hyde park: believe the hype?

[chrizow]

I'm sure it is ghetto blacks and blvd Mexicans, too!  Still sounds like hillbilly behavior.  (That non-pc enough for you?!)

unavailable for comment...

[chrizow]

FYI -

there are some cool, cheap fixer-uppers for sale in south hyde park right now.  there are two within two houses of ours.  they both have great bones, just need painting and whatever kitchen upgrades you might want.  one is listed for $89k and the other is $72k.  i bet either could be had for much less than asking.  other houses in the immediate vicinity are in the 110-170k range, so an investment would be well worth it i think. 

in other south hyde park news, south hyde park is awesome.  i took advantage of the nice weather last weekend and jogged around the neighhorhood.  when the weather is nice, gillham park assumes its role as the "midtown loose park" with lots of families, dogwalkers, joggers, rugby and soccer matches, skateboarding in the pool, etc.  great neighborly vibe.

in sum, everyone should move here.

[rxlexi]

  thanks for the info Chrizow.  Yeah, Gillham Park is great in warm weather...and as the 'midtown Loose Park', it's about time it sees the same upgrades as Loose Park (it is also maintained by the Ward Family Trust, I think), namely lights and a new rubberized running path.  Have you heard anything about these supposed upgrades lately?  I also think a small dog park would fit well in the south end of GP and would be extremely well-used.  At any rate, glad to hear you're enjoying the South HP awesomeness...

[chrizow]

  thanks for the info Chrizow.  Yeah, Gillham Park is great in warm weather...and as the 'midtown Loose Park', it's about time it sees the same upgrades as Loose Park (it is also maintained by the Ward Family Trust, I think), namely lights and a new rubberized running path.  Have you heard anything about these supposed upgrades lately?  I also think a small dog park would fit well in the south end of GP and would be extremely well-used.  At any rate, glad to hear you're enjoying the South HP awesomeness...

yeah, i would love to see a new running path at the park as well.  it's pathetic.  also i'd like to see the nasty/diseased trees removed and replaced with good trees.  i will ask and see what the latest on gillham park upgrades is...

[chrizow]

with the increasingly nice weather, it's great to see folks out and about in south hyde park.  when the weather is in the 65+ range, gillham park is bustling with a very diverse group of people - family BBQs, skateboarders, dogwalkers, joggers, people lounging around on blankets, etc.  i would say that gillham park has to be the most "used" neighborhood park in KC (the most used park north of the plaza anyway). 

i don't know if there is something going on, or if this is just coincidence, but my gf and i seem to be running into a lot of people who are looking at houses in south hyde park.  granted, people must be moving OUT of south hyde park as well, but it seems like there is some sort of mini-movement of new homeowners looking in the area.  my guess is that people realize what a great value it really is.  hyde park doesn't have the amenities of Volker or neighborhoods closer to westport or the plaza, but what it does have is a strong, cognizable "neighborhood" vibe that i am not sure exists elsewhere in town.  "hyde park" is like an identity or something. 

lately we've been out in the yard trying to prep it for spring, and have had so many conversations and introductions to neighbors.  everyone is super helpful and nice.  there are nice people everywhere, but i really do believe that a lot of people in HP have a "we're in this together" perspective that, coupled with the strong neighborhood association, adds up to a true neighborhood identity/character. 

if the "crime" is really what is keeping south hyde park from exploding, i really wish people would look at the crimereports maps on a regular basis.  it's really about the same as Volker and better than Old Hyde Park. 

in sum, everyone should move to hyde park.

[staubio]

in sum, everyone should move to hyde park.

But where will everyone park?

If Troost can deliver a small handful of amenities so that there wasn't a complete dearth of options in the immediate area, Hyde Park might become the most compelling neighborhood in the city. Time to find a way to discourage speculators from "waiting out" Troost into oblivion.

[dangerboy]

But where will everyone park?

If Troost can deliver a small handful of amenities so that there wasn't a complete dearth of options in the immediate area, Hyde Park might become the most compelling neighborhood in the city. Time to find a way to discourage speculators from "waiting out" Troost into oblivion.

Ya, a full strip of storefronts along Troost containing appropriate businesses would be killer.  HP has the potential for a Volker style neighborhood retail district.

[chrizow]

two things keeping that from happening:

(1) the troost stigma.  troost faces very real challenges (crime, prostitution), but it's really not worse than streets in other cities that have seen a serious resurgence.  i think troost's place in KC mythology is a HUGE factor.

(2) speculators.  from what i understand, most of the viable properties along troost are owned by land speculators.  it seems that people want to make a "crossroads"-style buck on troost, while bypassing the whole "artists and pioneers creating a place worth caring about" step.  the process is in its germ stages right now - several artists live on or very near troost, there are a couple of galleries, a handful of co-op/anarchist type houses, a diy punk music venue ("the church"), creative minds arts center, etc..  in my view, this is Step One in the reclamation ("gentrification") process.  it's time for a neighborhood institution or two (a la YJ's, Grinders, etc) to open along troost, but this effort is stymied by the completely irrational speculating going on. 

