thing this is a bad area, but I would have liked to stay in the city or move to the Northland and remain in KCMO. The schools seem to be top notch out here. It’s really amazing what they offer and how professional they are. We bought in an older area, I just couldn't do the new home, no trees, cookie cutter stuff, so we took a home in a mature area and made it really nice.

The problem was the Woods Chapel corridor was really going downhill. Not the houses, but the commercial strip of Woods Chapel and the road itself was looking real bad. It was always backed up, stores looked bad, motels were run down etc. It really gave a horrible and false impression to people as they exited I-70.

When I lived in the city, I was very involved with what went on in the area. KCMO is so big though that it's hard to really focus on a specific area like Wornall and not feel like you are wasting your time. So I spent most of my time pushing for the big ticket items like Union Station, the Zoo, Light Rail, Liberty Memorial, Sprint Center, a Downtown Stadium, the Power and Light District etc.

When we moved to Blue Springs, I continued to keep my KCMO passion with the high profile projects, but went nuts on the city of Blue Springs.

I spent a few years constantly ripping on the city council, getting the neighborhood together etc. We complained that the city was putting all this money into Adams Dairy Parkway and South 7 for new growth while letting established, built up areas decline.

I can honestly say it has totally paid off.

Due to our efforts, the entire western side of Blue Springs is getting a face lift. Woods Chapel is being widened into a 4 lane parkway with bike paths etc, a new shopping center is replacing an old strip mall, sidewalks will connect the parks, new lighting is being installed, there is now a very active neighborhood crime watch area. Motels in the area have been redeveloped into nice properties. Park and Ride lots have been built and Blue Springs help fund ATA express service now.

My point is that no matter where you end up, get involved in the community. It's absolutely amazing what you can get done when the residents stand up and demand better from their city and don't stop till that demand is met. If everybody would do this, decay in the entire metro would be drastically reduced. It's so easy to just move out and go to the newest areas. It takes effort and work to keep a good area solid and make it better.

We looked again at building a home last year and just couldn't do it. New areas just suck if you ask me. They are just so bland and I don't want to wait 20 years till an area matures with trees, the houses get modified and customized so they don't all look the same etc.

I like this area. There are lakes everywhere and it has everything we need as far as suburban shopping etc.

But I think most districts in the metro area good. Any of the Northland districts, Blue Springs and Lee's Summit would be my first choices.

Good luck and get to know your council members. They really do want to help, but you have to treat them like people. So many people have nothing nice to say about people at city hall. They have no idea what it's like to be an elected pubic official.

If you get enough people together and make enough noise, you will get something done, even in a large city like KCMO.

I don’t think there has ever been a major grass roots effort to do something with Wornall.

Maybe that will change?

[TabulaRasa]

We moved to Santa Fe Hills (just off 85th and Wornall) about three months ago, and we love it. We moved from the Plaza, and have no complaints. It's much more "us" here. I work at 103rd and Hickman Mills Drive, and there couldn't be a more convenient, yet nice, place to live with decent proximity to that.

Having the Trolley Track Trail essentially in our backyard is wonderful, our area is quiet, tree-lined and neighborly, with nice yards, there is abundant parking, both offstreet and on (something that was the bane of our existence in the old place), we're within biking distance of most anything we want to do socially, there are great family-owned restaurants and proximity to chains if that's one's preference, there's a grocery store right there, etc.

[smellykat]

Originally Posted by kcmo

We ended up in the Blue Springs district. We live in the Woods Chapel corridor which is close to the BS/LS/Indy border. It really would not have been my first choice, but we had to for family reasons. It’s not that I thing this is a bad area, but I would have liked to stay in the city or move to the Northland and remain in KCMO. The schools seem to be top notch out here. It’s really amazing what they offer and how professional they are. We bought in an older area, I just couldn't do the new home, no trees, cookie cutter stuff, so we took a home in a mature area and made it really nice.

The problem was the Woods Chapel corridor was really going downhill. Not the houses, but the commercial strip of Woods Chapel and the road itself was looking real bad. It was always backed up, stores looked bad, motels were run down etc. It really gave a horrible and false impression to people as they exited I-70.

When I lived in the city, I was very involved with what went on in the area. KCMO is so big though that it's hard to really focus on a specific area like Wornall and not feel like you are wasting your time. So I spent most of my time pushing for the big ticket items like Union Station, the Zoo, Light Rail, Liberty Memorial, Sprint Center, a Downtown Stadium, the Power and Light District etc.

When we moved to Blue Springs, I continued to keep my KCMO passion with the high profile projects, but went nuts on the city of Blue Springs.

I spent a few years constantly ripping on the city council, getting the neighborhood together etc. We complained that the city was putting all this money into Adams Dairy Parkway and South 7 for new growth while letting established, built up areas decline.

I can honestly say it has totally paid off.

Due to our efforts, the entire western side of Blue Springs is getting a face lift. Woods Chapel is being widened into a 4 lane parkway with bike paths etc, a new shopping center is replacing an old strip mall, sidewalks will connect the parks, new lighting is being installed, there is now a very active neighborhood crime watch area. Motels in the area have been redeveloped into nice properties. Park and Ride lots have been built and Blue Springs help fund ATA express service now.

My point is that no matter where you end up, get involved in the community. It's absolutely amazing what you can get done when the residents stand up and demand better from their city and don't stop till that demand is met. If everybody would do this, decay in the entire metro would be drastically reduced. It's so easy to just move out and go to the newest areas. It takes effort and work to keep a good area solid and make it better.

We looked again at building a home last year and just couldn't do it. New areas just suck if you ask me. They are just so bland and I don't want to wait 20 years till an area matures with trees, the houses get modified and customized so they don't all look the same etc.

I like this area. There are lakes everywhere and it has everything we need as far as suburban shopping etc.

But I think most districts in the metro area good. Any of the Northland districts, Blue Springs and Lee's Summit would be my first choices.

Good luck and get to know your council members. They really do want to help, but you have to treat them like people. So many people have nothing nice to say about people at city hall. They have no idea what it's like to be an elected pubic official.

If you get enough people together and make enough noise, you will get something done, even in a large city like KCMO.

I don’t think there has ever been a major grass roots effort to do something with Wornall.

Maybe that will change?

Can't "rep" you! This rep system is so annoying! Great, great post! Very inspiring and good advice. Kudos!

[kcmo]

Thanks smellykat