CNNMoney.com's Best Places to Live

[kcmetro]

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag ... 10/top100/

7. Overland Park, KS
17. Shawnee, KS
27. Lee's Summit, MO
49. Blue Springs, MO

[KCPowercat]

Validation!!! 

[kcmetro]

Validation!!!  

I love luring you in like that.  :lol:

[chrizow]

you couldn't pay me to live in any city in the top 25 on that list. 

[KCMax]

Who wouldn't want to live in South Jordan, Utah?

[kcmetro]

you couldn't pay me to live in any city in the top 25 on that list. 

These lists are kinda hilarious.  They need to be more specific than just saying "best places".  It needs to be "best places for families".  If I was single and could live anywhere in the nation and didn't have ties to anywhere, few of these places would appeal to me.

[chrizow]

you couldn't pay my family to live in the top 25 places on that list, either.

[dangerboy]

It needs to be "best places for families". 

Even then, they are only best for upper middle class families that want their kids to have a completely car-bound upbringing with increased risk for obesity and zero cultural exposure. 

I'd like to see a ranking of best places for middle class families that take into account affordable transportation options like transit, walking, and bicycling.

[kcmetro]

Even then, they are only best for upper middle class families that want their kids to have a completely car-bound upbringing with increased risk for obesity and zero cultural exposure. 

I'd like to see a ranking of best places for middle class families that take into account affordable transportation options like transit, walking, and bicycling.

That would make a good ranking headline. 

[pstokely]

just another list to sell magazines

[nilsson1941]

you couldn't pay my family to live in the top 25 places on that list, either.

Exactly. Lists like this make me feel like an angsty teen again. ITS JUST THAT NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME!!!

[NDTeve]

Did notice that OPKS was one of the largest "cities" on there. 

[kanasalumn]

Yes the "medium" income for OPKS is more towards the upper middle class but there are quite a few lower middle class like me live in OPKS and Lenexa, and shawnee too

[Hurst]

I do think OP is a wonderful place for middle to upper-middle class families.  I also believe that if I were single and looking for nightlife or worked in the CBD I would be in a downtown condo, a plaza apartment or a crossroads or city market loft.  With all due respect to different perspectives, I think the 'fat kid' comment lacks a little perspective.  OP has world class facilities for kids to be outdoors (both passive and active).  Have you ever seen the thousands of kids out every night at the BV Rec baseball complex (28 fields in one spot) or the new sports-turf soccer facility.  Deanna Rose is jam packed with kids running around and playing, the Arboretum trails are very busy with families hiking.  Almost every subdivision has a pool and greenspace that is heavily utilized and the neighborhoods are generally safe enough to let the kids run if they are in a group.  Also, the trend has been to build elementary schools in the middle of the neighborhoods and those facilities get used for pick-up basketball, soccer, baseball, etc.  There is also a ‘walking school bus’ trend in almost every south OP neighborhood were the kids walk in-mass to school with the adults taking turns watching over them - kids just run out the door and join in.  There are thousands of kids in BV Football & Cheerleading club and the Football & Cheerleading Club of Kansas City not to mention new hockey and lacrosse leagues that are becoming very popular.  These kids are definitely not getting fatter than your urban or mid-town kids.  Not even going to go into detail about their memberships in fancy gym’s like lifetime fitness were they can swim and play in any weather – even their birthday parties are activity based with gymnastics, swim parties, bounce house parties etc.  In fact, it may not be fair, but due to their many outside outlets and the grocery on every corner they are probably in better shape – just ask the First Lady.

OP might have a lot of blemishes and may not be attractive to the urban mindset people but it you can’t argue with the number of people that vote with their dollars and their housing choices.

[LenexatoKCMO]

I do think OP is a wonderful place for middle to upper-middle class families.  I also believe that if I were single and looking for nightlife or worked in the CBD I would be in a downtown condo, a plaza apartment or a crossroads or city market loft.  With all due respect to different perspectives, I think the 'fat kid' comment lacks a little perspective.  OP has world class facilities for kids to be outdoors (both passive and active).  Have you ever seen the thousands of kids out every night at the BV Rec baseball complex (28 fields in one spot) or the new sports-turf soccer facility.  Deanna Rose is jam packed with kids running around and playing, the Arboretum trails are very busy with families hiking.  Almost every subdivision has a pool and greenspace that is heavily utilized and the neighborhoods are generally safe enough to let the kids run if they are in a group.  Also, the trend has been to build elementary schools in the middle of the neighborhoods and those facilities get used for pick-up basketball, soccer, baseball, etc.  There is also a ‘walking school bus’ trend in almost every south OP neighborhood were the kids walk in-mass to school with the adults taking turns watching over them - kids just run out the door and join in.  There are thousands of kids in BV Football & Cheerleading club and the Football & Cheerleading Club of Kansas City not to mention new hockey and lacrosse leagues that are becoming very popular.  These kids are definitely not getting fatter than your urban or mid-town kids.  Not even going to go into detail about their memberships in fancy gym’s like lifetime fitness were they can swim and play in any weather – even their birthday parties are activity based with gymnastics, swim parties, bounce house parties etc. 

Do a few hours of structured activity a week in something like organized baseball, trips to the gym, etc. really make up for the entire rest of your daily existence either being sedentary or spent being schleped around in an auto by your parents?  Our suburbs have gotten so sprawled and auto-dependent that a good chunk of the kids live too far from school to bike or walk, the grocery store is too far for a walk, etc.  Neighborhoods are so spread out that your best friend from school probably doesn't live somewhere around your block, he probably lives a couple miles away and your mom will have to drive you there for a play date.  Sure some suburban kids today may still be involved in structured fitness but where are they walking to? 

[Hurst]

Really not trying to be too argumentative but apparently you didn’t read the parts of my post regarding walking to school, neighborhood green spaces, neighborhood pools, etc.  This is were they walk to and were they play for hours on end.  They fish in the neighborhood ‘lakes’ (ponds when I was growing up).  Also, there are many more than a couple of hours of structured sports for most kids that compete in anything today.  Besides, kids in urban areas can’t go out and run around in traffic.  The urban kid is also probably actually farther away from his school than the suburbanite – especially if he has to go to a private school that is not right in his neighborhood.  One other point - everyone in KCMO is always saying that they need more trails like JOCO – those trails in JOCO don’t just sit there – people use them.  There is a Price Chopper, Hen House, etc on every corner out here and the kids do ride their bikes to them.  I know I am not going to convince you but want to give you some perspective from one who sees his kids play everyday. 

[LenexatoKCMO]

Hey I won't hold up the current American urban environment, KC in particular, as the exemplar of what pedestrian oriented living is supposed to be. 

For every kid that fishes in the neighborhood pond and rides his bike to the price chopper down on the six lane arterial, how many are there that never go anywhere unless its in the back of mom and dad's suburban?  There clearly a hell of a lot of these kids around and I refuse to believe that auto-centric development paterns did't play a significant role in getting there. 

[Hurst]

There are a lot of sedentary kids (and adults) out there – I don’t argue with that.  I guess I just think the suburban kid has at least as much, if not more, physical activity in their life than the urban kid.  (Running from the cops or diving behind the porch rail during a drive-by not included.) Kidding.  They all need to turn off Nickelodeon and their DSi’s and get to the park. Thanks for listening.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Simple follow up question: does building a more and more auto-centric public environment make this problem better or worse?

[cityscape]

It is pretty impressive that 4 metro cities made this list.  If anything this may validate that there are some good suburbs in this Metro.