Union Station Evolves with Imaginative Dinosaur Exhibit
By Kevin Collison It’s a matchup display any dinosaur-crazy kid would enjoy and 125 million years later, part of a major, new exhibition that heralds an imaginative programming approach by Union Station. In this corner, weighing in at 4,000 pounds and stretching 15 feet long, Kosmoceratops, a fancy- shielded omnivore. And the challenger, at 2,200…
Tap List | Welcome To The Neighborhood Brewery
Kansas City is in the midst of a neighborhood brewery boom — where brewers aren’t looking to make it just a few blocks off Broadway, but are instead opting to build a space that reflects the place they live or the drinkers they think could use a beer a little closer to home. Back in…
Former Mayor Kay Barnes, Downtown Champion, Honored for Legacy
By Kevin Collison Former Mayor Kay Barnes now has the Convention Center Grand Ballroom named after her, but her lasting legacy was on display beyond the windows of the ballroom lobby where the event was held last week. From its vantage point above the South Loop freeway, the Sprint Center, H&R Block office tower and…
Emerging From Abuse With Hopes of Working for a Better Foster System
Jordan Webster was born with some abdominal organs on the outside of her body, and at age 3 had a liver and small-bowel transplant. Problems in her home led to several hospitalizations during a childhood that also included severe abuse at the hands of family members. The state took her out of her home, and…
From the Frying Pan of Foster Care to the Fire of Adulthood
Finally becoming old enough to drink legally is often accompanied by a night out on the town, but the experience can be quite different for foster kids in Missouri. “We’ve heard stories of kids who were dropped off at City Union Mission by their social worker because it’s the kid’s 21st birthday,” said Nathan Ross,…
The Art of (Street Art)
Get lost* in our new photography series, “The Art of (KC)”, where we bring you beautiful, thought-provoking and compelling images of our city and surrounding areas every other week. Swipe through the slideshow for some creative street art. Then, get out your phone, your camera, your sketchbook — whatever — and let us see your…
Sequence Climb Bringing ‘Bouldering’ to Crossroads
By Kevin Collison Graham Hess has seen how light rail galvanized Salt Lake City’s downtown, and when Kansas City started its streetcar, he knew downtown was the place to pursue his business dream. He and his wife, Dara, are planning to open Sequence Climb, a “bouldering gym” and cutting-edge fitness center in a West Crossroads…
Recipe | America’s Test Kitchen’s Flag Cake
A big flag sheet cake is the perfect Fourth of July dessert; and at a time when patriotic-colored berries are at their best, vibrant blueberries and red raspberries are a fitting topping. [FLEX-CONTENT] We knew that our workhorse Yellow Sheet Cake was the ideal base for the cake, so our challenge when developing this recipe…
Hello Atelier | Hunter, Gatherer, Storyteller
I discovered this week’s guest Jillian Youngbird and her work on Instagram. I was fascinated by the many different forms her art took – one day she would post a stunning piece of embroidery, another day it would be an image of a 7-foot bear sculpture. I like how her artistic style manifests itself across…
CID Renewed, ‘Bumble Bees’ Remain Downtown’s Ambassadors Through 2034
By Kevin Collison Those downtown “bumble bees” you see daily cleaning, tending landscaping and helping you feel safe will be buzzing for another 15 years thanks to the recent renewal of the Downtown Council Community Improvement District. The 60 men and women wearing the distinctive black and yellow CID uniforms, referred to as Ambassadors, may…
Sympathetic Vibrations | Counterpoint: Who Wants Boring Kids?
A week ago Ed Fugit, the best man at my wedding and my brother-from-another-mother, emailed me a link to an article chastising hipster parents who insist on bringing their kids to concerts. “Would read your take on this in Flatland…,” Fugit said of the story, written by Steven Hyden. OK, I’ll bite. We’ve all seen…
Boba KC Is Open & Other Weekend Possibilities
Take a moment to admire the llama beach towel or a neon pink minidress. Then walk another hundred feet inside the Midway Shopping Center and discover the newly opened Boba KC (4305 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas). “We want to welcome everybody in and make sure we have something for everyone,” co-owner Mike Her said….
Union Apartments Celebrates Riverfront Opening, New Projects Planned
By Kevin Collison The Union Berkley Riverfront apartments, the first new project on the downtown riverfront since a push to clean up and redevelop the area began in the 1970s, had its grand opening recently. Mayor Sly James, members of Port KC, formerly the port authority, and dozens of others saluted the culmination of decades…
Origin Story | Bomb Pop
[FLEX-CONTENT] Want to see the other pieces in the series, click here. Got an origin story you think we should illustrate? Drop us a line on Twitter.
Making The Case For ‘Workforce Development’
Is it possible to establish a link between the U.S. civil rights movement and the fall of the Berlin Wall? You can, as it turns out, when it comes to job training and career readiness. The video above traces that history, and brings into focus the nebulous term “workforce development.” This introductory piece kicks off…