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1. Kansas City MAX Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
JTA continues to push the concept of BRT to a city where residents continue to state they prefer rail. Especially for its ability to attract sustainable infill economic development in areas where taxpayers have already invested in adequate infrastructure. In Kansas City, Jacksonville's delegation will have the opportunity to see and use a system similar to JTA's planned system: the Kansas City MAX Bus Rapid Transit line.
Recently constructed rail systems in Tampa, Little Rock, Charlotte, Phoenix, Houston and Dallas have all spurred billions in transit oriented development. In Austin and Norfolk, two cities whose rail projects are still under construction, TOD has also already started to pop up along the proposed transit corridors. BRT has been billed by proponents to be rail on rubber wheels. Completed in 2005, the six-mile Kansas City MAX BRT line has had more than enough time to evaluate its impact on stimulating transit oriented development.
Metro Jacksonville urges the Jacksonville delegation to break away from a few business sessions and take a ride on the MAX. After your ride, ask yourselves if BRT feels like rail, is it stimulating transit oriented development, will it enhance the city's image in the eyes of the Creative Class and will it position our community to the front of the New Economy?
To learn more about the Max: http://www.kcata.org/maps_schedules/max/
2. Bartle Hall Convention Center
Everyone is well aware that the Prime Osborn is a substandard convention facility. However, most only think in terms of the size of the exhibition hall instead of the importance of being located adjacent to complementing uses (ex. hotels, restaurants, retail, etc.).
Kansas City's Bartle Hall is one of those facilities the Prime Osborn has to compete against. While in Kansas City, take a walk around Bartle Hall, which does offer 388,800 square feet of column-free exhibition space on one floor. Take notes on whether there are hotels, restaurants, bars and entertainment venues within a block or two of this complex. Then ask yourself, if you were booking a convention, would you prefer this type of environment or an expanded Prime Osborn surrounded by a bus depot.
http://www.kcmo.org/cec.nsf/web/home
3. Historic Preservation
Over the last few decades, Jacksonville's leaders have had little respect, if any, for historic preservation. This lack of respect has resulted in acres of surface parking and an urban core that has lost nearly 50% of its population since 1950. While traveling to various destinations in urban Kansas City, pay attention to whether there has been an effort to preserve and integrate historic structures with modern uses. Try to take a walk through districts like the West Bottoms, Westport, Crossroads, and River Market. Where significant preservation has taken place, compare how the atmosphere feels to Jacksonville's Main Street, Brooklyn and LaVilla.
4. Country Club Plaza
A few of Jacksonville's leaders have been quoted in the local media as believing that the St. Johns Town Center is an example of New Urbanism, when in reality, it is nothing but the latest version of a suburban regional mall.
In Kansas City, if you ride the MAX (hint), you'll have the opportunity to see the United State's first "lifestyle center" because it is a stop on the BRT line. Completed in 1923, Country Club Plaza is the true example of a suburban shopping center built to accommodate both the pedestrian and the automobile. Unlike the SJTC, the Plaza's parking is discreetly concealed in multilevel parking garages beneath and behind the shops, or hidden on the rooftops of buildings. Take a walk around Country Club Plaza and imagine what it will take to transform Jacksonville's zoning regulations to allow for citywide walkable development.
http://www.kcmo.org/cec.nsf/web/home
5. Marketing Local History and Culture
Although Jacksonville has a rich urban and cultural history, our community has done a poor job in marketing our past to the rest of the world. On the other hand, Kansas City is well known for its contributions to the musical styles of jazz and blues, as well as to cuisine (Kansas City-style barbecue and steak). Try to find the strategy Kansas City has successfully implemented and attempt to integrate the marketing strategy locally with Jacksonville's unique history and culture as the centerpiece.
Other Areas Worth Exploring
Crown Center & the Power & Light District
Both of these modern developments have become popular destinations in downtown Kansas City. While out touring and enjoying them, attempt to take in how they have handled their parking requirements and integration with surrounding land uses. Are they isolated developments? Do they have large parking lots between the building's front doors and the public sidewalks? Have they been designed in a manner that stimulates pedestrian activity outside of their site boundaries?
39th Street - Restaurant Row
This strip features one of Kansas City's largest selections of independently owned restaurants and boutique shops. It is also the city's main center of literary and visual arts and bohemian culture. Visit and take note of whether the businesses are located in completely new infill development or if they reuse small, older pedestrian friendly structures. What will it take for Jacksonville's Bay Street and Main Street to support a similar atmosphere?
Previous Chamber of Commerce Trips
What the Jacksonville delegation learned from these trips and how this information was applied locally is not clear to the general public.
