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Sounds like Denver is a good fit for you. Maybe you should pop into their forum and you can wallow in your unearned smugness among "peers". My single favorite thing about KC's culture is that no one here really gives a **** what outsiders think...
I really don't get this mentality. Nobody is saying that KC needs to impress outsiders, although many cities do try to do that and many are successful. But KC should want to make a good impression rather than leave a bad one. I don't think Indy has this "no one here really gives a **** what outsiders think.." attitude and I honesty think KC is a better city than Indy. But Indy has been able to leave KC in their dust when it comes to attracting conventions, large scale national events etc. If KC truly has this mentality, then the city may as well just mothball Bartle Hall and the Ballroom now and throw in the towel as far as hospitality goes.
KC doesn't have to be Denver or Minneapolis and try to impress others. I don't think bringing an airport terminal out of the 1960's is exactly trying to impress as much as it is just trying to be a more modern and inviting city to others while actually improving the QOL for the locals. Even though the locals are hell bent on not changing anything, when you do, they typically come around and like change in the end.
I really don't get this mentality. Nobody is saying that KC needs to impress outsiders, although many cities do try to do that and many are successful. But KC should want to make a good impression rather than leave a bad one. I don't think Indy has this "no one here really gives a **** what outsiders think.." attitude and I honesty think KC is a better city than Indy. But Indy has been able to leave KC in their dust when it comes to attracting conventions, large scale national events etc.
KC doesn't have to be Denver or Minneapolis and try to impress others. I don't think bringing an airport terminal out of the 1960's is exactly trying to impress as much as it is just trying to be a more modern and inviting city to others.
But whatever.
I think I was rewording the post when you wrote. Too snarky...but I will double down on the fact that that attitude is one of my favorite things about living here. Always has been. It's our culture.
Now, I would love to see a new airport, even one with a little more conventional "mall" set-up. But that's me. If 75% of the people in a city disagree with what I think is preferable, and the biggest justification for a new airport is that "other people don't like it, even if all you guys do", then I'm inclined to side with the people who actually use it, even if I don't agree with them.
Sounds a little smug, maybe Denver is just a better fit for you. I can assure you that your love of DIA is no where near universal. Many people have very little affinity for 3rd rate shopping malls in the middle of the prairie. And DIA is anything but convenient. Quite the opposite, its something of a "necessary" evil for most travelers. Not that I like MCI. I think it sucks, and my opinion of it gets worse by the trip, but my single favorite thing about KC's culture is that no one here really gives a **** what outsiders think...
Well, it was built where it was built becasue it was the only place there was enough land, the same as why KCI is where it is. I don't think it's any less convenient than KCI (for people in Denver), other than if you live in the SW part of the metro area, then you'll have a lot heavier traffic than you find in metro KC.
I love DIA because it's not just another box airport. Denver decided to make a statement with the main terminal, and it's definitely one of a kind. And when they decided to build a new hotel and train station onto the airport, they hired Spanish architect and sculptor Santiago Calatrava to design it. Denver's willingness to do things big is one of the things that attracts me to this city.
When I've picked up people at the airport the first time they've ever been there, they're amazed. And it does create a great "front door" to the city. And from people I've talked to who had layovers at DIA, they didn't describe it as a "necessary evil", but found it convenient and appreciated all the ammenities available during the layover. Another convenience is that I can get a direct flight to any city in the country, most in Canada and Mexico, Central America, and direct flights to Europe and Asia. You can't have a truly international airport in KC with the current terminals.
Denver is definitely a better fit for me. So was L.A.
I think I was rewording the post when you wrote. Too snarky...but I will double down on the fact that that attitude is one of my favorite things about living here. Always has been. It's our culture.
Now, I would love to see a new airport, even one with a little more conventional "mall" set-up. But that's me. If 75% of the people in a city disagree with what I think is preferable, and the biggest justification for a new airport is that "other people don't like it, even if all you guys do", then I'm inclined to side with the people who actually use it, even if I don't agree with them.
But most places are like that. I don't think people here really give a crap what others think, but they don't say it like KC people do. At the same time, I think people realize that in order to compete with other cities and compete for younger new residents in a time where people go where they "want" to go and not where they "have" to go you need to make sure your city and it's assets and infrastructure are up to par.
Personally, I will be absolutely shocked if KC lands that republican national convention for example. I mean a city that has not built a modern "large" downtown hotel in decades and is missing half the hotel flags that most large cities have and will have to bus people around a huge geographic area to even have enough hotel rooms in the first place, a city with a terribly dated and poorly rated (by outsiders) airport with very limited non stop service to coastal cities, a city with no real transit and with far flung attractions (getting further flung by the year) that are not accessible via anything but a 30 minute car ride.