[staubio]

Time to send some notes to owner addresses on Kiva.

[chrizow]

Time to send some notes to owner addresses on Kiva.

Dear Out of State Slumlord D-bag Investor,

Pls stop squatting on buildings on Troost.  There will not be a Starbucks or J. Jill opening there anytime soon.  Pls relinquish the properties to owners who will rent the space to hip, independent operators. 

Thx,

KCRag

[MidtownGrrl]

This may be of interest to fellow SHPers.

The apartments at 41st & Harrison are up for conversion to condos.  Could be a good thing, but I'm concerned about the maintenance on them. They've gotten pretty ratty (in terms of maintenance and tenants) in the last couple years.

There's a meeting with the developer tonight (April 2). PM me if you want more info.

[dangerboy]

The apartments at 41st & Harrison are up for conversion to condos.  Could be a good thing, but I'm concerned about the maintenance on them. They've gotten pretty ratty (in terms of maintenance and tenants) in the last couple years.

Be careful!  We're dealing with an apartment-to-condo conversion in Volker that only has one tenant after more than six months on the market.  In the mean time, without anyone living there we have had issues with trash, vagrants, etc.   The condos are overpriced, but apparently the developer spent too much on the renovations and can't afford to lower his price. 

So ask lots of questions to make sure your developer has reasonable expectations for selling the units and is budgeting the conversion accordingly.  You also want to make sure they have the financial wherewithal to complete the conversion once it starts and then be able to hang on until the units sell.

[chrizow]

we would also want to know if the developer is planning to rent the units if they dont sell.  renovated, condo-grade units would rent for a decent amount of money, bringing some higher-income renters into the area, which is never a bad thing.  i really can't imagine condos at 41st and harrison being a hot sell, since they'll likely sell for more than what an entire house on the same block could sell for.  boveri has some condos over in longfellow/hospital hill that they are renting now for $600.

[knucklehead]

One of my friends lives in a house in the 40 block of Harrison. He rents the downstairs of a two story house. His rent is $700 a month.

It is a cool old house with parking in the back yard. He has two bedrooms and one bath. The kitchen is pretty small.

It is a decent neighborhood. You see a lot of normal looking people walking their dogs etc. It is strange because basically one block over at 40th and Troost the street looks ghetto with vacant buildings.

The second floor probably has cheaper rent, but still a house that pulls in $1,200 a month in rent has to be worth close to 150 K.

[kcjak]

Has there ever been any serious discussion about renaming Troost?  I wonder if just having a different name would help psychologically even in the slightest.

[PumpkinStalker]

Has there ever been any serious discussion about renaming Troost?  I wonder if just having a different name would help psychologically even in the slightest.

I have a feeling that would fail and people would just joke about it and make fun of the attempt to change perception.

[chrizow]

it's not dr. benoist troost's fault that his namesake street went from being one of the most vibrant, beautiful streets in the entire city, to being the hole it is today.  re-naming it would do nothing.  the reclamation and rehab efforts going on as we speak just need to be taken to the next level.  anarchists, old-timers, and a handful of artists can't do it all.

[droopy]

Has there ever been any serious discussion about renaming Troost?  I wonder if just having a different name would help psychologically even in the slightest.

Reminds me of Chris Rock's stand-up.  From wikipedia:


Streets named for Dr. King often traverse African-American communities within cities. It is a stereotype that any street named after King is in a rough neighborhood and is to be avoided. Picking up on this stereotype, the comedian Chris Rock has said, "If you find yourself on 'Martin Luther King Boulevard', run!" [3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streets_na ... r_King,_Jr.


I agree, the speculators are keeping this area for transforming.  Slowly but surely I hope to see changes in the environment and more importantly, perception.  Downtown has been making it happen, Troost should be next.  With a down economy, could be tough, but the economy will turn around.

[voltopt]

Has there ever been any serious discussion about renaming Troost?  I wonder if just having a different name would help psychologically even in the slightest.

I certainly hope there has been no discussion about this.  With enough investment a street's reputation can change.  What "troost" means has changed a couple times over the past 150 years.  I think the name isn't the problem - its the lack of investment. 

[barkerr]

Has there ever been any serious discussion about renaming Troost? 

I'm open to suggestions...

Nah, it wouldn't change a thing. If anything, it'd become a local joke of sorts, I'd imagine.



Regarding Troost: I don't mean to be a negative Ned, and I can say this because I live in a neighborhood with its own set of challenges, but it's possible Troost is beyond help, and will never get even close to what it was once.
Wait--Weren't we talking about Hyde Park?