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© Mattress City 2002 - 2015
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Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri (informally abbreviated KC) is the largest
city in the US state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas
City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri.
It encompasses 316 square miles (820 km2) in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass,
and Platte counties. It is one of two county seats of
Jackson County, the other being Independence, which is to the city's
east. As of 2010, the population census was 459,787 with a metro area of 2.1
million.[3]
Kansas City was founded in 1838 as the "Town of Kansas"[4] at
the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers
and was incorporated in its present form in 1850. Situated oppositeKansas
City, Kansas, the city was the location of several battles during the Civil
War, including the Battle of Westport. The city is well known for its
contributions to the musical styles ofjazz and blues as well
as to cuisine, notably Kansas City-style barbecue. In March 2012, downtown
Kansas City was selected as one of America's best downtowns by Forbes magazine
for its rich culture in arts, numerous fountains, upscale shopping and various
local cuisine – most notably barbecue
Kansas City, Missouri (informally abbreviated KC) is the largest
city in the US state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas
City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri.
It encompasses 316 square miles (820 km2) in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass,
and Platte counties. It is one of two county seats of
Jackson County, the other being Independence, which is to the city's
east. As of 2010, the population census was 459,787 with a metro area of 2.1
million.[3]
Kansas City was founded in 1838 as the "Town of Kansas"[4] at
the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers
and was incorporated in its present form in 1850. Situated oppositeKansas
City, Kansas, the city was the location of several battles during the Civil
War, including the Battle of Westport. The city is well known for its
contributions to the musical styles ofjazz and blues as well
as to cuisine, notably Kansas City-style barbecue. In March 2012, downtown
Kansas City was selected as one of America's best downtowns by Forbes magazine
for its rich culture in arts, numerous fountains, upscale shopping and various
local cuisine – most notably barbecue
Abbreviations and nicknames
Kansas City, Missouri, is often abbreviated as "KC" ( abbreviations
often refer to the metro area). It is officially nicknamed the City
of Fountains. With over 200 fountains, the city claims to have the second
most in the world, just behind Rome.[7] The fountains at Kauffman
Stadium, commissioned by original Kansas City Royals owner Ewing
Kauffman, are the largest privately-funded fountains in the world.[8] The
city also has more boulevards than any city except Paris and has been called
"Paris of the Plains." Residents are known as Kansas Citians.
It is sometimes referred to colloquially as the Heart of America as
it is near both the population center of the United States and the geographic
center of the 48 contiguous states.
History
Kansas City, Missouri, was officially incorporated on March 28, 1853. The territory straddling
the border between Missouri and Kansas at the confluence of the Kansas and
Missouri rivers was considered a good place to build settlements.
Exploration and settlement
The first documented European visit to Kansas City was Étienne
de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont, who was also the first European to explore
the lower Missouri River. Criticized for his handling of a Native American
attack of Fort Détroit, he had deserted his post as commander
of the fort and was avoiding the French authorities. Bourgmont lived with
a Native American wife in the Missouri village about 90 miles (140 km)
east near Brunswick, Missouri, and illegally traded furs.
In order to clear his name, he wrote "Exact Description of Louisiana,
of Its Harbors, Lands and Rivers, and Names of the Indian Tribes That Occupy
It, and the Commerce and Advantages to Be Derived Therefrom for the Establishment
of a Colony" in 1713 followed in 1714 by "The Route to Be Taken
to Ascend the Missouri River." In the documents he describes the junction
of the "Grande Riv[ière] des Cansez" and Missouri River,
being the first to refer to them by those names. French cartographer Guillaume
Delisle used the descriptions to make the first reasonably accurate map
of the area.
The Spanish took over the region in the Treaty of Paris (1763), but were
not to play a major role in the area other than taxing and licensing all traffic
on the Missouri River. The French continued their fur trade on the river under
Spanish license. The Chouteau family operated under the Spanish
license at St. Louis in the lower Missouri Valley as early
as 1765, but it would be 1821 before the Chouteaus reached Kansas City, when François
Chouteau established Chouteau's Landing.
After the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark visited the confluence
of the Kansas and Missouri rivers, noting it was a good place to build a fort.
In 1831 a group of Mormons from New York settled in an area that
would later be part of Kansas City. They built the first school within the
current boundaries of the city, but were forced out by mob violence in 1833
and their settlement was left vacant.[9]
In 1833 John McCoy established West Port along the Santa
Fe Trail, three miles (5 km) away from the river. Then in 1834, McCoy
established Westport Landing on a bend in the Missouri River to
serve as a landing point for West Port. Soon after the Kansas Town Company,
a group of investors, began to settle the area, taking their name from an
English spelling of "Cansez." In 1850 the landing area was incorporated
as the Town of Kansas.[10]
By that time, the Town of Kansas, Westport, and nearby Independence,
had become critical points in America's westward expansion. Three major trails –
the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon – all originated
in Jackson County.
On February 22, 1853, the City of Kansas was created with a newly elected
mayor. It had an area of 0.70 square miles (1.8 km2) and a population
of 2,500. The boundary lines at that time extended from the middle of the
Missouri River south to what is now Ninth Street, and from Bluff Street on
the west to a point between Holmes Road and Charlotte Street on the east
Civil War
The Kansas City area was rife with animosity during the period popularly known
as Bleeding Kansas, which immediately preceded the Civil War. Already
situated just inside a state bitterly divided on the issue of slavery, southern
sympathizers in the area immediately recognized the threat posed by neighboring
Kansas petitioning to enter the Union under the new doctrine of popular
sovereignty. Infuriated by the idea of Kansas becoming a free state, many
from the area crossed into Kansas to sway the state towards allowing slavery,
at first by ballot box and then by bloodshed.
Bird's eye view of Kansas City, Missouri. January 1869. Drawn by A. Ruger,
Merchants Lith. Co., currently located at theIrish Museum and Cultural Center in
Union Station
During the Civil War, the City of Kansas and its immediate environs were the
focus of intense military activity. Although the First Battle of Independence in
August 1862 resulted in a Confederate victory, the Southerners were unable
to follow up their win in any significant fashion, as the City of Kansas was
occupied by Union troops and proved too heavily fortified for them to assault.
The Second Battle of Independence, part of Sterling Price's Missouri
expedition of 1864, also resulted in a Confederate triumph. Once again the
Southern victory proved hollow, as Price was decisively defeated in the pivotal Battle
of Westport the next day, effectively ending Confederate efforts to occupy
the city.
Moreover, General Thomas Ewing, in response to a successful raid on nearby Lawrence,
Kansas, led by William Quantrill, issued General Order No. 11, forcing
the eviction of residents in four western Missouri counties—including
Jackson—except those living in the city and nearby communities and those
whose allegiance to the Union was certified by Ewing.
