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Kansas City, Missouri

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Kansas City, Missouri
Flag of Kansas City, Missouri
Flag
Official seal of Kansas City, Missouri
Seal
Nickname(s): 
"City of Fountains" and "Heart of the Nation"
Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri.
Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri.
CountryUnited States
StateMissouri
CountiesJackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass
IncorporatedMarch 28, 1853
Government
 • MayorMark Funkhouser
Area
 • City
318.0 sq mi (823.7 km2)
 • Land313.5 sq mi (812.1 km2)
 • Water4.5 sq mi (11.6 km2)
 • Urban
584.4 sq mi (1,513.6 km2)
Elevation
910 ft (277 m)
Population
 (2006)[1][2][3]
 • City
447,306
 • Density1,406.6/sq mi (543/km2)
 • Urban
1,361,744
 • Metro
1,947,694
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Websitehttp://www.kcmo.org/
Kansas City Skyline from Liberty Memorial

Kansas City is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri encompassing parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties. It is situated at the junction of the Missouri and Kansas rivers (Kaw Point) and sits opposite Kansas City, Kansas. It is the largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, it is the most populous city in Missouri, the seventh largest city in the Midwest, and the 39th most populous city in the United States. As of 2006, the city had an estimated population of 447,306.[4] The city's tap water was recently rated the cleanest among the 50 largest cities in the United States, containing no detectable impurities.[5] Kansas City has more fountains than any other city in the world with the exception of Rome. The city also has more boulevards than any city except Paris and has often been called a "Paris on the Plains." (even though much of the city doesn't lay on the Plains) [6]

Abbreviations and nicknames

Kansas City, Missouri, is often abbreviated as "KCMO", or just "KC" (although this often refers to the entire metro area). It is officially nicknamed the City of Fountains, with over 200 installations, ranking second in the world and exceeded only by Rome.[7] Informal nicknames include BBQ Capital of the World, while residents are known as Kansas Citians. It is sometimes colloquially referred to as Heart of America because it is within 250 miles (400 km) of both the geographic and population centers of the United States.

History

Kansas City Pioneer Square monument in Westport features Pony Express founder Alexander Majors, Westport/Kansas City founder John Calvin McCoy and Mountainman Jim Bridger who owned Chouteau's Store next to Kelly's
Main article: History of Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri was first incorporated in 1850. 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 Detroit, 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 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[iere] 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 1833 John McCoy established West Port along the Santa Fe Trail, three miles 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.[8]

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 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.[9]

Civil War

The area was ripe with animosity as the Civil War approached. As citizens of a slave state, Missourians tended to sympathize with the southern states. With Kansas petitioning to enter the Union under the new doctrine of popular sovereignty, 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. Jan. 1869. Drawn by A. Ruger, Merchants Lith. Co., currently located at the Irish Museum and Cultural Center in Union Station

During the Civil War, the City of Kansas was in the midst of battles, almost all of them victories by the Union. The Battle of Independence in August 1862 stunted a Confederate advance into northern Missouri (settled by pro-slavery Virginians), and the October 1864 Battle of Westport effectively ended Confederate efforts to occupy the city. However, a successful raid on nearby Lawrence, Kansas, led by William Quantrill forced General Thomas Ewing to issue General Order No. 11, forcing the eviction of residents in four counties, including Jackson, except those living in the city and nearby communities and those whose allegiance to the Union was certified by Ewing.

Walnut St., Downtown Kansas City, Mo. 1906

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.

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. 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. 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 century, political machines attempted to gain clout in the city, with the one led by Tom Pendergast emerging as the dominant machine by 1925. A new city charter passed that year made it easier for his Democratic Party machine to gain control of the city council (slimmed from 32 members to nine) and appoint a corrupt city manager. Several important buildings and structures were built during this time, to assist with the great depression-- all led by Pendergast, 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 to tax evasion. The machine, however, gave rise to Harry S. Truman, who quickly became Kansas City's favorite son.

