Moving (back) to area; where would you put us? what should we prepare for? (Columbia: how much, houses)

[PKPD]

I grew up in Lee's Summit (Lakewood) but left at 18 for college (Des Moines, IA) and never looked back. I've been bouncing around the east-coast (NY, NJ, MD) since but recent events have us considering a move back 'home'. We currently live in Silver Spring, MD (outside of DC) our current neighborhood is very family friendly and has tons of kids and little community activities that make you feel cozy and connected (Christmas tree lighting, Santa visits, Octoberfest, Garden Walks, book clubs, dinner clubs, poker nights etc). We have access to playgrounds, basketball courts and open fields within walking distance thanks to the local park, elementary school and catholic church/school which are all located in the neighborhood. We have the ability to walk to a little shopping plaza (bakery, starbucks, bodega, subway, UPS store). However, houses are old, expensive, small and have no driveways (lots of cars on the street). Since we also have no sidewalks our girls can't ride bikes or run around and experience the independence both my husband and I had growing up. Our schools are so-so considering 50% of the students in any given class do not speak english; my girls are thriving but I'd like to do better.

Also our grocery stores suck.
And the traffic here is a nightmare.

So... with that we are looking for a few key things in our next move which hopefully will carry us until the girls graduate HS (they will be going into 2nd and 4th grades):

- good schools; this seems to be a non-issue in most areas but are there certain districts that we should avoid?
- neighborhood with lots of kids; preferably younger but a mix of old (babysitters!) is fine too.
- neighborhood pool with swim team (ideally one we can bike or walk to).
- neighborhood park with open space and playground or even a near-by school with access to basketball courts or fields/playgrounds.
- at least 0.4 acre lot where I can have a vegetable garden and compost without pissing off my neighbors.
- sidewalks (or at a minimum = driveways which get the majority of cars off the street so we can actually walk in the road without getting mowed over by cars.)
- walkable or bikable to a coffee shop/store (huge ask, I know we won't get it...)
- decent driving distance from airport. Now MCI is in the middle of no-mans-land so I realize this is a strange ask but I'd like to get to the airport in <40 mins. I travel a fair amount for work.

So where would you put professional dual-income 40-something's with kids that leans liberal and prefers spending time going on hikes or playing games on Sunday vs sitting in a pew?

Our house budget is large (600-999k) so I don't feel we are limited there. Right now we are leaning towards KS side vs MO since we have a few friends in OP and some family there too. My parents still live in Lakewood (but desperately need to move into a retirement community or something). KC is so spread out; I get hives just thinking of how much time I'll spend in the car but I guess at least I'll be going somewhere vs. taking 30 mins to drive 4 miles where I currently live.

Also I read a thread on taxes and that they are high but it wasn't clear what I should prepare for...right now we pay state income tax (5.75%) and we have county property taxes on our home (~4k for an assessed value of 470k home). Our county does amazing things with the $$ and we don't pay extra for garbage/recycling and every fall they even come vacuum up all our leaves! Seems like the taxes in MO/KS won't get me nearly as much...

We will be working with a realtor but I'm interested to hear where you all would put us!

[luzianne]

I would say south Overland Park (Blue Valley School District) would fit all your needs EXCEPT proximity to the airport and I'm not sure how receptive neighbors would be to composting. It would depend on the area I guess. In Stilwell it wouldn't be a problem; 119th and Roe area it might be a problem. If I were you I would check out the area south of 119th and Roe. Also the area around 135th and Mission. And 159th and Antioch. Really I guess anywhere between 119th and 199th and between Pflumm and State Line.


If you like Olathe, someplace around Heritage Park might be nice.


My other thought is western Shawnee or Lenexa. You have Shawnee Mission Park, lots of hiking/biking trails and parks other than Shawnee Mission Park, and you can find lots that are bigger than other areas. Shawnee/Lenexa would be an easier drive to the airport than south OP.


Lenexa has a lot of new housing. I really like the Falcon Ridge area but there is a lot of building going on out there so I'm sure a lot of new/newer homes available in various subdivisions and a new business area at 435 and 87th street with restaurants, etc.


I'll leave suggestions for the Missouri side to people who know the Missouri suburbs better than I do.

[kcmo]

Ahh Silver Spring. I commute to there from Annapolis. I can only imagine trying to live there. Lots of recreation but the traffic is just brutal and you are right about grocery stores not being all that great. Wegmans are pretty nice though, but none in Silver Spring.

Anyway. You should look at the Parkville area. Close to KCI, but also close to the city and much of the metro. Very nice topography with hills, the Missouri River and several lakes. There are quite a few new bike trails parks nearby too. The Cliffs, Riss Lake etc are a couple of affluent areas where home prices will be in that range. Downtown Parkville is quaint and historic where you have many restaurants and shops. Very good public schools.

