neighborhood question (Lee's Summit, Crestwood, Parkway: fit in, how much, house) - Kansas City - Missouri (MO) - City-Data Forum

ykamom · 02-06-2011, 03:03 PM

Hi KC experts. I have another question about neighborhoods in KCMO, if you can stand it.

We have looked at some things in an area called Crestwood, in the northernmost part of Brookside, fairly close to the university and to the little Crestwood shopping area. Not far from the trolley trail. My husband is very keen on this but I am concerned (from a distance) that it may be leaving the Brookside community area and feel that we are hoping for. I wonder if that's a whole new ballgame up there, or if it is still the family oriented environment we are looking for? Anyone familiar with this area ( around 55th and Brookside Blvd.) Any input on what it is like to live in that neck of the woods?

Any advice, as always, is much appreciated. You guys are a wealth of knowledge, and I am really grateful for your input.

kcmo · 02-06-2011, 06:26 PM

I'm not quite understanding what you are concerned about ykamom. That is a great area. I grew up there and still have relatives there (West side of Brookside Blvd though), but the east side is about the same in that area. I think you will see that the area has a healthy turnover of young families moving in as older people move out etc.

I know the areas where my grandparents lived for many decades has all kinds of new people there, many with kids. The homes get updated etc and they are so cool. It’s an amazing area.

My uncle moved back into the area after a short stint in Lee's Summit and have flipped a home there (they are staying though).

The neighborhood has only gotten better in the last ten years because so many people are investing in their homes where the older people that lived there didn’t do that as often.

I know my uncle has probably put 300k into the home they bought.

A friend of mine (engineer at HNTB) lives in the exact area you are talking about, closer to Holmes actually. They live in an awesome home in a very well maintained area. They have kids. I’m not sure they use the public schools or private. I think private.

ykamom · 02-06-2011, 07:05 PM

Thanks for the info. It isn't that I don't think it is a nice spot, just that it seems a bit removed from the Brookside vibe we were really drawn to. And so, I just wondered if going there would really be shifting to a whole different area of the city and different feel. It seems like that isn't the case.
It is hard for me because I am not there. Big decisions at a distance, I just like to have as much info as possible to make the decision.
Thanks again for your help.

lifelongMOgal · 02-06-2011, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ykamom

Thanks for the info. It isn't that I don't think it is a nice spot, just that it seems a bit removed from the Brookside vibe we were really drawn to. And so, I just wondered if going there would really be shifting to a whole different area of the city and different feel. It seems like that isn't the case.
It is hard for me because I am not there. Big decisions at a distance, I just like to have as much info as possible to make the decision.
Thanks again for your help.

I'd say your assessment on the "vibe" is correct. There is nothing wrong with Crestwood at all but it does have a more "mature" feeling to the neighborhood that is to be expected with the higher prices in the homes and the distance from the more immediate Brookside shopping area. You get the "family" vibe at Brookside because of the elementary school and the variety of shops that are more fitting to daily family needs (multi-grocery, drugstor, dime store, Baskin Robbins, etc...)

Since Crestwood appealed to your husband you might also check to the West of Brookside Blvd. over to Wornall where there is yet a bit of a different feel but very close in regard to walking to Loose Park as well as the shops and resturants, and KC Public Library on Main. Still, for the "family" atmosphere I think that Brookside is your best bet in the immediate surrounding neighborhoods.

ykamom · 02-06-2011, 08:14 PM

Thanks lifelong MO. It isn't the area that appeals to my husband, so much as a particular house. So that is why the question came up.
I understand your comments and I appreciate your feedback and advice. Thanks!

kcmo · 02-06-2011, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal

I'd say your assessment on the "vibe" is correct. There is nothing wrong with Crestwood at all but it does have a more "mature" feeling to the neighborhood that is to be expected with the higher prices in the homes and the distance from the more immediate Brookside shopping area. You get the "family" vibe at Brookside because of the elementary school and the variety of shops that are more fitting to daily family needs (multi-grocery, drugstor, dime store, Baskin Robbins, etc...)