Post-World War II sprawl

After World War II, the city experienced considerable sprawl, as the affluent populace left for suburbs like Johnson County, Kansas, and eastern Jackson County, Missouri. However, many also went north of the Missouri River, where Kansas City had incorporated areas between the 1940s to 1970s. The population of the urban core significantly dipped, while the city as a whole gained population.

The sprawl of the city mainly took shape after the "race riots" of the Civil Rights Movement in Kansas City. 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-WWII idea of suburbs and the "American Dream" also contributed to the sprawl of the area. As the city continued to sprawl, the inner city also continued to decline.

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, more than five times its size in 1940.

The future for sprawl in Kansas City is uncertain. Johnson County has continued to sprawl at a constant rate, and Clay County, Missouri, also has begun to sprawl once more. However recent revelations in urban planning have slowed sprawl and focused instead on the inner city, existing infrastructure and housing, as well as reviving the city's formerly blighted downtown. Uses of the New Urbanism style of planning is now also occurring in some of the most prominent suburban projects.

Notable Kansas City residents

  • Manute Bol Former NBA Star (1986-1995), moved to Kansas City in 2007
  • Don Cheadle Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor
  • Chris Cooper, Academy Award-winning American film actor, graduate of Southwest High School, born July 9, 1951
  • Joan Crawford, movie actress (born elsewhere but raised in Kansas City)
  • Walter Cronkite, born November 4, 1916 in St. Joseph, MO, and his family moved to Kansas City, MO where they resided from 1917 until 1928. Cronkite returned to Kansas City and worked as a sports announcer for KCMO (AM) in 1936. He joined Kansas City's United Press in 1937 and became one of America's top reporters for coverage of World War II
  • Jean Harlow American film actress and top sex symbol of the 1930s
  • Clarence M. Kelley F.B.I. Director was born in Kansas City and later was chief of police there
  • John Kander American composer of a series of musical theatre successes as part of the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb
  • Ewing Kauffman American pharmaceutical magnate, philanthropist, and Major League Baseball owner
  • Pat Metheny, jazz guitarist and composer, born August 12, 1954
  • Calvin Trillin, American journalist, humorist, and novelist, graduate of Southwest High School, born December 5, 1935

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 318.0 mi² (823.7 km²). 313.5 mi² (812.1 km²) of it is land and 4.5 mi² (11.6 km²) of it (1.41%) is water.

Kansas City is often imagined to be flat like Chicago, Manhattan or Dallas, but in fact it has many rolling hills. 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. Union Station is located in this valley.[10]

Climate

Kansas City lies almost in the exact geographic center of the continental United States, at the confluence of the second largest river in the country, the Missouri River, and the Kansas River (also known as the Kaw River). This makes for a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa) with moderate precipitation and extremes of hot and cold. Summers can be very humid, with moist air riding up from the Gulf of Mexico, and during July and August daytime highs can reach into the triple digits. Winters vary from mild days to bitterly cold, with lows reaching into the teens below zero a few times a year. Spring and autumn are pleasant and peppered with thunderstorms.

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Avg high °F
(°C) 		38
(3) 		44
(7) 		56
(13) 		67
(19) 		76
(24) 		86
(30) 		95
(32) 		95
(32) 		90
(27) 		69
(21) 		53
(12) 		42
(6) 		66
(19)
Avg low °F
(°C) 		21
(-6) 		26
(-3) 		36
(2) 		46
(8) 		57
(14) 		67
(19) 		72
(22) 		70
(21) 		61
(16) 		49
(9) 		36
(2) 		25
(-4) 		47
(8)
Rainfall in inches
(millimeters) 		1.13
(28.7) 		1.02
(25.9) 		2.38
(60.5) 		3.27
(83.1) 		4.55
(115.6) 		4.73
(120.1) 		3.61
(91.7) 		3.62
(91.9) 		4.17
(105.9) 		3.28
(83.3) 		2.30
(58.4) 		1.45
(36.8) 		35.51
(902)

Weather

Kansas City is situated in "Tornado Alley," a broad region where cold air from the Rocky Mountains and Canada collides with warm air from the Gulf of Mexico, leading to the formation of powerful storms. Kansas City has had many severe outbreaks of tornados, including the Ruskin Heights tornado in 1957,[11] 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 prone to ice storms, such as the 2002 ice storm during which hundreds of thousands lost power for days and (in some cases) weeks.[12] Kansas City and its outlying areas are also subject to flooding, including the Great Flood of 1993 and the Great Flood of 1951.

