KCRag Forum

Westport isn't what it used to be.

Then this is at least the 3rd time in the last 30 years that could be said: old Westport, counterculture Westport of the 70s, party Westport, and whatever it's becoming now.

heatherkay wrote: I'd also add One80 to the list of non-fratty fun spots.  Very nice small plates but not too dressed up.

And there's also a Vietnamese place that we keep meaning to try, if we can ever get past the Thai Place and Korma Sutra.  Has anyone been there?

Sung Son. I have been once. It was completely empty. The food was pretty bland to be honest. I agree with midtown, go to Thai Place or Vietnam Cafe instead.

Couldn't disagree more.  Sung Son is one of my favorite restaurants in Kansas City.  The Bun is excellent.

I've been there once and it was very good, I just can't ever seem to find people willing to go there with me so I haven't been back.

I was by there this weekend. I'll just say I was in the minority. Not that it's a bad thing or whatever I just feel unsafe when theres 100's of gun happy thugs running around and cops everywhere standing around, police helicopter hovering overhead,etc. Guys driving around with wheels that cost 2x more than their car blasting music, etc. It was pretty rowdy i'll say.

I've seriously yet to find myself in the company of thugs anytime I've been out in Westport of a weekend.  Apparently others go different places than I do.

saw a flick at the tivoli Sat night with a date and coming out after the show around 11:30 Westport was less full than I'm accustomed, but not a ghost town, really.  Kelly's, Harry's, dark horse, Harpos and 180 date and I passed on the way back to the car and they were moderately full for the most part; it looked like.  The streets were dead empty though, without the hoards of hoosiers and thugs that I've seen the last couple of times I was in Westport on a weekend night (maybe two or three times last summer).  Could have just been too early for the streets to fill up though; seem to recall that being closer to closing time for 3am bars...

Jess wrote: I've seriously yet to find myself in the company of thugs anytime I've been out in Westport of a weekend.  Apparently others go different places than I do.

That's my thought too, and I play at the bars in Westport fairly frequently.

I don't think it's where so much as when.  I think the time between 1 and 3 is the witching hour.

I've heard from some Westport business leaders that many of the east side bars either don't have or have lost their 3 AM liquor licenses.  Hence, when they shut down, the "thug" come over to Westport, which ends up being in that 1-3 AM time range.

Regardless of where the bar is closing, it's the closing itself.  Everyone is getting up and moving around when the 1 o'clock bar they're in closes.  Which leads to a higher level of bumping, jostling, hollering out of car windows, and all sorts of other rampant shitheadery.

ETA -- my favorite frictional point is the Beaumont Club.  Nothing like coming out of a show -- say some sort of hippie rock or gothy act -- right as the late-night, urban cowboy crowd is coming in.  Talk about a place where you could have that mythical 450 person throw-down.

Went to grab some groceries at Sun Fresh last night, and they were indeed charging $2 to park there.  I just drove right by and parked to get my groceries and they didn't bother me though, so I would think as long as you walk around the back of the strip mall they won't get you.

The last few times on a weekend i've either drove through westport or near westport down main there has been police activity out the wazoo around 3am. Last weekend cops were everywhere on main after someone by the shell station and the police helicopter was doing circles over main with its spot light flashing around.

It seems that I circumvent this by going home (or just elsewhere) after midnight but before 3.  Still never had anything resembling a scary experience.

I was down at the P&L district till about 2:30 AM last night.  I am just amazed at how successful that is right now.  Downtown KC on Friday and Saturday nights really feels like a "big city".  It's something I have never seen before in KC, not in Westport, not on the Plaza and something I don't think I have seen in many towns this size or even larger.  I’ve said it before, but I have never seen a town outside of NYC and Chicago with so many taxi cabs outnumbering private cars as there are in KCMO at times.

I hope it lasts and I hope we can continue to grow downtown as we still don't have the "depth" for downtown to do this on its own, without a nightclub "fad" district that is popular with the suburbanites "right now".  So, yea, Downtown still needs a ton more residents and we still have to grow other aspects of a downtown like the convention industry and office workers.

But, hey, you gotta say “wow” with what's happened so far.

Having said that, I drove down to Westport and the entire midtown area was quarantined off by cops.

