KCMO Downtown Streetcar

[Chris Stritzel]

How depressing is that first shot? Great pic just zero life.

Beyond it just being cold, and taking these pictures just before rush hour, it feels even more dead around there than it did back when I arrived in August and through October. I guess the cold plays a role in that but still, it doesn't make it any less depressing on a normal day. There's a ton of opportunity to change that though, just I don't know if anyone is willing to get rid of their "previous" parking lots and garages.

[KCPowercat]

Every building is active in that shot and they aren't short buildings. Definitely cold and time of day play a part but just taking it on its face a depressing shot. Don't show that to anybody

[normalthings]

Every building is active in that shot and they aren't short buildings. Definitely cold and time of day play a part but just taking it on its face a depressing shot. Don't show that to anybody

A downside of our shift from office to resi is the 4-5 times reduction in density. Getting more office downtown would do wonders for active feel, at least during the day.

[KCPowercat]

Let's not act like we've ever had an "active" street scene. As someone down here every day for the last 15 years it's basically always looked just. like. that.

[TheLastGentleman]

I don’t think 8th and main has been crowded once in the last half century

[TheUrbanRoo]

There just needs to be more down there. 10th & Main can help with that. North loop removal one day would help. Yeah the dead of winter doesn't help either though.

On the bright side the Crossroads & P+L are active unlike when Powercat first moved in.

[Cratedigger]

No wonder The Last of Us is being filmed in KCMO

[FangKC]

It does look like the opening shot in a film about everyone one Earth suddenly dying.

[shinatoo]

We are a very polite city, maybe everyone just stepped out of the shot.

[GRID]

Cool shot, but people in KC will never admit that the city probably has the least amount of traffic (on surface streets) and pedestrians of any mid-large city in the country. That's just from my experience. Downtown KC is a VERY quiet place. It just is. I know it has its busy times when venues are active or when river market is busy, but compared to other cities, it's just very quiet there. Downtown KC is just very isolated. Everybody is on the highways. I'm glad they are making more so people on 169 never have to drive through the city again!

[normalthings]

Cool shot, but people in KC will never admit that the city probably has the least amount of traffic (on surface streets) and pedestrians of any mid-large city in the country. That's just from my experience. Downtown KC is a VERY quiet place. It just is. I know it has its busy times when venues are active or when river market is busy, but compared to other cities, it's just very quiet there. Downtown KC is just very isolated. Everybody is on the highways. I'm glad they are making more so people on 169 never have to drive through the city again!

You need to get out in other midwest cities then!

Could be a lot better and I think office is going to have to be an aspect of that. Office brings year round crowds at greater densities than residential. Downtown STL pretty much only has sports going for it so it’s always empty, emptier than downtown KC I would say

[Cratedigger]

Cool shot, but people in KC will never admit that the city probably has the least amount of traffic (on surface streets) and pedestrians of any mid-large city in the country. That's just from my experience. Downtown KC is a VERY quiet place. It just is. I know it has its busy times when venues are active or when river market is busy, but compared to other cities, it's just very quiet there. Downtown KC is just very isolated. Everybody is on the highways. I'm glad they are making more so people on 169 never have to drive through the city again!

Yeah super quiet. I'll be honest it was eerie at times after moving back. Then it's laughable when people talk about traffic downtown.

To be honest, KC needs more nights with multiple things happening at once. Those are the only times it really feels bustling down here. Nights like Boulevardia + WC Celebrations + Juneteenth + Farmers market in June or Buffalo Bills + Cornocopia in P&L in October.

Those show the potential of the city. Especially as we continue the downtown residential trends and figure out what return to office looks like.

[earthling]

Slower back to office is probably part of it but KC is also pretty wimpy when it comes to colder weather where cities like Minneapolis embrace it. Was in DC recently and surprised how fairly dead downtown was after lunch hours. NYC doing much better when I was there May/June but not like it used to be.

On downtown DC...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... mote-work/

[GRID]

Cool shot, but people in KC will never admit that the city probably has the least amount of traffic (on surface streets) and pedestrians of any mid-large city in the country. That's just from my experience. Downtown KC is a VERY quiet place. It just is. I know it has its busy times when venues are active or when river market is busy, but compared to other cities, it's just very quiet there. Downtown KC is just very isolated. Everybody is on the highways. I'm glad they are making more so people on 169 never have to drive through the city again!

You need to get out in other midwest cities then!

Could be a lot better and I think office is going to have to be an aspect of that.

I spend lots of time in all midwest cities. All busier if just comparing similar random times. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. It's mostly simply due to the geography and transportation layout of the city. Think about it. Main Street doesn't even go anywhere north of there. Nearly all streets in downtown just end somewhere on at least one side of downtown. The downtown is surrounded by highways, river bluffs, etc. Generally you are only on the downtown surface streets if you are going there. You can literally close the widest street downtown and it barely effects traffic (Grand). That and the fact that more than half of the loop is not even developed beyond empty lots and parking lots/structures.

Like I said, it's another reason I HATE the new Broadway Bridge. It will only make it more quiet other than the buzzing of cars on the big flyovers.

[GRID]

Oh and trust me. Even post covid, Downtown DC is VERY VERY busy compared to any part of KC. Not even comparable haha. Come on. Don't go there.

[KCPowercat]

We all admitted it but we don't want to admit it? Okay

[TheUrbanRoo]

A big reason is because the foot traffic during the day is all the way down at the Plaza or River Market. That being said, usually on the weekends or after 5pm it's pretty lively downtown & Crossroads. Royals & 670 cap coming in will help a ton.

[Anthony_Hugo98]

Royals & 670 cap coming in will help a ton.

On a Wednesday at the end of November, in the early afternoon, with a high of 37°? I doubt those things have much effect on this situation..

[KCPowercat]

Sorry for the derailment of this fine topic. Also sorry for the poor pun given the thread topic

[TheUrbanRoo]

Royals & 670 cap coming in will help a ton.

On a Wednesday at the end of November, in the early afternoon, with a high of 37°? I doubt those things have much effect on this situation..

No, but there's only a handful of cities that would have activity in almost every inch of their downtown in those circumstances that you're saying. Not even Denver when I went recently.

We should probably get a photo a couple blocks south of here atleast and get the record set straight again, lol.