Kansas City vs. Kansas City
Each week, Yahoo Travel pits writers from rival cities against each other to determine once and for all which destination is the best.
The Case for Kansas City, Kansas by Lara Hale
Kansas Citians on both sides of the state line are used to the bemused looks we get from visitors when we explain that there are actually two Kansas Cities — and that the one most people are thinking of isn’t actually in Kansas but across the border in Missouri. The city of Kansas City, Kansas, (a.k.a. KCK) is much smaller and more industrial than “KCMO,” but it has a rich history and draws gaggles of visitors thanks to family-friendly attractions such as the Kansas Speedway and Schlitterbahn Waterpark. And there are also plenty of us who consider ourselves Kansas Citians though we live in Johnson County, Kansas, which comprises several sprawling suburban cities that each have their own distinct identities. Confused yet?
Paul Rudd & Jason Sudeikis. (Photo: Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Population: 147,268.
Famous Faces: Funnymen Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, and Rob Riggle are all alumni of high schools in Kansas City’s Johnson County suburb (and return each year to host a weekend-long fundraiser for a local hospital). Singer Janelle Monae grew up in KCK.
Popular Way to Get Around Town: The sprawling suburbs of “JoCo” are definitely best navigated by car. The good news is that traffic moves fairly quickly throughout the metro — we put the “rush” in rush hour.
Oklahoma Joe’s. (Photo: Edsel Little/Flickr)
Great Food That Gets Ridiculously Long Lines: Don’t let the name fool you: Oklahoma Joe’s is a Kansas original. Every day, BBQ lovers from both sides of the state line (and further afield) queue up at the restaurant’s original location — in a gas station in KCK — to order legendary offerings, including the Z Man, a sandwich consisting of slow-smoked beef brisket, smoked provolone, and onion rings piled high on a Kaiser roll. Check it out and you’ll see why Anthony Bourdain named Oklahoma Joe’s “One of Thirteen Places to Eat Before You Die.”
Residents: The employees and their families — of many top companies headquartered in Johnson County, Kan., including tech giants Garmin and Cerner, plus AMC Cinemas, Black & Veatch, YRC Worldwide, and the Fortune 500 company Seaboard Corporation.
Hidden Bonus of Visiting: To see how the other half lives: Johnson County is repeatedly ranked among the top 20 most affluent in the United States.
Kansas Speedway. (Photo: Todd Warshaw/NASCAR)
Why it’s Fun to Visit: The area truly offers something for everyone, from award-winning barbecue and Nascar racing at the Kansas Speedway to high-end shopping at boutiques such as Standard Style and fine dining from critically acclaimed chefs such as Michael Smith, Colby Garrelts, and Carl Thorne-Thomsen.
Artistic Pursuits: Visitors and locals alike flock to the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, located on the campus of Johnson County Community College. The 41,000-square-foot minimalist building, designed by Korean architect Kyu Sung Woo, is the largest contemporary art museum in the region, presenting 16 exhibitions each year that feature works from artists all over the world.
Rye. (Photo: ryekc.com)
Fine Dining: Anything they can do, we can do better. The award-winning chef-owners behind Bluestem and Michael Smith have blessed the superior palates on the Kansas Side with Rye and Cocobolo’s, respectively.
Who You’ll Meet in a Coffee Shop: Busy execs, soccer moms, and — if you stop into Parisi Café — last year’s World Barista Champ, Pete Licata.
Fried Chicken That Will Change Your Life: There’s a reason that Saveur magazine recently featured the succulent legs and thighs from Rye on its cover. Chef-owners Colby and Megan Garrelts know their way around a bird.
What Locals Drink: Think all the best whiskey comes from the Deep South? Nope. The Reserve Bourbon hailing from JoCo’s Dark Horse Distillery has repeatedly beaten out offerings from south of the Mason-Dixon.
Best Spots to Get Tipsy Outdoors: The Somerset Wine Trail, located just a short drive south of JoCo, links four Kansas vineyards, which regularly host events that combine wine tasting with art exhibitions, live music and cooking demonstrations.
Things We’re Tired of Hearing: “Where’s Dorothy?” and “Something tells me we’re not in Kansas anymore.” C’mon, folks — you think you’re the first to make a Wizard of Oz crack?
2013 Major League Soccer Cup Championship. (Photo: Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Sports Team You Should Care About: Yes, KC’s pro baseball and football teams call Missouri home — but if you like cheering for *winning* teams, cross the border for a Sporting Kansas City game in KCK. The team not only clinched the 2013 Major League Soccer Cup Championship, but two of its players are repping the USA in the World Cup, which kicks off in Brazil this month.
Architectural Wonder: The just-opened Museum at Prairiefire’s stunning façade by architects Verner Johnson is matched by the exhibitions and artifacts inside, which bring the best of NYC’s American Museum of Natural History to the Midwest.