See also: List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, List of tornadoes striking downtown areas, and 1980 United States heat wave

Cityscape

Brush Creek on the Country Club Plaza at Night

Kansas City, Missouri, is organized into a system of more than 150 neighborhoods, some with histories as independent cities or the sites of major events.

Downtown, the center of the city, is currently undergoing major redevelopment. Downtown Kansas City has a variety of neighborhoods, including historical Westport, the Crossroads Arts District, 18th and Vine Historic District, Pendleton Heights, Quality Hill, the West Bottoms and the River Market.

The city's tallest buildings and characteristic skyline is 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 I-35 to Bruce R. Watkins

Other areas near Downtown Kansas City include:

The 39th Street District is known as Restaurant Row[1] 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 and bohemian 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 shopping district in the United States designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile, 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 beautiful, landscaped boulevard known for its statuary, fountains and large, historic homes.

Kansas City's Union Station is now home to Science City, restaurants, shopping, theaters, and the city's Amtrak facility.

Further information: [[:List of neighborhoods in Kansas City, Missouri]]
A look down Downtown Kansas City streets today.

Downtown redevelopment

Main article: Downtown Kansas City

Downtown Kansas City is an area of 2.9 square miles bounded by the Missouri River to the north, 31st Street to the south, Bruce R. Watkins Drive (U.S. Highway 71) to the east and I-35 to the west.

After years of neglect and seas of parking lots, downtown Kansas City is currently undergoing a period of change. Many residential properties have recently been or are currently under redevelopment. A planned entertainment district, which will be called the "Power and Light District", is being developed in the southern part of the downtown freeway loop by the Cordish Company of Baltimore, Maryland; adjacent to the entertainment district will be a new arena, named the Sprint Center, set to open in 2007. The arena is to be designed by a consortium of local architects, and hopes to lure an NBA or NHL franchise to the city. Los Angeles-based Anschutz Entertainment Group has invested in the arena project and will run its daily operations.

See Also: Downtown Kansas City Redevelopment

Parks and parkways

J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain, in Mill Creek Park, adjacent to the Country Club Plaza

Kansas City is well-known for its spacious parkways and numerous parks. The parkway system winds its way through the city with broad, landscaped medians that include statuary and fountains. One of the best examples is Ward Parkway on the west side of the city, near the Kansas state line. Originally designed for aesthetics and minor automobile/horse and buggy traffic, many parkways were drastically altered to accommodate more and more vehicles, becoming minor freeways.

Swope Park is one of the nation's largest in-city parks, comprising 1,763 acres (2.75mi²), more than twice as big as New York's Central Park[2]. It includes a full-fledged zoo, two golf courses, a lake, an amphitheatre, day-camp area, and numerous picnic grounds.

Kansas City has always had one of the nation's best urban forestry programs[citation needed]. At one time, almost all residential streets were planted with a solid canopy of American elms but Dutch elm disease devastated them. Most of the elms died and were replaced with a variety of other shade trees. A program is underway currently to replace many of the fast-growing sweetgum trees with hardwood varieties.[13]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18604,418—
187032,260630.2%
188055,78572.9%
1890132,716137.9%
1900163,75223.4%
1910248,38151.7%
1920324,41030.6%
1930399,74623.2%
1940400,1780.1%
1950456,62214.1%
1960475,5394.1%
1970507,0876.6%
1980448,159−11.6%
1990435,146−2.9%
2000441,5451.5%

Template:Demographics

The United States Census bureau updated their American Community Survey information in 2005 for Kansas City. Their study estimated a population of about 440,885 people, the margin of error was placed at +/- 9,193 people. Growth in Kansas City is increasing, with 3,618 housing permits granted in 2004 and 2005. As of 2005, about 210,000 households exist.

