Moving to KC in 2007

[KCN]

I don't think the northland will ever surpass JoCo.  I hope it doesn't.  To me it's preferable over Johnson County because it's less popular, and not as congested. 

"with regards to joco, he really only spoke the truth. sorry if it hurts."

Point rx was making is that all this JoCo bitching is entirely off topic for this thread.  This thread is a classic example of a few select people making a thread spiral totally off topic because they can't control themselves.  Why do I care?  Because many people are complaining about this.  So this is me trying to do something about it.

Besides, I'm sure the thread starter could care less about the JoCo/urban core dynamics.  I moved Warren County, OH, which could be called the Johnson County of Cincinnati.....and when I was looking for a place to live, I couldn't care less about how much this area stole from downtown Cincy in the 80s and 90s.  I wanted to know about housing/rent costs and commute time to work.

Anyway, for anyone who wants to be in the suburban "hot spot", Johnson County is the place to move.  There is no argument there.  Plenty of other areas in the city offer a slightly different taste of suburbia which I highly recommend moving2kc to check into. 

Of course, I do hope moving2kc will keep up w/ the urban core and make frequent visits.  It needs your support, wherever you live

[Cyclops]

I saw this as an opportunity to hit the jerks in JoCo in a small way... We need to screw JoCo as much as possible. Convincing him and his wonderful family to stay out of JoCo is a way to slap them in the face (in a tiny fashion)...

Gee, I can't wait to move my family to this METROPOLITAN area.  Damn Devin, come down from the ceiling before you get a nosebleed.

Moving2KC, I hope you make the move and as someone who lives in Johnson County, I can tell you that it is a fine place to raise a family. I have 3 kids and they are actually very normal.  :roll:

If you liked the area around the Sprint Campus, you would be in the Blue Valley School District which is a great public school district. I actually live to the south and very close to the KS MO border, so I don't know the names of any of the subdivisions near there, but I'm sure there are a few that would be in your price range nearby. The further south you go in Johnson County the newer the subdivisions are. Johnson County is pretty big and if you wanted to live in a more mature neighborhood, definitely check out Mission, Fairway, Prairie Village and northern parts of Leawood. Most of my family lives in that area and they love it. It is getting pretty expensive there though. That area is the Shawnee Mission School District.

Anyway, just though you'd like another positive post. As someone who has repeatedly said the he loves ALL of KC, you should check out the Missouri suburbs also, Some the others on here can tell you more about them than me. We actually have always loved the Northland too, but as I said it's about family for me, and they all live south.

[bahua]

Bear in mind, dealing with taxes for living in Missouri, and working in Kansas is a convoluted, obfuscated hassle. If you're more concerned about the quality of the free schools where you live, then I'd recommend a two-story in suburban JoCo.

[KCLofts]

anyways, I'm sure if you're looking for great schools, low crime rates, hot moms, and hummers JoCo is the place for you.

Hot moms and hummers!!!!!  I think I might just move back to JoCo!!  The great schools and low crime would just be icing on the cake. 

[chrizow]

Hot moms and hummers!!!!!

when you say hummer, are you referring to the vehicle?  i hope it's the, um, other usage...esp. in this particular phrase. 

(places head directly in the gutter)

[scooterj]

Move to an area you feel comfortable in, and to save tax hedaches, live in the state your job is in.  If you like the suburban lifestyle andd your job is in Kansas then JoCo is probably for you, but don't rule out western Wyandotte Country or Leavenworth County without at least giving them a look.    If your job puts you on the Missouri side, try southwestern KC, KCMO north of the river, Platte County (check out Parkville for sure), Liberty, Blue Springs, Eastern Independence, or Lee's Summit.    Every single one of these areas has excellent schools and every single one of these areas can give you the same type of suburban lifestyle you want.

[GRID]

Move to an area you feel comfortable in, and to save tax hedaches, live in the state your job is in.   If you like the suburban lifestyle andd your job is in Kansas then JoCo is probably for you, but don't rule out western Wyandotte Country or Leavenworth County without at least giving them a look.     If your job puts you on the Missouri side, try southwestern KC, KCMO north of the river, Platte County (check out Parkville for sure), Liberty, Blue Springs, Eastern Independence, or Lee's Summit.    Every single one of these areas has excellent schools and every single one of these areas can give you the same type of suburban lifestyle you want.

exactly

[KCLofts]

when you say hummer, are you referring to the vehicle?  i hope it's the, um, other usage...esp. in this particular phrase.   :P

(places head directly in the gutter)

Er, um, yeah, the vehicle.  Of course I was talking about the vehicle.  I'm sure that's what Skim was referring to as well. 

[Paintfumes]

I wouldn't touch johnson county with paintfumes wiener........or would I ?

Now thats a mean thing to say.

[schugg]

Now thats a mean thing to say.

I think that you like the thought of someone touching something with your weiner.

[nota]

Ok, you've confused an Omahan.  You get the prize.

Is Johnson County bad because it's outside the city limits of Kansas City, Missouri?  Or is it that it is suburban?  Let's get specific here.

If I've made myself a target of "Die, yuppie-suburban-suv-and-minivan-drivin-Chilis-eatin-scum!", then thanks anyway & show me the door. 

I've lived in all kinds of cities, both larger and smaller than Kansas City, so I'm sure I can handle whatever traffic there is.  I'm also confident I can find Arthur Bryants, Gates, Jacks Stack, Stevenson's, etc.  I've had Dallas and Memphis BBQ, and KC's isn't bad. 

What I meant by that comment about showing our kids people who look different is that we plan to actually leave our subdivision from time to time to go downtown, etc. 

