People have no clue about KC (Kansas City, Buffalo: to live, centers, agriculture)

[Christian Missouri boy]

I think I spoke up in that thread, at least I hope so. Anyway, its funny reading this thread, because so much of what you say here, I have seen, such as people from other cities saying "Oh you're from Kansas?" Happens to me all the time. I really love this city and because of its low cost of living, I am going to have a beautiful home here someday that I can own myself. Cheers to KC!

[kcmo]

https://www.city-data.com/forum/city-...nsas-city.html

Looks like we turned that pole around! KC's now up by 5! Nice come from behind victory, for now. KC just needs people out there with the passion and knowledge about the city to show the city off to those that have no idea what the city is like. I have intercepted so many threads on the internet where KC Is just getting trashed and the local people that chime in have little to say, some do the trashing.

IMO, KC has about 1 person with extreme local pride on the net representing the city for every 20 other towns have. Basically I have noticed that 2-3 members that really go out and defend and promote KC on this forum while most other cities have dozens.

KCMO can compete with just about any midsized city out there and it beats most. I wish more people knew that. Even so, I think the internet has really started to improve KC’s image a bit. Being such an isolated city in the middle of flyover country, it’s hard for the city to get any real exposure.

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by kcmo

KCMO can compete with just about any midsized city out there and it beats most.

What exactly is it that we are "competing" over or trying to "beat"?

This is a serious question. Is this about civic pride? Or is it about more or better something-or-other?

More related to the original post:
I think one of the reasons people from other parts of the country get confused about KC is that there is a Kansas City, Kansas. And a significant portion of the metro area is in Kansas.

If you are here for any length of time, you quickly realize that they are two completely separate and different cities.

But if you aren't from around here, it's not unreasonable to think that as OK city is in OK, and NY City is in NY, that KC is in Kansas. Especially when it is! (in a way)

It's just not what people who live here know "KC" to be.

I've explained it many times. It doesn't offend me. I don't expect people who aren't from the Midwest to automatically know. <shrug>

And FWIW, when I am in Chicago or DC or wherever and someone asks me where I'm from, I say "Kansas City." I don't specify the KS side suburb unless it's relevant to the reason they asked.

[kcmo]

Now I will post this, but if it turns into another bitchfest and you start calling me a liar, please mods, delete the post. This is MY OPINION from my extensive traveling across the country. I have been to every single major city in this country, most many times over and the following is a general conclusion of what 90% of the country thinks of KC when I say I’m from KC.

First off, they think Kansas. Not KC, or Kansas City or Missouri. Just Kansas.

When people think of Kansas, they don't think of a major metropolitan city Samantha. Sorry, they just don't. The word Kansas is simply not associated with urban, sophisticated, metropolitan, culture etc. I’m sure you will argue this and start trying to tell me how Missouri is viewed. This is not about Missouri though and I have NEVER EVER heard a negative comment about Missouri when I tell people I live in MO or that KC is in MO. The national image of MO is basically St Louis and maybe the lakes or Branson. It does not have the image of hick and hillbilly like people in KS seem to think. Not that parts don’t deserve that image. Just saying MO doesn’t really have that image on a national scale.

Kansas does have a negative image. You can blame Hollywood or whatever, but it does. It has a general image of rural, flat, farms, boring, brown, cows, toto, twisters, bible belt, conservative, nothing to do etc. That’s the “image” of Kansas to most people in large cities across the country. I can think of dozens of states worse than KS, but if you ask a person if they would rather go to Indiana or Kansas, they will say Indiana most of the time. I don’t know why, but they would. Rural KS is much better than rural IN, but people don’t know that.

As a born and raised resident of urban KCMO and the state of Missouri. It's annoying to me and a good portion of the million plus people on the MO side (plus many on the KS side) when your hometown is grouped with all the general stereotypes of Kansas. And these are stereotypes. Again Stereotypes. Please understand, these are STEREOTYPES. I’m not calling Kansas any of this, especially since the KS in the KC area is similar to MO in the KC area in both demographics and topography. So please keep that in mind before you rip me to shreds. Stereotypes….

I have never lived on a farm.

I know nothing about agriculture.

I do not like the Wizard of OZ.

I have never seen a tornado.

I want my kids to be taught science in public schools.

The city I grew up in is not flat and is blanked with forests.

There is traffic, tall buildings. We have an urban city surrounded by normal suburbs.