Economy

Main article: Kansas City Economy
File:Kc-reserve.jpg
Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank "J" insignia on the dollar bill

Greater Kansas City is headquarters to 4 Fortune 500 companies (H&R Block, Embarq Corporation, Sprint Nextel Corporation, and YRC Worldwide Inc.) and additional Fortune 1000 corporations (Interstate Bakeries Corporation, Great Plains Energy,Aquila, AMC Theatres, and DST Systems). 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 and the Kansas City Board of Trade is the principal trading center for hard red winter wheat — the principal ingredient of bread.

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).

H&R Block's new oblong headquarters in downtown Kansas City

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. 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.[14]

See also: List of foreign consulates in Kansas City.

Law and government

City government

For a list of mayors of Kansas City see: List of mayors of Kansas City

Kansas City is home to the largest municipal government in the state of Missouri. The mayor of Kansas City is Mark Funkhouser, elected on March 27, 2007. 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 May 2007, meaning the next one will be in May 2011.

From the late 19th Century to the mid 20th Century, Kansas City's municipal government was controlled by often corrupt Democrat-controlled political machines. 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 1945-1953.

Hosted 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.

Kansas City consistently votes Democratic in Presidential elections, however on the state and local level Republicans often find some modest success, especially in the Northland and other parts of Kansas City that are predominately suburban.

Congressional representation

The Kansas City metropolitan area is represented by five United States House of Representatives:

Missouri

Kansas

Crime

As of October 30, 2006, Kansas City ranks as twenty first highest amount of crime in the United States, as reported by the FBI.[15]

Kansas City ranked sixth in rate of murders in the 2006 United States cities by crime rate for cities with populations more than 400,000. 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 crimes per 100,000 residents.[16]

Most of the city's murders and violent crimes occur in the city's inner core. The violent crime rates in the core have consistently driven the city and metropolitan area down on "livability" indexes, hindering initiatives in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s to revive downtown Kansas City. In recent years, however, attempts at revitalizing the downtown area have been more successful.[17] Downtown currently has one of the lowest crime rates in the urban core, and thousands more people have moved to this area.[citation needed] However, other parts of the urban core with higher poverty levels remain places where crime is unabated.

Most of the crime has stemmed from recent gang wars in Kansas City that started in 2004 when local rappers Mac Dre and Fat Tone were killed. Mac Dre was allegedly killed by a local gang while returning to his hotel after a concert. Fat Tone was then killed in Las Vegas in retaliation for Mac Dre's death. Since their deaths, Kansas City has experienced local gang wars, which has involved some of the prominent local gangs. Police recently announced they had found the sources of a lot of the fighting and were concentrating their efforts on certain individuals and neighborhoods. Some of the recent homicide/shooting suspects had been caught before by the police for other homicides, but had to be released after the witnesses were either harmed or threatened. Police were hoping that they can possibly put an end to the gang violence and wars that have been the cause of most of the city's crime rate problems. The police increased pressure on gangs in 2007, capturing major, and minor gang figures.

Some of the earliest violence in Kansas City erupted during the bloody American Civil War. Shortly after its founding in 1853, the Bleeding Kansas incidents erupted affecting border ruffians and Jayhawkers 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 Jesse James into a folk hero in its coverage. James was born in the metro area at Kearney, Missouri and robbed the Kansas City Fairgrounds at 12th and Campbell.

In the early 20th Century under "Boss" Tom Pendergast, Kansas City became the country's "most wide open town", with virtually no enforcement of liquor laws or hours. 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 gangsters. The 1930s saw the Kansas City Massacre at Union Station, as well as a shootout between police and outlaws Bonnie and Clyde at the Red Crown Tavern near what is now Kansas City International Airport.

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 Minnesota). The war and investigation would lead to the end of mob control of the Stardust Casino, which was the basis for the movie Casino (although the Kansas City connections are minimized in the movie).

