So here is what I have so far. I know I'm missing stuff. Any ideas?
Some basic facts about the Kansas City area
The Kansas City metro area is a bi-state region of 2.1 million people (2.6 million live within one hour of downtown KC due to Lawrence, St Joseph, Warrensburg, etc), so it’s a large, regional area.
The anchor city is Kansas City, MO with just under a half million residents. KCMO has five suburbs with over 100,000 residents. Overland Park, KS, Kansas City, KS, Olathe, KS, Independence, MO and Lee’s Summit, MO.
Kansas City is a major player in transportation, software design, engineering, architecture, advertising and telecommunications and is home to Hallmark Cards, Sprint Nextel, AMC Theaters, H&R Block, American Century Investments, Garmin, Applebee’s, HNTB, Black and Veatch among many more.
Kansas City has two major auto assembly plants (Ford and GM) as well as a Harley Davidson motorcycle assembly plant.
The KC area is one of the nation’s largest federal government centers with over 30,000 federal government employees including a Federal Reserve.
The KC area is the eleventh largest gambling market in the country with five large casinos including the largest casino floor between Vegas and the east coast. (Ameristar).
KC’s Boulevard Brewing Co is the largest specialty brewer in the Midwest and tenth largest in the country.
Kansas City is the first city and currently only city to have Google Fiber
Kansas City is known as the city of Fountains with over 250 fountains across the city
Kansas City Metropolitan Area
Central Kansas City, Missouri
Areas of Central Kansas City, MO
If you are visiting KC for a day, a weekend or a week, the best place to stay is in the city. The central urban core of KCMO stretches about five miles from the River Market to south of the Country Club Plaza and includes several independent entertainment/business districts. This area is well served by transit, taxi cabs, bike share and is easily walkable. Even if you are in town for a ballgame or other event outside of the central urban corridor, you will enjoy your time in KC more by staying in the central city.
Here are some aerial photos of the central urban corridor of KCMO going from north to south to show how the different areas of urban Kansas City look:
River Market
Downtown Loop
Crossroads
Crown Center
Midtown-Westport
Country Club Plaza
UMKC-Rockhill
Brookside
Getting around Kansas City
Getting around in the core of the city without a car is actually quite easy, efficient and safe. MAX buses serve most key destinations with frequent service between the River Market and the Plaza while other many Metro bus routes cover the area as well. Central KC has hundreds of cabs that can easily be hailed or found at cab stands throughout the city at hotels, union station, entertainment districts etc. B-cycle is KC’s bike share system. The bike rentals are available at stations throughout the city from the River Market to Crown Center and is currently being expanded into Midtown and the Plaza. All transit buses have bike racks. Streetcars are also coming back to KC and the first line will open Downtown in 2015. Transit to the suburbs, airport and stadiums is lackluster at best, so a car will likely be needed if traveling beyond the urban core.
Kansas City B-Cycle
Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
Top things to do in Kansas City
Barbecue! Kansas City has the best BBQ and it's always the number one thing people ask about. Arthur Bryant’s, Gates, Jack Stack, OK Joes, Smokehouse, Danny Edwards, LC’s, Rosedale, Winslow’s is just the beginning. I think Gates is a must if you can only hit one place. Arthur Bryants original location on KCMO’s east side for authentic urban bbq and Smokestack downtown for a fantastic sit down (casual-upscale) bbq restaurant.
Arthur Bryant’s (best location 17th and Brooklyn, KCMO)
Jack Stack (best location 22nd and Wyandotte, KCMO)
Gates (best location Cleaver Blvd and The Paseo, KCMO)
“Mixed Plate” Ollie Gates by KC rapper TechN9ne
[youtube]146GSBzn5HA[/youtube]
Top Attractions
National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial (Located near Crown Center in Kansas City, MO)
The Museum is very well done and very entertaining while educating. Check the online reviews and you will see this museum impressed nearly everybody that visits. The view from the top of the observation deck is breathtaking.
National World War I Museum
The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art (Located east of the Country Club Plaza district in Kansas City, MO)
One of the finest art museums in the country. The new expansion is awesome and don’t miss the sculpture garden
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art | Kansas City, Missouri
The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts (Located at the southern edge of Downtown Kansas City, MO)
This new 420 million dollar downtown performing arts center has two theatres and is home to the Kansas City Ballet, The Lyric Opera of Kansas City and the Kansas City Symphony. The Center also hosts many traveling shows, plays, concerts etc.