Is this a normal thing?  Is this how they have to shut town Westport?  I mean there were thousands more people in the P&L and they don't have to call out the national guard to regain control of the city at 2 AM.

What has happened to Westport?

And people wonder why Cordish is so particular about dress codes and what not.

The future of this entire city is riding on the P&L district right now.  Not necessarily financially, but if for some reason, the P&L gets a bad rap, it would all but take the air out of KCMO's momentum and the city may never recover from it.

yeah, I was in Westport 'till 3 last night (at McCoy's, then Harry's, great bars), and right as we hit the sidewalk at 3 there were cops on horses, on the sidewalk, yelling at everyone to get to their cars, go home, etc.  Police all over, roadblocks up on sidestreets, roadflares, cars sitting in the middle of Broadway and Main, cops directing traffic out.  Pretty intense stuff, and quite frankly what a horrible way to end one's evening out, not to mention the awful perception that this sort of behavior lends to the area.  I ended up milling around a bit and then walking back for a delicious falafel gyro from the Jerusalem Cafe truck around 3:30-3:45 (it was a good night ), and Westport was almost entirely deserted, completely empty.  Surreal.  Prior to closing WP was alive, hopping, and a great time at some of my favorite bars.


A couple weeks ago, on a Sat. night, a friend and I were heading to Harry's from the plaza for some late night eats and found similar circumstances.  This was around 2am or so, and every street leading into the Westport neighborhood (i.e. like half of midtown) had barricades or police.  We stopped, amazed, and asked what was going on.  The response given was, "We're shutting down Westport".  Why?  "Because it's just that time".  Mind you I was near-sober, polite, etc.  Truly just curious, and I've never been given a proper answer.  What's going on, and how can we get WP under control without this type of overwrought police presence?

rxlexi wrote: yeah, I was in Westport 'till 3 last night (at McCoy's, then Harry's, great bars), and right as we hit the sidewalk at 3 there were cops on horses, on the sidewalk, yelling at everyone to get to their cars, go home, etc.  Police all over, roadblocks up on sidestreets, roadflares, cars sitting in the middle of Broadway and Main, cops directing traffic out.  Pretty intense stuff, and quite frankly what a horrible way to end one's evening out, not to mention the awful perception that this sort of behavior lends to the area.  I ended up milling around a bit and then walking back for a delicious falafel gyro from the Jerusalem Cafe truck around 3:30-3:45 (it was a good night ), and Westport was almost entirely deserted, completely empty.  Surreal.  Prior to closing WP was alive, hopping, and a great time at some of my favorite bars.


A couple weeks ago, on a Sat. night, a friend and I were heading to Harry's from the plaza for some late night eats and found similar circumstances.  This was around 2am or so, and every street leading into the Westport neighborhood (i.e. like half of midtown) had barricades or police.  We stopped, amazed, and asked what was going on.  The response given was, "We're shutting down Westport".  Why?  "Because it's just that time".  Mind you I was near-sober, polite, etc.  Truly just curious, and I've never been given a proper answer.  What's going on, and how can we get WP under control without this type of overwrought police presence?

Is Westport out of control?

I was under the impression that the police have been "shutting down" that neighborhood for years now whether it was necessary or not. There should be a police presence, but I think they may be going overboard. 

As one who lives in the Westport zipcode, I'm still glad P&L has taken much of the party crowd.  I've been spending more time in Westport than ever, though typically not after midnight.  Rediscovered Californos... great old mainstay keeping things fresh.

Would like to see the 41 Penn retail kick into gear.  NYC-like counter/delis would work well in there.

ignatius wrote: As one who lives in the Westport zipcode, I'm still glad P&L has taken much of the party crowd.  I've been spending more time in Westport than ever, though typically not after midnight. 

I think this is exactly what is happening in Westport.  It is more of a community location now with good restaurants and some shopping.  I like that the police are shutting down the party aspect. 

beautyfromashes wrote: I think this is exactly what is happening in Westport.  It is more of a community location now with good restaurants and some shopping.  I like that the police are shutting down the party aspect. 

Westport is more refreshing than ever these days.  It seems to be the place for local people from the city.  Whenever I overhear people complain that Westport is dying, it is the same type of people who go to Ernie Biggs or Dark Horse Tavern.  Its wonderful that most of this crowd is now downtown, and Westport is starting to feel like it should - like a neighborhood.