Why do you live where you do?

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StL_Dan
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Why do you live where you do?

Post by StL_Dan »

A thread inspired by conversation with trailerkid.

Tell us where you live, either inside or outside the KC Metro. Feel free to embellish your response. But spare us the 'TMI' if you get my meaning.

We don't need to know that a bank in Lawrence was the only financial institution that would loan you 40k for your trailer home as long as you bought it from a local Lawrence dealer and lived within city limits. :wink:

All kidding aside.....let us know what is up. Especially all you JoCo residents. Are you really in love with plastic?
One State. One Spirit. One Mizzou. 05.22.2011  RIP Rusty, Harli and Hayze
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Why do you live where you do?

Post by KCPowercat »

I've lived all over this crazy metro. I reside now downtown because I like the atmosphere, proximity to resturants/bars/entertainment/culture which we do the most. Also we hate house upkeep at this point because of what we like to do, so the most trouble free place, hence no single family home.

Plus it's a great location between the two places of employment....not to mention I'm very close to every suburb if I need to see a big box strip center or something....I just don't have to see them unless I want to :)
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nota
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Why do you live where you do?

Post by nota »

Here's a picture of Pa and me in front of our new trailer here in the Northland.

We been livin here in the high rent district here in Monticello now fer quite awhile. It is purdy nice now that the neighbors calmed down ‘bout our habits. I keep tellin’ Pa that he cain’t be a goin’ out to take a leak just anywhere like he did back in the hills. Pa says Ma cain't hang her undies out to dry out there. We've both have gotten sum white walkin’ shoes for when we want to look like the neighbors walking up and down the hills. ‘Pa likes to go walkin’ when them young ladies is a runnin’-ain’t no way he can keep up with them whut with his smokin’ and drinkin’ and sech. And he has to get up so dang early in the mornin’ to do it. But it is funny seein him a huffin and puffin behind ‘em. He can’t figger out why they keep goin faster when they see him comin’.

We hope you will join us at home in Monticello fer some old fashioned hospitality sometime. I told Pa not ta be a savin' up that roadkill for company--we iz a buying "company meat" down at the Hen House. I just love that place. Sometimes Pa finds me just a walkin' those aisles a lookin at the stuff they have. He can always find me a hoverin' by that bread rack. She still just cain't believe that there is all them differnt kindza Wonder Bread. And them eggs that come in boxes rather than in the nests. UPTOWN!
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tat2kc
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Why do you live where you do?

Post by tat2kc »

well now, nota you look good!! :wink:

Anyways.... When my partner and I moved here from Colorado Springs, we lived in Lawrence for a couple years, then moved to south KC, near Ward Parkway Center. We always thought loft living downtown sounded cool, but didn't want to buy until we were sure we liked it. After realized most of the things we did were north of Brush Creek, we took the plunge and sold the house and got a loft in the Crossroads Arts District, renting to see if this lifestyle was all it was cracked up to be. After 2 years, I can safely say that we wouldn't live anywhere else. We sold one car and got a Vespa. We have one car that we put less than 200 miles a month on. Primarily we use it for grocery shopping and trips out of town to see our respective families. We can walk to Crown Center, to restaurants on SW Blvd, to galleries in our neighborhood. I can take the Vespa to City Market or to my gym. We can walk to the clubs we enjoy. He can walk to work. Once the grocery store is built at 18th and main or so, its one less place to drive to. Except for some work related things, everything we need can be found within walking distance, or at the most, as far away as the plaza. All our friends come down to this part of town for social things or to visit us. It's a remarkably safe, walkable neighborhood. Since we've moved down here, there is sometihing new opening up, or getting ready to open, every month. The number of people on the streets is increasing every week. We are going to look carefully at buying the perfect place, and hope to find it when the lease is up next May. It must be between Brush Creek and the River, the closer to the loop the better. RiverCrownPlaza Rocks!!!
Are you sure we're talking about the same God here, because yours sounds kind of like a dick.
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KCK
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Why do you live where you do?

Post by KCK »

Why do i live where I do?

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Why do you live where you do?

Post by KC0KEK »

I moved from Columbia to Overland Park after grad school in '98. (Not sure how I wound up listed as "Lifetime Resident.") I picked OP because it was the location of the company I moved to KC to work for. I moved to Fairway in '00 because my wife and I liked the older, affordable homes and because it was only 15 minutes from my office in OP. Not long after I bought the house, I went to work for a company in NYC and have been telecommuting ever since.

Why am I still in KC? I like it here. The cost of living is affordable, and I get most of the benefits of a major city with less of the hassles (e.g., traffic). From a business standpoint, I like the fact that I can travel to just about any major U.S. city in a few hours. So if I leave LA at 7 p.m., it's still a decent hour when I get home. That wouldn't be the case if I lived on the East Coast.

Why Fairway? For one, it's convenient being in the middle of the metro rather than, say, Liberty or Olathe. For another, I can easily walk or bike to stores, the movies, etc., and I couldn't do that in many other suburbs or even downtown KCMO -- or at least I wouldn't have the selection I currently have. I also like living in an established area with older homes and mature trees.

To each his/her own, I guess.
UMKCgal
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Why do you live where you do?

Post by UMKCgal »

Well, I'm a college freshmen who doesn't want to stay in the dorms (its kinda ghetto). I have a cousin that lives here already so I decided to stay with her since she was alone. I can't afford to live on my own totally, so staying with her made the best economical sense. I think its cool here in OP, :D but I might move away when I graduate. But then again, I sorta don't want to, but we'll see how it goes in 4-5 years.
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Why do you live where you do?

