Young professionals thinking of moving downtown KC

[Slice57]

Hello

I wanted to first thank everyone for their valuable contributions to this board. Having never been to Kansas City, this board has provided very useful information that has gotten me very excited about the potential move

A little about me and my situation. I am 27 and currently life with my wife (25) in Columbia, MO. I have received an offer to come work within the “loop” of KC. I have several months before I have to make a decision on the job, and would like to gain some information about potential places to live that fit my needs. I will then take several trips to KC to check out these places before making my decision

Area

If we are going to move to KC, we want to experience the big city lifestyle (she equates this to the show “friends” but I am sure it won’t be exactly like that. So we are looking for a place somewhere between the river (northern limit) and around 31st Street (southern limit).

Here is what we are looking for, both wants and must haves

Must haves
1. Safety. I under stand that crime can happen anywhere at any time, but I am sure there are places where it is less likely. I would like to feel safe walking home after dinner or have my wife be able to take our dog out at night without being scared

2. Pets allowed. We have a small dog

3. Quite (Thick walls). We are looking for a building full of people in similar situations to ours. It is expected that sometimes things will get loud. But I don’t want us to live in a place that has a college party going on at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday night when we both have to get up for work.

4. I would like to be in a place where we can walk to various shops, restaurants, and bars. As far as the bars go, we have done the college thing (and currently live in a college town) so we are looking for the late 20s – early 40s crowd

5. Washer and dryer: what can I say, we are spoiled!

6. Assigned parking: I have friends who live in St. Louis and Chicago and parking is a nightmare!

Wants:

1. Balcony would be nice
2. A doorman for security reasons
3. Gym


Budget:
Neither of us will qualify for any type of income restricted housing. My budget is probably about $1200 a month in rent. However, if spending a little extra would place us in a better neighborhood (in terms of safety or things to do) that would be considered. We are either looking for a 2 bedroom, large 1 bedroom, or some type of lofted space. Eventually we would want to buy, but want to rent first to get a feel of the city.

Thank you for your help in starting me search!

[chrizow]

if you want a more urban/gritty (but safe) experience, check out lofts in the Crossroads area. 

if you are more of a Plaza type of person, there are a lot of options down there in that range as well. 

if you'd like a townhouse type of place, check out union hill.  very dog-friendly, safe, etc., with a few bars and a coffee shop in walking distance.  i've seen a few for rent signs in the area recently.  union hill is from 28th-ish to 31st, main to gillham.

[Midtownkid]

The Western Auto Building sounds like a good fit for you.  Those are condos...but if you are looking to rent, maybe you can find someone to sublet from on Craig's list.

[MightyKC]

Wallstreet Tower would be a great location in terms of access to work and entertainment (11th and Walnut).  It might be a little more pricey than you want for rental units.  I just searched Craigs list and found this one but I don't know which unit it is so I can't comment on the size.  We have 24hr security, gym, outdoor pool and two reserved, secured parking spots per unit. Good luck and welcome to town. 

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/apa/897269974.html

[Slice57]

Thanks for the info! Any other specific buildings I can look into?

[mean]

I can recommend the Opera House (NW Corner of 10th and Broadway). I lived there for a year and loved it, rent was reasonable (within the budget you mentioned) for over 1,000 sqft, and you're a 5 to 10-minute walk to the heart of downtown, P&L, offices, etc. I would still live there today if we hadn't bought.

[rxlexi]

hey welcome to KC!  You might want to check out what's available in the Freight House District - there are two major new loft-style apt buildings coming online within the next year or so that look really nice - Windows Lofts and Piper Lofts, I believe.  Stuart Hall Lofts is right there as well.  They are closer to Crown Center than the Power & Light District, but not far from either and right in the center of First Fridays art walks and anchored by three good restaurants in the namesake Freight House.

  The river market is a great, quiet neighborhood centered on the city market, just outside the loop.  Check out DE Lofts there, or many others that I'm forgetting.  There's a great vibe in this area, but it is right on the river and though it has many restaurants and businesses, it is a little further from other downtown attractions and the walk is less attractive than other closer places.  Short bike or very very short cab ride, however.

In the loop you might look in the Garment District, like the Opera Lofts where Mean mentioned or others nearby (some are condo but probably have units available to rent) like Fountain Lofts - there are quite a few buildings over there that escape me at the moment.  Wallstreet Tower in the loop is awesome if you can find a unit available.  Amazing pool and good location near P&L, Sprint Center, etc.  You might want to check out the Library Lofts, but it's probably more crazy, younger scene.

