Liberty, The Northland (Kansas City, Columbia, Blue Springs: 2009, homes, neighborhoods)

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by sparksharp

Any insight on Platte County attitudes Samantha? I would think that being part of the Metro area (not a small town), that attitudes would be a bit more open...am I wrong?

I may not be the right person to ask.

I wouldn't expect a big difference. But I have a definite preference for Johnson County on the KS side. The MO side suburbs, toward-rural and rural parts all have a very different "feel" to them to me.

That is not to say that they are bad places to live. Certainly not. You will find very nice people and beautiful areas, many in closer proximity to the "city" but with a more "removed" feel to them all over the MO side. On the KS side, you now have to get further and further away from the city to feel "removed".

But personally, I do feel a difference in the culture on the MO vs KS side and I feel more "at home" in KS. (which stands to reason since I've lived in KS most of my life, the first half in western KS and the latter half in JoCo. I still have family and friends scattered all over the state.)

[northbound74]

Originally Posted by sparksharp

Liberty, Missouri - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That's enough to turn me off from Liberty! I'm already thinking "REDNECK ALERT"!!!

Oh, my goodness.
Liberty is NOT Tennessee.
I've lived in Arkansas for much of my life, with a few years in Alabama, and short stints in Tennessee and Texas.
Liberty is NOTHING like those places, not even close. There may be a history there, but it's not like some parts of the south, where you still have people mad over the Civil War.

Liberty has always struck me as not being redneck. If anything, it's a smidgen more white-collar than blue collar these days. Also blue-collar and "redneck" aren't always the same. I'm very much blue collar, but not redneck in the slightest.
My wife and I go to the Wal-Mart in Liberty or Gladstone sometimes whenever we do have to go to our least favorite store, because they're not redneck like the ones in Independence and Blue Springs. Independence isn't totally redneck, but that type does tend to congregate at Wal-Mart. It's funny, because the crowd who shows up at the Target right across the street is almost the opposite of the Wal-Mart crowd.

Liberty is by far one of the nicest suburbs in all the metro, with some of the best schools.
It's no more racist than any other suburb around here.
There also is very little, if any, difference on that issue between Kansas and Missouri... at least in the metro.

[kcmo]

I don't think there is any "die hard" southern culture in metro KC. I have lived in the area all my life and even though you may occasionally see some confederate flag waving redneck, it's rare and not near as prevalent as it is in the south, even southern Missouri.

I just don't see it and I will be the first to point out that kind of thing when I see it.

Now the history is there. But you are talking about a city of over 2 million people today, the vast majority of which do not have any history in the immediate area.

Up till about 20 years ago, there were MANY suburbs on both sides of the state line that pretty much didn’t have and didn’t welcome blacks. Places like Independence, Belton and Leawood were notorious for this.

Today, Lee’s Summit is the suburb of choice for middle and upper class black families. That city has a very strong black community and the white community there embraces black history and culture. Lee’s Summit has some of the largest Martin Luther King events in the region today and it’s a suburb in Missouri.

Liberty is a bit blue collar and there is nothing wrong with that, but I wouldn’t call it redneck.

[sparksharp]

Liberty is NOTHING like those places, not even close. There may be a history there, but it's not like some parts of the south, where you still have people mad over the Civil War.

Glad to hear that! Down south that anger / hostility is still quite prevalent in a lot of small towns! Honestly, it's amazing to me that some folks in the South still have these attitudes. But...speaking from first hand experience, I was called a Yankee (I'm originally from Cincinnati) and a "carpetbagger" (my husband and I moved South for his job) many times over the last 20 years living in this small town in Tennessee...and not in a joking manner, but more of a hostile one! It was surprising, sad, hilarious and absurd all at the same time! Southern hospitality is greatly over-rated and I'd even go as far as to say it's a complete myth.

I really am glad to be coming back to the Midwest!

Also blue-collar and "redneck" aren't always the same.

I don't think I ever suggested that they were.

I don't think there is any "die hard" southern culture in metro KC. I have lived in the area all my life and even though you may occasionally see some confederate flag waving redneck, it's rare and not near as prevalent as it is in the south, even southern Missouri.

Glad to hear that!

Now the history is there. But you are talking about a city of over 2 million people today, the vast majority of which do not have any history in the immediate area.

Cool!

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by kcmo

I don't think there is any "die hard" southern culture in metro KC. I have lived in the area all my life and even though you may occasionally see some confederate flag waving redneck, it's rare and not near as prevalent as it is in the south, even southern Missouri.

If you are still seeing confederate flag waving rednecks, even "occasionally, how can you say there isn't "die hard" southern culture?

How else would you define it?

I've lived in JoCo for 20 years and I've never seen a "confederate flag waving redneck" living here. KS doesn't have the same history as MO, so its culture has evolved differently and today has a very different feel to it.

[famusdarlin]

I can't say I've seen a confederate flag anywhere in the metro in the past 25 years. I guess I can't see how anyone could say there is no racism, no discrimanation in any place. I've experienced racism all over Kansas City, but I can't say there is anywhere in the metro that is a thing like what I've experienced in certain areas in the south.

