It has long been acknowledged that the single best restaurant in the world is Arthur Bryant’s barbeque at Eighteenth and Brooklyn in Kansas City.
-Calvin Trillin
It’s in Missouri. Yes, part of it is in Kansas (KCK) but the part everyone is talking about when they say Kansas City is KCMO. Nevertheless, you can live in the KC suburbs and most likely be in Kansas.
Kansas City is home to a vibrant arts community that includes the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the Kansas City Art Institute. Nelson-Atkins is considered a “must-see” and Kansas City is considered one of those “microclimates” of art -- a unique, autonomous art scene including Crossroads Art District, ballet, opera, community theater, live music and other performing arts.
There’s also a coffee scene and a craft brew scene (home of Boulevard Brewery -- KC is filled with boulevards that run through it), a deep history of jazz and barbeque (KC is very indignant about their BBQ) and boy, do they love public fountains (and their sports teams.)
You can live in an affordable house in the suburbs and get in and out of downtown in a breeze. And, you can get a lot of house for a little money. You can buy a modest house in a decent, very safe neighborhood for mid $100Ks and feast on the outstanding farmer’s markets but, the sophisticated action is downtown. The suburbs are no place to be if you want to go out. Only if you want to go home.
Here's a local's pov on the city and the savings:
It’s just like Chicago, New York and LA except without the assholes, haha. We’re so laid back and hospitable in this section of the map. We believe that money should be spent on life experience and not rent(; The cost of living is quite enticing. We love our professional sports teams while embracing our college athletics at the same time. The arts district is so rich and diverse and the roots are obviously very deep-our art institutions and museums are world renowned. I love it here, it’s for living and thriving, not just visiting. It’s a wonderful place to call home.
No real public transportation system. You need a car.
There are a few walkable neighborhoods like Plaza, Westport, Valentine. Also, the public schools in the city can leave a bit to be desired but the suburbs are much better. The school district in the wealthy golf course neighborhood of Leawood (Blue Valley District) stands out.
A local echoes the issues with public transportation:
Short answer is that public transportation in KC really doesn’t work all that well. There are buses, but they can be limited and slow. The streetcar is just a single stretch of track from union station to river market and back, though it’s being expanded a little bit further south. KC really requires a car to get around well.
Kansas City is a really interesting place. It’s a city with world-class food, a great arts scene and a vibrant downtown that pretty much goes dark at 5:00. While those great cultural amenities are much appreciated, the nightlife tends more toward hitting your local neighborhood spot at night and just kind of chilling. City-dwellers here are profoundly progressive and the suburbs more conservative so on balance you end up with a moderate political scene. Interestingly the area tends to vote for progressive policies but then also vote in candidates who stand against those same policies. Go figure.
https://www.vogue.com/article/a-guide-to-kansas-city-missouri-its-history-its-culture-and-why-its-worth-a-closer-look
If you want to see all that's happening in KC check out the calendar of events: https://www.visitkc.com/visitors/events
The big industries in Kansas City include: manufacturing, professional services, healthcare, transportation and a growing tech scene. Garmin, the navigation device company, continues expansion and hiring here. Burns & McDonnell, the engineering, architecture, construction, environmental and consulting services company is in persistent growth mode, and always seems to be hiring and expanding. Kansas City has an employment rate of 3.6% and so if you’re looking for a healthy economy in the midwest Kansas City is a good choice.
Young people are flocking here due to the desirable cost of living and optimal job market and driving the arts and culinary scene in the city to new heights.
Create a Movebook on LookyLoo to start organizing your move from the very start of your search.
Many people probably know that Kansas City is a bi-state city and metropolitan area. Kansas City, Missouri is the one most people are talking about when they refer to the city as it holds 480k+ vs. the 100k+ of Kansas City, Kansas. The larger Metro Area is visualized as four quadrants: Southeast includes Kansas City, Missouri and Northwest includes Kansas City, Kansas.
The Metro area is truly at the center of the midwestern universe with more freeway lane miles per capita than any other city in the United States. All these highways take you directly to Des Moines, Wichita, St. Louis and Topeka. It also sits at the confluence of the Missouri River and the Kansas River. The rolling hills of Kansas City and the Metro Area line the rivers and make the views across the rivers for many a homeowner.
