Raytown or Northeast Johnson County? (Lee's Summit, Liberty: foreclosures, homes, to buy)

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by MOKAN

The Missouri suburbs are certainly more conservative than Johnson County, KS, despite Missouri being a bluer state. But the Missouri suburbs are also friendlier and tend to have much more of a small town feel.

An area voting heavily democratic does not in any way mean its residents are liberal minded. Trust me, they are very conservative. They are conservative democrats who vote for democrats despite the liberal democrats social agenda for labor/union reasons. Typically if even one man in the family is in a union, the entire family are democrats.

Johnson County is much more cosmopolitan and has more of a big-city suburb feel, despite the fact we're behind cities that are more progressive than Kansas City in regard to transit-oriented development, real new urbanism, light rail, etc. There are a ton of high paying jobs in Johnson County, including blue-collar jobs, and a major corporate presence. JoCo residents are typically more sophisticated than those in the Missouri suburbs and are typically more live-and-let-live, whether democrats or republicans. Put it this way, if you are gay and want to live in suburban KC, JoCo is where it's at. Johnson County is also more diverse than the Missouri suburbs. Sure, there aren't as many blacks, but there is a wider range of people out there.

Raytown is decent, and the northern part, north of 63rd along Blue Ridge BLVD is very nice. Tree-canopied streets, a nice mix of relatively older/historic houses, but ultimately NE JoCo wins for all of the reasons mentioned in this thread, especially the school district including access to the best private schools in KC. Raytown is much less diverse than JoCo as well and is more solidly blue-collar/working-class with increasingly urban problems. Not as bad as Grandview, Bannister or Hickman Mills yet, but getting there. That entire corridor as a whole from Raytown to Grandview is more akin to the largest swath of KCK between 635 and 435. Also, the areas if KCK bordering JoCo are decent, nothing to be afraid of, although living just across into JoCo is better, mostly because of the school district.

This thread is a joke anyway, a fraud, created by somebody who I'm beginning to think may have a bit of a mental problem.

Exclude the rural areas of JOCO as well as Olathe and Gardner and it might come close...

[tzeb]

I admit to having a stereotypical view of Raytown, just as I said in the post. I know exactly one person who lives there. He is an avid gun collector. His house is like an arsenal. Raw material for a stereotype, I guess.

[tzeb]

Originally Posted by kcmo

I mean, it could be worse. Check out OKC, Fort Worth or even Dallas or Houston. Texas makes KC feel like the northeast.

Houston is where I lived for several years before moving here. It is not more conservative than Kansas City. It is not any less sophisticated than Kansas City. If it feels further away from the northeast, that’s only because there’s no snow in winter and the natives eat grits for breakfast.

Conservative means being resistant to change, or being intolerant of different ways of thinking and acting. It doesn’t mean politically “red”, at least not to me. I found Houston to be a city with a "try anything" attitude. It attracts great numbers of well-educated, smart and ambitious people, not just from other states, but from all over the world. As such, it is cosmopolitan to a degree Kansas City never will be. People that I knew there, more than here, were apt to stretch beyond what they learned in childhood. That could be due to contact with so many other people who were born somewhere else, or simply a desire to make a buck off the rest of the world. Rowdy, Houston is that, but not insular.

Too bad the climate down there stinks. That aside, it wouldn’t be bad if Kansas City could resemble Houston more.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by tzeb

Houston is where I lived for several years before moving here. It is not more conservative than Kansas City. It is not any less sophisticated than Kansas City. If it feels further away from the northeast, that’s only because there’s no snow in winter and the natives eat grits for breakfast.

Conservative means being resistant to change, or being intolerant of different ways of thinking and acting. It doesn’t mean politically “red”, at least not to me. I found Houston to be a city with a "try anything" attitude. It attracts great numbers of well-educated, smart and ambitious people, not just from other states, but from all over the world. As such, it is cosmopolitan to a degree Kansas City never will be. People that I knew there, more than here, were apt to stretch beyond what they learned in childhood. That could be due to contact with so many other people who were born somewhere else, or simply a desire to make a buck off the rest of the world. Rowdy, Houston is that, but not insular.

Too bad the climate down there stinks. That aside, it wouldn’t be bad if Kansas City could resemble Houston more.

Kansas City should resemble Minneapolis more. It has far enough southwest influences as it is.

[TabulaRasa]

Why does Kansas City have to resemble ANY other city?