Post by scooterj »

I had lived in Olathe for several years but then last year got divorced. With most of my friends downtown and me 28 miles away, that kinda sucked. I was finally convinced by my best friend to move to the River Market. I sold my house and made the move. I expected the transition to be rough but it was easy to adapt to a new lifestyle. Now I live 2 blocks from him, 2 blocks from another friend, and 7 blocks from another. My job is inside the loop, my freelance work comes from just across the river. In fact most everything I do is either within walking distance or within about a 5 minute drive.
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GRID
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Why do you live where you do?

Post by GRID »

Grew up mostly in urban KCMO, but moved a lot. Lived on East Side for a while 59th & Cleveland, also lived in north Brookside and Midtown. High school years I lived in SE KC but attended Raytown South. Went to school in Warrensburg, spent some time in StLouis then moved back to KCMO and lived in a KC North Apartment (72nd & I-29), moved to a south KC apt, (103 & Wornall), purchased my first home in Waldo and then my second in Blue Springs.

I was practically homeless as a very young child and even have some memories of living in some of those buildings that are now probably lofts in the downtown area. I remember the freight elevators used to scare the shit out of me. I have also been told that I lived in several projects in KCMO and Independence, but I don't remember that much.

I now work at a major engineering firm and continue to take clases at UMKC for a masters that I will get someday.

I love KCMO, but I had to move for personal reasons. I would love to move back to urban KCMO when I get a chance to do so and if my family wants to do so.

You asked.
Last edited by GRID on Sat Apr 24, 2004 9:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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staubio
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Why do you live where you do?

Post by staubio »

I currently live in the first apartment I chose when I moved to KC. I knew I wanted to live in the urban core, but I didn't know a lot about KC at the time. I explored and looked around trying to find out what would best serve my needs. I worked with a apartment finder and made it very clear that I wanted something with character in the urban core. I was referred to this place and really liked it and I've been here ever since moving to KC a year and a half ago.

I currently live in the West Plaza neighborhood. I extended my lease for a few reasons:
-it is relatively inexpensive. Ultimately, I'd like to move downtown, but I'd like to buy when I get to that point and I'm saving now
-I'm right on the 51 bus route, which I use all the time to go downtown. Yes, transit does discourage people from moving. I've got easy access to downtown.
-I've got a great apartment with hardwood floors
-I can walk to bars, restaurants, coffee, grocery store, etc and I'm conveniently located between the Plaza and Westport with a short trip to all of the best the urban core has to offer. I'm young and single and often host people at my place since it is located "where its at" in the heart of the most trendy places to go out, though I spend most of my "out" time downtown.
-I'm closer to my job in OP and that makes it easier for me to ride my bike there or take the JO bus from the Plaza

I'm happy here but I am always looking at the downtown options. Hopefully, when I make my next move, it will be into a bought condo downtown. In the meantime, who wants to come have a drink at my bar on the bleeding edge of midtown?
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Why do you live where you do?

Post by ShowME »

I live in a subdivision called Somerbrook in KC North. I live here because my wife is oncall 2-3 times a week at NKC Hospital and when called in has to be there ready to go in 20 minutes. We also wanted a good school district for our 1 year old when he get's older and the Liberty school district is exactly that. It was a priority that we live within KCMO city limits. I sometimes almost feel out of place up here in suburbia and I envy you guys who live in lofts. My next goal is to pay off my credit card debt by the fall and eventually buy a bigger house in this subdivision near Shoal Creek which has nice homes on top of a hill overlooking the KC skyline.
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nota
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Why do you live where you do?

Post by nota »

We live in Monticello in Platte County. Moved here from St. Louis.

Our priorities when looking for a house were: Proximity to airport (hubby travels every week), excellent schools (resale value), close to shopping and amenities but away from the sprawl (Northland)

We made a great choice. 12 miles door to door from the airport, Park Hill Schools, close to everything we needed and getting closer all the time, we miss the sleepier Northland of 1998 compared to 2004.
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Why do you live where you do?

Post by kcmajik »

i currently live in Arkansas for my internship and may end up with my masters at University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.....but I still have my condo with my sister in south KC near Wornall and Blue Ridge.....the reason why....

-pretty darn cheap, but very luxurious
-plan on coming back to KC
-it was close to school....Avila
-sister works at St. Joseph's
-fairly easy to navigate around south KC and to downtown
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DanCa
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Why do you live where you do?

Post by DanCa »

It's odd how we end up in different places. I grew up in OP and left home shortly after graduating from high school. I joined the Air Force, lived in Germany and San Antonio and traveled the world.

I now live in the City of Orange in the middle of Orange County, CA, about 30 miles SE of downtown L.A. and 12 miles from the Pacific. How I ended up here is that while living in Denver in the mid '90s, my partner had an opportunity within his company to take a better job in San Diego. I love San Diego and agreed to quit my job and move with him. Anywho, about 2 weeks before we were to leave, the position was moved to Orange County. At that point there was no turning back so we moved and have been in the same area for 7 years and purchased a condo 3 years ago.

On the plus side, Orange County has a near perfect climate, relatively low humidity, year-round gardening and few bugs. For suburbs, it's much more urban and densely populated than KC's suburbs and we live within 10 minutes of major league sports, Disneyland, lots of entertainment, shopping, restaurants and 15 minutes from beautiful beaches or mountain trails.

On the down side, this place is too damn crowded, has no light rail traffic is about as bad as it gets, the air can get nasty and the cost of housing is outrageous.
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