Sister cities

Scout Indian statue in Seville, sistered with Kansas City. Kansas City has an almost identical statue in Penn Valley Park, near the Liberty Memorial that is pointing in the direction of Seville.

Transportation

Main articles: Kansas City Metropolitan Area § Transportation, and Kansas City Metropolitan Area

Kansas City owes its existence as a major city to its crossroads status.

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. An ever increasing number of interstate loops has encouraged suburban sprawl. 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 highway per person than any other city in the United States.

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 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 terminal airport with an airport with a single terminal situated somewhere nearby.

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.

Mass transit

Like all American cities at the time, Kansas City's mass transit system was originally rail-based with its. In addition, Kansas City had an electric trolley network that ran through the city until 1959. The rapid sprawl that occurred throughout the city in the years that followed caused this system to be shut down. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority then took over mass transit, and now has an extensive bus system, The Metro, which continues to add routes. The city does not have a light rail system, but city government is debating whether to implement a proposed light-rail measure.

Bus rapid transit

In July 2005, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority started a new bus system called "The MAX" (Metro Area Express). The bus route starts in the City Market in Downtown Kansas City, and has many stops along Main Street, The Plaza and southern Kansas City. At the time of their introduction, MAX buses were to be able to prolong green traffic lights to stay on schedule, but as of September, 2006, this technology has not been put into effect.

  • Buses run 7 days a week from 5:00am to 1:00am. During rush hour periods, the buses make stops every 10 minutes. All other times, the buses make stops every 15-30 minutes. Each bus ride costs $1.25. Kansas City also has the METRO bus system which runs through the whole Kansas City Area. Between June 1 and September 20, the fare is reduced to $0.25 on days for which the amount of ground level ozone is predicted to be high.

Light rail

  • Kansas City does not currently have a subway or light rail system, and several proposals to build one have been rejected by voters in the past. However, the city is currently in the development phase of a regional light rail system. On November 7, 2006, Kansas City voters approved activist Clay Chastain's ballot measure proposing a city-wide light rail system paid for by a 3/8 cent sales tax increase. This measure would see light rail running from the Kansas City Zoo, through the urban core, and out to Kansas City International Airport.[18]
  • In August of 2007, it was announced by city engineers that the light rail budget had a $415 million budget shortfall, even if the federal government paid half of planned construction costs. Currently, a petition seeking a re-vote on the light rail ordinance is making its way through the City Council. It is possible the petition will cause the ordinance will be repealed altogether.[19]

Trolley/Streetcars

  • Kansas City has a long history with streetcars and trolleys. From 1870-1957 Kansas City's streetcar system was among the top in the country, with over 300 miles 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. These proposals are being seen as possible first steps in implemented a larger mass transit network, that would include light rail.

Culture

Ethnic Culture

There is a large community of Irish in Kansas City which numbers around 250,000. The Irish Community includes a large number of bands, a newspaper, the numerous Irish stores, including Browne's Irish Market, the oldest Irish owned business in North America, and the Irish Museum and Cultural Center is the new center of the community.

Architecture

Municipal Auditorium and Bartle Hall Convention Center, Kansas City
Main article: Architecture in Kansas City

Kansas City has long been praised for its varied architecture, which includes many famous and interesting buildings. Its skyline is notable for various structures, including the immense Bartle Hall Convention Center, the adjoined art deco Municipal Auditorium, and numerous skyscrapers such as the Kansas City Power and Light Building and One Kansas City Place (the tallest habitable structure in Missouri), as well as the KCTV-Tower (the tallest freestanding structure in Missouri and 39th tallest tower in the world), and the Liberty Memorial (the national World War I memorial and museum of the United States).

Kansas City offices of significant national and international architecture firms include ACI/Boland, BNIM, 360 Architecture, Ellerbe Becket, HNTB and HOK Sport.

City of Fountains

Main article: List of Fountains in Kansas City

With more than 200 fountains, Kansas City claims that only Rome has more fountains. The fountain is a logo for the city.

