Blogs about KC visits

[chrizow]

with the exception of extreme cooler-than-thou coastal types (or imitators) who could only be satisfied by the cultural offerings of a NYC or London, i have found that nearly 100% of people not from Kansas City like Kansas City after visiting or moving here, even overcoming initial skepticism. it is the locals that are more biased, who have been steeped in the suburban, anti-KC mindset of the baby boomer generation. my grandparents, who were essentially WWII generation, even though they themselves moved to the suburbs to raise their family, they spoke fondly about growing up in the city and did not harbor any delusions about it. this generation's children are the main culprits imo.

[brewcrew1000]

^I think the suburban/anti City mindset is like this in any city, i think its worse in the Midwest though. My dad is the same way about Milwaukee. I know people who are like this in Suburban Chicago and I can't imagine what the suburban mindset is like about Detroit.

[chingon]

I would wager a guess that many of the KC haters in the suburbs came here from small towns, and probably only live here because of jobs that weren't available where they grew up. They have probably not traveled a lot to other really large cities, and have very little urban experience to know how nice Kansas City is compared to a lot of places.

My experience is that most anti-city people I encounter are either:

1. lifelong suburbanites (often KCMO residents)
2. former urban core residents who moved to the suburbs (usually they have a story to explain their move about an isolated incident or 2 which occurred to or near them, most often involving property crimes)

Ironically, many of these people, even the most ardent KC haters I know (who are primarily Northland Kansas Citians), are fairly well traveled to other comparable urban places and will literally rave about "how much there is to do" in city X or Y, or how great it is to "be able to walk to everything" or "just take a train everywhere" when they do travel.

By contrast, the people I know here from Wakeeny and Davenport and Sioux Falls are the most urbanophiliac, pro-KC (and often hipster/arty/foodie/scenester) people I know.

[aknowledgeableperson]

this redneck country kid said to his friend "I'd never live here" I think it was because there was a little bit of traffic while crossing the street and a couple cars honking on Grand.

Seriously doubt that. Have friends with "youngsters" who live in the country. Think it has to do more with the lack of green space.

[brewcrew1000]

Ironically, many of these people, even the most ardent KC haters I know (who are primarily Northland Kansas Citians)

A couple years ago I was at a conference and ran into a couple Kansas City Water Department employees. I told them I lived in Union Hill and they were clueless to where it even was, and they unsure if that was in the KCMO city limits. Of course, they both lived up by Cookingham Rd in the hinterlands.

[FangKC]

I grew up with plenty of rural people who would never live in a city or even in town. They only want to live on the farm.

[chrizow]

Conversely, despite being pretty ardent urbanites for a while now, we are considering moving to the country. If this occurs, of course, we will still be pro-urban KCMO and KCK and would come to the city often.

Seriously doubt that. Have friends with "youngsters" who live in the country. Think it has to do more with the lack of green space.

the urban core of KC isn't the country, but it has a ton of green space. our house sits on a 62-acre park in midtown KC (gillham park).

[aknowledgeableperson]

That wasn't the 'green space' I was referring to. Where is the acreage of green space at Truman and Grand? And my friends live of 5+ acres, same as their kids.

[Zorobabel]

As some have argued, a man is merely the sum of his experiences. For many people who have grown up in the country, city life is never quite a satisfying experience and is even sometimes revolting. It doesn't make them dumb rednecks.

[chaglang]

That wasn't the 'green space' I was referring to. Where is the acreage of green space at Truman and Grand

Even the reddest of necks would be familiar with the concept of a downtown and understand that the greenspace is located elsewhere.

[aknowledgeableperson]

And that is why the redneck country kid said to his friend "I'd never live here".

[chaglang]

And that is why the redneck country kid said to his friend "I'd never live here".

Are you going to need a precise definition for "here", President Clinton?

[aknowledgeableperson]

Evidently you do though.