However, saying that I do love the South, faults and all. Not really sure I would sum u southern culture by racisn. People in the south in general are so friendly. Even when visiting Hattiesburg, pretty much as far south as it gets, a few times in the past couple years, I found most people to be kind-hearted and warm.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by Samantha S

If you are still seeing confederate flag waving rednecks, even "occasionally, how can you say there isn't "die hard" southern culture?

How else would you define it?

I've lived in JoCo for 20 years and I've never seen a "confederate flag waving redneck" living here. KS doesn't have the same history as MO, so its culture has evolved differently and today has a very different feel to it.

I'm talking about the region. Not really the immediate metro area. I have spent a lot of time in small rural towns around KC. But like others have said, it's practically non-existent compared to much of the south. I have seen more of that stuff in Maryland 20 minutes from DC in the past few months than I have in the KC metro in a decade.

OH and if you want to think KS is more than just JoCo, then you have to here too. JoCo is nothing but a post war suburb. If you want to compare MO to KS in a fair way, you must compare the entire MO side to the entire KS side. There is more to the KS side than OP and Lenexa. Think Bonner Springs, Leavenworth County, Miami County, Gardner etc. As soon as you leave JoCo, the culture of rural KS is nearly identical to that of rural MO (at least between KC and StL). Down south in the boot heal and near branson is a different story and KS has an "urban" county that has to be one of the most bizarre quasi urban/rural places I have ever seen. KCK/Wyandotte.

Bottom line is you seem stuck on the civil war. Other than the KU/MU rivalry where KU fans bring up the whole slavery thing, I don't think it has any impact what so ever on the area or the differences of the sides of the state line and if you want to bring that up, just also know that even though KS was a "free state", blacks were kept east of state line right up to the 1980's. Nobody wants to talk about that though.

[sparksharp]

I can't say I've seen a confederate flag anywhere in the metro in the past 25 years.

Ya see them everywhere in Tennessee! Along with "Yankee go home" stickers in the back window of pickup trucks! No...I'm not kidding!

just also know that even though KS was a "free state", blacks were kept east of state line right up to the 1980's. Nobody wants to talk about that though.

Slavery was also practiced and perfectly legal in Northern States for a long, long time prior to the Civil War! I think the difference was that the South's entire economy depended on the institution of slavery and they didn't want that to change with the times (increasing abolishionist movement). Those plantations didn't plant and pick themselves ya know!

The North had moved beyond the agricultural, and was into the industrial boom...their economy didn't depend on slavery continuing and the abolitionist movement was embraced more quickly because of that.

Let's face it...nobody comes out clean on the whole slavery thing...not even the "supposed" free states. However, what makes me nuts are areas that can't seem to let go of the whole Civil War thing and are still holding some sort of grudge against Northerners (even though it was the South who fired the first shot at Fort Sumpter and started the whole mess)! These Yankee hating areas of the South don't help it's reputation in a positive manner one bit. It only continues to perpetuate the negative stereotype.

Now...that being said...there are many things I truly enjoyed about living in the South. The warmer climate, the beautiful scenery, the Southern magnolias, the preservation of nature, beautiful lakes and streams, a slower pace of life. Many things I'll truly miss...but the nasty attitudes from the rednecks isn't one of 'em.

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by kcmo

As soon as you leave JoCo, the culture of rural KS is nearly identical to that of rural MO

I'm quite familiar with rural culture in both MO and KS and I disagree. It's different in my opinion. Not saying it's "better" or "worse" just different.

I don't think it has any impact what so ever on the area or the differences of the sides of the state line and if you want to bring that up, just also know that even though KS was a "free state", blacks were kept east of state line right up to the 1980's. Nobody wants to talk about that though.

I know you're one of those who doesn't think it has any impact.

I'm also very aware of racism and the history of racism in KS. Not just in JoCo, but all over the state. I have talked about it in threads on the KS forum. I've never said or implied that KS is free of racism just because it was a "Free State".

[skrizzle]

Originally Posted by Samantha S

I may not be the right person to ask.

I wouldn't expect a big difference. But I have a definite preference for Johnson County on the KS side. The MO side suburbs, toward-rural and rural parts all have a very different "feel" to them to me.

That is not to say that they are bad places to live. Certainly not. You will find very nice people and beautiful areas, many in closer proximity to the "city" but with a more "removed" feel to them all over the MO side. On the KS side, you now have to get further and further away from the city to feel "removed".

But personally, I do feel a difference in the culture on the MO vs KS side and I feel more "at home" in KS. (which stands to reason since I've lived in KS most of my life, the first half in western KS and the latter half in JoCo. I still have family and friends scattered all over the state.)

Strange. Myself being someone who has lived in the heart of the city feel the north area of KC is much more "city like" then JOCO.

OP is burbs of course but feels removed from the city, and the people themselves just judgemental and plastic in general. Most people who I know that live downtown, Westport, and plaza... Very open minded areas... would not want anything to do with the KS side.