Kansas City cuisine

The American Hereford Association bull and Kemper Arena and the Kansas City Live Stock Exchange Building in the former Kansas City Stockyard of the West Bottoms as seen from Quality Hill

Kansas City is most famous for its steak and barbecue.

Kansas City steaks

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.

Kansas City-style barbecue

Main article: Kansas City-style barbecue

Along with Texas, Memphis & North Carolina, Kansas City is a "world capital of barbecue." There are more than 90 barbecue restaurants[3] 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 1900s 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.

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, with a restaurant in the suburb of Overland Park, KS.

Entertainment and performing arts

Classical/opera

File:Performing-arts-center.gif
The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, future home of the Kansas City Symphony, the Lyric Opera, and the Kansas City Ballet, due to open in 2009.

Kansas City is home to the Kansas City Symphony, founded by R. Crosby Kemper Jr. in 1982 to supersede the Kansas City Philharmonic, which had existed since 1933. The symphony currently is located at the Lyric Theatre in Downtown Kansas City, but will move to the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, also downtown, when it is completed in December of 2009. The current music director and lead conductor of the symphony is the world-renowned Michael Stern.

The Lyric Opera of Kansas City, founded in 1970, is one of the nation's premier regional opera companies. It prides itself on offering one American contemporary opera production during its annual season consisting of either four or five productions. Originally, all operas were performed in English, although in the late-1990s the company decided to perform all productions in their original languages. The Lyric Opera also is located at the Lyric Theatre, and also will move to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in 2009.

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 renowned dancer and choreographer Todd Bolender. Today, the Ballet offers an annual repertory split into three seasons which ranges from classical to contemporary ballets. The Ballet also is located at the Lyric Theatre, and also will move with the Symphony and Opera to the Kauffman Center in 2009.

Jazz

Main article: Kansas City Jazz
File:Charlie-parker1.jpg
Memorial to Charlie Parker at the American Jazz Museum at 18th and Highland in Kansas City

Kansas City Jazz in the 1930s marked the transition from big bands to the bebop influence of the 1940s. In the 1930s City Boss Tom Pendergast was at his height of his power and left Kansas City a wide open town in which night clubs were allowed to remain open from dusk to dawn. In this venue, an era of musical improvisation developed in which it was not uncommon for a single "song" to be performed all night by competing performers who passed through the city. The era ended in 1936 when producer John H. Hammond began signing Kansas City talent and transferring the acts to New York City.

The era of Kansas City influence is bracketed by the signing of Count Basie in 1929 to the advent of Kansas City native Charlie Parker in the 1940s. Pendergast pleaded guilty to income tax evasion in 1939 and the city soon began a crackdown of the clubs.

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 Vegas casinos that was partially depicted in the movie Casino (movie).

In 1981, 114 people died in the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse at a tea dance that was attempting to recreate the jazz era. In 1999 the American Jazz Museum opened in the 18th and Vine neighborhood.

Rock/Hip-Hop Acts

Kansas City has an avid local music scene and is a very popular locale for many punk and hip-hop acts. In addition, The New York Times declared nearby Lawrence, Kansas "the most vital music scene between Chicago and Denver" in a travel column dated February 25, 2005. Recent rock groups originating in Kansas City and direct surrounding areas include Puddle of Mudd, The Get Up Kids, Shiner, Flee The Seen, The Life and Times, Reggie and the Full Effect, Coalesce, The Casket Lottery, Ska-Punk act The Gadjits The Appleseed Cast, The Esoteric, Vedera, and Blackpool Lights. Native rappers include Tech N9ne, and Solè.

Media

Kansas City Star new printing plant that opened in June 2006. The Star headquarters is the red brick building on the lower right.

The Kansas City Star is the area's primary newspaper. William Rockhill Nelson first published the evening paper on September 1, 1880. The Star competed heavily with the morningTimes before acquiring it in 1926 and discontinuing it in March 1990.

Monthly newspapers such as The Kansas City Metro Voice, The Call[20] (African American focused) and several weekly papers, including the Kansas City Business Journal, The Pitch, the bilingual paper "Dos Mundos" and various suburban papers also serve the Kansas City area.

