Hyde Park (KC) Armour Hills and Lee's Summit---Questions? (Kansas City, Independence: for sale, real estate)

[Miss Rutabaga]

Still sussing out a few more places...

I stayed a few months in the KC area waaay back in the early 80's when people had just begun to reclaim the Hyde Park area. I remember going to see an abandoned house that had a ballroom in it...it must have been a
grand house in its heyday. At that time, though, I remember that Hyde Park was bordered by neighborhoods that were high crime and the area was still a bit of a gamble. I won't even tell you the prices of these homes back then, it could make a grown man cry.

The other area that I remember viewing was the Armour Hills area (sp?) it also had older houses (not turn of the century but 20's and 30's houses) and it was a nice stable area. Not sure how it is now.

Here are my questions...and I hope someone can answer them:

1. What is the situation like now in the Hyde Park neighborhood (mostly because I would like to know as I have been away so long.) Crime? Prices? Neighborhood activities?

2. Can you please give me some neighborhoods in KC that have older (pre-1940) and interesting homes (similar to Hyde Park)? And the street names/numbers or zips to search for them? (See below).

3. Does Lee's Summit have any older established neighborhoods? If so, could you give me the street names to look for or a zip code? (There are literally hundreds of homes and without some street names to plug into it's hard to find them.)

4. I still need to find an interesting place to live within commuting distance of Lee's Summit ..and I would like to find an older, interesting home. I am looking at all sorts of options at the moment...and am open to suggestions. If any areas in KC or the 'burbs or outlying towns come to mind that fits this bill, let me know.

5. I'm not a big hiker or water skiier...I do like cultural events, good bookshops, antique shops and being able to stroll and feel relatively safe. I've lived in Central Mo and near the Plaza...but that was ages ago ...so need some updates.

Thank you so much! Any information is most appreciated.

[todd00]

hyde park neighborhood website doesnt look very busy, but they do have a residential association and has some good information. Hyde Park - Kansas City

below is a current page from realtor.com in that zip code area 64109 to give you an idea of prices. they mention a bit about crime on the hyde park website too. i think you can get the kc pd via the net, like pple used to do with police scanners. listening to calls in the area and nearby neighborhoods might also give you a feel for how much a problem crime is there. i think there is still plenty of crime in the surrounding areas. id have to really research and spend some time in the area before i would be comfortable purchasing a place there. i also like the older houses much better than the cookie cutter models made today, but it can be difficult to find good neighborhoods in big cities. i like rural areas, land around me, and not having neighbors, but thats just me. armour hills is another area you may want to look into, [zip 64114]. there is a link that gives a brief bit about the area below. good luck.

64109 Real Estate Listings and 64109 Homes for Sale - REALTOR.com®

Real Estate Blog - Armour Hills

[AJK1535]

I would say that the crime in Hyde Park is still pretty bad. You can look up the crime stats at crime.kansascity.com and it will sort the crimes and put them on a map for you. I just visited a neighborhood with charming houses around Crysler and Truman Rd in Independence near the Graceland University campus. There were quite a few craftsman type bungalows as well as some AWESOME older two stories.

As for Lee's Summit, look up downtown Lee's Summit and the areas around it and you should find what you are looking for.

[kcmo]

I would seriously look at Downtown Lee's Summit since you will be working there. It's probably one of the nicest suburban downtowns in the metro, if not the nicest.

Hyde Park is really a different animal from Downtown LS. Much older homes that will require a lot more attention and money. Like any urban area, crime in Hyde Park will be much higher than LS. It may never effect you, but you will always be around it and see shady activity near the area.

I think Hyde Park is fine, but you have to be a pretty solid urbanite IMO to be there vs a place like Downtown LS where you just have to know you way to Lowes. .