IMO, Kansas City would be far better off if people who live here would just embrace it for the characteristics it already has, and quit apologizing for it and wishing that it were more like [fill in the blank city]. Of all the urban areas I've lived in, KC seems to have some of the worst self-image and overall penchant for self-deprecation. Part of it is due to their being such divisive attitudes with the state line situation, which far eclipses anything I've ever experienced in run-of-the-mill urban/suburban attitude clashes in other cities.

[tzeb]

Originally Posted by TabulaRasa

Why does Kansas City have to resemble ANY other city?

IMO, Kansas City would be far better off if people who live here would just embrace it for the characteristics it already has, and quit apologizing for it and wishing that it were more like [fill in the blank city]. Of all the urban areas I've lived in, KC seems to have some of the worst self-image and overall penchant for self-deprecation. Part of it is due to their being such divisive attitudes with the state line situation, which far eclipses anything I've ever experienced in run-of-the-mill urban/suburban attitude clashes in other cities.

It doesn't need to resemble any other city. It can continue to be just what it is.

So much of this forum, however, is about comparisons of one place to another. For example, the original post of this thread. When you read somebody's post that runs down a city that you rather like, it's natural to jump in and defend it.

Unless you are satisfied with everything about Kansas City as it is, then you will probably post things about how Kansas City should change, or the direction it should take for the future. It's easy then -- maybe lazy, but easy -- to mention some other city by name and state that Kansas City should have what the other city has, including its intangible qualities.

[TabulaRasa]

Anyplace can make improvements, I just think it's ridiculous to start the "Why can't KC be more like [fill in the blank city]?" game. Because that city already exists. I personally LIKE that Cincinnati is different from Minneapolis, Philly is different from San Francisco, KC is different from Portland, Chicago is different from Los Angeles, etc.

[lifelongMOgal]

Originally Posted by tzeb

I admit to having a stereotypical view of Raytown, just as I said in the post. I know exactly one person who lives there. He is an avid gun collector. His house is like an arsenal. Raw material for a stereotype, I guess.

[2005hawk]

Originally Posted by PepsiChallenge

Moving to Kansas City this fall from Michigan. We have one kid - another on the way. A friend recommended Raytown, Missouri or Northeast Johnson County in Kansas based on what we were willing to spend. Just want to know more about these areas. Are they pretty nice? Raytown is in Missouri so I assume the Missouri side is better since that is where more people live? And the staidums and museums. How far is Raytown from downtown? How far is Kansas from everything? Is it safe? To be honest we are a bit worried about Kansas because of the evoluation thing so we'd like to stay on the Missouri side.

I will be working near the downtown plaza. Please help! Also we are visiting Kansas City this summer, pls rcommend any things we must see. And do people call it "KC" sometimes or is that just an abbreviation?

Your friend probably recommended either Raytown or NE Johnson County because they have similar housing stocks. Mostly ranches ranging from 1000-1600 sq ft, one story and if they have an attached garage, its most likely a one car garage. I have a friend that teaches in the Raytown district and from her point of view, its a good district with some diversity. I also have a friend working in the Shawnee Mission District. It is a good district too, though they have been recently struggling with budget issues and closing some schools. Both Raytown and NE Johnson County are inner-ring, or first tier suburbs that developed in the years following WWII, if that helps you visualize it. Raytown is much closer to the stadiums (Royals and Chiefs), both areas are about equidistant to museums and other cultural attractions (which tend to cluster in the midtown area of KCMO). Yes, people call it KC. KCMO is Kansas City, Missouri, KCK is Kansas City, Kansas. All the rest of the metro are suburbs.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by 2005hawk

Your friend probably recommended either Raytown or NE Johnson County because they have similar housing stocks. Mostly ranches ranging from 1000-1600 sq ft, one story and if they have an attached garage, its most likely a one car garage. I have a friend that teaches in the Raytown district and from her point of view, its a good district with some diversity. I also have a friend working in the Shawnee Mission District. It is a good district too, though they have been recently struggling with budget issues and closing some schools. Both Raytown and NE Johnson County are inner-ring, or first tier suburbs that developed in the years following WWII, if that helps you visualize it. Raytown is much closer to the stadiums (Royals and Chiefs), both areas are about equidistant to museums and other cultural attractions (which tend to cluster in the midtown area of KCMO). Yes, people call it KC. KCMO is Kansas City, Missouri, KCK is Kansas City, Kansas. All the rest of the metro are suburbs.

great post.