Post-Civil War
After the Civil War, the City of Kansas grew rapidly. The selection of the
city over Leavenworth, Kansas, for the Hannibal & St. Joseph
Railroad bridge over the Missouri River brought about significant growth.
The population exploded after 1869, when the Hannibal Bridge, designed by Octave
Chanute, opened. The boom prompted a name change to Kansas City in 1889 and
the city limits to extend south and east. Westport became part of Kansas City
on December 2, 1897. In 1900, Kansas City was the 22nd largest city in the
country, with 163,752 residents.[12]
Kansas City, guided by architect George Kessler, became a forefront example
of the City Beautiful movement, developing a network of boulevards
and parks around the city.[13]
The relocation of Union Station to its current location in 1914
and the opening of the Liberty Memorial in 1923 gave the city two
of its most identifiable landmarks. Robert A. Long, president of the
Liberty Memorial Association, was a driving force in the funding for construction.
Long was a long time resident and wealthy businessman having built the R.A.
Long Building for the Long-Bell Lumber Company, his home, Corinthian
Hall now the Kansas City Museum, and Longview Farm, he was
known and respected.
Further spurring Kansas City's growth was the opening of the innovative Country
Club Plaza development by J.C. Nichols in 1925 as part of his Country
Club District plan.
Pendergast era
At the turn of the 19th to 20th century, political machines attempted
to gain clout in the city, with the one led by Tom Pendergast emerging
as the dominant machine by 1925. Several important buildings and structures
were built during this time, including the Kansas City City Hall and
the Jackson County Courthouse—both added new skyscrapers to the city's
growing skyline. The machine fell in 1939 when Pendergast, riddled with health
problems, pleaded guilty totax evasion.
Post–World War II development
Kansas City satellite map
Kansas City's suburban development originally began with the implementation
of streetcars in the early decades of the 20th century. The city's first suburbs
were in the neighborhoods of Pendleton Heights and Quality Hill. After World
War II, many relatively affluent residents left for suburbs like Johnson
County, Kansas and eastern Jackson County, Missouri. Many also went
north of the Missouri River, where Kansas City had incorporated areas
between the 1940s to 1970s.
In 1950, blacks represented 12.2% of Kansas City's population.[12] The
sprawling characteristics of the city and it environs today mainly took shape
after the race riots of the 1960s in Kansas City. The assassination of Martin
Luther King Jr. was a catalyst for the 1968 Kansas City riot. At
this time, slums were also beginning to form in the inner city, and those
who could afford to leave, left for the suburbs and outer edges of the city.
The post–World War II idea of suburbs and the "American Dream"
also contributed to the sprawl of the area. As the city's population continued
to grow, the inner city also continued to decline. The city's most populous
ethnic group, non-Hispanic white,[14] has declined from 89.5% in 1930
to 54.9% in 2010.[12]
In 1940, the city had about 400,000 residents; by 2000, the same area was
home to only about 180,000. From 1940 to 1960, the city more than doubled
its physical size, while increasing its population by only about 75,000. By
1970, the city had a total area of approximately 316 square miles (820 km2),
more than five times its size in 1940.
The Hyatt Regency walkway collapse was a major disaster that occurred
on July 17, 1981 killing 114 people and injuring more than 200 others during
a tea dance. At the time it was the deadliest structural collapse in U.S.
history.
For more details on this topic, see Hyatt Regency walkway collapse.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 318.0 square miles (824 km2). 313.5 square miles (812 km2) of
it is land and 4.5 square miles (12 km2) of it (1.41%) is water. Much
of urban Kansas City sits atop bluffs overlooking the rivers and river bottoms
areas. Kansas City proper is bowl-shaped and is surrounded to the north and
south by limestone and bedrock cliffs that were carved
by glaciers. Kansas City is situated at the junction between the Dakota and Minnesota
ice lobes during the maximum late Independence glaciation of
the Pleistocene epoch. The Kansas and Missouri rivers cut wide valleys
into the terrain when the glaciers melted and drained. A partially filled
spillway valley crosses the central portion of Kansas City, Missouri. This
valley is an eastward continuation of Turkey Creek valley. It lies more or
less at the geographic centre of the United States of America.
Climate
Kansas City lies in the Midwestern United States, as well as near the
geographic center of the country, at the confluence of the second largest
river in the country, the Missouri River, and the Kansas River (also
known as the Kaw River). The city lies in the transition between the humid
subtropical (Köppen Cfa) and humid continental (Köppen Dfa)
climatic zones, with four distinct seasons, moderate precipitation and significant
potential for extremes in temperature. The warmest month of the year is July,
with a 24-hour average temperature of 81.1 °F (27.3 °C).
Summers are hot and humid, with moist air riding up from the Gulf of
Mexico, and high temperatures surpass 100 °F (38 °C) on
5 days of the year, and 90 °F (32 °C) on nearly
45 days.[15] Fall is characterized by mild days and cool nights.[16] The
coldest month of the year is January, with an average temperature of 31.8
°F (-0.1 °C). Winters are rather dry and range from cool
to occasionally bitter cold, with 2.6 nights with a low below 0 °F (-18 °C).[15] The
record high temperature here is 112 °F (44 °C), set
on August 13, 1954,[17] and the record low is -19 °F (-28 °C),
set on December 22, 1989.[18] Annual snowfall averages 13.4 inches (34 cm).
On average, the first freezing temperature occurs on October 31, and the last
on April 4, while the first 1 inch (2.5 cm) or greater snowfall occurs
on December 11. Precipitation, both in frequency and total accumulation, shows
a marked uptick in late spring and summer.
Kansas City is situated in "Tornado Alley," a broad region where
cold air from the Rocky Mountains in Canada collide with warm air
from the Gulf of Mexico, leading to the formation of powerful storms
(although the downtown area of the city has not been hit with a tornado since
1883),[19] especially during the spring. The surrounding areas of the
Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area have had some severe outbreaks
of tornadoes in the past, including the Ruskin Heights tornado
in 1957,[20] and the May 2003 tornado outbreak sequence, as well
as other severe weather, most notably the Kansas City derecho in
1982. The region is also victim to the sporadic ice storm during
the winter months, such as the 2002 ice storm during which hundreds
of thousands lost power for days and (in some cases) weeks.[21] Kansas
City and its outlying areas are also subject to flooding, including the Great
Flood of 1993 and the Great Flood of 1951.
Climate data for Kansas City, Missouri (Downtown Airport), 1981–2010
normals
See also: List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, List of tornadoes
striking downtown areas, and 1980 United States heat wave
Cityscape
Panoramic view from the top of Liberty Memorial looking North to downtown.
Union Station is in the foreground, and Crown Center to its right.
Brush Creek on the Country Club Plaza at night
Kansas City, Missouri, is organized into a system of more than 240[24] neighborhoods,
some with histories as independent cities or the sites of major events. Downtown,
the center of the city, is currently undergoing major redevelopment with new
condos, apartments, offices and The Power & Light District (shopping/entertainment
development) complete with bars, restaurants, a grocery store with a roof-top
pool club called The Jones, a performing arts center, and The Sprint Center.
