Relocating to MO from NYC. Where to go?

[Kassad]

I'm sure Lees Summit has better public schools than say Kansas City, MO; however if you want the best public schools in the greater Kansas City area then you need to cross the border into Johnson County, KS.

Reason 1 - Over the years, Overland Park has been rated the safest city in the state of Kansas. It wasn't too long ago that Overland park was rated one of the top cities to raise a family in the country. (Overland Park is in Johnson County)

Reason 2 - Several Shawnee Mission High schools (Shawnee Mission East, SM South, SM Northwest) have been rated as top high schools. The Blue Valley district is also very very nice.

250k can get you a nice place in Overland Park or Lenexa. Leawood might be a stretch as homes cost more there, but what a nice area )

Is it like NYC? Hell no. The closest city the midwest/great plains has to NYC is Chicago, but it's all about trade-offs. Living in the midwest means you are living a slower, more simple pace of life without fewer options for entertainment. That being said the Country Club Plaza and Brookside areas in Kansas City, MO are nice, but they don't hold a candle to some east coast shopping/dining districts. In exchange for this you get a lower cost of living, a safer place to raise a family, down to earth people who are friendly and pleasant, and wonderful public schools.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by casakny

Thanks for helping. I heard that Lees summit/blue springs have awesome schools. There are so many subdivision with awesome homes such as eagle creek etc. SAB homes seems to make nice homes for new construction. Can you please tell me which subdivision you are in? Also how is car insurance/electric/gas bills compared to NJ? I pay $235 electric $85 gas? $150 a month for 2 cars one is just liability. Thanks

You mentioned MO in general in your original post. Does this mean you are not interested at all in the STL suburbs?

[casakny]

I am only interested in the blue springs general area. Lees summit etc..

[christina0001]

Originally Posted by casakny

Thanks for helping. I heard that Lees summit/blue springs have awesome schools. There are so many subdivision with awesome homes such as eagle creek etc. SAB homes seems to make nice homes for new construction. Can you please tell me which subdivision you are in? Also how is car insurance/electric/gas bills compared to NJ? I pay $235 electric $85 gas? $150 a month for 2 cars one is just liability. Thanks

Actually I am not in the KC-metro area anymore. I seem to move every two years. I'm now in the ozark region of Missouri. When I was in the KC area, I was first in Liberty (which I did not personally care for), and then I was in Greenwood, which is a tiny town southeast of Lee's Summit, and it shares Lee's Summit schools. Can't remember the name of the subdivision I was in, but I loved it. Greenwood is really nice. However, there are plenty of nice subdivisions in Lee's Summit itself, too. I looked at a lot of houses in both towns; just ended up falling in love with one in Greenwood in a really nice neighborhood.

I am not an advocate for real estate agents, but if you need one that specializes in the Lee's Summit and surrounding area, send me a Direct Message and I can pass on the name of the agent I used when I purchased (and then sold) my home. She was very good, very knowledgeable about the area and not pushy whatsoever.

Car insurance is lower, but my rates didn't drop as low as I anticipated. But I had a good plan in NJ too. My car is getting old and I dropped total coverage a couple of years ago...now I have Progressive and I am paying $440/year for my 8 year old 4-door sedan.

I can't really compare utility rates because A. at this point I don't remember what I paid in NJ, and B. it hugely depends on the size and efficiency of the home. I will say that right now we are only heating/cooling 1/2 of our 3500 sq.ft house and our propane bills over the winter were terrible (IMO) - $250-$350 per month, but electric even with A/C on is pretty low, maybe $150 or so with A/C on and without it on it is about $85/month. Also some of our windows are a little drafty so in a more efficient home, it would be better.

When you move out here, can you please bring me one onion bagel?

[GunnerTHB]

Originally Posted by kshe95girl

They're villages, not cities.
-shakes head in despair-