After 20 years, looks like I'm moving back to KC

[Third Eye]

As the title says, got a job offer today and it looks like I'll be moving the family to KC at the end of April. While we've enjoyed our time in Louisville, we are really looking forward to living somewhere where the kids can see their extended family and the free daycare from grandma will allow my wife to go back to work which will really help finances. Living in Chiefs country will be great considering that for the last 20 years I've lived in a baseball city (St. Louis) and a city with no professional sports (Louisville). Hopefully I'll get a chance to see Molitoth's band!

So where do we live? We'll probably rent a house for a year or two until we find a place we want to buy. My oldest kid turns 4 in July, so we have 2 years before he starts kindergarten. I grew up north of the river and my folks still live there, so it would be convenient from a babysitting perspective, but I'll be working in Overland Park. Ideally, we'd like to live somewhere that isn't too terribly far from downtown, but far enough away to have a yard and not worry about the kids playing in the neighborhood. Based on my memories, I feel like Parkville would be perfect, but I'm not seeing a lot of rental properties on Trulia or the like.

I frankly know nothing about Johnson County. It's always had this vague Stepford quality to me and seemed like franchise hell. I do recognize there are tax implications to living in Missouri and working in Kansas, but I'm not sure if that is enough of an issue to really care. There are a lot of reasonably priced, nice looking rental options out there and that is a bit of a draw at this point.

So I'm opening it up to the great minds at ChiefsPlanet. Where should we be looking?

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I've been gone 8 years but for the 15 years I was there, the best schools and the family suburban experience, Lee's Summit was the place in the KC area.

That's pretty much the worst possible geographic location for this guy's requirements.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by patteeu

That's pretty much the worst possible geographic location for this guy's requirements.

30 minute commute for better schools seems worth it to me. You should live where you want to or whats best for your family instead of it being close to work. Just my two cents.

[oldman]

Originally Posted by Third Eye

We’ll look into it, but man that looks out there. By out there, I don’t strictly mean distance. It just doesn’t look like there is a lot of development. Might be a hard sell. Your travel numbers sound excellent though.

You're about 3 miles north of the Legends area, right across from the Kansas Speedway and whatever they call the soccer stadium today. I-435 borders the east.

[Third Eye]

Originally Posted by patteeu

Speaking of tax issues, don't live within KCMO proper or you'll have another 1% added to the income taxes you pay.

I lived in Liberty and worked in Overland Park for a few years and I got used to the drive. It's lighter traffic in that direction than the opposite would be (or at least it was when I was doing it over a decade ago). Parkville area probably makes more sense though from the commuting pov.

I’ve always liked Liberty, but man, living northeast of the city and working southwest of the city just doesn’t seem ideal. I’ll keep it in mind though.

Originally Posted by patteeu

That's pretty much the worst possible geographic location for this guy's requirements.

Yeah, Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs are non-starters. They may be great areas, but they aren’t convenient for my family or my work.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

30 minute commute for better schools seems worth it to me. You should live where you want to or whats best for your family instead of it being close to work. Just my two cents.

Lee's Summit makes no sense based on what he said was important to him. It sure wouldn't be convenient for grandparents coming over to watch the kids multiple times a week. If he's going to do that, he might as well live in Johnson County where they have equally good schools and plenty of family suburban experience.

[Stanley Nickels]

Consider Northeast Johnson County, like Fairway or Westwood... all the location benefits (10 minutes to pretty much anywhere other than the airport), great schools, safe neighborhood, no KC penalty tax, few big-box retailers.

I live in Westwood and Work at Corp Woods; if I leave at 7:30 I can be there by 8:00 almost every day, and without traffic (ie, when I leave early ) it's 15 minutes to home.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by Third Eye

I’ve always liked Liberty, but man, living northeast of the city and working southwest of the city just doesn’t seem ideal. I’ll keep it in mind though.

I posted that before I saw that your parents were in the Platte City area. Somewhere over closer to the I-29 corridor probably makes more sense for you.

[Third Eye]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

30 minute commute for better schools seems worth it to me. You should live where you want to or whats best for your family instead of it being close to work. Just my two cents.

For the record, Lee’s Summit school is district is good, but it’s not markedly better than Park Hill or many KS school districts.

[Randallflagg]

Originally Posted by Nickhead

i hear quindaro blvd is nice this time of year?

Indeed. As long as you are carrying.....

[Randallflagg]

Originally Posted by Third Eye

I think Olathe is too far out. I'll be working in Corporate Woods technically, and that is as far out as we are willing to go. It would be a fine commute from Olathe, but it is too far from downtown and nearly 40 minutes from my folks. That's a pretty big ask for my parents if I'm going to be asking them to come out and help with the kids a few times a week.

As far as Louisville goes, we've really liked it here. Admittedly, we'd probably feel different if we were kid free when we moved here. Having the ability to walk around downtown with the kids late at night and not feel like I have to look over my shoulder has been a nice change of pace. My only complaint is the utter lack of ethnic foods. It's a foodie city, but it's too small to have vibrant ethnic food scenes. I'm not really sure KC is much better in that regards, but it has to be better than here.

We live (basically) on the border of OP and Olathe...So, for us, it's no farther to Corporate Woods than it would be for anyone living in OP.

Back when I lived there - downtown was the LAST place you wanted to go at night. Good chance you wouldn't get out alive. The West End was as dangerous as it got back then. I guess, though, that it demonstrates the demographic "changes" from one generation to the next. I prefer suburbs to urban and always have. Younger folks seem to like the "downtown" aspect of living. Nothing wrong with that - different strokes for different folks.

[Randallflagg]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Waldo or Brookside if your budget is a bit higher.

Decent rent, nice quiet neighborhoods, between downtown and Overland Park.

Always liked Brookside....but yeah, it's a "bit" higher....

[Third Eye]

Originally Posted by patteeu

I posted that before I saw that your parents were in the Platte City area. Somewhere over closer to the I-29 corridor probably makes more sense for you.

Liberty really wouldn’t be awful for them. They are pretty close to 435 and 152 so they could take 152 straight over. It’s more the commute that gives me pause.

[JoeyChuckles]

I'd suggest looking in Merriam or Shawnee, maybe Prairie Village. All three are closer to your work but between work and the northland, and all are close to 35. Fairly nice areas, but a lot of commercial stuff. Prairie Village is probably best for avoiding that stuff.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by Third Eye

Liberty really wouldn’t be awful for them. They are pretty close to 435 and 152 so they could take 152 straight over. It’s more the commute that gives me pause.

Gotcha. Yeah, even though the commute isn't terrible, it's about as bad as you could get in the KCMO area.

[Third Eye]

Originally Posted by Stanley Nickels

Consider Northeast Johnson County, like Fairway or Westwood... all the location benefits (10 minutes to pretty much anywhere other than the airport), great schools, safe neighborhood, no KC penalty tax, few big-box retailers.

I live in Westwood and Work at Corp Woods; if I leave at 7:30 I can be there by 8:00 almost every day, and without traffic (ie, when I leave early ) it's 15 minutes to home.

This sounds good if JoCo ends up being the destination. Not really convenient for my parents, but I do have an uncle in Fairway.