But then again I think you will hear "we don't need to land the republican national convention" from people in KC more than average as well. KC just didn't used to be like that back when the city was more nationally relevant. (1920's -1970's).
I really don't get this mentality. Nobody is saying that KC needs to impress outsiders, although many cities do try to do that and many are successful. But KC should want to make a good impression rather than leave a bad one. I don't think Indy has this "no one here really gives a **** what outsiders think.." attitude and I honesty think KC is a better city than Indy. But Indy has been able to leave KC in their dust when it comes to attracting conventions, large scale national events etc. If KC truly has this mentality, then the city may as well just mothball Bartle Hall and the Ballroom now and throw in the towel as far as hospitality goes.
KC doesn't have to be Denver or Minneapolis and try to impress others. I don't think bringing an airport terminal out of the 1960's is exactly trying to impress as much as it is just trying to be a more modern and inviting city to others while actually improving the QOL for the locals. Even though the locals are hell bent on not changing anything, when you do, they typically come around and like change in the end.
But whatever.
Denver does attempt to impress outsiders. It's good for the economy and job growth, IMO. Even with the new Union Station construction downtown Denver, they were very aware that people would be flying in and taking the train to Union Station and made sure the new station was artistic and had a "wow factor". It opens in a week or so.
Denver does attempt to impress outsiders. It's good for the economy and job growth, IMO. Even with the new Union Station construction downtown Denver, they were very aware that people would be flying in and taking the train to Union Station and made sure the new station was artistic and had a "wow factor". It opens in a week or so.
I know and I enjoy that about cities that make that extra effort because it adds to the quality of life for locals as well. I'm just saying that KC is so far behind (in many ways, not all) that they need to concentrate on just keeping people from not coming back or telling others to avoid it, let alone impressing them. Right now people avoid KCI like the plague which is probably not good for growing an economy, it sure won't help KC get more flights that's for sure. KC will be forever stuck with whatever flights the local population can support which has been decreasing.
I know and I enjoy that about cities that make that extra effort because it adds to the quality of life for locals as well. I'm just saying that KC is so far behind (in many ways, not all) that they need to concentrate on just keeping people from not coming back or telling others to avoid it, let alone impressing them. Right now people avoid KCI like the plague which is probably not good for growing an economy, it sure won't help KC get more flights that's for sure. KC will be forever stuck with whatever flights the local population can support which has been decreasing.
I have several neighbors who are flight attendants for Unitied and they HATE going to KCI. They refer to it as "Kansas Sh--ty". I'm sure they go to other airports they don't care for, but I've heard that reference more than once.
Maybe kcmo and menver should hang out and find new ways to insult KC and it's residents more since they are obviously experts on what's going on here.
Hey Menver, I have several friends too that hate flying into DIA because it actually is freaking out in the middle of nowhere. And you know what, I'm sooooo excited for your little Union Station opening up....you know we have one too and it's bigger than yours...haha.
Maybe kcmo and menver should hang out and find new ways to insult KC and it's residents more since they are obviously experts on what's going on here.
Hey Menver, I have several friends too that hate flying into DIA because it actually is freaking out in the middle of nowhere. And you know what, I'm sooooo excited for your little Union Station opening up....you know we have one too and it's bigger than yours...haha.
What Denver is doing with their Union Station is pretty impressive, it actually was open, they just closed it to turn it into a modern functioning inter modal transportation hub.
Now Denver's union station has nothing on KC's as far as size and architecture. KC's union station is one of the most amazing historic structures in the US. But it's barely used as a transportation center, the science center needs to be rebuilt and properly funded and it could use another major cultural attraction (like the museum at prairie fire opening up at 395th and Metcalf or wherever.) But Union Station KC still brings in many high quality traveling exhibits (hopefully those don't start going to overland park now) and I know they have a lot of office space and are in the black now. But it's still pretty underutilized by the public for the sq ft it has and barely used for transit purposes, which may somewhat improve with the streetcar line.
Also, the area around Denver's Union Station has transformed from mostly parking lots and empty lots to dozens of new construction infill. It's becoming nearly built out. LoDo (Which is sort of like the Crossroads) was completely gentrified and all the old industrial buildings were renovated long ago.
Just saying that while KC's union station is impressive, it could and should be a more focal point of activity and there should be more new construction development around it by now, just like there should be more development around the PAC and Sprint Center by now.
Constructive criticism man. Why people take these types of ideas so personally. KC has lot of greats things about it, but there is nothing wrong with improving the things that can be improved.
I don't even care that much about KCI now. If I still lived there, trust me, I would be MUCH more involved in replacing that freaking terminal just like I was involved with most other civic projects because it's a pathetic excuse for an airport for a large metropolitan area but KC will do what it wants. I don't use that airport much anymore (certainly would never make a connection there haha).
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