I have been on a city bus.

I can go on, but you get the point.

When I’m in Boston or San Diego or Minneapolis or Atlanta or Tampa or NYC or Cincy or Seattle and I say I’m from KC, many times that will be followed with questions like:

Really? What’s it like in Kansas?
So are you getting used to being in the city?
This is pretty different for you then huh?
Not much there, I bet you like it here.
Bla bla bla.


Then I will proceed to describe KC’s location and general topography of the city and the fact that KC is a large metro with all the same things that other large midsized metros have and most people really take an interest in it because they truly have no idea. Nobody has ever told them about KC and within ten minutes KC has gone from a city these people would never even consider visiting let alone living in, to a city that they would like to visit soon.

KCK is basically what people imagine KC as. A small, run down, industrial city in Kansas with little to do, a semi rural culture etc. with some suburbs around with nearly all residents extremely conservative etc.

I’m from Missouri. I’m from a large “city” in MO. In general, I’m a urban type person and all of my general interest clash with every single stereotype or image of Kansas anyway. So I hate it when people tell me or tell others I’m from Kansas and will correct them every single time.

So it’s annoying and nearly everybody I know feels the same way, even at lot of people with Kansas ties or those that live on the KS side.

Now you may proceed to tear me apart because of all of these lies I just wrote.


As far as competing cities. That kind of goes along with the previous post. Most people don’t’ know that KC offers what it offers. They don’t know the city has an amazing arts scene. They don’t know about the plaza or sprint center or the amusement parks. They don’t know about starlight or the liberty memorial or the zoo or the baseball museum. They don’t know about union station or the nelson or the Truman library or the steamboat Arabia. They don’t know about the power and light district or the about all the urban housing options KC has. They have no idea about any of that.

They barely know about the chiefs, royals and bbq.

So my point is that KC offers a lot that most people don’t know about. KC is such a hard city to sell when the economy is doing well. But once you get the person in town and have somebody that knows how to show them the town (like myself), KC can go from a last resort city to a top preference.

I personally want to live in a city with a vibrant arts scene, world class museums, major league sports, amusements parks, interesting and diverse urban districts, great architecture, broadway theater, big city nightlife, entertainment districts, big time concerts and sporting events etc. There are a lot of cities out there that struggle to offer a good spectrum of all that. KC does so well and in this regard can “compete” with any city its size and many larger cities. KC not only offers all of this, but does so in a more affordable fashion. There is more to do in KC than Phoenix for example. I would even argue there is more to do in KC than places as large as Houston or at least KC compares well to Houston especially when you factor in how easy KC is to navigate. There is as much or more to do in KC than St Louis or Denver or Minneapolis. People in those towns would freak out if you told the that though. There is just way KC offers as much as Denver. But it does.

If I leave KC, it will be to a city that offers as much or more than KC. That’s why I’m choosing DC over a place like Omaha or Oklahoma City or Salt Lake City or Phoenix.

I’m sure you not like this post. It would be nice if others backed me up on this. But if not. That’s ok. But this in my opinion and I didn’t call you or anybody else any names. Try to do the same.

[TabulaRasa]

Originally Posted by kcmo

People that live in KC tend to be much more envious of other metropolitan areas and states. People in StLouis will get in line to tell you that StLouis is awesome, they don't know why, but they know it's awesome. KC people are more passive and are ready to give in and agree that KC is a just a boring city on the plains.

I honestly cannot understand at all how one could be bored in KC. There's ALWAYS stuff going on, and it's usually damned affordable. Tons to do, and you don't even have to look hard.

Makes me think of the old "only boring people are bored" adage. As me mum used to say...

[TabulaRasa]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Most people don’t’ know that KC offers what it offers. They don’t know the city has an amazing arts scene. They don’t know about the plaza or sprint center or the amusement parks. They don’t know about starlight or the liberty memorial or the zoo or the baseball museum. They don’t know about union station or the nelson or the Truman library or the steamboat Arabia. They don’t know about the power and light district or the about all the urban housing options KC has. They have no idea about any of that.

They barely know about the chiefs, royals and bbq.

So my point is that KC offers a lot that most people don’t know about. KC is such a hard city to sell when the economy is doing well. But once you get the person in town and have somebody that knows how to show them the town (like myself), KC can go from a last resort city to a top preference.