2008 - Seattle, WA
2007 - Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong, China
2006 - New Orleans, LA
2005 - Boston
About The 29th Annual Leadership Trip to Kansas City, MO
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The Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce is heading to Kansas City, Mo., for the 29th annual leadership trip October 6-8. This trip is taking a different approach than past leadership trip experiences going back to its roots where
the focus was on leadership. This year, Jacksonville’s top business and civic leaders will see first-hand how Kansas City leaders executed their vision through leadership that forced great change bringing innovative and fresh ideas that
transformed their city into a thriving civic and business community. Through high-level workshops facilitated by Kansas City and Jacksonville leaders featuring both industry and downtown revitalization successes, participants will have the opportunity to discuss new ways to leverage our numerous and valuable resources that will sustain our vibrant and growing community for years to come.
Like Kansas City, Jacksonville has a strong public/private partnership that can be utilized to realize the changes that leaders want to see in our region. Kansas City leaders had the vision and political force to drive real change in their city. These are long-range leaders who think in decades and have been able to bring about long-term success, including the establishment of a strong life sciences sector with the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute at the center; and a revitalized and growing Power and Light District, a nine-block entertainment district featuring restaurants, bars and retail shops in the city’s downtown area.
"This trip is not about just showing you attractive buildings and a great entertainment district. It's about helping you see what can happen when leaders take charge and get involved to make change happen," said Kelly Madden, Wholesale Market President, North Florida, Wachovia Bank and Chamber Chair-elect.
This Year's Itinerary
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Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Session #1
7:30 a.m. Airport Check-in
8:30 – 10:00 a.m. Group Charter Flight
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Travel from Airport
Session #2
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Welcome Lunch
Location: TBD
Topic: Welcome to Kansas City
Welcome:
•Kelly Madden, Chair-elect, Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce
Keynote Speaker:
•Anne St. Peter, Chair, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
12:30 – 1:00 p.m. Travel
Session #3
1:00 – 3:30 p.m. Leadership Topic 1: Long Range Leadership
Location: Stowers Institute
Focus: James E. Stowers, Jr., The Stowers Institute and Kansas City Life Sciences
Speakers:
•Dr. William Neaves , President and Chief Executive Officer of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research
•Dr. Daniel P. Getman, President of Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute
•Joerg Ohle, President & General Manager, Bayer Corporation, Animal Health Division, North America
•Bob Marcusse, President & CEO, Kansas City Area Development Council
3:30 – 4:00 p.m. Travel
Session #4
4:00 – 5:30 p.m. Hotel Check In/Personal Time
5:30 – 6:00 p.m. Travel
Session #5
6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Past Chair Reception
Location: AMC Theater
Join 2010 Chamber Chair Kelly Madden as we honor the accomplishments and leadership of past Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce Chairs.
Keynote Speaker:
•Peter Brown, Former CEO, AMC Entertainment
Session #6
7:30 – 11:30 p.m. Dinner
Power and Light District
Explore the newly developed Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City. Choose from a variety of restaurants in the area and enjoy networking time with your fellow trip participants. The trip fee includes a shuttle that will run every 30 minutes between the trip hotel and the Power and Light District. (Price of dinner is not included).
Session #7
9:30 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
Personal Time/Hospitality Suite Open
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Session #8
6:30 – 8:00 a.m. Breakfast Buffet Intercontinental Hotel
8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Travel
Session #9
8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Leadership Topic 2: Government Leadership
Location: Lathrop & Gage Conference Room
Focus: Downtown Revitalization
Speakers:
•Kay Waldo Barnes, former Mayor of Kansas City
•Wayne Cauthen, City Manager, Kansas City, Mo.
•Brenda Tinnen, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Sprint Center/AEG Kansas City
•Kevin Battle, Chief Operating Officer, Kansas City Power & Light District
•Bob Langenkamp, Planning Services
•Herb Kohn, Partner, Bryan Cave LLP
•Jack Holland, Managing Director, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
12:30 – 1:00 p.m. Tour of Crown Center
Session #10
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Lunch
Location: American Restaurant
Keynote Speaker:
•Don Hall, Jr, President and CEO, Hallmark
2:30 – 3:00 p.m. Travel
Session #11
3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Personal Time/Hospitality Suite Open
5:00 – 5:30 p.m. Travel
Session #12
5:30 – 6:15 p.m. Leadership Topic 3: Inspiring Leaders
Location: Nelson Atkins Museum
Focus: Jacksonville Leadership
Speaker:
•Mayor John Peyton, Mayor, City of Jacksonville
•Mayor Mark Funkhouser, City of Kansas City, Mo.
