Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You just blindfold them at the airport, drive them to the Plaza, take of the blindfold and watch their jaws drop lol! Nobody expects the Plaza when they've never been to KC.
This is always a little chuckleworthy, to me, because (and don't get me wrong, as I do personally love the Plaza; it was where I first lived when I moved to KC, where I returned to regroup and rebuild my life after the sudden demise of the relationship that brought me to KC in the first place, it's where I had my first date with my husband, where I got engaged to my husband...it's an important personal touchstone to me), I love how our collective ace in the hole in terms "let's impress the skeptical out-of-towners" is...a shopping mall.
Yes, the Plaza has great architecture. Yes, it has a couple of lovely parks and wonderful sculptures and fountains, and even Brush Creek, in its non-smelly seasons, can be quite nice. But let's get real...it's a shopping mall. A pretty, historic, outdoor shopping mall that is beautifully landscaped and streetscaped, and that hosts numerous cool events, no doubt. But, a shopping mall, none the less. Again, the Plaza is great, and I assuredly take visitors to spend time there. The first time I saw it, I had the "Oh, it's so pretty!" reaction. But, honestly, when your big selling point for impressing people with your town is a pedestrian mall with, mostly, a bunch of chains you can find in any given metro of size...well...
The Plaza is indeed great. But it's not the coolest thing about KC, IMO.
The real question is where did this notion that there is something "holding Kansas City back" come from?
I think Kansas City's doing just fine. But if it's not the thinking that it's holding the city back, I'm not sure why some people are so worried about image and perception. Maybe they feel like Kansas City is coming onto the scene and are intentionally trying to shape perception much like an adolescent would?
Quote:
Originally Posted by denverian
I think a lot of the inferiority complex with Kansas Citians comes from experiences when they travel outside the region. I remember the first time I went far away, as a teenage, and was shocked to discover what a negative perception people in New England had of Kansas City. People asking me if I'd ever heard of "MTV", or if there was a lot of illiteracy in "Kansas", or if I'd ever seen a skyscraper, assuming I wasn't sophisticated, assuming I was a farmer, etc. When I joined the military and was around people from all over the country, I got that treatment a lot. Then you feel like you have to defend KC and help people understand the truth.
Are you sure those people weren't just joking? Or might they even have been trying to insult you?
Quote:
Originally Posted by luzianne
Well, since people in other parts of the U.S. don't even know anything about Kansas City but instead have stereotypical ideas of it based on The Wizard of Oz and wherever they get their perceptions of it as a "cowtown," I don't really expect people from outside the U.S. to get it, either.
I guess that's because there's no significance to Kansas City that stands out and above those ideas. That's okay though. Kansas City isn't huge or that significant on a national level. It would be unreasonable to expect everybody to know about it, just as on a more regional level it would be unreasonable for me to expect everybody around here to know stuff about my hometown, Independence, KS. A few would associate it with the Little House on the Prairie like people associate Kansas City with the Wizard of Oz, but that's it. At least the cowtown part is true. I'm not an expert on history and how cities form, but I'm pretty sure cattle played a huge role in establishing Kansas City and its economy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MidWestCityNative
So very true.
But do you think most of the American midwest (outside Chicago of course) suffers from the "hick failure" image problem, or is it just anything associated with "Kansas"? I usually don't hear places like Denver, St. Louis, and Cincinnati associated with this kind of criticism and stereotyping. Why do those cities get a free pass and KC gets labeled "Yokelsville, USA" in the minds of those people?
If Kansas City had any widespread significance at a national level, that would stand above any associations with Kansas. All the Kansas associates prove is that Kansas is more well known than Kansas City. St. Louis and Denver are simply much more significant cities. St. Louis especially so historically. Denver especially so in recent history. And Cincinnati was a large city long before Kansas City existed, not to mention was featured on a TV show, and it's just simply an older, more significant city.
I think Kansas City's doing just fine. But if it's not the thinking that it's holding the city back, I'm not sure why some people are so worried about image and perception..
Image and perception tie into how a city markets itself...which is more important than a lot of people around here would like to think. As American society has progressed over the past decades, being cool means being special - being extraordinary even. Brands (and cities, by extension are a brand because they have to compete in a marketplace) have to differentiate somehow. What is KC's "special sauce"? Family oriented? Well family oriented is not necessarily sexy - it doesn't sell well and it's pretty square. Also, "family oriented" is a default position for places that don't have marketing buzz. Jobs? We get beat out on that front by many other places that recruit top talent. Little cultural gems like BBQ or jazz? Well, lots of places have a special food and a music scene.
Let's face it: the society we live in involves worship of the free market. So either it sells, or it's crap. Now I don't think KC is crap, but it certainly has to do a better job of selling itself.
I know this article is 14 years old and I know it's from England, but as soon as I stumbled upon it I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry by how ridiculous it is:
Even for 14 years ago, this had to be the most ignorant, inaccurate, and untrue description about KC (metro or proper) that has ever made it to print.
I realize KC in 2000 wasn't exactly an urban paradise (it has drastically improved since then), but it wasn't exactly Arkansas either. This UK article suggests that KC is the "buckle" of America's bible belt; most people aren't educated about politics and are all self-proclaimed, gun-toting, bible-thumping rednecks.
Kind of makes me wonder, is THIS what foreigners perceive KC to be like? ...or at least those that are aware of KC's existence?
Consider the source, which in this case, is a really terrible, very far right rag of a newspaper. The Telegraph is a joke. If Tucker Carlson lived in the UK, he'd probably subscribe to it.