I will back you up, particularly on this part. People with no experience with the city or region have no idea what's here, and unless they come in with taineted perceptions that have nothing to do with the city itself or its amenties, I've noticed that they're almost always surprised/impressed when they do make it here. It's just a best-kept secret kind of city. I know that everyone who's ever visited me since moving here is having their first-time experience with KC, and they've all found it to be delightful and fun. Even when they had no clue what to expect, because it wasn't a city on their radars at all before I upped and moved here.

In truth, though, other than the creationism stuff, I never really noticed that Kansas held any real negative image among the people I grew up with and knew before I moved to Missouri and the KS border area. You've obviously experienced different.

This may be because I was in mainly rural areas of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota for most of my life. Places where, uh, I DID live on a farm, where I DID grow up learning about agriculture, I DO like the Wizard of Oz, I HAVE seen many tornados (in fact, my college town was leveled by one when I was a junior), I DID grow up in flatlands without much forestation, where there WAS no traffic other than tractors and combines, and no tall buildings (unless we're counting grain elevators and Harvestores), and definitely no buses except of the yellow, pick-you-up-on-your-gravel-road-and-take-you-to-school variety. Although, gotta admit, we DID learn science in school.

But at any rate, I'm sure you can see why most stereotypes of Kansas weren't really particular viewed as negatives where I was raised.

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by kcmo

When people think of Kansas, they don't think of a major metropolitan city Samantha. Sorry, they just don't.

Why are you apologizing to me? Of course they don't! Why would they?

The word Kansas is simply not associated with urban, sophisticated, metropolitan, culture etc. I’m sure you will argue this ...

You make me laugh, kcmo. OF COURSE it isn't!

The national image of MO is basically St Louis and maybe the lakes or Branson.

I agree with this as well.

Rural KS is much better than rural IN, but people don’t know that.

I agree with this as well, kcmo. I think on a national scale, KS does has the image of "rural", "flat" and boring. People will sometimes ask me about. it. I've never actually heard anyone say "negative"things about it, at least to me. People are generally pretty nice.

But I have been called "Dorothy from KS" many times. Doesn't bother me.

Geez, if everyone knew how good we have it here, the place would be overrun! SHHHHHHH!!!!

So please keep that in mind before you rip me to shreds. Stereotypes….

Dude, chill out. I know what a "stereotype" is.

I just see no reason to get so "annoyed" when other people have misconceptions. I understand why they have them. If you have never been to an area, ANY area, all you know is what you've heard or seen on tv. <shrug>

I have never lived on a farm.

Me neither.

I know nothing about agriculture.

Kind of surprising, but okay.

I do not like the Wizard of OZ.

There is no accounting for taste. To each his own.

I have never seen a tornado.

Awww, that's too bad. They are really cool. Where I grew up, the tornado sirens meant it was time to get the lawn chairs and beer coolers out and watch the storm come in!

I want my kids to be taught science in public schools.

Who doesn't? Maybe a few nutcases, in KS. But weren't you the one just warning me about stereotypes?

The city I grew up in is not flat and is blanked with forests.

That's nice.

There is traffic, tall buildings. We have an urban city surrounded by normal suburbs.

Uh huh.

I have been on a city bus.

Uh huh.

I can go on, but you get the point.

Not really. I was waiting for your train of thought to reach the caboose.

I guess your point is that Kansas City, MO is not in Kansas and the city is nothing like rural KS.

Thanks for pointing that out to me.

When I’m in Boston or San Diego or Minneapolis or Atlanta or Tampa or NYC or Cincy or Seattle and I say I’m from KC, many times that will be followed with questions like:

Really? What’s it like in Kansas?
So are you getting used to being in the city?
This is pretty different for you then huh?
Not much there, I bet you like it here.
Bla bla bla.

Really??? I never get questions like that when I'm in other cities and say I'm from KC. Maybe the people I hang with are smarter.

I'm just kidding. But seriously, why do you bother to get so worked up over other people's ignorance?

Now you may proceed to tear me apart because of all of these lies I just wrote.

For the record, I have never called you a liar. Reread my posts.

If you would like, I can explain again the difference between something that is subjective and open to varying opinions and something that can actually be counted like money.

I totally get that you hate KS and you despise being associated with it. I don't know why it bothers you so much, but I get that it does.

I'm sure you will be MUCH happier in DC. I'm sure no one will ever make a mistake and stereotype someone in another part of the country.