All these things have made downtown/midtown an attractive residential option,
more so than in the past. Near Downtown, the urban core of the city has a
variety of neighborhoods, including historic Westport, Ivanhoe, Hyde
Park, Squire Park, the Crossroads Arts District, 18th and Vine Historic
District, Pendleton Heights, Quality Hill, the West Bottoms,
and the River Market; one newer neighborhood just minutes from downtown
is Briarcliff, though it is in the so-called "North-land" or
simply "North of the River". Two other "near" downtown
neighborhoods that are very popular and have unique appeal are the Country
Club Plaza (or simply the "Plaza"), south Plaza and nearby
Brookside.
Further information: List of neighborhoods in Kansas City, Missouri
Architecture
Main article: Architecture of Kansas City
Community Christian Church, designed byFrank Lloyd Wright and located
adjacent to the Country Club Plaza
The city's skyline is what one might envision for a major Midwest city,
with some notable exceptions. The Nelson-Atkins Museum opened the
stunning Euro-Style Bloch addition in 2007. The towering Power and Light
Building is influenced by the Art Deco style and contains a
glowing sky beacon. The new world headquarters of H&R Block is a 20 story
all glass oval which is bathed from top to bottom in a soft green light. The
four Industrial art works atop the support towers of the Kansas City Convention
Center (Bartle Hall) were once the subject of ridicule but now define the
night skyline near the new Sprint Center along with One Kansas
City Place (the tallest office tower structure in Missouri), the KCTV-Tower with
its hundreds of lit bulbs (the tallest freestanding structure in Missouri),
and the Liberty Memorial, a WWI memorial and museum, which flaunts simulated
flames and smoke billowing into the night skyline. Kansas City is home to
significant national and international architecture firms including ACI
Boland, BNIM, 360 Architecture, Ellerbe Becket, HNTB, Populous. Frank
Lloyd Wright designed two private residences and the Community Christian
Church.
Crown Center, fountains at Crown Center
Kansas City contains a collection of over 200 working fountains. Some of the
most notable are on the Country Club Plaza. From French inspired traditional
to modern, these fountains offer visitors to the city an unexpected bonus.
Among the most notable: the Black Marble H&R Block fountain in front of
Union Station with its synchronized water jets shooting high into the air,
the Nichols Bronze Horses at the corner of Main and JC Nichols Parkway at
the entrance to the Plaza Shopping District and the unique "family friendly"
walk through fountain at Hallmark Cards World Headquarters in Crown Center.
Further information: List of Fountains in Kansas City and List
of tallest buildings in Kansas City
City Market
Since its inception in 1857, the City Market has been one of the largest and
most enduring public farmers' markets in the midwest, linking growers and
small businesses to the Kansas City community. In addition, more than 30 full-time
merchants are open year-round and offer specialty foods, fresh meats and seafood,
restaurants and cafes, floral, home accessories and much more.[25]
Downtown
Main article: Downtown Kansas City
The city's tallest buildings and characteristic skyline are roughly contained
inside the downtown freeway loop (shaded in red). Downtown Kansas
City itself is established by city ordinance to stretch from the
Missouri River south to 31st Street (beyond the bottom of this map), and from
State Line Rd. to Troost ave.
A look down Downtown Kansas City streets today.
Downtown Kansas City is an area of 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2) bounded
by the Missouri River to the north, 31st Street to the south, Troost Avenue
to the East, and State Line road to the West. Areas near Downtown Kansas City
include the 39th Street District is known as Restaurant Row[26] and
features one of Kansas City's largest selections of independently owned restaurants
and boutique shops. It is a center of literary and visual arts andbohemian
culture. Crown Center is the headquarters of Hallmark Cards and
a major downtown shopping and entertainment complex. It is connected to Union
Station by a series of covered walkways. The Country Club Plaza, or simply
"the Plaza", is an upscale, outdoor shopping and entertainment district.
It was the first suburban shopping district in the United States,[27] designed
to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile,[28] and is surrounded
by apartments and condominiums, including a number of high rise buildings.
The associated Country Club District to the south includes the Sunset
Hill and Brookside neighborhoods, and is traversed by Ward
Parkway, a landscaped boulevard known for its statuary, fountains and large,
historic homes. Kansas City's Union Station is home to Science
City, restaurants, shopping, theaters, and the city's Amtrak facility.
After years of neglect and seas of parking lots, Downtown Kansas City currently
is undergoing a period of change. Many residential properties recently have
been or currently are under redevelopment. The Power & Light District,
a new, nine-block entertainment district comprising numerous restaurants,
bars, and retail shops, was developed by the Cordish Company of Baltimore,
Maryland, Its first tenant opened on November 9, 2007. It is anchored by the
Sprint Center, a 19,000 seat complex that has become a top draw for sports
and musical entertainment. Elton John was the first performer to play at the
Sprint Center.
Parks and boulevard system
J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain, byHenri-Léon Gréber, in Mill
Creek Park, adjacent to the Country Club Plaza
Kansas City has 132 miles (212 km) of spacious boulevards and parkways,
214 urban parks, 49 ornamental fountains, 152 ball diamonds, 10 community
centers, 105 tennis courts, five golf courses, five museums and attractions,
30 pools, and 47 park shelters, all overseen by the city's Parks and Recreation
department.[29][30]
The parks and boulevard system winds its way through the city. Much of the
system, designed by George E. Kessler, was constructed from 1893 to 1915.
Cliff Drive, in Kessler Park on the North Bluffs, is a designated State Scenic
Byway. It extends 4.27 miles (6.87 km) from The Paseo and Independence
Avenue through Indian Mound on Gladstone Boulevard at Belmont Boulevard with
many historical points and architectural landmarks. Ward Parkway, on
the west side of the city near State Line Road, is lined by many of the
city's most handsome homes. The Paseo is a major north–south
parkway that runs 19 miles (31 km) through the center of the city beginning
at Cliff Drive. It was modeled on the Paseo de la Reforma, a fashionable Mexico
Cityboulevard.
Swope Park is one of the nation's largest city parks, comprising 1,805
acres (2.82 sq. mi.), more than twice as big as New York's Central
Park.[31] It features a full-fledged zoo, a woodland nature and
wildlife rescue center, two golf courses, two lakes, an amphitheatre,
day-camp area, and numerous picnic grounds. Hodge Park, in the Northland,
covers 1,029 acres (1.61 sq. mi.). This park includes the 80-acre
(320,000 m2) Shoal Creek Living History Museum, a village of more than 20
historical buildings dating from 1807 to 1885. Riverfront Park, 955 acres
(3.86 km2) on the banks of the Missouri River on the north
edge of downtown, holds annual Fourth of July celebrations and other festivals
during the year.
