Understand

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Kansas City is a great city that tends to hide itself from tourists. Having reportedly more boulevards than Paris and more fountains than any other city in the world except for Rome, it can be a beautiful city, too. It is also unique, in that it is split down the middle by the state line of Kansas and Missouri.

The suburbs are largely south of the central city, though the area north of the Missouri River (known locally as the Northland) is beginning to experience growth similar to the south. Numbering of east/west streets begins at the Missouri River with the east/west division occurring at Main Street. Westport is around 40th Street, the Plaza at 47th Street, Brookside at 55th, and Waldo beginning around Gregory (71st Street).

Downtown

Downtown Kansas City is generally defined as the areas including the River Market, the central business district (the "Loop"), the Crossroads Arts District, Crown Center and Union Station. http://www.downtownkc.org

After years of neglect and decay in the 1980s and 1990s, downtown Kansas City is making a comeback. Many once-abandoned buildings in downtown have been (or are being) rebuilt into high-dollar condominiums and loft apartments. The demand for residences downtown is quite high. In 2007, the Sprint Center sports arena will be completed, bringing a modern sports venue to the downtown core. The Power and Light District, an $850 million development adjacent to the Sprint Center, is currently under construction and will be opening in 2007 or 2008. The P&L District will comprise 5 high rise residential and office towers, with many clubs, bars, restaurants, and shops on the lower floors. Bartle Hall Convention Center is also undergoing extensive improvements, with the addition of a 250,000 square foot ballroom that is being built over I-670. If that isn't enough, there is also going to be a new performing arts center south of the convention center area. Overall, about $4.5 billion is currently being invested in downtown Kansas City, MO.

The "Downtown Council" operates security and cleaning/maintenance crews, who keep downtown's streets clean, and serve as a security presence. Downtown is one of the safest areas of the city, day and night.

Traveling north to south, the River Market is the first neighborhood one encounters, south of the banks of the Missouri River. A burgeoning urban neighborhood, the River Market houses many shops, restaurants, bars, and a very active farmers' market that convenes every Saturday, even in winter.

The expressways form a loop around the central business district (CBD). Crossing the north segment of the loop takes you from the River Market to the CBD. This is where Kansas City's famed skyline reaches its greatest heights, further accentuated by its position on top of a sizable hill. The CBD has the principal concentration of white-collar employment in the metro area. H&R Block are constructing a new world headquarters here, and around this, the city is building a new entertainment district, complete with shops, restaurants, bars, and a new arena. The estimated completion date is late 2007.

From here,...