kansas city sucks.

[nota]

No one cares about your trips. It's cold and we're bitter. Just leave already.

j/k.

xoxoxoxoxo

[nota]

It got to the point where when I walked in the bartender would address me by name, pull out my favorite beer, pop the top and then ask "what's going on with you?"  and genuinely wanted to hear how my day went.  .........

I guess what I'm saying is what some consider to be a rut, we think is a blessing.

Our sentiments exactly. At our fave bar in KC, we could go in even with a group and the bartenders would recognize us and our drinks would be set in front of us as we sat down. The rest of our group had to order from the server.

Everyone wants someone to recognize and appreciate them.

[nota]

Re: Kc vs. Brooklyn

it really sounds like you want hipsterish x yuppie x dive x ethnic bars/restaurants. I just don't think there is enough pretense to support much Brooklyn eccentricity in this city. right now, KCMO is probably the "coolest" it's been since the Jazz age. I've heard "what Portland used to be" thrown around by good sources. Might want to move to Lawrence if you want privileged white people in costumes with bad taste in music.   

It's interesting how when I first came to this forum, most of the rest of the posters were still in college or at least still acting like they were. Not much but drinking, bars, and hanging out and talking about same.

Now so many of you seem bored or at least not so interested in those things even to the point of being bored.

It's interesting how our wants and needs change as we mature. Of course, I'm really mature 

I recognize (and remember) most of those stages in my life.

Not picking at you personally tk-several in this thread have expressed similar.

[chrizow]

Might want to move to Lawrence if you want privileged white people in costumes with bad taste in music.   

that's not what i want.  (though kc has plenty of privileged white people in costumes with bad taste in music - see P&L, westport, etc.). 

not a big deal, just thought i'd stir some shit in here.  i love KC.  it's my hometown and it's in my blood.  it's just frustrating sometimes. 

it's true though that we're also getting to the point where it might be nice to graduate from sitting around in a bar racking up a $50 tab and start moving things into our homes!

[aknowledgeableperson]

start moving things into our homes!

As one whose group of friends have been entertaining in our homes for decades that isn't a bad choice.

[KCPowercat]

house fun is ok some times but it secludes you to that set group of friends, don't have a chance to meet new people or experience new things.  In other words, can get real boring real fast.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Since this group of friends had our kids grow up together, vacation together, and such it is more like family instead of just friends.  In other words, the friends and friendships are not boring.

[KCPowercat]

that's great for you...wasn't speaking to anyone directly, just the concept...and house partying leads to the 'kc sucks' thinking IMO.

[loftguy]

house fun is ok some times but it secludes you to that set group of friends, don't have a chance to meet new people or experience new things.  In other words, can get real boring real fast.

Sex gets old if you do it exactly the same way every time too.  Change things up.

We sat down and wrote out a list of all the folks, singles and couples, republicans/democrats/libertarian/anarchist, gay/lez/bi and so-called straight, poor and rich, suburban and urban, black-white-brown-beige, drunk and sober, and so on.....  Kept adding until we came up with about 75 names.  Then we spent a couple weeks assembling these peoples into interesting potential dinner party groups of six to twelve people.  The groupings have continued to morph as we think about how some personalities might interact with one another, both positively and negatively.  

We started hosting these gatherings last fall and now that the holidays are past, plan to do at least one per month throughout this year.  It's our way of repaying kindnesses, inciting mayhem, getting better acquainted with acquaintances, and simply getting off our asses and doing something.

[AJoD]

house partying leads to the 'kc sucks' thinking IMO.

That's a surprising thought.  I think if your house and friends suck, that might be true, but that's kind of a depressing premise.

[KCPowercat]

more along the lines of more house partying leds to less demand for bars, public space

[KCPowercat]

more along the lines of more house partying leds to less demand for bars/public spaces, leds to people thinking 'kc sucks' when they want to go out. 

kc people already are too siloed into their circle of friends (I am guilty of this), putting those in private homes makes it even worse.

[kcmetro]

I'm in my late 20's, and I really can't imagine going out with the intention of meeting new friends.  There comes a time, as one comedian said, when you just have enough friends and don't want anymore.  That's where I am right now.  The time for making new friends came and went with college.  Now my idea of fun involves hanging out at a friend's house, drinking and watching a movie or sports.  Or going out to a low key suburban restaurant/bar for some drinks.  If I was single, then it would probably be different.  But I'm still not sure I'd be into the P&L scene even if I was single.  Sometimes on the rare occasion I'm at a bar, I'll spot those two single dudes sipping drinks in the corner, looking for the next girl to pounce on.  I don't miss those days one bit.