A program went underway to replace many of the fast-growing sweetgum trees
with hardwood varieties.[32]
Culture
Performing arts
The Country Club Plaza ("The Plaza") the center of many
cultural events in Kansas City.
The Kansas City Repertory Theatre, the metropolitan area's top professional
theatre company and the Starlight Theatre, 8,105-seat outdoor theatre
designed by Edward Delk are a popular theatre company and theatre
respectively. The Kansas City Symphony was founded by R. Crosby
Kemper Jr. in 1982 to supersede the Kansas City Philharmonic, which was
founded 1933. The symphony currently is located at the new Kauffman Center
for the Performing Arts. The current music director and lead conductor of
the symphony is Michael Stern. Lyric Opera of Kansas City, founded
in 1970, offers one American contemporary opera production during its annual
season consisting of either four or five productions. The Lyric Opera also
is also located at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. The Civic
Opera Theater of Kansas City, performs at the Folly Theater in downtown,
and the UMKC Performing Arts Center. Every summer form mid-June to early July,
The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival has a production at Southmoreland
Park near the Nelson-Atkins Museum. Marilyn Strauss founded the festival
in 1993 and it has gone on ever since.
The Kansas City Ballet, founded in 1957 by Tatiana Dokoudovska, is a
ballet troupe comprising 25 professional dancers and apprentices. Between
1986 and 2000, it was combined with Dance St. Louis to form the State Ballet
of Missouri, although it remained located in Kansas City. From 1980 to 1995,
the Ballet was run by dancer and choreographer Todd Bolender. Today,
the Ballet offers an annual repertory split into three seasons which ranges
from classical to contemporary ballets.[33] The Ballet also is located
Kauffman Center. Kansas City is also home to TheKansas City Chorale, a professional
24-voice chorus conducted by Charles Bruffy. They perform an annual concert
series in Kansas City and a concert in Phoenix each year with their sister
choir, the Phoenix Chorale. The Chorale has achieved international renown
with 9 recordings,(3 with the Phoenix Chorale).[34]
Entrance of the American Jazz Museum
Kansas City jazz in the 1930s marked the transition from big bands to
the bebop influence of the 1940s. The 1979 documentary The Last of the
Blue Devils portrays this era in interviews and performances by jazz
notables from KC.
In the 1970s, Kansas City attempted to resurrect the glory of the jazz era
in a sanitized family friendly atmosphere. In the 1970s, an effort to open
jazz clubs in the River Quay area of City Market along the Missouri ended
in a gangland war in which three of the new clubs were blown up in what ultimately
resulted in the removal of Kansas City mob influence in the Las Vegascasinos.
The annual "Kansas City Blues and Jazz Festival", which attracts
top jazz stars nationwide and large out-of-town audiences, has been rated
Kansas City's "best festival." by pitch.com[35]
Live music venues can be found throughout the city, with the highest concentration
in the Westport entertainment district centered on Broadway and
Westport Road near the Country Club Plaza, as well as the 18th &
Vine area (jazz music). A variety of music genres can be heard and have originated
in Kansas City metro area, including: Rock groups Puddle of Mudd, Isaac
James, Shooting Star, The Get Up Kids, Shiner, Flee The
Seen, The Life and Times, Reggie and the Full Effect, Coalesce, The
Casket Lottery, The Gadjits, The Rainmakers, Vedera, The
Elders, Blackpool Lights and The Republic Tigers and Rappers Tech
N9ne, Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, Skatterman & Snug Brim, Mac
Lethal, and Solè.
See also: Kansas City jazz
Irish culture
There is a large community of Irish-Americans in Kansas City which numbers
around 250,000.[36] The Irish community includes a large number of bands,
multiple newspapers, the numerous Irish stores, including Browne's Irish Market,
the oldest Irish business in North America (est. 1887), and the Irish
Museum and Cultural Center is the new center of the community. The first
book that detailed the history of the Irish in Kansas City was Missouri Irish,
Irish Settlers on the American Frontier, published in 1984.
Casinos
Missouri voters approved riverboat casino gaming on the Missouri and Mississippi
Rivers by referendum with a 63% majority on November 3, 1992. The first
casino facility in the state opened in September 1994 in North Kansas City
by Harrah's Entertainment (now Caesar's Entertainment).[37] The
combined revenues for the four casinos successfully operating in Kansas City
exceeded $153 million per month in May 2008.[38] The four casinos are Ameristar
Kansas City, Argosy Kansas City, Harrah's North Kansas City, Isle
of Capri Kansas City. A fifth area casino, the 7th Street Casino, opened in
Kansas City, KS in 2008. The casino's are interestingly growing as Hollywood
casino opened in February of 2012 in Kansas City, Kansas. Hollywood casino
is also built on land as the "riverboat" casinos are no longer such.
Cuisine
Main article: Kansas City-style barbecue
Kansas City is most famous for its steak and barbecue.
The American Hereford Association bull and Kemper Arena and
the Kansas City Live Stock ExchangeBuilding in the former Kansas
City Stockyard of the West Bottoms as seen from Quality
Hill
During the heyday of the Kansas City Stockyards, the city was known for
its Kansas City steaks or Kansas City strip steaks. The most famous of
the steakhouses is the Golden Ox in the Kansas City Live Stock Exchange in
the stockyards in the West Bottoms. The stockyards, which were second
only to those of Chicago in size, never recovered from the Great Flood
of 1951 and eventually closed. The famed Kansas City Strip cut of steak
is largely identical to the New York Strip cut, and is sometimes referred
to just as a strip steak. Along with Texas, Memphis & North and South
Carolina, Kansas City is a "world capital of barbecue." There are
more than 90 barbecue restaurants[39] in the metropolitan area and the American
Royal each fall hosts what it claims is the world's biggest barbecue
contest.
The classic Kansas City-style barbecue was an inner-city phenomenon that evolved
from the pit of Henry Perry from the Memphis, Tennessee, area
in the early 20th century and blossomed in the 18th and Vine neighborhood. Arthur
Bryant's was to take over the Perry restaurant and added molasses to
sweeten the recipe. In 1946 Gates and Sons Bar-B-Q was opened by
one of Perry's cooks. The Gates recipe added even more molasses. Although
Bryant's and Gates are the two definitive Kansas City barbecue restaurants
they have just recently begun expanding outside of the Greater Kansas City
Area. Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue is well regarded by many both
locally and nationally. In 1977 Rich Davis, a psychiatrist, test-marketed
his own concoction called K.C. Soul Style Barbecue Sauce. He renamed it KC
Masterpiece and in 1986 he sold the sauce to the Kingsford division of Clorox.
Davis retained rights to operate restaurants using the name and sauce.
Religion
Roman Catholic
Kansas City's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the cathedral
seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City and St. Joseph;[40] The Cathedral
of St. Peter in nearby Kansas City, Kansas is the seat of the Catholic
Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.[41]
Eastern and Oriental Orthodox
The Kansas City area is home to nine Eastern Orthodox churches,
including three Serbian Orthodox churches, two Greek Orthodox parishes,
two parishes of the Orthodox Church in America, an Antiochian Orthodox church,
and a mission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.