The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts | Kansas City, Missouri
Starlight Theatre, Midland Theater, Music Hall and many more
In addition to the Kauffman Center, Kansas City has Starlight which host many concerts and Broadway plays. It’s one of the country’s largest amphitheaters with 8000 fixed seats (no grass seating). Many other theatres create a comprehensive arts scene including The Midland, The Music Hall, The American Heartland Theatre, The Folly Theater, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Uptown, New Theatre Restaurant, Off Center Theatre and more plus many art house movie theaters.
Kansas City Starlight Theatre
Union Station and Science City (Located south of Downtown Kansas City, MO)
Union Station is a national architectural treasure. Even if there is nothing going on at the station, it’s well worth a visit just to see the building although most of the time there are popular traveling exhibits there and the model railroad exhibit is amazing. Pierpont’s is one of the best restaurants in KC for steak and seafood. If you have kids, the IMAX and Planetarium are great and Science City is worth a visit. (don’t forget to walk cross the bridge behind the station which goes over the railroad tracks to the freight house where you will find Jack Stack, a great sit down BBQ place, Lidia’s Kansas City among others)
Union Station, Kansas City, MO
Bridge connecting Union Station to the Crossroads District over the RR tracks
Video of the model railroad experience
[youtube]akgqgwLZcIU[/youtube]
County Club Plaza (Located 4-5 miles south of Downtown Kansas City, MO)
Charming urban mixed use district with shopping, dining, fountains, horse carriage rides, street performers, live music and fountains all with a Seville Spain influenced architecture, fountains and statues. This district has many chains as well as local eats and retail establishments.
Country Club Plaza | The Country Club Plaza: Kansas City
Crown Center (Located about a mile south of Downtown Kansas City, MO)
This complex of shops, hotels and attractions south of Downtown is perfect for families with its central location and family friendly atmosphere. The square is home to fountains, concerts, movies, festivals and ice skating. The complex includes a 3 story shopping mall, a movie theater, several live theaters, an aquarium, the Legoland Discovery Center as well as the Hallmark visitors center and Kaleidoscope, both are which are free. Crown Center also has Frit’z Railraod Restaurant where trains bring food to your table and the very upscale American Restaurant.
Crown Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City Power & Light District (Located in the heart of Downtown Kansas City, MO)
Kansas City’s new downtown “living room”. This entertainment district host many restaurants, theaters and night clubs. The Mainstreet is one of the best movie theaters there is. The historic Midland host concerts, comedians etc, there are popular restaurants like Bristo (Great seafood in KC) as well as some well known chains. KC LIVE! is a two level night club district that is extremely popular on weekend nights and hosts many live concerts and events.
Power & Light District, Downtown KC
American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and Blue Room Jazz Club and Gem Theater (Located in the Jazz District just southeast of Downtown Kansas City, MO)
The Museums at 18th and Vine are incredible and should be a high priority if in KC. The Blue Room and Gem Theaters are two of KC’s premier Jazz and Blues venues and the Negro League Baseball Museum is a must see for anyone interested in baseball or history.
American Jazz Museum
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Boulevard Brewing Company (Located on Kansas City, MO’s West Side)
Boulevard is KC’s beer and very popular across the Midwest and beyond. Plant tours are very popular. The Brewery is located in Kansas City’s West Side, a Hispanic community with many authentic Mexican eats.
Boulevard Brewing Company Tour
Westport and 39th Street West
These historic and eclectic midtown neighborhoods have many nightclubs and restaurants.
Westport District, KCMO
39th Street West, KCMO
Crossroads Art District (Located south of Downtown Kansas City ,MO)
This district between downtown and crown center boast many art galleries and popular restaurants and currently hosts one of the largest First Friday Art crawls in the country on the first Friday of every month.
Westport District, KCMO
Steamboat Arabia Museum (Located in the River Market district, Kansas City, MO)
Steamboat Arabia Museum
Kansas City Zoo (Located in Swope Park in southeast KCMO)
The KC Zoo is a large Zoo that has been going through many expansions and renovations over the years. The wide open African Exhibit is like nothing else and new exhibits like the new Polar Bear and Penguin Exhibits will continue to bring in the crowds.
The Kansas City Zoo