Session #13
6:15 – 7:30 p.m. Reception
Nelson Atkins Museum Kirkwood Hall
7:30 – 9:00 p.m. Mayor’s Dinner
Nelson Atkins Museum Rozzelle Court
9:00 – 9:30 p.m. Travel
Session #14
9:00 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. Personal Time/Hospitality Suite Open
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Session #15
6:30 – 8:00 a.m. Breakfast Buffet Intercontinental Hotel
8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Hotel Check out Travel
Session #16
8:30 – 11:30 a.m. Leadership Topic 4: Community Leadership
Location: Kauffman Foundation
Focus: Inspiring Change
Speakers:
•Laura McKnight, President and CEO, Greater Kansas City Community Foundation
•Thomas Bloch, Board Chair, Greater Kansas City Community Foundation; President and Founder, University Academy
•Jewel Scott, Civic Council of Greater Kansas City
•Karen Pletz, Chair Civic Council; President of Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
•William Berkley, Chair Heartland Effort; President/CEO of Tension Envelope
Session #17
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Trip Wrap Up Kelly Madden
Session #18
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Travel
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Airport Check in
2:30 – 6:00 p.m. Group Charter Flight to Jacksonville
6:00 p.m. Arrive in Jacksonville
More Information
Contact: Kelly Gerlach
Phone: (904) 366-6646
E-mail: events@myjaxchamber.com
http://www.myjaxchamber.com/general.asp?id=677
In conclusion, use this trip to gather ideas that will make Jacksonville better through quick and sensible implementation. Also, take photos and be willing to share what you have learned to all of Jacksonville's residents.
Article by Ennis Davis
Images from Wikipedia
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Hurricane
September 28, 2009, 08:12:25 AMGreat stuff! Not to sound like I'm overly happy, but I'm really glad you guys started this website and go through all of the hard work to put these together. Hopefully, some of the right people working for the city start becoming regulars to the site and learn how to correct Jacksonville. Thanks!
Jennifer Browning
September 28, 2009, 08:48:51 AMI agree with you! I'm not sure why we can't have a decent rail system in Jacksonville and not have the Town Center Mall as the center of our town. (I don't think suburban malls should be the center of an urban city!) We need to have downtown grow.... I hope the city representatives take a look at this as well. We have the ability to become a big city we just have to do it.
jagsfan32092
September 28, 2009, 08:48:56 AMKC is my home town! The Plaza is abosolutely gorgeous and is a day trip in itself. I do hope that our leaders in Jacksonville take note of some of the offerings that KC has.
Ocklawaha
September 28, 2009, 01:05:37 PMKeep in mind boys and girls that KC is the city where the people mounted a movement that became a landslide initiative, which led to a vote to kill the fancy BRT plan and build LIGHT RAIL. The next thing they'll learn from KC is how the political machine was able to abort the will of the citizens and invalidate the vote and go right back to BRT.
JTA anyone? WHO'S ON THIS TRIP ROSTER?
I'll take a stab at this next one Lake!
2008 - Seattle, WA, Since this date Jacksonville has taken on a more grunge look.
2007 - Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong, China, Since this trip we have opened 3 new Panda Express locations.
2006 - New Orleans, LA, This trip was a housing boom in outlaying Duval, as we brought back 300 FEMA travel trailers.
2005 - Boston, Baked Beans went on the menu's of 4 local restaurants, sales of Sam Adams, soared.
OCKLAWAHA
A-Finnius
September 28, 2009, 01:26:51 PMNice job nailing this assessment of the St. Johns Town Center.
mtraininjax
September 28, 2009, 09:51:08 PMSTJTC was simple math, build it where the people ain't, and they will come. They could add another just above Nocatee and people would still flock to open air malls, they enjoy the lightening rod games with umbrellas during the summer time.
Good ol junkets, love the Chamber for their ...... vision? Must be why we dumped them a long time ago.
Jaxson
September 28, 2009, 10:23:21 PMThe train station in Kansas City is worth looking around. I took the Amtrak to the KCMO area this past summer and hope that we can learn lessons from other cities and their passenger rail facilities. Our Amtrak station is currently a shed.
DavidWilliams
September 28, 2009, 10:33:09 PMBring back some good ideas on BBQ. Lord knows we need some more here.
buckethead
September 29, 2009, 08:31:02 AMTravelling can be fun.
stjr
September 30, 2009, 12:25:14 PMWhat is the real purpose of this trip? To learn lessons for Jax or to recruit business via the KC corporate community?