The area is home to two Orthodox mission groups, one local and one national.
Reconciliation Services is a local mission group aimed at providing assistance
and therapeutic services to those in need. It is also the national headquarters
of FOCUS North America, a missions group aimed at helping other national Orthodox
charities and providing assistance to those in need.
Kansas City is also home to one Oriental Orthodox church, a parish
of the Coptic Church.
Protestant bodies
The Kansas City metropolitan area is the seat of the Unity Church, a
Christian denomination claiming approximately two million members.[42] The
church's headquarters is located in Unity Village, a self-contained,
incorporated municipality lying east of the city near Lee's Summit.[43] The Church
of the Nazarene, another Christian denomination claiming two million members
worldwide, is headquartered in Lenexa, where it moved in 2008 from its
longtime headquarters on the The Paseo in Kansas City itself.[44] United
Methodism's Church of the Resurrection is the largest church in the metro
area, consisting of 15,000+ members and is the largest United Methodist Church
in the United States. The Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri has
its headquarters at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, downtown.[45]
Latter Day Saint groups
The Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri, just east of Kansas
City
Several Latter Day Saint organizations make their headquarters in Independence,
just east of the city. The largest of these is the Community of Christ,
with a worldwide membership of approximately 250,000. Others include the Church
of Christ (Temple Lot), the Church of Christ (Fettingite), the Church
of Christ with the Elijah Message, the Church of Christ (Restored), theRestoration
Church of Jesus Christ, and the Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite). Movement
founder Joseph Smith, Jr. told his earliest followers that the Garden
of Eden had been located in Jackson County, and that the New Jerusalem where
Jesus will come in the Second Coming would be built in Independence.[46] Some
early Latter Day Saints settled west of Independence, inside what are now
the boundaries of Kansas City itself. The Latter Day Saints were violently
driven from the area in late 1833, after protracted conflict with local settlers,
but returned in the late 1860s to a much better welcome. In May 2012 The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest LDS denomination,
dedicated a temple in the Shoal Creek area[47] of Kansas City
North.
Non-Christian
Kansas City is home to a large and vibrant Jewish community, with several
synagogues in the city and adjacent communities.[48] Muslims are served
by three mosques within the city limits, the largest of which is the Islamic
Society of Greater Kansas City,[49] plus additional mosques in nearby
towns. Temple Buddhist Center, the Rime Buddhist Center and other Buddhist
facilities serve Buddhists in the city, while the Hindu Cultural Center and
Vedanta Society of Kansas City serve Kansas City's Hindu population.[50] Kansas
City is even home to at least one congregation of Neo-Pagans in
the form of Gaia Community.[51]
Nonreligious
Kansas City has many nonreligious, atheist, humanist, and agnostic
groups.,[52][53] such as the Kansas City Atheist Coalition.[54]
Shawnee Mission
Another important religious site in the area is the Shawnee Methodist
Mission in Fairway, which was the capital of Kansas Territory from
1855 to 1856. This mission no longer exists in any religious capacity, but
a museum of the mission is preserved on its original grounds.[55]
Sports
Main article: Sports in Kansas City
Truman Sports Complex, with Arrowhead and Kaufmann Stadiums, opened in 1972–73.
Sprint Center opened in 2007 and hosts concerts and sports events downtown.
Professional sports teams in Kansas City include the Kansas City Chiefs in
football, the Kansas City Royals in baseball, and Sporting
Kansas City in soccer.
In college athletics, Kansas City has been the home of the Big 12 College
Basketball Tournaments. Men's basketball has been played at Sprint Center since
March 2008, and women's basketball is played at Municipal Auditorium.
Arenas in Dallas and Oklahoma City have also historically hosted the tournament. Arrowhead
Stadium serves as the venue for various intercollegiate football games.
It has hosted the Big 12 Championship Game five times. On the last
weekend in October, the Fall Classic rivalry game between Northwest Missouri
State University and Pittsburg State University takes place
here. The Bearcats of Northwest and Gorillas of Pitt State are frequently
ranked one-two in the MIAA conference. In 2005, other games at Arrowhead
included Arkansas State playing host to Missouri, and Kansas hosting Oklahoma.
The Chiefs started play in 1960 as the Dallas Texans and started playing in
KC in 1963. The Royals started in 1969 and are the only major league KC team
that has neither moved nor changed its name. The Kansas City Wizards was a
charter member of MLS in 1996 and became the Wizards from 1997 onwards.
In 2011, the team was renamed Sporting Kansas City and moved into their new
stadium in Kansas City, Kansas.
Kansas City used to have an NBA team, which had originated in 1945
in Rochester, New York (as the Rochester Royals), before becoming
the Cincinnati Royals. The team was called theKansas City-Omaha Kings from
1972 to 1975 because it played home games in both cities. In 1975, the team
played exclusively in Kansas City, and was known as the Kansas City Kings.
The Kings played there until 1985, when the franchise moved to California
and became the Sacramento Kings.
In 1974, the NHL continued its expansion period by adding
teams in Kansas City and Washington, D.C.[56] Although they were better
than their expansion cousins, who won only eight games in their inaugural
season, the Kansas City Scouts began to suffer from an economic
downturn in the Midwest. For their second season, the Scouts sold just 2,000
of 8,000 season tickets and were almost $1 million in debt. Due
to their various on and off ice disappointments, the franchise moved to Denver before
settling on the east coast as the New Jersey Devils.
The Scouts and Kings were not the only nomadic franchises to spend time in
Kansas City. The Athletics baseball franchise played in the city of fountains
from 1955 to 1967, after moving from Philadelphia and before moving to Oakland.
Major League Baseball returned to the city in 1969 with the Royals, who have
proven stable and became the first American League expansion team to reach
the playoffs, in 1976, the World Series, in 1980 and to win
the World Series, in 1985 against the state-rival St. Louis
Cardinals in the "Show-Me Series."
Club
Sport
Founded
League
Venue
Kansas City Chiefs
Football
1960 (1963 In Kansas City)
National Football League
Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City Royals
Baseball
1969
Major League Baseball
Kauffman Stadium
Sporting Kansas City
Soccer
1996
Major League Soccer
Livestrong Sporting Park (Kansas City, Kansas)
Kansas City Command
Arena Football
2006
Arena Football League
Sprint Center
Kansas City T-Bones
Baseball
2003
American Association
CommunityAmerica Ballpark (KCK)
Kansas City Explorers
Tennis
1993
WTT
Barney Allis Plaza
Missouri Mavericks
Hockey
2009
CHL
Independence Events Center (Independence)
Missouri Comets
Indoor Soccer
2010
MISL
Independence Events Center (Independence)
Kansas City Brass
Soccer
1997
USL PDL
Greene Stadium (Liberty)
Kansas City Roller Warriors
Roller Derby
2004
WFTDA
Municipal Auditorium
Kansas City Storm
Women's football
2004
WTFA
North Kansas City High School
Media
The Kansas City Star 's new printing plant that opened in June 2006.