[IraGlacialis]

The majority of guys I have talked to from small towns or rural isolated areas, have had extremely positive things to say about KC (or STL if they are closer to its sphere of influence).
All the same, unless they got a job, they would never live there (and sure as hell not suburbia). Has nothing to feeling unsafe or the like. Things just feel too dense and hectic for them; little to do with greenspace or lack-thereof. and they feel they have everything they need from the small town they live in/next to.
Different strokes and all that.

Like mentioned, the ones who truly have something against the city tend to be ardent suburbanites regurgitating stuff from their (previously urban-living) parents or are COPS-watching rednecks (which I would call less rural and more trailer trash).

[warwickland]

Conversely, despite being pretty ardent urbanites for a while now, we are considering moving to the country. If this occurs, of course, we will still be pro-urban KCMO and KCK and would come to the city often.

Seriously doubt that. Have friends with "youngsters" who live in the country. Think it has to do more with the lack of green space.

the urban core of KC isn't the country, but it has a ton of green space. our house sits on a 62-acre park in midtown KC (gillham park).

I currently, temporarily live in the country (post breakup, the house wasn't mine ) near Clarksville, MO. It's...interesting. Having a sort of historic node nearby with a cafe and places to kayak is nice but the commute is killer and there is nothing i'm interested in really between the country and the inner suburbs.. Fortunately I've been taking a lot of vacation time and it's just for the summer. I would say that it's a preferable lifestyle to me provided I had a shorter commute if I had kids to a cul-de-sac. Give me a tree lined gravel road, forests and meadows over strip-mall life anytime.

[warwickland]

Conversely, despite being pretty ardent urbanites for a while now, we are considering moving to the country. If this occurs, of course, we will still be pro-urban KCMO and KCK and would come to the city often.

I currently, temporarily live in the country (post breakup, the house wasn't mine ) near Clarksville, MO. It's...interesting. Having a sort of historic node nearby with a cafe and places to kayak is nice but the commute is killer and there is nothing i'm interested in really between the country and the inner suburbs.. Fortunately I've been taking a lot of vacation time and it's just for the summer. I would say that it's a preferable lifestyle to me provided I had a shorter commute - if I had kids - to a cul-de-sac. Give me a tree lined gravel road, forests and meadows over strip-mall life anytime. You can really see how the outer suburbs spoil what is otherwise a beautiful midwestern landscape living on the "other side" and driving in everyday.

[chingon]

The Urbanophile had a (not particularly interesting) guest post about suburban blight vis-a-vis Bannister. In the comments section, a poster identifying himself as Mark Funkhouser had this to say about the growing desirability of KC downtown and RCP neighborhoods:

Mark Funkhouser says:
June 4, 2013 at 9:24 pm ...Virtually every change that KC resident urbangent refers to was done with a tax incentive from the city. The overall effect has been negative.

http://www.urbanophile.com/2013/06/04/s ... /#comments

[KCMax]

An ode to America, barbecue and Oklahoma Joe’s burnt ends

http://www.cosmicsmudge.com/an-ode-to-a ... urnt-ends/

[chaglang]

This isn't a blog, but is worth posting nonetheless. The British band alt-J just released an hourlong video of their show at the Midland last winter. For some reason they have a strong following here in KC, and the video is like a love letter to the city (and 96.5). Nice shots of the skyline, P&L and some surrounding neighborhoods.

http://youtu.be/YKkd-VW3JqU

[shinatoo]

This isn't a blog, but is worth posting nonetheless. The British band alt-J just released an hourlong video of their show at the Midland last winter. For some reason they have a strong following here in KC, and the video is like a love letter to the city (and 96.5). Nice shots of the skyline, P&L and some surrounding neighborhoods.

http://youtu.be/YKkd-VW3JqU

Great band. Haven't listened to 96.5 in years so had no idea there was a tie in. I got into them when they were featured last year on All Songs Considered and Later, with Jules Holland.