Also, don't discount the Plaza area, where I live.  There is much to do, it's safe and very walkable.  From the sounds of what you guys want, I would say definitely check out Montreaux, just east of the plaza on a hill with great views and pool, and maybe Fountains on the Plaza, which is nearby but more suburban in nature.  Both are super safe, have parking, newer buildings  and are easily walkable to Plaza bars, shopping, library, tennis, art museums.  They are pricey for what you get, however.


  Best of luck in your search, I think you'll really enjoy what this city has to offer...

[dorothyandtototoo]

need an apt/loft that allows a 50lb dog. rent around 600.  cant find one in downtown.  found a few in the plaza.

[staubio]

need an apt/loft that allows a 50lb dog. rent around 600.  cant find one in downtown.  found a few in the plaza.

Look at Quality Hill. Quality Hill Towers or 910 Penn.

[dorothyandtototoo]

Look at Quality Hill. Quality Hill Towers or 910 Penn.

ANything in the downtown area that is not high rise?  I dont like quality hill because the apartments are tiny and the buildings have a dirty feel and i dont likie living higher than 3 floors up.

[LenexatoKCMO]

ANything in the downtown area that is not high rise?  I dont like quality hill because the apartments are tiny and the buildings have a dirty feel and i dont likie living higher than 3 floors up.

At $600 DT you aren't going to have a lot of high class options unless you can qualify for one of the income restricted places and from what I understand from reading here - the dog may be an issue at most of those. 

[Midtownkid]

I remember seeing an add for an older brick 'colonaded' style walk up in the x-roads that was around 600.  You would get a porch in the front etc.  I'm sorry I don't have the add.  Just do some google searches.  There a lot out there!

[chrizow]

ANything in the downtown area that is not high rise?  I dont like quality hill because the apartments are tiny and the buildings have a dirty feel and i dont likie living higher than 3 floors up.

protip:  you're not going to find a non-tiny, non-dirty, dog-friendly apartment in the kc area for $600/month.

if you're willing to live with a bit of grit, though, there are a lot of great, even large, apartments in midtown in that price range.  check around the 43rd/Warwick area near the art institute or around UMKC.  you can find some great old classic hardwood-floor apartments in those areas for cheap.  Hyde Park too.  also check in Union Hill, there are a couple of buildings being rehabbed in the 3000 block of McGee that are around $600 and are probably dog-friendly - with ace access to the de facto dog park of union hill cemetery.

[staubio]

ANything in the downtown area that is not high rise?  I dont like quality hill because the apartments are tiny and the buildings have a dirty feel and i dont likie living higher than 3 floors up.

Yeah, you can't live in a dense environment for an affordable price if you don't want to live in a multi-story building.

[dangerboy]

need an apt/loft that allows a 50lb dog. rent around 600.  cant find one in downtown.  found a few in the plaza.

This is not a realistic budget for the location and the dog requirement. Midtown is the place to look in this price range.

[910penn]

The only place it seems to me you could reach all these requirements is one of the income restricted buildings in the river market.  I believe quite a few of the buildings allow dogs.

[voltopt]

protip:  you're not going to find a non-tiny, non-dirty, dog-friendly apartment in the kc area for $600/month.

if you're willing to live with a bit of grit, though, there are a lot of great, even large, apartments in midtown in that price range.  check around the 43rd/Warwick area near the art institute or around UMKC.  you can find some great old classic hardwood-floor apartments in those areas for cheap.  Hyde Park too.  also check in Union Hill, there are a couple of buildings being rehabbed in the 3000 block of McGee that are around $600 and are probably dog-friendly - with ace access to the de facto dog park of union hill cemetery.

There are 1 Bedroom apartments at 41st & State Line to Bell that are dog friendly (even for big dogs) and rent for about $500 a month or so.  They were originally built in 1925, so they have a small kitchen, but they also have porches, are two story's tall, are on decent bus lines, and are in decent shape.  They are roughly 750 sf and have a good amount of storage, but no washer and dryer.

[voltopt]

The only downtown locations that would meet these requirements are on the West Side or in Columbus Park.  There is a building on the West Side that rents for about 450 a month - but it may not be dog friendly.  You could also try the West Bottoms - not the overpriced Columbia Burlap building, but one of the properties that Barclay Moore owns.  These are exceptionally cheap and feature a ton of space, along with a finished kitchen and bathroom.

[loftguy]

I've heard that the Barclay Moore lofts will eat your lunch, when it comes to utilities.  Also am told that they are not code compliant for residential use.

[dangerboy]

There are 1 Bedroom apartments at 41st & State Line to Bell that are dog friendly (even for big dogs) and rent for about $500 a month or so.  

yes, these are good.  I know several people that have lived here with dogs.  They are called The Muehlebach Apartments.