HELP! Need some friendly advice please!!!! =) (Kansas City, Lee's Summit: amusement parks, low crime, neighborhoods)

[happymomie13]

Hello! My husband has been offered a job in Kansas City and we are seriously considering taking the position. Anyway before we say yes or no we wanted to find out a little about the area. We have two small children; 5 and 2, and we would like to send them to a catholic school. My husband was told that if we take the job it's better to live on the Kansas side instead of in Missouri. They never really explained why though! Anyway, if someone could just recommend some towns to look at that have good schools, family oriented either in Missouri or Kansas I would greatly appreciate it.
Also, what kind of stuff is there to do? That may seem like such a lame question but I know nothing about the area. I live in DE currently and have never been to that section of the US. I think it's the only section we've never been to! Go figure!
I appreciate you taking the time to read this and hopefully respond. I tried searching the internet for these answers but came up empty! You all are my last hope!!!
Thanks again!!!!!

[Cymballine]

Kansas City, KS is primarily a suburban environment, so it might be more conducive for a young family. You can find great neighborhoods like Lenexa, Leawood, and Overland Park. Kansas City, MO is where most of the action is. The Country Club Plaza is probably its biggest highlight, but Westport is also an awesome, trendy area, and the jazz clubs are top-notch. If you like BBQ, then you'll find some of the best in the country in KC!

[Chris2000]

I lived in Kansas city, KS for a couple years. It's a nice place, but in my opinion it's a little bit blah. We couldn't find much to do without driving up to the MO side.
We just did a year in Austin, TX. Now that we are back we decided to live up in North Kansas City, MO.
I think it is great up here, Parkville, North Kansas City, Gladstone, even Liberty all seem like pretty nice area's. The have the "burb" feel that Kansas City KS has, but the scenery is MUCH more beautiful. Also were we are we sit 15 minutes from the airport, and we are only 10 minutes from being in downtown (smack in the middle). Before in KS we were at least 30 minutes from the airport and I'm thinking close to the same from downtown.
I would really look in North Kansas City, MO. More entertainment, better scenery, Nice neighborhoods, Very friendly people, Good schools, Tons of shopping.
Check out the Zona-Rosa area.
I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the country.

[luzianne]

When they said it is better to live on the Kansas side, they probably meant Johnson County. Suburbs, low crime, bood schools. I grew up in Johnson County and purposely moved back here when I had kids.

There are more Catholic school's in Johnson County, but one I know of is in Prairie Village - http://www.stannpv.org/school2.html It is is kindergarten through 8th and then the Catholic high schools are Bishop Miege and Rockhurst. But a lot of the kids go to Shawnee Mission East public school for high school because it is known for academics, and many people who could afford to send their kids to private school do not because their kids can receive a good education at Shawnee Mission East. Most of the grade schools that feed into SM East are great schools too. Middle schools - well, middle schools are never that great IMO.

What to do - Worlds of Fun, Oceans of Fun, a new Schlitterbahn water park, Royals baseball, Kansas City Chiefs football, the Kansas City Zoo, the Plaza (shopping dining), Kansas Speedway, Deanna Rose Farmstead, minor league baseball, professional soccer team. In Johnson County, my girls played softball and basketball at Johnson County Girls' Athletic Association and Girls' Club of Johnson County. There is a 3 & 2 park where my son played baseball. He also played basketball and soccer. People are very into kids' sports and it's fun.

The University of Kansas is 45 miles away from Johnson County, in Lawrence, Kansas. A good place to visit and also when the time comes, a great school for your kids and not far away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OnJAxNx63E

[northbound74]

Originally Posted by Chris2000

I lived in Kansas city, KS for a couple years. It's a nice place, but in my opinion it's a little bit blah. We couldn't find much to do without driving up to the MO side.
We just did a year in Austin, TX. Now that we are back we decided to live up in North Kansas City, MO.
I think it is great up here, Parkville, North Kansas City, Gladstone, even Liberty all seem like pretty nice area's. The have the "burb" feel that Kansas City KS has, but the scenery is MUCH more beautiful. Also were we are we sit 15 minutes from the airport, and we are only 10 minutes from being in downtown (smack in the middle). Before in KS we were at least 30 minutes from the airport and I'm thinking close to the same from downtown.
I would really look in North Kansas City, MO. More entertainment, better scenery, Nice neighborhoods, Very friendly people,

I agree with the Northland.
Almost anything north of the Missouri river on the Missouri side is good. Liberty is a fantastic area. Platte City, Smithville, Parkville, all are very nice.
Lee's Summit, in Jackson County is another very good choice for families. Check out their downtown.
Johnson County, Kansas is a lot like these places, but it's hundreds of square miles of suburbia with no breaks in between. It's not as horrible as we Missourians make it sound sometimes, but it's not for everyone. In Missouri, there tends to be more hills, countryside, lakes, and general greenery.
Catholic schools are everywhere.

