Note: This is the second post in our five-part “Metro Wars” series covering all the things we love about Kansas City. Head back next Monday for more! To see all posts in this series, click here.
When you think of living in the city, what words pop into your head? Too dangerous, bad schools, good food, crazy people, traffic, no yards … these are all things that I thought would stop my family and I from moving to the city. I’m so glad they didn’t! Since moving to the city four years ago, I’ve learned there are so many misconceptions about the urban part of Kansas City; and while I still consider myself new to living in the city, I’ve already learned so many things about this unique culture and fun place to raise a family.
- WE WALK – The moms of the city pop their kids in strollers just like those of you in other parts of the metro, and we walk the streets of our neighborhood. We say “hi” to neighbors as we pass by, we walk to local restaurants, coffee shops, and many great neighborhood parks – all without packing heat or being scared. (Of course there might be a different level of caution and awareness, but definitely not fear.)
- WE AREN’T necessarily BRAVE – Often times, after someone hears what part of town I live in, they immediately say something similar to “you’re BRAVE!” To be honest, I’m a total scared-y cat – NO MATTER WHERE I LIVE! I sleep with the lights on and haven’t watched a scary movie in years. Once you spend time in the city, you learn most of the people who live here are people similar to you – working hard, taking care of their families, caring about their neighborhoods … and these people care about their safety just like people in other parts of KC. I would say moms in the city aren’t brave – we’re BLESSED by the eclectics of the neighborhood and the diversity of the people!
- WE ACTUALLY DO all of the awesome things KC has to offer – There are so many amazing, fun, and interactive activities for families in the city and when you live so close, you get to go all the time! We go to the zoo almost once a week, we hit Crown Center a few times a month, we explore Union Station regularly – we even visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art with our kids!
- WE INDULGE in the good food and great coffee of the city – Date nights around here never need to involve chain restaurants or boring food. When you live so close to many of the metro’s best restaurants, you don’t have to worry paying a babysitter for the extra hour of drive time in your night. All the delicious, gourmet, organic, local food you could dream of is within walking distance or just a short car ride away. For my husband and I, our favorites are il Centro, a quaint little Italian restaurant; West Side Local, a fun, fresh, creative place to dine; and Beer Kitchen, a great burger place with no ordinary burgers and amazing fries!
- We DON’T all move away when our first kid turns five – The first question you get asked when you live in the city, after either a strange look or a “wow, really?!” is “what are you going to do about school”? I won’t go into all the details and options here because I already shared that in a previous post, but I think it’s important for other metro moms to know that not every family moves out of the city when their kids are school-age. Families find ways to make it work because they love the city and they love the other ways that living in the city benefits their children: the diversity, the culture, being around people of all different income levels and backgrounds, the museums, the art, and the different places to explore make it worth choosing to stay.
Hopefully you learned something new about what life in the city means to moms like me. I’d love to hear from those around me – what’s YOUR favorite thing about living in “the city”?