Print media
The Kansas City Star is the area's primary newspaper. William Rockhill
Nelson and his partner, Samuel Morss, first published the evening paper
on September 18, 1880. The Star competed heavily with the morning Times before
acquiring it in 1901. The "Times" name was discontinued in March
1990, when the morning paper was renamed the "Star."[57]
Weekly newspapers include The Call,[58] which is focused toward
Kansas City's African-American community, together with the Kansas City
Business Journal, The Pitch, The Ink,[59] and the bilingual
paper Dos Mundos.
The city is served by two major faith-oriented newspapers: The Kansas
City Metro Voice, serving the Christian community, and the Kansas City
Jewish Chronicle, serving the Jewish community. It also the headquarters of
the National Catholic Reporter, an independent Catholic newspaper.
Broadcast media
Landmark KCTV-TV Tower on West 31st on Union Hill
Main article: Broadcast Media in Kansas City
The Kansas City media market (ranked 32nd by Arbitron[60] and 31st by
Nielsen[61]) includes 10 television channels, along with 30 FM and 21 am
radio stations. Kansas City broadcasting jobs have been a stepping stone for
many nationally recognized television and radio personalities, including Walter
Cronkite, Rush Limbaugh, and Mancow Muller.
Film community
Main article: Film in Kansas City
Kansas City has also been a locale for Hollywood productions and television
programming. Also, between 1931 and 1982, Kansas City was home to the Calvin
Company, a large movie production company that specialized in the making of
promotional and sales training short films and commercials for large corporations,
as well as educational movies for schools and training films for government.
Calvin was also an important venue for the Kansas City arts, serving as training
ground for many local filmmakers who went on to successful Hollywood careers,
and also employing many local actors, most of whom earned their main income
in other fields, such as radio and television announcing. Kansas City native Robert
Altman got his start directing movies at the Calvin Company, and this
experience led him to making his first feature film, The Delinquents,
in Kansas City using many local thespians.
The 1983 television movie The Day After was filmed in Kansas City
and Lawrence, Kansas. The 1990s film Truman starring Gary
Sinise was also filmed in various parts of the city. Other films shot
in or around Kansas City include Article 99, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, Kansas
City, Paper Moon, In Cold Blood, Ninth Street, and Sometimes
They Come Back (in and around nearby Liberty, Missouri). More recently,
a scene in the controversial film Brüno was filmed in the historic
Hotel Phillips downtown.
Kansas City is also home to a vibrant and active independent film community.
The Independent Filmmaker's Coalition of Kansas City is an organization
dedicated to expanding and improving independent filmmaking in Kansas City.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Kansas City
Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank "J" insignia on the dollar bill
Greater Kansas City is headquarters to several Fortune 500 companies
(Sprint Nextel Corporation, H&R Block, YRC Worldwide Inc., and International
Assets Holding Corporation) and additional Fortune 1000 corporations Great
Plains Energy, Aquila, AMC Theatres, Applebee's, DST Systems, Garmin
International, Cerner, Seaboard Corporation, and Russell Stover
Candies). Three international law firms, Lathrop & Gage, Stinson Morrisson
& Hecker, and Shook, Hardy & Bacon are also based in the
City. Hallmark Cards's gross revenues certainly would qualify it for
both lists, but it cannot be included because it is privately owned by the Hall
family. Numerous agriculture companies operate out of the city . Dairy
Farmers of America, the largest Dairy Co-op in the United States is located
here. Kansas City Board of Trade is the principal trading Exchange
for hard red winter wheat — the principal ingredient of bread. Black
& Veatch, Perceptive Software, Compass Minerals, Ash Grove
Cement, Ferrellgas, and Bats Exchange, Inc are also based in
the Kansas City area.
Kansas City, Missouri is also the headquarters of:
360 Architecture
American Century Investments
AMC Theaters
Andrews McMeel Universal
Assurant Employee Benefits
Barkley Inc.
Bernstein-Rein
Black & Veatch's Global Water Business
BNIM
Boulevard Brewing Company
Burns and McDonnell Engineering
Cerner Corporation
Commerce Bancshares
Copaken, White & Blitt
Hallmark Cards
HNTB
The Music & More Foundation
HOK Sport (Now known as Populus)
J.E. Dunn Construction Group
Kansas City Southern Railway
luminopolis
McCownGordon Construction
Novastar Financial
neighbor.ly
Smith Electric Vehicles
UMB Financial Corporation
Veterans of Foreign Wars
VML, Inc.
Walton Construction
Kansas City is one of ten regional office cities for the United States Government.
The U.S. Government is the largest employer in the Kansas City metro area,
with more than 146 federal agencies maintaining a presence.[62] The Internal
Revenue Service maintains a large service center in Kansas City that
is nearly 1,400,000 square feet (130,000 m2).[63] The IRS facility is
one of only two facilities in the nation to process paper returns.[64] The
IRS has approximately 2,700 full time employees in Kansas City and upwards
of 4,000 employees during peak tax season with the addition of temporary employees.
The General Services Administration has more than 800 employees
in Kansas City, with most located at the Bannister Federal Complex in
South Kansas City. The Bannister Complex is also home to the Kansas City
Plant, which is a National Nuclear Security Administration facility
operated by Honeywell. Honeywell employs nearly 2,700 at the Kansas City
Plant, which produces and assembles 85 percent of the non-nuclear components
of the United States nuclear bomb arsenal.[65] The Social
Security Administration has more than 1,700 employees in the Kansas City
area, with more than 1,200 located at its Mid-America Program Service Center
(MAMPSC) in downtown Kansas City.[66]
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and The National
Association of Basketball Coaches are based in Kansas City.
H&R Block's new oblong headquarters in downtown Kansas City
The business community is serviced by two major business magazines, the Kansas
City Business Journal (published weekly) and Ingram's Magazine (published
monthly), as well as numerous other smaller publications, including a local society journal,
the Independent (published weekly). Kansas City is literally "on
the money." Bills issued by the Federal Reserve Bank of
Kansas City are marked the letter "J" and/or number "10."
The single dollar bills have Kansas City's name on them. The Kansas City Federal
Reserve built a new bank building that opened in 2008 and relocated near Union
Station. Missouri is the only state to have two of the 12 Federal Reserve
Bank headquarters (St. Louis also has a headquarters). Kansas City's
effort to get the bank was helped by former Kansas City mayor James A.