Like many of Kansas City’s most ardent supporters, Lara Hale is a transplant. She lived in the Deep South, the Chesapeake Bay area, and England before moving to the Midwest and eventually finagling her way into the editor-in-chief role at KC Magazine.
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The Case for Kansas City, Missouri by Hampton Stevens
In the last decade, Kansas City has come alive. Once we were only, if deservedly, famous for our fountains. Today we’re getting noticed for almost everything else. Hardly a day passes when this town doesn’t make some publication’s “best of” list. Whatever. It’s a city come of age; going from a place that was always trying to convince others how good life is here to one that simply knows it to be true.
Charlie Parker & Lester Young. (Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection)
Population: 464,310
Famous Faces: Oh, there’s George Brett, Harry S. Truman, Satchel Paige, and Jean Harlow, but the most famous of our faces come from our incredibly rich jazz heritage. Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Pat Metheny, Bennie Moten, and Charlie “Bird” Parker are just a few of the hepcats who made their names here — and you you can learn all about them at our American Jazz Museum.
Hampton Stevens is a freelance writer. His work has appeared in a range of national and international publications; including The Atlantic and ESPN the Magazine, and has been excerpted in Time, Newsweek, and the Wall Street Journal. A fifth generation Kansas Citian, he lives in midtown with his rednose pitbull, Ginger.
Kansas City. (Photo: Getty Images)
Popular Way to Get Around Town: Driving the century-old, wide, green boulevard system, replete with manicured gardens, statuary, and bunches of the aforementioned fountains.
Arthur Bryant’s (Photo: Getty Images/Adam Kuban/Flickr)
Great Food That Gets Ridiculously Long Lines: Barbecue is a religion in KC, and every native has a favorite place to stuff their face. There’s Gates, Jack Stack, Smokestack, Smokehouse, and Smoking Gun just to name a tiny slice. But Arthur Bryant’s is the must-taste classic. Founded in 1908, the 18th and Vine location has been visited by everyone from Steven Spielberg and Jack Nicholson to Bill Clinton and John McCain.
Fine Dining: KC isn’t just about barbecue. Elegant, multi-star dining options abound, many with James Beard Award winners in the kitchen. Fancier options around town include the American Restaurant, Bluestem, and Michael Smith. Justus Drugstore, with their rigorous farm-to-table ideology, has merited mentions in Bon Appetit and Time Magazine.
Residents: Entrepreneurs, artists, lawyers, and tons of young singles. Basically it’s anyone who doesn’t want to live in those stultifying suburbs across the state line.
Hidden Bonus of Visiting: You won’t leave broke. The cost of living — and of visiting — is ridiculously low.
Why it’s Fun to Visit: KC parties hard. From craft cocktail mixology to dive bars galore, our town is one of North America’s great drinking cities – and most bars stay open until 3:00 a.m.
The Kemper Art Museum. (Photo: Chris Murphy/Flickr)
Local Activities: First Fridays in the Crossroads Arts District. Thousands come from across the metroplex to meet, drink, eat, walk, socialize, and check out new exhibits in the city’s thriving gallery district.
Who you’ll meet in a coffee shop: Nursing students, art students, and — if you go to Starbucks on the tony Country Club Plaza — a plethora of bored, rich housewives. But you might be better off at Oddly Correct, whose unique sourcing and presentation consistently lands them on lists of the country’s best.
Fried Chicken That Will Change Your Life: Stroud’s, where the hospitality is southern, the portions are gigantic, and gravy is a sacrament.
What Locals Drink: Boulevard Beer — and soon you won’t have to be local to drink it. Our beloved craft brewery just went global, being bought out by giant Belgian beer maker, Duvel.
Arrowhead Stadium. (Photo: John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/MCT)
Best Spots to Get Tipsy Outdoors: The parking lot at Arrowhead Stadium on game day. As we like to say around here, KC didn’t invent the tailgate party. We only perfected it.
Things We Are Sick of Hearing: The song “Goin’ to Kansas City.” About half the touring musicians who come though town take a stab at playing the thing. And, well, it just plain gets old. Besides, the lyrics say “Going to Kansas City.” So, technically, this is the only place on earth where it shouldn’t be played.
Sports Team You Should Care About: The Royals. They may be one of the worst run franchises in baseball, but nevertheless have one of the prettiest ballparks and a truly great game day experience. Yes, other team’s sluggers may hit tons of home runs off Royal pitching, but at least it’s pretty to watch them plunk into the outfield fountains.
Architectural Wonder: The Moshe Safdie-designed Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is downtown’s crowing jewel. That iconic stainless steel and glass edifice houses two of the world’s most acoustically perfect performance venues. Whether it’s the symphony, Tony Bennett, or John Legend, there’s no better place on the planet to see — or hear — a world-class show.