While the agenda reflects some substantive meetings, no doubt, I would be most disappointed in that this trip lacks much in the way of getting out into the city, its neighborhoods, and fabric for a real taste of how urban planning is working or not working. Also, conspicuous by its absence, are visits to parks, historic sites, and more cultural and educational institutions as well as conversations with "everyday people".
Two and half days on the ground in any major city is almost a waste of time and certainly not adequate to say you have truly "tasted" and learned from it. I would find this to be more frustrating than satisfying.
To be honest, given the KC individuals invited to meet and greet with the Jax visitors, I believe the trip is cleverly designed more to make connections for Jax business leaders, raise Jax's profile in another part of the country, and maybe recruit some of their business expansions to Jax, as opposed to really learning what is right in KC that could be duplicated here. I have no expectations that the average citizen in Jax will benefit from this trip unless its through the creation of a few more jobs because Hallmark Cards decided to expand here.
This is definitely a CHAMBER, not CITY oriented trip. I am not trying to be critical, just demanding "truth in advertising".
reednavy
September 30, 2009, 12:42:10 PMKansas City is a good city to partner with and make our name known. KC is a MAJOR transportation hub in all aspects, road, rail and air. They're a large logistics hub, jsut like us, so it makes some sense, IMO.
Traveller
September 30, 2009, 01:39:38 PMMaybe the mayor is trying to sell some tickets to the Nov. 8 game against the Chiefs.
Keith-N-Jax
September 30, 2009, 10:06:13 PMLOL,,funny Traveller.
thelakelander
September 30, 2009, 10:52:27 PMBtw, everyone wonders what will happen if the Jags one day leave Jacksonville. Well Kansas City has lost NBA and NHL franchises. Jax delegates may want to ask Kansas City's leaders about their experience.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City,_Missouri
stjr
September 30, 2009, 11:26:10 PMLost an NBA and NHL team? What a second class city! Not going to visit them anytime soon. Surprise the City is still there after all their residents left for first class cities with pro basketball and hockey. And, I bet most companies with all those jobs packed up and left. What executive would settle for this? No one survives losing top tier pro sports teams. I bet the sun doesn't rise there anymore. How could their residents hold their heads high knowing they didn't give up everything to keep these teams? Where are their priorities? Why would anyone from Jax want to visit this town? Yuck.
OK, just some sarcasm.
buckethead
October 01, 2009, 10:00:36 PMThat's a bit unfair, don't you think? Perhaps professional sports franchises weren't important to them. Maybe the city council could not justify capitulation to the insatiable desires of petulant franchises. I really think you should reconsider before bashing KC in such a manner.
stjr
October 01, 2009, 10:55:27 PMBuckethead, you win the "I don't get it" prize! I guess you didn't bother to read the rest of my post:
ProjectMaximus
October 01, 2009, 11:56:32 PMWhere are we going on our first MJ trip?
Keith-N-Jax
October 02, 2009, 12:00:18 AMWith out a doubt, a waste of Tax money. How many trips have they been on? Only come back and implement nothing. Too bad I've been to KC before or otherwise I would ask them to bring me back a shot glass and refrigerator magnet.
Keith-N-Jax
October 02, 2009, 12:01:09 AMSan Diego? Baltimore?
Lunican
October 02, 2009, 08:58:24 AMMetro Jacksonville has visited 30 cities so far this year alone: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/learning-from/
buckethead
October 02, 2009, 09:06:54 AMfsu813
October 09, 2009, 09:25:56 PMA decade ago, downtown Kansas City, Mo., was similar to many other large American cities č it had plenty of office buildings, but it had decayed over time and lacked life.
Nine years ago, the city’s business and political leadership devised a plan to make their downtown a shopping and entertainment destination. They also sought to coax businesses that had fled downtown to return and interest people to live there.
Today, Kansas City has the massive, nine-block, Kansas City Power and Light District, which is filled with restaurants and night clubs. It also has a downtown shopping district as well as loft apartments where 17,000 people live. It even houses an art museum that provides free admission.
All of that impressed about 100 Jacksonville professionals and business leaders who spent three days in Kansas City this week as part of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual leadership trip.
“They have been able to accomplish so much together in a relatively short period of time,” said Penny Thompson, Shands Jacksonville Vice President of Public Affairs. “It was an amazing trip.”
The city’s philanthropic track record is also very impressive, she said. The city’s Stowers Institute for Medical Research was funded by $2 billion in investments from a city couple, for example.
Many came away with an appreciation of how Kansas City’s focus on its downtown could work in Jacksonville.
“I think that is very much needed here in downtown Jacksonville,” said city General Counsel Rick Mullaney.