Reed who as senator broke a tie to get the Federal Reserve Act passed.[67]
One of the largest drug manufacturing plants in the United States is the Sanofi-Aventis plant
located in south Kansas City on the campus developed by Ewing Kauffman's Marion
Laboratories.[68] Of late, it has been developing some academic and economic
institutions related to animal health sciences, an effort most recently bolstered
by the selection of Manhattan, Kansas, at one end of the[69] Kansas
City Animal Health Corridor, as the site for the National Bio and Agro-Defense
Facility, which is tasked, among other things, to research animal-related
diseases.
Ford Motor Company operates a large manufacturing facility just outside
of Kansas City in Claycomo at the Ford Kansas City Assembly
Plant, which currently builds the Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Ford
F-150, and Mercury Mariner. The General Motors Fairfax Assembly
Plant s located in adjacent Kansas City, Kansas. Smith Electric
Vehicles builds electric vehicles in the former TWA/American Airlines
overhaul facility at Kansas City International Airport.
The national headquarters for the Veterans of Foreign Wars is headquartered
just south of Downtown Kansas City.
With a Gross Metropolitan Product of $41.68 billion in 2004, Kansas City's
(Missouri side only) economy makes up 20.5% of the Gross State Product of
Missouri.[70]
Demographics
Historical populations
Census
Pop.
%±
1860
4,418
—
1870
32,260
630.2%
1880
55,785
72.9%
1890
132,716
137.9%
1900
163,752
23.4%
1910
248,381
51.7%
1920
324,410
30.6%
1930
399,746
23.2%
1940
400,178
0.1%
1950
456,622
14.1%
1960
475,539
4.1%
1970
507,087
6.6%
1980
448,159
-11.6%
1990
435,146
-2.9%
2000
441,545
1.5%
2010
459,787
4.1%
According to the 2010 census, the racial composition of Kansas City was as
follows:[71]
White: 59.2% (Non-Hispanic Whites: 54.9%)
Black or African American: 29.2%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 10.0%
Some other race: 4.5%
Two or more races: 3.2%
Asian: 2.5%
Native American: 0.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.2%
The Hispanic population of Kansas City, which is heavily Mexican, is most
concentrated in the northeast part of the city. The Asian population, mainly Vietnamese,
resides within the Columbus Park neighborhood in the Greater Downtown area,
a historical Italian American neighborhood, and in River Forest, in northern
Kansas City.[71][72][73]
Law and government
City government
See also: List of mayors of Kansas City and Alcohol laws of
Missouri
Kansas City is home to the largest municipal government in the state
of Missouri. The city has a city manager form of government, however
the role of city manager has diminished over the years following excesses
during the days of Tom Pendergast. The mayor is the head of the Kansas
City City Council, which has 12 members (one member for each district, plus
one at large member per district), and the mayor himself is the presiding
member. Kansas City holds city elections on odd numbered years (every four
years unless there is a special reason). The last major city-wide election
was in May 2011, meaning the next one will be held in May 2015. Following
the 2007 election, the city council had a female majority for the first time
in the city's history.
Tom Pendergast was the most infamous leader of the party machine. The most
nationally prominent Democrat associated with Pendergast's machine was Harry
S Truman, who became a Senator, Vice President of the United States and then
President of the United States from 1945 to 1953. Kansas City is the seat
of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri,
one of two federal district courts in Missouri (the other, the Eastern
District, is in St. Louis). It also is the seat of the Western District of
the Missouri Court of Appeals, one of three districts of that court (the
Eastern District is in St. Louis and the Southern District is in Springfield).
There are 230,897 registered voters.[74]
National political conventions
Kansas City has hosted the 1900 Democratic National Convention, the 1928
Republican National Convention, which nominated Herbert Hoover from Iowa for
President, and the memorable 1976 Republican National Convention, which
nominated Kansas U.S. Senator Bob Dole for Vice President. The urban
core of Kansas City consistently votes Democratic in Presidential elections,
however on the state and local level Republicans often find some success,
especially in the Northland and other parts of Kansas City that are predominantly
suburban.
Federal representation
Kansas City is represented by two members of the United States House
of Representatives:
Missouri's 5th congressional district – all of Kansas City proper
in Jackson County plus Independence and portions of Cass County. Currently
represented by Emanuel Cleaver (Democrat)
Missouri's 6th congressional district – all of Kansas City proper
north of the Missouri River and plus suburbs in eastern Jackson
County beyond Independence and a vast stretch of suburbs and rural areas extending
all the way to theIowa border and more than 100 miles (160 km).
Currently represented by Sam Graves (Republican)
The United States Postal Service operates post offices in Kansas
City. The Kansas City Main Post Office is located at 300 West Pershing Road.[75]
Crime
Some of the earliest violence in Kansas City erupted during the American
Civil War. Shortly after the city's incorporation in 1850, the period which
has become known as Bleeding Kansas erupted, affecting border
ruffians andJayhawkers, who both lived in the city. During the war, Union
troops burned all occupied dwellings in Jackson County south of
Brush Creek and east of Blue Creek to Independence in an attempt to halt raids
into Kansas. After the war, the Kansas City Times turned outlaw Jesse
James into a folk hero in its coverage. James was born in the Kansas
City metro area at Kearney, Missouri, and notoriously robbed the Kansas
City Fairgrounds at 12th Street and Campbell Avenue.
In the early 20th century under Democratic political "Boss" Tom
Pendergast, Kansas City became the country's "most wide open town".
While this would give rise to Kansas City Jazz, it also led to the rise
of the Kansas City mob(initially under Johnny Lazia), as well as
the arrival of organized crime. In the 1970s, the Kansas City mob was
involved in a gangland war over control of the River Quay entertainment
district, in which three buildings were bombed and several gangsters were
killed. Police investigations into the mob took hold after boss Nick
Civella was recorded discussing gambling bets on Super Bowl IV (where
the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings). The war and investigation
would lead to the end of mob control of the Stardust Casino, which was
the basis for the film Casino (although the Kansas City connections
are minimized in the movie).
As of October 30, 2006, Kansas City ranks 21st on the Federal
Bureau of Investigation's annual survey of crime rates for cities with populations
over 400,000.[76] Kansas City ranked sixth in the rate of murders in
that same study. The entire Kansas City metropolitan area has the fourth worst
violent crime rate among cities with more than 100,000, with a rate of 614.7
violent crimes per 100,000 residents.[77] In 2010 Forbes.com ranked Kansas
City as the third most dangerous city in the country.[78] On the other
hand, many of the surrounding cities in the Kansas City Metropolitan
Area reflect the opposite in crime statistics.