[chrizow]

perhaps what KC nightlife needs is a house-based speakeasy in south hyde park.  plenty of beer and wine, a porch, some weird records, and some pretty uncomfortable vintage furniture = a good time.

[KCPowercat]

metro...I think maybe I was there now i've moved passed that point.....not sure....but my point isn't anybody's personal preference, just the concept that house parties and people having 'enough friends' is a big factor in chriz's initial post.

[droopy]

Sex gets old if you do it exactly the same way every time too.  Change things up.

We sat down *snip* gay/lez/bi and so-called straight *snip* peoples into interesting *snip* party groups of six to twelve people.  The groupings have continued to morph as we think about how some personalities might interact with one another, both positively and negatively.  

We started hosting these gatherings last fall and now that the holidays are past, plan to do at least one per month throughout this year.  It's our way of *snip* inciting mayhem, getting better acquainted with acquaintances, and simply getting off our asses and doing somethingone new.

Not sure why i felt the urge, but there you go.  

On topic: i have 2 kids.  We try to mix our social interactions up.  Some are dinner and drinks with kids at a house, some without kids at a restaurant, some just the wife and I.  Some of my most fun these days is at our house or a friend's house with kids.  Nothing wrong with that.  Also nothing wrong with hitting the nightlife to meet new people.  I'm just not the type that would meet someone if I went out.  I'd talk to the people I'm out with.

[jdubwaldo]

I'm in my late 20's, and I really can't imagine going out with the intention of meeting new friends.  There comes a time, as one comedian said, when you just have enough friends and don't want anymore.  That's where I am right now.  The time for making new friends came and went with college.  Now my idea of fun involves hanging out at a friend's house, drinking and watching a movie or sports.  Or going out to a low key suburban restaurant/bar for some drinks.  If I was single, then it would probably be different.  But I'm still not sure I'd be into the P&L scene even if I was single.  Sometimes on the rare occasion I'm at a bar, I'll spot those two single dudes sipping drinks in the corner, looking for the next girl to pounce on.  I don't miss those days one bit.

Amen metro.  I acturally have found myself "breaking up" with or drifting away from some friends.  I love meeting new interesting people and building new relationships.  Yet there simply isn't enough time or nearly enough energy for everything, and some friends that you have just grown away from.

[droopy]

I'm in my late 20's, and I really can't imagine going out with the intention of meeting new friends.  There comes a time, as one comedian said, when you just have enough friends and don't want anymore.  That's where I am right now.  The time for making new friends came and went with college.  Now my idea of fun involves hanging out at a friend's house, drinking and watching a movie or sports.  Or going out to a low key suburban restaurant/bar for some drinks. 

Hmmm, that is interesting.  I didn't grow up in KC.  My wife did.  We met in school in WI and moved here together after graduation.  I had a very hard time meeting friends.  I have no interest in college sports and attributed a lot of it to this lack of interest.  It seemed to be the topic of 50% of the conversations I came into and I had no input.  People also seemed very secure in their social circles so it was a bit difficult to break into them.  We now have kids, and the vast majority of our friends have kids.  The majority of our best friends are also not from KC originally, which I find interesting.  My wife's friends from high school mostly live in other cities and are not in our social circle except for holidays when they come home to see family.  Maybe this also plays into the "it's hard being single in KC" mindset.

[jdubwaldo]

Hmmm, that is interesting.  I didn't grow up in KC.  My wife did.  We met in school in WI and moved here together after graduation.  I had a very hard time meeting friends.  I have no interest in college sports and attributed a lot of it to this lack of interest.  It seemed to be the topic of 50% of the conversations I came into and I had no input.  People also seemed very secure in their social circles so it was a bit difficult to break into them.  We now have kids, and the vast majority of our friends have kids.  The majority of our best friends are also not from KC originally, which I find interesting.  My wife's friends from high school mostly live in other cities and are not in our social circle except for holidays when they come home to see family.  Maybe this also plays into the "it's hard being single in KC" mindset.

Absoloutely, I think you hit the nail on the head.  I'm not from here either, and had a really tough time for a long time "breaking in."  Actually, I'm not sure I ever have, nearly all of my friends here are people I went to college with that moved here or moved back here, or people I have met through work.

[nota]

house fun is ok some times but it secludes you to that set group of friends, don't have a chance to meet new people or experience new things.  In other words, can get real boring real fast.

Speaking only for me, we ALWAYS have a different group each time we entertain and we always do different things or have different "themes". Thats how our annual Christmas breakfast of about 10 people ended up at 70+

Different from AKP-we didn't have those friends who we raised our kids with in kc-we have those now, but many of us/them have moved to a different place.-we were all strangers when we met and with people like us there's always someone moving on or moving in.

But there is always room for more.