Neighborhood Champion: Dale Walker
They do it for no pay and little fanfare. Who are they? They are the neighborhood leaders who fight to improve some of the most distressed neighborhoods on the East Side of Kansas City, Missouri. These are the men and women who advocate for better housing, less crime, and more economic opportunity. Through its coverage…
Sweatheory Brings LA Healing Style to Crossroads
By Kevin Collison West Hollywood arrives in the Crossroads this month when Sweatheory brings its healing array of hot yoga, saunas and a shot bar that is just that, injections including “Liquid Zen” and “Power Up.” Brandon Presley is the owner of what will be the first Sweatheory to open outside the original in LA…
Tap List | A Sneak Peek at Boulevardia’s Taps & Tastes
The best way to attend a beer festival is with a brewer at your side. You get insight into the beer and an occasional look behind the taps. Taps & Tastes, a ticketed beer and food pairing session in the Hale Arena, is a bit like attending Boulevardia with Jeremy Danner next to you. The…
State Historic Tax Credit Program Threatened, Major Downtown Redevelopment Tool
GUEST COMMENTARY By Elizabeth Rosin In 1998, Missouri enacted a state historic tax credit (HTC) to help property owners rehabilitate historic buildings. The impact of that legislation is evident when you look around downtown Kansas City. Today’s vibrant city owes much to the HTC. Since 2001, historic tax credits secured over $2 billion of private…
New Brewer’s Kitchen Blends Craft Beers and Burgers
By Kevin Collison Chris Riggins wants his new Brewer’s Kitchen scheduled to open June 15 at 3107 Gillham Rd. to be the hangout for the growing greater downtown neighborhood around him that includes Union Hill and Beacon Hill. “It was important to find something close to the residents and be a place where people see…
Trucking Careers Offer Quick Training, Good Money In Kansas City — And Beyond
Believe it or not, there is a high-demand job out there with a starting salary of as much as $45,000 a year that requires as little as four weeks of training. The job is truck driving, and there are hundreds of thousands of available positions right now for trained drivers around the country, according to…
Olathe High School Students Learning ‘Magic’ of Welding
Gary Pommier is a veteran welder, but the process of heating and melding metal continues to amaze him to this day. “I have been around welding my entire life,” he said, “and it is still magic. When you make a good weld, it is a matter of pride.” Pommier is passing along that passion to…
Chances Social Completes STRETCH’s Entertainment District
By Kevin Collison Chances Social opens Sunday at 419 E. 18th St., and owner STRETCH views his new coffee shop and bar as the last ingredient in the homegrown, East Crossroads entertainment district he started 15 years ago with Grinders. “Grinders is known as a dive bar with good cocktails,” he said. “This will be…
Strawberry Hill Pub Crawl, Strawberry Festival & Other Weekend Possibilities
Fairway Creamery (5938 Mission Road, Fairway, Kansas) — a new donut shop and soft serve ice cream concept from chocolatier Christopher Elbow — has opened in the former Pizza 51 West space. The donuts include a spiced old fashioned, raspberry iced, maple buttercrunch, vanilla bean glazed yeast and toasted coconut. On the ice cream side,…
Neighborhood Champion: Julie Boye
They do it for no pay and little fanfare. Who are they? They are the neighborhood leaders who fight to improve some of the most distressed neighborhoods on the East Side of Kansas City, Missouri. These are the men and women who advocate for better housing, less crime, and more economic opportunity. Through its coverage…
New Westport Master Plan Calls for Shorter Buildings, Wider Sidewalks
By Kevin Collison A new master plan intended to guide the future development of Westport over the next 20 years proposes height restrictions along its primary streets, wider sidewalks and potential historic designations for nearby neighborhoods. The Westport District Master Plan is in response to concerns two years ago over two large apartment proposals and…
Tap List | Wind Shift Brewing Is Open in Blue Springs
Wind Shift Brewing (3421 NW Jefferson St., Suite B) opened this weekend in Blue Springs, Missouri. The new brewery from Tony and Lynne DiPlacito is serving an American Pilsner, oatmeal brown, a coconut coffee porter and double IPA. Cinder Block Brewery’s cider is on tap as well. Wind Shift serves half-pours, pours and flights. The…
Liberty Memorial and World War I Museum Salute Memorial Day
Downtown Kansas City is the place to commemorate Memorial Day activities this weekend with the World War I Museum offering half price admission and the KC Symphony performing its annual outdoor concert at Union Station Sunday. “During Memorial Day weekend, it’s important for people to spend time recognizing and honoring those who made the ultimate…
Mildred’s Original Downtown Spot Shifts to More Visible Quarters
By Kevin Collison Most people associate Mildred’s, the popular cafe and coffee shop, with the Crossroads Arts District. But did you know there’s another Mildred’s in downtown, one that predates the Crossroads location at 19th and Wyandotte by almost a decade? That’s why Mildred’s is relocating from the lobby of the Ten Main Center building…
New Headquarters Marks Another Turning Point For KCK’s Youthfront
Over its 75-plus years, Youthfront, a Christian ministry that supports youth pastors and offers summer camps and other programs for young people, has made several key transitions. And now it’s changing locations. Well, slightly. The organization’s 38 full-time staff members are moving into new headquarters at 4600 Rainbow Boulevard in Kansas City, Kansas, and preparing…