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 29 by Arbitron and 31 by Nielsen) includes ten television channels along with 30 FM and 21 AM radio stations. Kansas City is a stepping stone for many national broadcasters 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. Most notably, 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, and Sometimes They Come Back (in and around nearby Liberty, MO).

See also: The Independent Filmmakers Coalition of Kansas City

Sports

Main article: Sports in Kansas City
Kauffman Stadium

Current teams

Kansas City sports teams presently include the following:

Club Sport Founded League Venue
Kansas City Chiefs American Football 1963 National Football League : AFC Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City Royals Baseball 1969 Major League Baseball : AL Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City Explorers Tennis 1993 World TeamTennis Barney Allis Plaza
Kansas City Wizards Soccer (Football) 1996 Major League Soccer : EC Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City T-Bones Baseball 2003 Northern League CommunityAmerica Ballpark
Kansas City Brigade Arena Football 2006 Arena Football League : AC Kemper Arena/Sprint Center (2008)

Sporting events

  • Kansas City is often the home of the Big 12 College Basketball Tournaments. Men's Basketball is played at Kemper Arena, while women's Basketball is played at Municipal Auditorium. Lately newer arenas in Dallas and Oklahoma City have hosted the tournament. The new Sprint Center will host the tournament in March 2008.

Sites of interest

Liberty Memorial

Museums

Art galleries

Kansas City satellite map

Historical sites

  • Country Club Plaza (website) -- first shopping center designed to accommodate the automobile. Now considered one of the great urban shopping districts in America.
  • Liberty Memorial (website)-- Official World War I memorial and museum in the United States. Tower and observation deck restored and re-opened in 2002, additional museum space was added beneath the tower and two original museum buildings.
  • Laugh-O-Gram Studio (www.laughograms.com), Walt Disney's original cartoon studio in Kansas City. Now being renovated.

Entertainment

Educational institutions

Further information: Kansas City Metropolitan Area § Educational institutions

Post-secondary

MCC-Penn Valley
MCC-Longview
MCC-Maple Woods
MCC-Business and Technology
MCC-Blue River

Elementary and secondary

Kansas City is served by a variety of school districts.

School districts that serve Kansas City include:

Private schools in Kansas City include:

References

  1. ^ "Census Bureau Estimates Program (2005)". Retrieved 2006-09-11.
  2. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: [[April 1]] [[2000]] to [[July 1]] [[2005]] (CBSA-EST2005-01)". Retrieved 2006-09-11. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  3. ^ "Census Bureau Estimates Program (2006)". Retrieved 2007-29-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ "Census Bureau Estimates Program (2007)". Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  5. ^ "Cities by Category Ranking: Tap Water Quality". Retrieved 2006-09-10.
  6. ^ "'City of Fountains' Indeed". Retrieved 2006-09-10.
  7. ^ "'City of Fountains' Indeed". Retrieved 2006-09-10.
  8. ^ "Why is Kansas City located in Missouri instead of Kansas?". Retrieved 2006-09-11.
  9. ^ "Early City Limits". Retrieved 2006-09-11.
  10. ^ Aber, James S. "Glacial Geology of the Kansas City Vicinity". Retrieved 2006-09-05.
  11. ^ Kansas City Tornado Almanac, wdaftv4.com. Accessed Sept. 2006.
  12. ^ KC powerless as icy barrage pummels the area, leaves behind disaster zone, Accessed 10 September 2006.
  13. ^ http://www.kcmo.org/planning/pdf/focus/NA_reports/triblen.pdf
  14. ^ A Foregone Conclusion: The Founding of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis by James Neal Primm - stlouisfed.org - Retrieved January 1, 2007.
  15. ^ 25 Safest Cities www.morganquinto.com Accessed Nov. 2006
  16. ^ Kansas City Star September 26, 2006 "FBI crime data paint grim portrait" of KC by Kevin Collinson
  17. ^ Kansas City Area Development Council
  18. ^ http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2006/11/06/daily28.html
  19. ^ http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/story/224933.html
  20. ^ http://www.kccall.com/

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