Kansas City ranked 7th by Forbes on best downtowns list

**HuddleUp** · 10-19-2011, 03:29 PM

It is pretty remarkable how much downtown KC has changed over the last five years. Now, if we'd only approved the downtown baseball stadium...

Kauffman Center helps Kansas City land on best downtowns list - Kansas City Business Journal

**sunset** · 10-19-2011, 03:44 PM

Of the ones I'm familiar with, Chicago is great but San Antonio is less than stellar (the river walk is fun and they have the Alamo, but those two don't make up for the blight of the rest of downtown) and calling anything in Santa Monica a "downtown" is a stretch of the imagination.

**resident** · 10-19-2011, 04:01 PM

I like living in Kansas City but saying that the Plaza is "downtown" is a bit of a stretch. Excluding NYC is also a bit questionable.

A downtown baseball stadium would have been fantastic but I don't see it happening now that the K has been refurbed. What we need now is an NBA or NHL team to play in the Sprint Center.

**RayShimley** · 10-19-2011, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by resident

I like living in Kansas City but saying that the Plaza is "downtown" is a bit of a stretch. Excluding NYC is also a bit questionable.

A downtown baseball stadium would have been fantastic but I don't see it happening now that the K has been refurbed. What we need now is an NBA or NHL team to play in the Sprint Center.

This. I realize it may not be a "sexy" pick because it's so obvious, but come on. Not including Manhattan completely discredits this list.

**HuddleUp** · 10-19-2011, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by RayShimley

This. I realize it may not be a "sexy" pick because it's so obvious, but come on. Not including Manhattan completely discredits this list.

I don't know. I'm obviously biased, but I'd easily choose living in KC over Manhattan. KC offers pretty much anything you'd want in a city, without the traffic nightmares. It has to be one of the more affordable cities as well.

**RayShimley** · 10-19-2011, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by HuddleUp

I don't know. I'm obviously biased, but I'd easily choose living in KC over Manhattan. KC offers pretty much anything you'd want in a city, without the traffic nightmares. It has to be one of the more affordable cities as well.

Not knocking KC, I love KC. I also agree that if this was a ranking of Downtowns based on livability you'd have a good argument against NYC. However the Forbes article states:

“We embraced the subjectivity that is inherent in a list like this, while still striving for benchmarks and criteria that we think make a great downtown,” said John Hood, a Livability spokesman. Among those criteria they considered: entertainment options, navigability, attractive architecture and a thriving downtown.

Obviously there were other criteria, but just looking at the ones given there I'd say NYC is #1 across the board.

**MissouriCyclone** · 10-19-2011, 05:14 PM

Went downtown two weeks ago for dinner with my parents and made a big mistake by going on First Fridays. (Was going to go Saturday, but Baylor game was on) I have never seen downtown KC packed like that. All the way from the new center to Crown Center was packed with cars and people. Very nice to see KC getting some rep.

Was all about a downtown ballpark until I went to Minneapolis last year. Nice stadium, no tailgating. Love the new K as well and can still enjoy the KC tailgating before a game.

**resident** · 10-19-2011, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by MissouriCyclone

Was all about a downtown ballpark until I went to Minneapolis last year. Nice stadium, no tailgating. Love the new K as well and can still enjoy the KC tailgating before a game.

I would prefer it because I could tailgate on my patio and take a cab to/from the game without having to find a DD

Originally Posted by HuddleUp

I don't know. I'm obviously biased, but I'd easily choose living in KC over Manhattan. KC offers pretty much anything you'd want in a city, without the traffic nightmares. It has to be one of the more affordable cities as well.

I also really like KC and think it is underrated for being in the midwest but cost of living, BBQ, and proximity to ISU games are really the only things KC has over NYC, IMO. Public transit in NYC is fantastic. Crime is almost non-existent until you get out in the boroughs. The culture, fashion, music, museums, architecture, history, and events set NYC apart from the rest of the country. It isn't for everyone, but I could do nothing but walk around for hours in Manhattan and be completely entertained.

**capitalcityguy** · 10-19-2011, 08:24 PM

#1 The Plaza is not downtown.

#2 How is KC's downtown ahead of Minneapolis?

I love what KC has down the last few years, but it is laughable to think it is ahead of downtown Minneapolis.

**MissouriCyclone** · 10-19-2011, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

#1 The Plaza is not downtown.

#2 How is KC's downtown ahead of Minneapolis?

I love what KC has down the last few years, but it is laughable to think it is ahead of downtown Minneapolis.

Only thing I could think of is traffic.... KC traffic isn't as bad as Minneapolis.

**Al_4_State** · 10-19-2011, 08:42 PM

Where IS downtown NYC? Is it all of Manhattan? Is it lower Manhattan around Wall Street?

I mean, with NYC it's almost too big to just define downtown. KC is a really, good downtown because you have entertainment, culture, and commerce all in a condensed walkable area.

**RayShimley** · 10-19-2011, 09:49 PM

Originally Posted by Al_4_State

Where IS downtown NYC? Is it all of Manhattan? Is it lower Manhattan around Wall Street?

I mean, with NYC it's almost too big to just define downtown. KC is a really, good downtown because you have entertainment, culture, and commerce all in a condensed walkable area.

If they are calling the Plaza part of KC's downtown than that is about the same distance from the southern edge of Manhattan island to Central Park (~5m).

**jsmith86** · 10-19-2011, 10:06 PM

Wait. People still go to the plaza? I thought it had been completely abandoned in favor of the power and light district?

**acgclone** · 10-19-2011, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by jsmith86

Wait. People still go to the plaza? I thought it had been completely abandoned in favor of the power and light district?

P&L has taken quite a bit of the night life away (certainly not all), but there are still many other attractions down at the Plaza, such as shopping and a much wider range of restaurants.

**resident** · 10-19-2011, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by jsmith86

Wait. People still go to the plaza? I thought it had been completely abandoned in favor of the power and light district?

Plaza is mostly shopping and restaurants with a few staple sports bars ie O'dowds, Tomfooleries, Granfalloon. It is more of a daytime destination unless you live in that area and don't feel like travelling far for a drink.

PnL has the "fashion" district (guido clothes), AMC Main, Sprint Center, and the bars and restaurants in the middle. The actual loop downtown of Kansas City has almost nothing that interests me outside of the Negro League Baseball Museum and a few of the events that the Sprint Center draws. I think a lot of the visitors to PnL are out of towners, because the majority of the people that I know from KC won't touch PnL with a 10 ft pole. It is overpriced compared to the rest of the city, and also has a reputation for attracting the Jersey Shore types. Whether that reputation is warranted or not is debatable, but I find myself avoiding PnL in favor of Westport or Martini Corner.