Downtown...

August 29, 2011

Growing up in the burbs, I was very unfamiliar with Downtown Kansas City. This year, I decided to take a step into the unfamiliar and move downtown. I have lived in the River Market area for about a month now, and every day, I find something new that the location has to offer. My newest discovery is the PieroGuys in the City Market. I went down for the market (which is amazing, and healthy, and a blast to see) and discovered yet another fried food.

My other discovery is the history of the place. My parents remember "the River Key", and scary neighborhood full of angry, territorial mobsters with itchy trigger fingers. My Mom regularly tells me of the restaurant where she and my dad went on their first date; it promptly blew up a few months later. The only reminder I have is the occasional passing by of the Ghosts and Gangsters tour. A tour that explores the seedier side of Kansas City, and that is definitely on my to-do list.

These memories are weird for me. All I see are very friendly people walking dogs and experimenting with new foods. Time changes everything I guess. If you want to see actual photos, check the Kansas City: Then and Now books. It is amazing to see how the city has evolved over the last several decades.

For now, I choose to appreciate all that the city has to offer. Many people don’t know what a unique and cultured history this town possesses. Sure, we’re not New York or even Chicago, but Kansas City has a rich history that is indelibly intertwined with the rest of the country. Plus, PieroGuys is awesome.

Sarah E.
Blue Springs North Branch