hip areas of kansas city, missouri:
(1)
the crossroads - area south of downtown of old warehouses, light industrial businesses, parking lots, etc. there are over 40 art galleries, loads of creative businesses (printshops, architecture firms, ad firms), a dozen or so restaurants and bars, hundreds of lofts, etc. - BUT, given the fact it's such a large area and b/c there is still a rather gritty, industrial feel to the place it has retained a vibe of "authenticity." Crossroads activists argue that this will be destroyed with a brand new 18-story condo tower being built soon, but i think the Crossroads will be legitimately cool for at least another decade - especially the gritty/desolate east side of the neighborhood.
(2)
Westside - originally a Swedish neighborhood, Westside has been a hispanic enclave for decades. it consists of some of the oldest housing stock in kansas city - lots of victorians and the like. however, due to its affordability and proximity (a few blocks) to the Crossroads, it has become attractive to artists and creative people - much to the chagrin of the hispanic community. a huge wave of gentrification is underway as $1M+ homes are being built and some $300K+ condos have been completed but, like the Xroads, i really don't think Westside will ever become a cuddly neighborhood. it's mostly residential, sporting a school, several mexican/latin american eateries and stores, and (thanks to the westward creep of the Crossroads) an upscale organic/sustainable restaurant, a funky but still upscale restaurant/bar (Lille's), a couple of galleries, a chic salon, bakery, etc.
(3)
Volker/W. 39th - not a cutting-edge "hip" neighborhood like the above two, but a solid and pretty diverse neighborhood consisting of families, hipsters, medical students (KU Med anchors the neighborhood), and everyone in between. W. 39th between Southwest Trafficway and State Line is the retail/dining spine of the neighborhood and the street is often called Restaurant Row due to the dense mishmash of restaurants on the street. there is everything from cheap international fare (ethiopian, thai, taiwanese, vietnamese), dive bars (Gilhouly's, Cooper's), chic cuisine (Thomas, Circe) and classic KC institutions (D'Bronx, Macaluso's, Fric + Frac). the neighborhood has a funky edge, with a couple of record shops, edgy coffeeshop, pagan store, used bookstores, etc. but in the last few years it has gained a Starbucks and Chipotle. since i believe the chains are coming in due to the lunch/coffee crowd from KU Med, the neighborhood should remain pretty cool for a while. rents and home prices are pretty erratic.
(3)
Warwick/KCAI area - this is technically Hyde Park, but the area near the museums and the Kansas City Art Institute definitely has a flavor all its own. many art students live there as well as UMKC students, giving the neighborhood a youthful, fun vibe. (art school parties = awesome). nearby Gillham Park is locus of family gatherings as well as anarchist soccer
. the area is also pretty gritty and has a fair amount of crime, adding to its edginess, but it's a cool place.
on the horizon: i see several areas of KC getting more and more hip (often due to rising housing costs in the aforementioned areas). one is the Rosedale area of Kansas City, KS, which is basically south and west of the KU Med area, but the state line has always kept people on the MO side. not anymore! also, Old Northeast (recently documented in City Photos by Tosspot) is an up and coming area that is still really iffy (even by SSP forumer standards) but pockets of it are really turning around, particularly the historic areas of Pendleton Heights and Scarritt.
i just typed a lot.
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