Since Crestwood appealed to your husband you might also check to the West of Brookside Blvd. over to Wornall where there is yet a bit of a different feel but very close in regard to walking to Loose Park as well as the shops and resturants, and KC Public Library on Main. Still, for the "family" atmosphere I think that Brookside is your best bet in the immediate surrounding neighborhoods.

I think that you will find that those that patronize the commercial areas of Brookside are not all from a few blocks of 63rd. I would argue that most are not from that area. The Brookside groceries etc pull people in from the Plaza, Waldo, east KC and even Kansas.

55th and Brookside is like a 5-10 minute walk from 63rd and Brookside or a 1 minute max ride. The kids on the trolley trail or families walking along the shops could just as easily be from Crestwood as they could be from a block away.

I think the only difference is when you get a bit further from 63rd, it just gets quieter because you are away from the activity hub of Brookside. But people in that entire area into South Plaza, Rockhill, north Waldo, even 49/63 tend to associate with Brookside.

So close areas like Crestwood for surely do.

I guess my point is that those that live at 55th and Oak are just as much Brookside as those that live at 61st and Main. The area is much bigger than where the grocery stores are.

Get the European BKS sticker so you will really fit in!

I think you will be amazed at how much community spirit and pride there is in this area. Most people only think of 63rd between Ward Parkway and Oak as Brookside, but there is so much more to it than that and I think it's the actual Neighborhoods (like Crestwood) where that sense of community really shines.

ykamom · 02-06-2011, 08:47 PM

Yeah, and that sense of neighborhood and community is really what we are looking for. It is so hard to find location, house size, house price, etc. that fit the needed parameters. When you find it, maybe it is just time to jump!
Thanks again for the feedback.

jom333 · 02-06-2011, 10:25 PM

Crestwood is, indeed, a lovely area, but, as a 25-year Brookside resident, I'll second what lifelongMOgal said about the benefits of being closer to the main Brookside shopping district. If a walkable lifestyle is appealing to you, you might want to keep in mind that the Crestwood shops are not so much the daily-needs types of businesses (there are a couple of charming bistros, along with upscale boutiques, antique shops, etc) compared to Brookside's more complete offering of practical businesses. I'm spoiled with a 5-minute walk to the grocery store, p.o., CVS, etc, and think I'd be a lot more tempted to use the car if I was coming from Crestwood-- unless the weather was perfect and I had plenty of time. However, if you're a bike rider, it would be a quick ride down the Trolley Trail from Crestwood to the Brookside shops. And regarding the "vibe" of Crestwood, I know that one nice community aspect is they have a hidden park-- only for residents-- where the neighborhood has Easter egg hunts and probably other gatherings, as well.

TabulaRasa · 02-07-2011, 04:33 PM

I spend a ton of time in that immediate area, several days/nights a week (a couple of the ensembles I perform with have rehearsal space in the heart of the neighborhood and rehearse multiple times a week, so it's kinda my second home). It's a great area, and still super close to the shopping district of Brookside, even for walking (less so if your children are small enough that their mobility is somewhat limited). I could be biased, though, because we constantly walked and biked the trolley track trail from to the shops at Brookside when we lived on the Plaza, so 55th-ish area seems very hop, skip, and a jump, to me.

But that whole area, on either side of Brookside Blvd., has some wonderful homes and a great feel. I definitely enjoy the time I get to spend there.

ykamom · 02-07-2011, 06:20 PM

Thanks Tabula! My kids are big and mobile and we all have, and regularly use, bikes. I am starting to think the distance from the center of things is a non-issue. Additionally, it seems like this area will open up some interesting areas for exploration as well, near the university, etc.
As always, I appreciate the feedback everyone. Any input you have helps me in the decision making process.