Much of the city's murders and violent crimes occur in the city's inner
core. In the 2000s (decade), Crime and Homicides spiked up due to organized
crime or the gang activity in the inner city. However, attempts at revitalizing
the downtown area have been more successful.[79] Other parts of the urban
core with higher poverty levels remain places in which crime remains largely
unabated. According to an analysis by The Kansas City Star and the University
of Missouri-Kansas City appearing in a December 22, 2007 story, downtown
has experienced the largest drop in crime of any neighborhood in the city
during the current decade.[80]
In 2009, Zip Code 64130, which straddles Brush Creek east of the
Country Club Plaza was reported to account for 20 percent of Kansas Citians
in prison for murder or voluntary manslaughter (101 killers).[81]
Infrastructure
Main articles: Kansas City Metropolitan Area#Transportation and Kansas
City Metropolitan Area
First, it was at the confluence of the Missouri River and Kansas River and
the launching pointing for travelers on the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California trails.
Then with the construction of the Hannibal Bridge across the Missouri
River it became the central location for 11 trunk railroads. More rail
traffic in terms of tonnage still passes through the city than any other city
in the country. TWA located its headquarters in the city and had
ambitious plans to turn the city into an air hub for the world.
Missouri and Kansas were the first states to start building interstates with Interstate
70. Interstate 435, which encircles the entire city, is the second longest
beltway in the nation. Today, Kansas City and its metropolitan area has more
miles of limited access highway lanes per capita than any other large metro
area in the United States, over 27% more than second-place Dallas/Fort
Worth Metroplex, over 50% more than the average American metro area and nearly
75% more than the metropolitan area with the least: Las Vegas. The Sierra
Club in particular blames the extensive freeway network for excessive sprawl and
the decline of central Kansas City.[82] On the other hand, the relatively
uncongested freeway network contributes significantly to Kansas City's position
as one of America's largest logistics hubs.[83]
Airports
Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City International Airport was built to the specifications of
TWA to make a world hub for the supersonic transport and Boeing
747. Its passenger friendly design in which its gates were 100 feet (30 m)
from the street has, since the September 11, 2001 attacks, required a
costly overhaul to retrofit it to incorporate elements of a more conventional
security system. Recent proposals have suggested replacing the three terminals
with a new single terminal situated south of the existing runways, thus allowing
the airport to operate during construction and to shave miles off the travel
distance from downtown and the southern suburbs. Charles B. Wheeler Downtown
Airport was the original headquarters of Trans World Airlines and
houses the Airline History Museum. It is still used for general
aviation and airshows.
Public transportation
Like most American cities, Kansas City's mass transit system was originally
rail-based. An electric trolley network ran through the city until
1957. The rapid sprawl in the following years led this privately run system
to be shut down. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) was
formed with the signing of a Bi-State compact created by the Missouri and
Kansas legislatures on December 28, 1965. The compact gives the KCATA responsibility
for planning, construction, owning and operating passenger transportation
systems and facilities within the seven-county Kansas City metropolitan area.
These include the counties of Cass, Clay, Jackson, and Platte in Missouri,
and Johnson, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte in Kansas. Kansas City does not have
a subway or light rail system. Several proposals to build
one have been rejected by voters in the past. Voters approved the last light
rail proposal but it was struck down when the city council decided to overrule
voters. Kansas City has a long history with streetcars and trolleys. From
1870 to 1957 Kansas City's streetcar system was among the top in the country,
with over 300 miles (480 km) of track at its peak. Following the decision
to scrap the system, many of its former streetcars have been serving other
American cities for a long time. In 2007, ideas and plans arose to add normal
trolley lines, as well as possibly fast streetcars to the city's Downtown
for the first time in decades.
In July 2005, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA)
launched Kansas City's first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line called
"MAX" (Metro Area Express). MAX links the vibrant River Market,
Downtown, Union Station, Crown Center and the Country Club Plaza. This corridor
boasts over 150,000 jobs, as well as some of the area's most prestigious real
estate and treasured cultural amenities.[citation needed][84] By design,
MAX operates and is marketed more like a rail system than a local bus line.
A unique identity was created for MAX, including 13 modern diesel buses and
easily identifiable "stations". MAX features state-of-the-art technology
to deliver customers a high level of reliability (real-time GPS tracking of
buses, available at every station), speed (stoplights automatically change
in their favor if buses are behind schedule) and comfort. In 2010 Another
MAX line was added on Troost.[85]
-Currently Kansas City Is in the planning phase of a Downtown Streetcar.
Walkability
A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Kansas City 43rd most walkable
of fifty largest U.S. cities.[86]
Education
Main article: List of schools of Kansas City
Colleges and universities
Many universities, colleges, and seminaries are located in the Kansas City
metropolitan area, including:
University of Missouri–Kansas City, one of four schools in the University
of Missouri system, serving more than 15,000 students
Rockhurst University, a notable Jesuit university founded in 1910.
Kansas City Art Institute, four-year college of fine arts and design founded
in 1885.
Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, medical and graduate school
founded in 1916.
Avila University, Catholic university of the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Carondelet.
Park University, private institution established in 1875; Park University
Graduate School is located downtown.
William Jewell College, private liberal arts institution founded in 1849.
Metropolitan Community College (Kansas City), a 2-year college with several
branches in the suburban metropolitan area.
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Convention
Nazarene Theological Seminary, Church of the Nazarene
Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary
Saint Paul School of Theology, Methodist
DeVry University
Primary and secondary schools
Kansas City is served by 16 school districts including 10 Public School Districts.
There are also numerous private schools; Catholic schools in Kansas City are
governed by the Diocese of Kansas City.
The following Public School Districts serve Kansas City.[87]
Kansas City, MO School District
North Kansas City School District
Center School District
Hickman Mills C-1 School District
Grandview C-4 School District
Liberty School District
Park Hill School District
Platte County R-3 School District.
Raytown C-2 School District.
Lees Summit R-7 School District.
Libraries and archives
Linda Hall Library, internationally recognized independent library of science,
engineering and technology, housing over one million volumes.
Mid-Continent Public Library, largest public library system in Missouri, and
among the largest collections in America.
Kansas City Public Library, oldest library system in Kansas City.
University of Missouri-Kansas City Libraries, four collections: Leon E. Bloch
Law Library and Miller Nichols Library, both on Volker Campus; and Health
Sciences Library and Dental Library, both on Hospital Hill in Kansas City.
Rockhurst University Greenlease Library.
The Black Archives of Mid-America, research center of the African American
experience in the central Midwest.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Central Plains Region,
one of 18 national records facilities, holding millions of archival records
and microfilms for Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska in a new facility
adjacent to Union Station, open to the general public in 2008.
Points of interest
Liberty Memorial by night.
Country Club Plaza
Kansas City Renaissance Festival
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Crossroads Arts District
Westport
Power and Light District
Kansas City Museum
Worlds of Fun
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Thomas Hart Benton Studio State Historic Site
Science City at Union Station
Kansas City Zoo
Sprint Center Home of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament
KCI Expo Center
Crown Center
The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial
Kemper Arena
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
River Market, Kansas City
Arabia Steamboat Museum
Airline History Museum
American Royal Museum
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
Midland Theatre
Hallmark Visitors Center[88]
Harris-Kearney House Museum
American Jazz Museum
Trailside Center
Hidden Valley Park