KCRag Forum

rxlexi wrote:

it's also much more walkable to amenities and services than our prior location (south hyde park)

trying not to derail the conversation about BKS, but this statement is such a perfect example of how far Hyde Park, specifically, is from functioning as a truly desirable urban neighborhood. Without any retail in or near (Troost) it's boundaries, it's a little island of fine old homes but not really a great destination "neighborhood".

When we moved to Waldo 10 years ago, this was our primary reason for leaving the urban core. My wife was quite averse to living south of Brush Creek, and we looked long and hard at Hyde Park, but just couldn't leave Northeast for what was essentially the same situation: gorgeous houses with few comfortably walkable neighborhood amenities.

Perhaps there have been few walkable amnenities in the past because there is a fear of walking in the neighborhood. I've had several people state that they only want to live in Brookside because they want to feel safe to go on a walk. I've also heard several friends in Midtown asked by others, "is it safe?". I've always wondered if this was some ingrained fear, either based on history or social demographics. Either way, I hope it's changing.

I feel like Midtown is very safe in terms of walking, I walk my dog at midnight a lot without any issues at all.

I think the thing I think that hurts midtown walkability are the Major North/South Roads cutting thru it. At almost any stretch of them they act as basically a freeway, SW Trafficway is the worst of the 4 and its unwalkable from start to finish, Main Street is not great for many stretches, Broadway (Unwalkable in Penn Valley Park) and Troost are probably most walked and have the most potential but they are not ideal.

I feel like once you are entering Brookside, everything has a very calming traffic effect and it makes it very walkable and you really only have 1 major N/S and one Major E/W but they are a joke compared to what you have to deal with in Midtown, I would feel 100 times more comfortable walking right on Brookside Blvd vs Main Street from 31st to 45th. The funny thing is that Wornall feels unwalkable/freeway-like after 75th.

I think we need to put Focus on not making midtown basically a Thruway/Expressway for Plaza/Waldo/Brookside/Golden Triangle folks. It would be nice to cut Main Street down to 2 lanes and make that a bike only lane or SW Trafficway down to 2 lanes. Once we get road diets, Midtown is super walkable, i just don't know if it will happen.

brewcrew1000 wrote:I feel like Midtown is very safe in terms of walking, I walk my dog at midnight a lot without any issues at all.

I think the thing I think that hurts midtown walkability are the Major North/South Roads cutting thru it. At almost any stretch of them they act as basically a freeway, SW Trafficway is the worst of the 4 and its unwalkable from start to finish, Main Street is not great for many stretches, Broadway (Unwalkable in Penn Valley Park) and Troost are probably most walked and have the most potential but they are not ideal.

I feel like once you are entering Brookside, everything has a very calming traffic effect and it makes it very walkable and you really only have 1 major N/S and one Major E/W but they are a joke compared to what you have to deal with in Midtown, I would feel 100 times more comfortable walking right on Brookside Blvd vs Main Street from 31st to 45th. The funny thing is that Wornall feels unwalkable/freeway-like after 75th.

I think we need to put Focus on not making midtown basically a Thruway/Expressway for Plaza/Waldo/Brookside/Golden Triangle folks. It would be nice to cut Main Street down to 2 lanes and make that a bike only lane or SW Trafficway down to 2 lanes. Once we get road diets, Midtown is super walkable, i just don't know if it will happen.

100% on this. Midtown is walk able as long as you stick to your North - South section, once you have to cross it becomes very unfriendly.

On the plus side, I've heard that the city is making 31st to 39th, Gillham to Broadway (essentially, OHP) a major priority to getting walkability improvements made before the streetcar comes through. There's some very very very early work being done on a walkability study that would point to the major areas of improvements.

mgh7676 wrote:I have heard a new restaurant will be announced for the Julian space soon. It will fill a niche that isn't currently in BKS. Also, a pizza/taproom will be opening adjacent to Brookside wine and spirits on 63rd as a sister business to the liquor store.

1. Any more info on the operation taking over the Julian space? What kind of niche?
2. The BKS wine and spirits project sounds interesting but surely cannot share that tiny building? Is the plan to expand the building, or are you saying "adjacent" meaning "a separate building nearby."

rxlexi wrote:Northeast has the same problem, and then some.

Depends on where you are, but I would argue that in general northeast actually fares a bit better. Not much, but you've got little dive bars, little markets and butcher shops and whatnot here and there. Eleos coffe. Lots of fast food. Far from ideal from a walkability perspective, but not quite the almost complete desert of Troost. Though to be fair, "northeast" is around the size of the entire central corridor from river market to around 39th street or so, not really a fair comparison.

1. A local street taco joint. Not set in stone yet.
2. I believe they are planning on expanding the building west.

chrizow wrote:

mgh7676 wrote:I have heard a new restaurant will be announced for the Julian space soon. It will fill a niche that isn't currently in BKS. Also, a pizza/taproom will be opening adjacent to Brookside wine and spirits on 63rd as a sister business to the liquor store.

1. Any more info on the operation taking over the Julian space? What kind of niche?
2. The BKS wine and spirits project sounds interesting but surely cannot share that tiny building? Is the plan to expand the building, or are you saying "adjacent" meaning "a separate building nearby."

mean wrote:

rxlexi wrote:Northeast has the same problem, and then some.

Depends on where you are, but I would argue that in general northeast actually fares a bit better. Not much, but you've got little dive bars

what bars are still open in Northeast?

chrizow wrote:

mean wrote:

rxlexi wrote:Northeast has the same problem, and then some.

Depends on where you are, but I would argue that in general northeast actually fares a bit better. Not much, but you've got little dive bars

what bars are still open in Northeast?

I think the following are still open, but it's been a while for me...

Karen's Kozy Cabin
Jay's Bigger Jigger
The Askew Inn

Karen's Kozy Cabin closed. I think a thrift shop operates in the building now.

Jay's Bigger Jigger is called Las Plebes now.

You forgot about Teri's Bigger Jigger at St. John and Belmont, which is still open.

I think most have been covered. Gladstone is gone too, sadly. Gates has a full bar. Oliver's is still open as far as I can tell. And of course there's the "venerable" Shady Lady.

what is Oliver's?

Is GOLD BAR still open?

Baccala

Oh yeah, forgot about Baccala.

Oliver's is a restaurant / bar / grocer adjacent to the Gates Complex, which I've always assumed was owned by the Gates people and named after the reigning patriarch, but I have no idea if that's true.

.

Church across the street owned that building and is building a new event space. I assume for meetings and events.

The old Brookside YMCA?

.

St. Andrews across the street owns it. They are building a new community center.

mgh7676 wrote:1. A local street taco joint.

KC Star reporting that the Julian space will be home to "Brookside Barrio" - a Mexican concept from the folks behind Sol Cantina and Zocalo.