I have a brother that lives in the area so I still visit the area pretty much annually.

[VietInKC]

Would definitely echo the Parkville suggestion. Pretty sure there's a coffee shop in the small downtown but I'm not sure if it's within biking/walking distance to the nice homes in Parkville. Asking for anything walkable is a tall order within the KC metro area even downtown. Easy commute to the airport and anywhere in the metro due to the central location. In my opinion, it's probably the most IDEAL location in the metro with ease of highway access to I-635 to get to Kansas or to I-29 to get further into the Northland or towards downtown. English Landing park is a nice open park which I also frequent.

Schools are great. The Park Hill School District is one of the finest in Missouri. Most of Parkville will go to Park Hill South High School which is the slightly better of the two high schools which takes a lot for me to say since I am an alumni of Park Hill High (North).

I highly suggest you go check Parkville out because I think it hits on every point.

[pioneer88]

I agree with Parkville Area for sure as those above me have already mentioned. Great area and close to KCI.

Western Shawnee/Lenexa/De Soto Area would be a good option in Kansas. Nice terrain, large lots, Shawnee Mission Park, Lexington Lake Park, Kill Creek Park, streamway trails etc. Also, close to Lawrence which is unique in both retail and outdoors options as well as the University dynamic. Great Schools as well.

I wish you well and I hope it's a great move for your family back home.

[westender]

Two words: Prairie Village. Specifically the area between 71st, 63rd, Nall and Mission Roads.

Sidewalks, tons of kids out and about, parks and recreation, excellent schools, slightly left of center, lots of local shopping and restaurants. Lot sizes range from 0.3 acres to 0.5 acres, the larger lots usually on corners or curved roads.

Only downside from your list is the distance to the airport, which is 28 miles and 30 minutes from 63d and Nall. (SM Pkwy to Metcalf/ I-635 to I-29)

[PKPD]

Thank you all! This is very helpful! I'll definitely check out Parkville. I remember enjoying that quaint downtown a few times when I was visiting home during college, but I wasn't sure about schools etc.

Also good to know about Prairie Village; sounds like it could hit the spot and even though its farther from airport, it is a better distance to our friends/family in OP and my parents in LS.

Prefer to not go much farther west than Shawnee or further south than OP just due to driving distances from family (cause if I'm moving back I may as well live close to grandparents right?)

[PKPD]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Ahh Silver Spring. I commute to there from Annapolis. I can only imagine trying to live there. Lots of recreation but the traffic is just brutal and you are right about grocery stores not being all that great. Wegmans are pretty nice though, but none in Silver Spring.
.

Right? Why do our grocery stores suck so bad here? Growing up with HyVee set our expectations pretty high but the grocery stores we have here are AWFUL. My husband has started driving the 30+ mins to Columbia to hit up Wegmans.

Of course Bethesda and Rockville are filling up with Harris Teeter which is better than Giant or Safeway but thus far none of those are coming close to SS.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by PKPD

Right? Why do our grocery stores suck so bad here? Growing up with HyVee set our expectations pretty high but the grocery stores we have here are AWFUL. My husband has started driving the 30+ mins to Columbia to hit up Wegmans.

Of course Bethesda and Rockville are filling up with Harris Teeter which is better than Giant or Safeway but thus far none of those are coming close to SS.

Wegmans are nicer than anything in KC. We are getting one in Annapolis so no more driving to the Crofton location. Giants are terrible, but it seems like the grocery stores in SS are worse than most. KC in general seems to have nicer grocery stores than most major cities, but they still don't have that many of the higher tier and healthy brands. We have a Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Fresh Market etc all right nearby for example. Anyway, I guess this should be discussed in one of the DC forums.


Other than traffic, I'm surprised you are thinking of moving back to KC. It seems like the DC area is more of a fit for your lifestyle. KC has a totally different culture. People mostly just drive around there. There are very few actually vibrant truly walkable areas in KC while DC has that everywhere including the suburbs. I guess if you have family there. Don't get me wrong, KC is a great city especially if you just want to a no hassle city. Good luck to you.

[chicago2kc]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Other than traffic, I'm surprised you are thinking of moving back to KC. It seems like the DC area is more of a fit for your lifestyle. KC has a totally different culture. People mostly just drive around there. There are very few actually vibrant truly walkable areas in KC while DC has that everywhere including the suburbs. I guess if you have family there. Don't get me wrong, KC is a great city especially if you just want to a no hassle city. Good luck to you.

For a lot of people, myself included, it comes down to people instead of place. KC definitely is not my speed. If my location was solely about the City itself, KC would be way down the list. But family is here. I moved around a lot growing up, and was not near extended family. I decided I wanted something different for my kids. So here we are, near grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Sounds like OP is making a similar decision (sacrifice?).