Kansas City, Missouri?

Question

I have been there a couple times, and was wondering the pros and cons of living in KC, I'm thinking of moving there...Maybe

Answer 1

well thatwench had it pretty much dead on.
couple points to elaborate on though-if you are planning to raise children this may not be the best place. There may be cities in the world that have worse schools, but K.C. has to be in the bottom 5. If you have or are considering children your looking at private school. And out of state college(good news on that-kansas is about a block away, depending on where you live-ya' know kansas that state what stopped teaching evolution cause it's just a theory, like the theory of gravity..... nevermind.)
The administration of this city is corrupt and incompetent. As thatwench noted the tax rate is one of the highest in the land with very little to show it. the streets are not maintained, snow is not plowed and the police are ah, terrifying(central patrol mostly). I think this city has the worst karma of any American city I've ever been in.
now for the good news. this is a great city for entertainment every day something is happening. the music scene here is really something else. just about any genre you can think of is alive and well and if you are a blues man (or women), this is THE place. don't get hung up on the blues tho-any kind of music you can hear is here. I don't think any other city has as many high quality restaurants. Only New York may have slightly better variety, but in terms of quality, it's all kc baby. the art scene is off the hook-First fridays are the best thing kc has to offer, not mention places like the kemper and the nelson atkins and all the history you could ever want is here. It seems like just about every major event in the last century had something to do with this city. The job market is good-if you're not working in kc its because you don't want to,(yeah I know-my granddad used to say that. but its true jobs are easy to get here) and the cost of good living is low (except for the taxes). kansas city is home to the worst team in base ball and the best team in soccer. can't really tell about the chiefs. they could go either way. People complain about the traffic, but they shouldn’t ‘cause its not that bad.
last-thatwench mentioned this but it bears repeating-chose where you live very carefully. where you settle in at will affect your experience here.

included are some links that will help you know just about everything in kansas city.

Answer 2

The biggest con about living in KC, MO is the 1% tax on your earnings just because you live in the city, that's why I lived in Grandview-a 'burb to the south-for eight years. There's also the cost of rents, the high crime rate in the inner city, nightmare traffic jams and the stinking State income tax. (If you come from a state with an income tax, you won't notice.)

Otherwise, KC is a great town. There's always something to do or something to see. There's lots of employment opportunities, and the world's best bar-b-que joint-Fiorella's Jack Stack in Martin City (which translates into 135th & Holmes).

Do your homework carefully regarding the area you want to live and the type of job you want.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Where do you live now and where else have you lived?

The pros and cons are mostly gonna depend on what you're contrasting it with. AND, what part of the city are you planning on living and working in? Urban? Suburban? Semi-urban-crazy-sprawl?

There are jobs, growth, stability and plenty of things to do. But "plenty of things to do" depend on if you're coming from a podunk town or a big city.

They're also REALLY FAT - you can tell the city hasn't been designed around exercise or healthy living like some of the coastal cities are.

If you're not from Missouri at all, you will probably notice the roads are horrible. They are always falling apart, with potholes, constant construction to correct them, metal plates covering potholes that damage your wheels, etc.

Crime is a factor depending on where you live. There are plenty of places that are fine, though.

Traffic will depend on where you live/work. It's a million times better than a big city, so it's really about perspective.

The cost of living and housing is relatively cheap.

A cool thing about the midwest is getting to experience all the seaons - there is a distinct summer, fall, winter, & spring. Living in the north or south, you don't usually get to experience them as evenly as you do here.

Oh yeah, it's HUMID as can be. And weather is sometimes unpredictable: 70 one day, snowing two days later.

Answer 4

I love KC. I moved there 10 years ago & I just moved back to my hometown to be w/ family. I miss KC a lot!

There is always something to do, people are friendly (for the most part), and the job pool is pretty good. Lots of great places to eat & shop.

The only cons are the taxes like the one person mentioned above. Other than that its a good place to live.

Answer 5

The Chiefs are on the Missouri component to the state line (which the Kansas city metro section straddles), as are the Kansas city Royals and (for the 2nd) the Kansas city Wizards.

Answer 6

I lived there for a couple years! It wasn't too bad and there is more to do there than you think. There are lots of different places to live depending whether you want an apt, house, condo or whatever! You can live on the outskirts or downtown. There are usually a lot of cool apts right on the plaza. You might also think of living in KCMO for cheap and working somewhere that is drivable but you can usually make more money outside the city.

Answer 7

Pros for living in or around KC:
Standard of living - Homes are still affordable, gas is cheapest in the nation or close to it, great food, Gods answer to barbeque, diverse cultures, deep history, new and exciting opportunities abound with the new downtown redevelopment.

Cons - Taxes that support everything, city tax, poorly designed on and off ramps from the highway.

I moved here from up north and I don't want to go back.

Answer 8

I grew up in Kansas City. Like any city, there are great points and atractions, and there are bad/high crime areas of the city.

I also grew up South of Kansas City in Belton (just south of Grandview). The suburban expansion has overtaken most of the open fields/cornfields.

A couple of my friends have moved due west to the suburbs on the Kansas side of the state line (Lenexa). You might want to check out community information to help you decide where you might want to live.

Answer 9

The best part about KC is that you have the benefits of a fairly large city but without the hassles of a large city.