What I'd like to know is is there a neighborhood within 5 miles of Sprint's campus that you'd reccomend?  If not, give me a reason other than "JoCo sucks".  Anyone here older than 17?

Come on you guys.  This is your chance to help a newcomer. 

Hey Moving2KC-Welcome to the KC area. I'm a 'burb dweller too. Northland. You will find that several the folks here shoot off remarks like JOCO is evil when they have absolutely no idea what they are saying is evil about it. It is a bias.

Try your questions in the Kansas Suburbs forum-that might help.

Don'tcha just love it when you state your wishes in a very strong way and right away everyone else just absolutely knows that only other things are the right ones for you? And their solutions are not anywhere near your wishes.

That said-with your price range, you should be able to find quite a lot of what you are looking for where you are looking and with the features you are looking for.

As a veteran of many corporate moves with my hubby, I feel sorry for you having such a long lead time before your move. You will find that you are ready to go long before the move happens.

I have burb friends all over the metro, if you have any questions, maybe I can answer them if you send a PM. There are also some other JOCO 'burb folks here who I dont' see any replies from. Not a lot, but there are some.

Anyway, welcome and glad to see you moving to this area. It is a great area to live in. Personally we prefer the Northland, because it is less busy and hustle and bustle but lots of transferring families prefer the south. You will find that your total tax package is a bit higher in KS, but beyond that, you are looking at a great area.

[kcdcchef]

hey nota

i think you got rid of your little snow covered emoticon a day too early!!!!!

[nota]

The "old Devin," it seems to me, was back as soon as he stepped back in the door.

I'd second that. In fact I posted it way back about on his third day back.

[nota]

hey nota

i think you got rid of your little snow covered emoticon a day too early!!!!!

I think you are right, but it was a really warm day when I did it and I couldnt' resist bbq boy's comment.

but just for you, here it is again   

[trailerkid]

  also, while the Northland and places like Lee's Summit are getting more and more upscale shopping, there is no reason to believe they will be competing with JoCo anytime soon, since JoCo continues to add to its supremacy in that department.

I'm just wondering...why would the locations of Dean and Deluca, Crate and Barrel and Nordstrom require an exclusive residence? You spend an extra $50,000 on a house so you can drive to Nordstrom faster? If easy access to a $78 bottle of olive oil or a Lacoste polo is your biggest concern in where you choose to live then I guess Johnson County is the best suburb for you...

We aren't tied to JoCo in any way and I only brought it up because we thought it was a nice area when we were there last fall. 

What is it you liked? Not trying to be confrontational...just wondering.

North of 435 in Johnson County becomes a bit more urban

What I'd like to know is is there a neighborhood within 5 miles of Sprint's campus that you'd reccomend?  If not, give me a reason other than "JoCo sucks".  Anyone here older than 17?

I think part of the problem with this entire post is that JoCo (the area you are inquiring about) has many neighborhoods that are very, very similar. No one is going to reccommend some faceless subdivision down there that could be located anywhere in the country. Other than pricing on houses, I really don't see much difference between Lenexa, Western Shawnee, Olathe, OP, and Leawood to even opine one way or another. It turns into a debate over preferences of HyVee store designs, strip mall architecture and ACT scores of 17 year-olds. It'd be like asking for a nice neighborhood in West Omaha, Chesterfield or Plano because everything is a nice neighborhood. I think the real debate is what suburban zone like Platte County, Clay County, East Jack, Lee's Summit, etc. to live in. Even the specific identities of these suburban zones are now more and more ambiguous, but the geography of each location does provide a couple interesting conversations.

It doesn't mean you're a "hard core urbanite" or immature if you can't find a lot of sense of place or uniqeness in Johnson County, KS. There is next to nothing there that can't be easily experienced in other parts of KC in a better economical package. I don't agree with the mentality of moving to the suburbs, but I think I can understand it. But I don't really agree with 90% of what is going on in American culture right now. Good luck with your search and remember to get your kids some culture (...there is some in the 'burbs if you look) so they don't turn into the bratty, oblivious monsters I encounter in West Lawrence.

[aknowledgeableperson]

I don't believe you mentioned what kind of schools you were interested in.  Public or private.  One item my wife and I discovered is that the newer neighborhoods have more younger children.
And to get a preview of the housing market try the following website.
http://www.reeceandnichols.com/RECoHomepage.aspx

Reece and Nichols is the largest real estate firm in the area.  And this appears to be the easiest real estate web site to negotiate.  Give it a try.

[justin8216]

I strongly recommend moving to Piper, Kansas City KS's rapidly developing western suburban area. While this is  a little more than the 5 miles from the Sprint Campus you were hoping for, the traffic driving south from western Kansas City, KS on I-435 to the Sprint Campus is less than half the traffic driving west on I-435 from the MO side meaning you will get there quicker even though you're slightly farther away. You would be at the Sprint Campus in literally 20 minutes without idling in bumper to bumper interstate traffic. I have a friend who works for Sprint and lives along Independence Ave. near downtown and he dreads the drive to work south down the Bruce Watkins Pkwy/Highway 71 to I-435 west to Nall Ave/Sprint Campus. Steer clear.

Also you will get a bigger home for you money in Western Kansas City, KS compared to the inflated home values in Johnson County. Also this area is appreciating rapidly meaning you will generate significant equity in your home much faster than in other parts of the metro.

I hope this is helpful.

Here is a link to a web-site with links to major subdivisions in Western Kansas City, KS/Piper area: One of the listed subdivisions-Delaware Ridge-is actually in the Bonner Springs School District and not the Piper School District, but is still in Kansas City, KS city limits. There is a new Elementary school under construction in this subdivision. Both the Piper and Bonner Springs School districts are outstanding suburban school systems.

http://www.wycowatch.com/developmentnews.html