What's the coolest thing about KC (in your opinion)?
I like union station, the old train yard look is nice to me. I also like the river market and the downtown library around 12th street (don't remember the actual street it's on)
But if I had to impress someone, I'd probably take them to parkville or riverside and let them walk along the river and have a nice sight of downtown kc. KC is built next to the MO river, might as well let them see it and when you are at the park near river in downtown, it's too close to see the skyline so parkville/riverside for me.
riverside around the red x has a nice trail and gives some history with those mile marker posts and overlooks river/downtown skyline. and it gives me a "midwest" feel of not being rushed, walking at a leisurely pace with the wind blowing and watching the river flow. KC doesn't compete with skyscrapers/large shopping or entertainment districts of other city, but it is laid back and fairly easy going to me. I mean yes, other cities are too but KC isn't the plaza/power and lights/rivermarket to me since I can find those in any large city
This is always a little chuckleworthy, to me, because (and don't get me wrong, as I do personally love the Plaza; it was where I first lived when I moved to KC, where I returned to regroup and rebuild my life after the sudden demise of the relationship that brought me to KC in the first place, it's where I had my first date with my husband, where I got engaged to my husband...it's an important personal touchstone to me), I love how our collective ace in the hole in terms "let's impress the skeptical out-of-towners" is...a shopping mall.
Yes, the Plaza has great architecture. Yes, it has a couple of lovely parks and wonderful sculptures and fountains, and even Brush Creek, in its non-smelly seasons, can be quite nice. But let's get real...it's a shopping mall. A pretty, historic, outdoor shopping mall that is beautifully landscaped and streetscaped, and that hosts numerous cool events, no doubt. But, a shopping mall, none the less. Again, the Plaza is great, and I assuredly take visitors to spend time there. The first time I saw it, I had the "Oh, it's so pretty!" reaction. But, honestly, when your big selling point for impressing people with your town is a pedestrian mall with, mostly, a bunch of chains you can find in any given metro of size...well...
The Plaza is indeed great. But it's not the coolest thing about KC, IMO.
The Plaza is unique and I don't think it's overrated at all. When I think of the Plaza, I don't even think about the mall stores there. The plaza is so much more than a mall. What makes the plaza interesting and special is the fact that it's a true mixed used urban district that has developed for more than 100 years. The historic apartment towers next to the modern ones, the Spanish architecture and fountains. How the plaza area is actually dense and walkable. These are the things that I think Denverian is talking about, not the shopping area itself. The Plaza is by far the most impressive thing about KC because it's just something outsiders would never expect. Downtown KC is not all that impressive. It has some nice parts, but I don't think first time visitors to KC are really all that impressed by KC's downtown or or other urban areas. Most cities the size of KC or larger have areas like Westport (only larger and more of them). Downtown KC often lacks activity and or urban bustle. But the Plaza is always busy, always has pedestrians, always has traffic. It's the one part of KC that really acts like a "city" nearly all the time and is something that out of towners always remember about KC. The Plaza is often referred to as Downtown by outsiders because that's the part of KC they recall, not the real downtown.
The Plaza is KC's urban treasure. KC has other great assets. Union Station, City Market, Nelson, PAC etc. But you can't overlook the importance of the Plaza to KC culturally. There is nothing else like it in the country even if it started as a "mall".
The Plaza is unique and I don't think it's overrated at all. When I think of the Plaza, I don't even think about the mall stores there. The plaza is so much more than a mall. What makes the plaza interesting and special is the fact that it's a true mixed used urban district that has developed for more than 100 years. The historic apartment towers next to the modern ones, the Spanish architecture and fountains. How the plaza area is actually dense and walkable. These are the things that I think Denverian is talking about, not the shopping area itself. The Plaza is by far the most impressive thing about KC because it's just something outsiders would never expect. Downtown KC is not all that impressive. It has some nice parts, but I don't think first time visitors to KC are really all that impressed by KC's downtown or or other urban areas. Most cities the size of KC or larger have areas like Westport (only larger and more of them). Downtown KC often lacks activity and or urban bustle. But the Plaza is always busy, always has pedestrians, always has traffic. It's the one part of KC that really acts like a "city" nearly all the time and is something that out of towners always remember about KC. The Plaza is often referred to as Downtown by outsiders because that's the part of KC they recall, not the real downtown.
The Plaza is KC's urban treasure. KC has other great assets. Union Station, City Market, Nelson, PAC etc. But you can't overlook the importance of the Plaza to KC culturally. There is nothing else like it in the country even if it started as a "mall".
Yes, that's what I meant. I'm not just talking about the stores. I'm talking about the entire environment. It's urban, walkable, historic, nestled in a little valley. Outside of the Plaza, there isn't really anything all that unique in KC. Of course the bulk of any metro area in the country really isn't all that unique either.
Yes, that's what I meant. I'm not just talking about the stores. I'm talking about the entire environment. It's urban, walkable, historic, nestled in a little valley. Outside of the Plaza, there isn't really anything all that unique in KC. Of course the bulk of any metro area in the country really isn't all that unique either.
"Outside of the Plaza, there isn't really anything all that unique in KC." Wow, please tell me you were being sarcastic? The Plaza is not unique or interesting and it doesn't define KC at all. It is an open air shopping mall that isn't successful.
My kiddos and I spend many weekends discovering all the great things about KC. We argue with our London peeps about how cool it is here.
KC isn't all murders, crime and the Plaza
Last edited by Mauidreemn; 09-14-2014 at 02:29 AM..
Reason: Puncuation
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
...or at least those that are aware of KC's existence?
