Like most people, I love my neighborhood--Brookside, Kansas City MO. It's in my DNA to live here, as I grew up in St Louis, in a neighborhood very much like Brookside (called University City). As a Realtor, I know how much buyers are also attracted to this area..and I'm excited to tell you why!
Walkability is probably the biggest attraction for this area. The heart of Brookside is at 63rd St and Brookside Road. This is the center of the Brookside Shops--mostly locally owned, small storefronts featuring all kinds of services and restaurants. Within a four block area you will find: two grocery stores, a post office, pharmacy, toy/science store, an old fashioned general store, two banks, tennis courts, farmers market, two coffee shops, several restaurants, liquor store, two women's boutiiques, two jewelry stores, gas station, party supply store and barber/ shoe shine shop....and a five mile long walking trail. And it's imporant to note the Brookside Shops were established in 1920! It was Kansas City's first "suburban" shopping area, located five miles south of downtown. JC Nichols was the genius developer of Brookside, who was inspired by his travels in Europe to several city centers.
And around the Brookside shops are hundreds of homes....of all sizes. In this 64113 zip code, prices can range from $250,000 to over $3,000,000. Most of the homes were built in the 1920s, and they are all a bit different--no cookie cutter houses here! There are Tudors and Colonials, bungalows and two story homes; homes with large porches, brick and stone fronts, and steep peaked roofs. It's a beautiful walking neighborhood, with plenty of sidewalks, small parks, the long trail, yards full of flowers, tall trees and kids running around the blocks. Especially on Saturday mornings, the neighborhood really comes alive with parents pushing strollers, taking dogs for a stroll, folks walking to the grocery store, jogging along the trail. And just about everyone smiles or nods as you pass by.
Brookside sponsers several events throughout the year that brings the community together. This Saturday, it's the annual St Patrick's Day Warm Up Parade--a very family friendly event that winds through the central business district, featuring local business floats, wacky cars, marching bands, huge puppets..our real estate brokerage even participates in the parade! There's also several "sip and shop" nights, where merchants offer wine and special deals to shoppers, Halloween Trick or Treat Street, plus the annual Brookside Art Annual--a large art fair that attracts artists from all over the country.
It often happens that buyers who are not looking for a traditional, car-based suburban lifestyle in a newer home want to live in Brookside. There are all kinds of people who live here, many races and ages, artists, students, retired folks and young families. We support our locally owned businesses who thrive here. It's a special place.
To find out more about Brookside, located in Kansas City MO, visit the website www.brooksidekc.org
