Johnson County, KS vs. St. Louis County (Kansas City, Overland: apartments, houses)

[Danilo-11]

I lived in Overland Park for 2 years and just moved to St. Louis County.

The first thing that you notice is that the streets and roads in St. Louis are narrower and you find more curves.
The buildings look older in St. Louis, but you find a lot more brick houses from the 1900s than in Kansas City.
Highway 270 sucks compared to I-435.
During rush hour I-270 looks like I-35 by Olathe.
It's nice to see some hills in St. Louis, I got a little tired of seeing flatlands in Kansas.
In St. Louis there seems to be a lot more trees than in Overland Park.
In St. Louis the houses seem to have less land than in Overland Park.

In few words,
if you like wide roads, flat land, straight streets, few trees, a whole suburb full of brand new houses, then Overland Park is good for you.
if you like narrow streets, some hills, curvy roads, lots of trees, a suburb mixed with new houses and old brick houses, then St. Louis is good for you.

I don't remember seeing houses like this ones in Overland Park (Southern part)
Urban St. Louis - View topic - Photography > Pasadena Hills & Pasadena Park

[aragx6]

I'm most familiar with the southern portion of 435 as my SO's family lives near 143rd and Quivira, and aside from some demographic similarities (i.e. both are mostly white middle-middle and upper-middle class) I see few if any similarities because the housing stock in the eastern chunks of St. Louis county is so much older (and imo nicer) than OP's.

In the short time I've spent in Shawnee it reminded me more of the tree lined streets and older homes I am accustomed to in eastern St. Louis county. Now western St. Louis county has newer homes but the landscape is so hilly and the house styles so different than Overland Park that it's hard to find comparisons. Chesterfield and other areas in western St. Louis county tend to be brick, I almost never see that stucco style so popular in southern Overland Park.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by aragx6

I'm most familiar with the southern portion of 435 as my SO's family lives near 143rd and Quivira, and aside from some demographic similarities (i.e. both are mostly white middle-middle and upper-middle class) I see few if any similarities because the housing stock in the eastern chunks of St. Louis county is so much older (and imo nicer) than OP's.

In the short time I've spent in Shawnee it reminded me more of the tree lined streets and older homes I am accustomed to in eastern St. Louis county. Now western St. Louis county has newer homes but the landscape is so hilly and the house styles so different than Overland Park that it's hard to find comparisons. Chesterfield and other areas in western St. Louis county tend to be brick, I almost never see that stucco style so popular in southern Overland Park.

You could not be more correct about the housing stock differences between the two metro areas. Some of the new construction is like night and day when you compare the two areas. I really dislike stucco for this part of the country because I have seen many cracks develop due to extremes in the weather, and freeze/thaw cycles. South Johnson County should really stop pretending they are the sunbelt when they are NOT in terms of architecture.

You mentioned 143rd and Quivira
I know a relative who lives in that general vicinity
I could never stomach living in ANY of those newer neighborhoods.

[Danilo-11]

Originally Posted by Plains10

You mentioned 143rd and Quivira
I know a relative who lives in that general vicinity
I could never stomach living in ANY of those newer neighborhoods.

I lived in 124th & Quivira.

<aragx6>
Does your relative own the house in the SouthWest corner of 143rd and Quivira?

[aragx6]

The SO couldn't handle that area either. He moved from his cute little house in Shawnee before he started high school and I swear he's never forgiven his parents for it. (Though they've already made a killing of that house, so I guess they were right to do it)

He actually lives in one of those subdivisions right off that intersection. It's funny because I seem to always be lost there... I think it's too flat and too straight. I got used to learning areas by landmarks but when it's all stuccoed houses and upscale strip malls it's hard to get your bearings! But it's the subdivision on 143rd between Quivira and Pflumm.

The other thing I dislike about that area is that they seem to designate huge swaths of land as residential and then huge swaths as commercial. As a kid living in an older part of west county I could walk right up the street from my dad's to Manchester and there was a gas station and a McDonald's and a blockbuster, stuff like that. Even in St. Peters with my mom it was the exact same way. I can't count how many summer days were spent getting sodas at Quik Trip or ice cream at this little stand. In that southern part of Overland Park at least there is nothing in walking distance except other houses.

[Danilo-11]

Originally Posted by aragx6

The other thing I dislike about that area is that they seem to designate huge swaths of land as residential and then huge swaths as commercial. As a kid living in an older part of west county I could walk right up the street from my dad's to Manchester and there was a gas station and a McDonald's and a blockbuster, stuff like that. Even in St. Peters with my mom it was the exact same way. I can't count how many summer days were spent getting sodas at Quik Trip or ice cream at this little stand. In that southern part of Overland Park at least there is nothing in walking distance except other houses.

You are right about that,
I lived "close" to Metcalf & 119th
one day I left my car in a shop to be fixed
so I thought I would just walk home because I lived close by.
Damn, I didn't realize I lived that ......ing far away until I had to walk all of that (and I'm a soccer player)
It took me at least 1 hour to walk home from those stores that are "close" to where I used to live.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Danilo-11

You are right about that,
I lived "close" to Metcalf & 119th
one day I left my car in a shop to be fixed
so I thought I would just walk home because I lived close by.
Damn, I didn't realize I lived that ......ing far away until I had to walk all of that (and I'm a soccer player)
It took me at least 1 hour to walk home from those stores that are "close" to where I used to live.

I remember when 119th street was mostly corn fields. It's hard to believe how much sprawl has enveloped south JOCO in the last 20 years. A friend of mine had not been back to the KC metro area in about 20-25 years and was clearly shocked about some of the changes he saw.

The cluster zoning is what you would call "planned" suburban development. Everything has to be in its proper place in JOCO

[northbound74]

Originally Posted by Danilo-11

Urban St. Louis - View topic - Photography > Pasadena Hills & Pasadena Park

If you go to the Missouri side of KC, you'll see all lot of those kind of houses pictured on that link. Especially along Ward Parkway. More hills and trees, too. Jackson County, and most of the areas north of the river seem to be the hilliest. Cass County, and areas due southward along 71, is sort of like Kansas. It's kind of weird how the hills stop almost as soon as you get into Kansas. What you won't see much of in KC, however, is the winding roads.
There aren't many houses from the 1800's left in KC. There are quite a few brick commercial buildings downtown from that era, though.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by northbound74

If you go to the Missouri side of KC, you'll see all lot of those kind of houses pictured on that link. Especially along Ward Parkway. More hills and trees, too. Jackson County, and most of the areas north of the river seem to be the hilliest. Cass County, and areas due southward along 71, is sort of like Kansas. It's kind of weird how the hills stop almost as soon as you get into Kansas. What you won't see much of in KC, however, is the winding roads.
There aren't many houses from the 1800's left in KC. There are quite a few brick commercial buildings downtown from that era, though.

You got that one correct. Everything in the Kansas City metro is on the boring grid system with hardly any winding roads at all

[pioneer88]

you get the same (or similar) hills in wyandotte county and norther and western johnson county as you do in MO but I definately see what you mean about southern JO county and it's relative flatness. Should the sprawl (god forbid) ever reach miami and Linn county you'll see some decent hills and tree growth mixed in there. As for new you have to head west to find that. In regards to the drive to Lawrence it takes me about 20 minutes from my house in Olathe near K-7 of course that's the western side of the metro to get to metcalf you are looking at 35 ish. Good luck and welcome to KC!