Restored 1887 Mansion Offers Unique Airbnb Stay on Downtown’s West Side
By Kevin Collison The 130-year-old Queen Anne Revival Victorian mansion on downtown’s West Side charmed Megan Duma the moment she saw it listed more than a year ago. Only problem, the Kansas City, Kan. native was on the other side of the world in Sydney, Australia, when she fell in love with the old brick…
Affordable Housing: Pricing Out Workers
If working two full-time jobs isn’t enough to make rent in the city, Kimberly Lawson wants to know what is enough. This video, part of a larger project from Kansas City PBS and Flatland looking at gentrification, affordable housing, and evictions in the Kansas City metro, delves into whether the downtown boom is driving out…
Origin Story | The Waffle Cone
[FLEX-CONTENT] [FLEX-CONTENT] [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.
Omaha-Based Hutch Furniture Coming to East Crossroads
By Kevin Collison Hutch furniture, the creation of two Omaha guys who’s idea of a fun outing was hitting estate sales, is opening a new store at 504 E. 18th St. in the East Crossroads. “Brad and I started collecting vintage furniture five years ago as a hobby and a 1960s Stanley hutch was our…
Tap List | Making Magic Magic at Torn Label
Magic Magic, an East Coast-style IPA brewed with raspberry and lemon peel, is one of Torn Label Brewing Company’s (1708 Campbell St.) most popular beers. But Magic Magic’s story is not just about what’s inside the can. Artist and Torn Label sales representative Thomas Woodward created the artwork that inspired the beer, which displays his art…
ULI Panel Offers Bold Concepts to Energize Barney Allis Plaza
By Kevin Collison Barney Allis Plaza, a dreary downtown centerpiece, could be lowered to street level and transformed into a large event lawn flanked by garden and “adventure” playground areas, all atop a new garage, in a $63 million redevelopment concept suggested last week. The proposal endorsed by an local Urban Land Institute panel assembled…
Where Are Those 20-Somethings Living?
Where do young Kansas Citians live? The traditional Midtown haunts? High-end urban apartments? The large rental complexes in suburbia? CuriousKC delved into the topic after receiving this inquiry: “Who ARE all these people who can afford to live in all this new development? Where are young, 20-somethings finding places to live?” We couldn’t reach the…
Anything Concrete? We Check In A Year After Our Infrastructure Project
Last spring, we dug into the state of metro roads, highways, sewers and public transportation in a project called Public Works? The Cost of Our Aging Infrastructure. Now, we’re issuing a report card, of sorts, to see if anything has changed in a year’s time. We track the progress on our weekly public affairs shows, Week in…
Waffles, Not Pancakes: Local Farmer’s Invention Could Improve Crop Yields
As vice president of Shatto Milk Company, Matt Shatto also wears another hat, that of CEO of TerraManus Technologies. Shatto has come up with a simple way that he says can increase crop yields. It’s a plastic disk that, when used with regular tilling, can help soil retain water and consolidate it instead of compact it. He says…
Kobi Q, ‘Blade Runner Meets Asia’ in the Crossroads
By Kevin Collison Kobi Q, a new Korean street food place with added flavors from Vietnam and Thailand, is expected to open in the former Czar Bar space at 1531 Grand next month. “The drive behind it was ‘Blade Runner’ meets Asia,” said the designer working with chef and owner Hyu Ku Kwon, adding “it…
A Celebration of Culture and Kindness: Yo-Yo Ma in KC
Last week, world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma arrived in Kansas City with a full dance card. Ma was in town for a master class and several performances at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. He also made a surprise appearance at a “neighborhood” event. The master class, part of Ma’s work with international artists, featured…
Downtown CVS Store Closed Temporarily for Remodeling
The CVS store at 921 Main, downtown’s only full-service pharmacy, has closed for a major remodeling project and expects to reopen about mid-June. The overhaul is part of the $139 million redevelopment of the historic Commerce Tower at 911 Main. The 30-story former office tower was converted into 355 apartments last year. The CVS is…
Restored Historic Savoy Hotel and Restaurant Debuts This August
By Kevin Collison The historic Savoy Hotel, a downtown landmark since 1888, is scheduled to reopen in early August following an extensive renovation by Louisville-based 21c Museum Hotels. The $47.5 million redevelopment project, more than five years in the making, is scheduled to begin accepting guests in its 120 rooms on Aug. 5. The famed…
Adult Egg Hunt & Other Weekend Possibilities
Kids aren’t the only ones who enjoy a good egg hunt. Stone Pillar Vineyard & Winery (11000 S. Woodland St., Olathe, Kansas) is hosting an After Dark Adult Egg Hunt from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday. Some eggs have candy, while others will be filled with wine-related goodies (certificates for tastings or glasses). Between 2…
Data Tells Real Downtown Housing Story
GUEST COMMENTARY By Bill Dietrich Maintaining existing affordable housing stock and increasing that inventory are critical for the sustainability and continued growth of greater Downtown Kansas City. We’ve come a long way from the blight of the late 1990’s, but have much work still to do. In greater Downtown Kansas City today – 31st Street…