Wish a Family Friendly Area in Inner City Existed (Kansas City: for rent, lofts)

[couragerqd]

When will it become truly family friendly? I am divorcing and would give anything to move back in the city with my boys. I want a family friendly neighborhood, I don't want to have to use my car just to go to a park. I want a decent school. I want grocery near.

I love that KCMO is evolving I just wish it was a more diverse evolution. We need families in the city as well as the young people that can afford the lofts and condos.

The models of what I want are out there, they just exist in the burbs.

I hope I am wrong and ya'll slam me with specifics.

[kcmo]

Brookside is a great family neighborhood with parks, nice grocers etc.

Thousands of middle and upper class families live there.

You just have to be either willing to deal with the schools or can afford private.

KC is really not all that differenct than any major urban city in this regard.

[couragerqd]

Portland would be the exception for sure. Other than that you are probably right.

As renewing our city moves forward I just wish they would consider family friendly areas however the schools will still be a problem.

My oldest is starting kindergraten ths year and will go to a catholic school. If we were in a position to move now I would probably try to get him in FLA.

We will see.

[TabulaRasa]

Originally Posted by couragerqd

I love that KCMO is evolving I just wish it was a more diverse evolution. We need families in the city as well as the young people that can afford the lofts and condos.

And they won't come until the schools shape up. The most family-laden neighborhoods in the city are those that are home to parents affluent enough to go with private schools. The bulk of those young people in the lofts and condos are largely the same people who will ship on out to OP and Lee's Summit and the like as soon as they have school-aged kids.

[northbound74]

The closest thing KC has to having everything like that is a suburb... North Kansas City. You can walk anywhere in that little town. Grocery store, parks, community center, bowling alley, and several restaurants. There's a nice mix of old and new houses there.

[nbmcamaro]

I am a student at UMKC and I would not recommend moving your family anywhere in the main part of the city. As a young adult with friends who have decided to live in the city ( both on the plaza, near Westport, and in the northern part) all that I have heard are horror stories. Friends getting their heads bashed in with hammers, windows in cars smashed in, amongst other things. Remember that when people rob houses they don't do it in their own neighborhood. I live in Lee's Summit and just deal with the commute. My safety is more important than culture. Lee's Summit is #21 on the safest city list.

[TabulaRasa]

When I lived on the Plaza, the scariest thing that ever happened to me was that about 2 bucks in change got stolen from my unlocked car.

Now that I live in Waldo, the worst "crime" I've seen is some asshat stealing my magnetic autism awareness ribbon from the back of my car while it sat parked in front of my house in our quiet subdivision.

Badass.

[RichMonk]

Originally Posted by nbmcamaro

I am a student at UMKC and I would not recommend moving your family anywhere in the main part of the city. As a young adult with friends who have decided to live in the city ( both on the plaza, near Westport, and in the northern part) all that I have heard are horror stories. Friends getting their heads bashed in with hammers, windows in cars smashed in, amongst other things. Remember that when people rob houses they don't do it in their own neighborhood. I live in Lee's Summit and just deal with the commute. My safety is more important than culture. Lee's Summit is #21 on the safest city list.

As an urban dweller in Chicago soon moving to KC, I've seen the crime rates are similar. People like to sensationalize that stuff but ignore the horrifying highway accidents that happen every week. Also, those who are often targeted are obvious victims who don't look like they keep their wits about them. Look up the stats...you are way more likely to get seriously injured commuting than you are living in the city.

[OneKC]

Isn't Northeast/Columbus Park becoming more family friendly? I know it used to be a rough neighborhood, but with the River Market bouncing back and lofts springing up nearby, it seems like it has cleaned up quite a bit and you can find some good housing stock for cheap with parks nearby, all in the shadows of KC skyscrapers.

[Jimmy Burma]

Hmm, I don't think Columbus Park proper was ever that rough. A little "old school" (hate using that word but don't know how else to put it) but not bad. There are some housing projects just north of Columbus Park that can be a little gnarly you could say. Anyhow, I think most of the gentrification happening in CP and some (very few) parts of North East is mostly young adults without children. It is truly a shame that there aren't many "family friendly" neighborhoods in the heart of the city and here is the key point: that are within reach of the working class. Let's be real though, Brookside while in the city is definitely Suburban in nature. Nothing wrong with that but it really doesn't feel like a "city" neighborhood. Wow, I had more on this but it looks like it was deleted (went back to edit for elaboration). Anyhow, it just comes down to the $ and it's gonna get worse and worse. I really feel for people with children who live in the cities and don't make enough to live in one of these desirable, walled off by high rent, etc areas. It's a shame because many are out there doing the right thing but if they can't afford to pay a certain amount for rent or buy housing then there gonna be living in the land of saggy pants and gun shots, unless ya want to move to the boonies. The days of the old, tight knit, safe, pushing babies in stroller neighborhoods are long gone for the working class of the U.S. as far as I can see. Only upper middle class and above will be able to live in "nice" parts of the city and/or inner ring suburbs. Sad but I think it's true.