[MrsMo]

North of the river is great. I will tell you though, the majority of Catholic schools in that area have a waiting list from what I understand at the meetings I go to at the Chancery. I am another firm believer in Catholic education. All my kids and now grandkids went to our parish school where I went. But I do know that the area north of KC proper, formed an alliance for all the schools public and private. The education system in the northern MO suburbs are superb.

[kcmo]

First off, the KC area is a large metropolitan area that offers tons to do and see.

If you are familiar with other large cities, think Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Baltimore etc as far as size, but there is actually more to do in KC than those towns because KC is the “big” city for a very large area.

KC has several great museums, urban entertainment and shopping districts, Chiefs and Royals, fairly large amusement parks, a fantastic arts scene, a loaded concert schedule, casinos, broadway plays, symphony etc.

Just about anything you would except from a medium sized major metro can be found in KC.

Most of the city is full of trees, it’s hilly and clean.

Chances are, your husband’s potential employer lives in Johnson County or if the job it in the urban core of KCMO, the person hiring your husband is from Johnson County.

If you are relocating to KC and the company has a lot of ties to KS or is in KS, there is a major push and it’s hard to go against the push, to move to Johnson County, KS. Everybody will tell you to move to the Kansas side. The schools in Missouri are bad, the crime is off the charts, stay out of KCMO etc. You will hear it from relocation “experts” etc.

The TRUTH is that there are many fantastic neighborhoods and suburbs on the MO side with great schools and there are also some great urban neighborhoods in KCMO if that is your style and since you are looking at non-public schools, you might look into that. Most middle and upper middle class families that live in nice city neighborhoods send their kids to private schools.

Having said that.

It really sort of depends on where he will work and what type of area you want to live in.

The MO side suburbs tend to be far more diverse and the topography far more interesting. But if you are into absolute perfect “suburbia” almost like a real version of the Truman Show, some of the Kansas burbs are some of the best in the nation at that.

There are many areas to choose from though.

In Kansas you have Olathe, Blue Valley and Shawnee Mission, all great, large suburban districts and smaller/exurban ditricts like Gardner and DeSoto.

In MO you have Park Hill, Liberty, North Kansas City, Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs, all large great suburban districts. Then you also have many exurban districts as well like Grain Valley, Raymore, Platte County, Kearney, Smithville etc.

In MO you also have urban neighborhoods like North Waldo, Brookside and South Plaza where thousands of families live that don’t care for suburban living.

I would say that if your husband is working in Johnson County, then live in Johnson County (Kansas side).

If he is taking a job in KCMO like around the Plaza, Midtown, Downtown, Crown Center etc, than live on the MO side.

Although a LOT of people choose to live in Lee’s Summit and the Northland and commute out to the Overland Park area. There is a differnt "vibe" between areas like South JoCO, NE JoCo, Northland, Eastern Jackson, Urban, etc, and people choose their vibe...

[RjRobb2]

Originally Posted by Chris2000

I lived in Kansas city, KS for a couple years. It's a nice place, but in my opinion it's a little bit blah. We couldn't find much to do without driving up to the MO side.
We just did a year in Austin, TX. Now that we are back we decided to live up in North Kansas City, MO.
I think it is great up here, Parkville, North Kansas City, Gladstone, even Liberty all seem like pretty nice area's. The have the "burb" feel that Kansas City KS has, but the scenery is MUCH more beautiful. Also were we are we sit 15 minutes from the airport, and we are only 10 minutes from being in downtown (smack in the middle). Before in KS we were at least 30 minutes from the airport and I'm thinking close to the same from downtown.
I would really look in North Kansas City, MO. More entertainment, better scenery, Nice neighborhoods, Very friendly people, Good schools, Tons of shopping.
Check out the Zona-Rosa area.
I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the country.

Are you referring to North Kansas City, MO the city or Kansas City North?

The difference being that North Kansas City is an actual city that sits just north of downtown.

Kansas City North is the Kansas City area north of the river.

Zona Rosa is in Kansas City North.

[TabulaRasa]

The most likely reason for hearing the "KS is better than MO" argument has to do with the quality of the public schools, or lack thereof, on the MO side. Since you're leaning toward private school, probably a nonissue.

[Chris2000]

Originally Posted by RjRobb2

Are you referring to North Kansas City, MO the city or Kansas City North?

The difference being that North Kansas City is an actual city that sits just north of downtown.

Kansas City North is the Kansas City area north of the river.

Zona Rosa is in Kansas City North.

Sorry about that.
I meant the Kansas City North area. It's gorgeous up here and I can be in downtown in no time at all. It's just great!