So my point is that KC offers a lot that most people don’t know about.

I agree.

I guess I don't understand why we have to "sell" it to anyone.

I don't feel the need to compete on any level with which city is "best". That's really silly IMO.

I love it here. I really couldn't care less what anyone else thinks is better or worse. The COL and quality of life here speak for itself. I have nothing to prove to anyone.

(Except when people call me a "freeloader". Then I will provide objective facts to the contrary.)

I’m sure you not like this post. It would be nice if others backed me up on this. But if not. That’s ok. But this in my opinion and I didn’t call you or anybody else any names. Try to do the same.

Thanks once again for telling me what I think. (You might try asking more often than assuming. Just a suggestion.) You are entitled to your opinions. About subjective issues, I have never called you anything.

I will point out where you are as guilty of stereotyping as you accuse others of being. I will also point out where you are as arrogant as you accuse others of being.

If (that is a conditional) you continue to claim that Johnson County residents are "freeloaders", I will point out that this is a lie.

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by TabulaRasa

But at any rate, I'm sure you can see why most stereotypes of Kansas weren't really particular viewed as negatives where I was raised.

This was exactly my experience growing up as well.

I was never aware that people from around the county viewed KS so "negatively". Maybe people have just been kind to me my whole life.

I know the image is rural, flat and boring, but I never considered that much of an insult.

[TabulaRasa]

Originally Posted by Samantha S

I guess I don't understand why we have to "sell" it to anyone.

I will agree with this. I'm a big cheerleader for places I enjoy, and I'll share my good experiences with others as a matter of interest. But I don't feel I need to market any particular place to others who are either ignorant of it, or dead-set against seeing the good in a given place for whatever reason. I love my city, and if you love it, too, great. If you don't, oh, well...you're missing out. No skin off my butt. Nothing to prove, here, except that I like it.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by TabulaRasa

I will agree with this. I'm a big cheerleader for places I enjoy, and I'll share my good experiences with others as a matter of interest. But I don't feel I need to market any particular place to others who are either ignorant of it, or dead-set against seeing the good in a given place for whatever reason. I love my city, and if you love it, too, great. If you don't, oh, well...you're missing out. No skin off my butt. Nothing to prove, here, except that I like it.

In all honesty, I'm the same way. I don't bust out photos when people ask me what's it's like in kansas? I just come in contact with so many people in so many different cities that sometimes the opportunity presents itself and I get a chance to tell people about KC.

I enjoy doing so. It's fun. I also enjoy showing the city off to others. But I do the same in other towns too. When we go to St Louis to see friends and relatives, I drive people around because I know the city better than the people we know there. I take people down to the great city neighborhoods like the Hill or Soulard or Central West End because they rarely go east of 270 except for a ball game.

In general, I just like cities. It would be an impossible battle to try to change the national image or lack of image of KC. But there is nothing wrong with having civic pride. Most of the photos you see of KC online are mine. My photos are in all the tour guides as well. I happen to think that I have played a major roll in getting KCMO some positive national exposure just through my photos alone. It's just something I enjoy doing and I do it with every city. KCMO is just my hometown so I rep it even more and since there are few people like me out there, I think it's a good thing. If you had any idea how difficult it is to convince people from Chicago or Atlanta that living in KC would not be the end of life as they know it, you would understand. For the past few decades most people "sell" KC in a way that hurts more than helps. We have great malls and perfect suburban schools etc. Every metro area has great suburbs and good suburban schools. Every single one. It doesn't work anymore. It has not worked since the 1990's. Young people and even families demand a city that offers a full package of culture, sports, arts, entertainment etc regardless of whether they settle in the burbs or the city. You have to know the city to be able to sell it and most people in KC don't know how to show off this city to others. Most don't even know enough about the city to show it off.

So I find it fun and entertaining. I have nothing to prove, but 99% of the time, when I try to prove that KC is a great place to live, I succeed and most of the time it's to people that have lived in KC for a long time.

As far as being associated with all the KS stereotypes. They are negative to me just like if people from Salina were assumed to be from the south side of chicago. That doesn't even make sense right? Well that how I feel when people introduce me to others and say I'm from Kansas and people begin to imagine all the stereotypes of KS. It's just not correct and it doesn't make any sense to me because it's so far from how I grew up and what kind of lifestyle I enjoy.