An integral part of downtown planning in Kansas City was the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, a CEO-led group that has worked since 1964 to focus on the city’s improvement, Mullaney said.
“I think they took a look at the dilapidated aspects of Kansas City, and they did undergo a very substantial investment,” he said.
That investment, all told, was about $4 billion č a mixture of private and public investment, including voter-approved bond issues, said Mayor John Peyton.
City Council Member Art Shad said Kansas City’s philanthropic firepower came from having large, wealthy corporations based in town č such as Hallmark and H&R Block. And that, he said, will lead to civic improvements in downtown Jacksonville.
“We need to do what we can to have corporate wealth in our town,” he said. “They really incentivized downtown development. There’s not a secret to it. I don’t know if our city has the desire to incentivize people to live downtown.”
Shad said Jacksonville has desires to improve, too, but those have to be followed by funds. The Kansas City Power and Light District, for example, cost $850 million, which was raised from hotel and rental car taxes, he said.
“We have great ideas. We don’t have $850 million,” he said. “They really put their money where their mouth is in Kansas City,” Shad said.
Peyton said Jacksonville may actually be closer to a renewed downtown than Kansas City was when their efforts began. Currently, about 3,000 people live in apartments and condominiums in downtown Jacksonville, and its river walks, library and City Hall are recently completed improvements, he said. And a new courthouse is under construction.
Peyton said the main concept that he came away with from the trip is Jacksonville’s need for an organization like the Kansas City’s influential Civic Council.
“The council studies and provides rationales for bold visions,” he said.
But members of the group stay in the background, doing all their work behind the scenes and shunning public attention, he said. And, he said, the civic council hired an architect who established the first vision for their city’s downtown transformation.
“Right now, they’re studying high-speed rail connectivity,” he said. “They’ve got long-term concerns about the water supply. They take on the very serious challenges. They act as a resource for elected officials.”
http://jacksonville.com/business/2009-10-09/story/kcs_downtown_provides_a_model_for_jacksonville_leadership_group
fsu813
October 11, 2009, 11:50:25 AMthe article sounds positive
brainstormer
October 11, 2009, 12:12:05 PMWe could create a Civic Council, but the problem would be the same as every other advisory board in Jacksonville. City leaders appoint their friends and buddies who think like they do and who won't have the guts to tell them their ideas suck. We never make any progress that way. A real Civic Council would include the founding fathers of MetroJacksonville, a few financial representatives from downtown banks, some small business owners and a number of people who already live downtown. Yep. That's right. Real residents and taxpayers of the urban core. Not the wealthy retired guys who live in Queen's Harbor or Ponte Vedra and certainly not career politicians.
I also like the idea of having an architect, not a politician, create a vision for downtown. Let the Civic Council tell the architect what they want, he works it into the plan for the urban core and then talk money. If the plan is brilliant enough, the private investors and taxpayers will quickly jump on board. Right now, there is no incentive and the vision sucks so we continue to build on cheap land in the suburbs.
stjr
October 11, 2009, 03:35:55 PMI think we agree on this Brainstormer. Let the USERS be involved in the solution, not just be hand-tied bystanders. Experts are seldom USERS, they are just facilitators working for who signs their paychecks. We know politicians and developers are motivated by their own interests over those of the USERS. Government employees may be well meaning, but they are controlled by overriding interests. So, no help there. Time to put the inmates in charge of the insane asylum!
thelakelander
October 11, 2009, 07:59:36 PMDid I miss the part where they learned about how these projects actually go together and promote walkability through urban pedestrian scale design? You can form all the civic councils you want, but your success will be limited if you can't embrace and understand the concept of urbanism.
thelakelander
October 11, 2009, 08:00:52 PMDid anyone have the opportunity to ride the BRT line? After all, its a carbon copy of what JTA wants to bring to town.
stjr
October 11, 2009, 10:01:42 PMLake, my favorite "planners" project was hearing, upon visiting one our newer Florida universities, that the initial campus was built without sidewalks. After a year or two, they came in and poured sidewalks wherever the students had worn a path in the grass. Now that is USER driven!
Lunican
October 16, 2009, 01:40:28 PMFull Article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=529332
thelakelander
October 16, 2009, 02:28:55 PMAny idea of if the city suffered when they lost two professional sports franchises? With the Jags situation the way it is, Jax might want to take a closer look at KC.
thelakelander
October 16, 2009, 02:30:27 PMNo word on KC's BRT. Is it safe to assume the Jax delegation did not take a ride on it? Must not be that impressive......
vicupstate
October 16, 2009, 03:41:55 PMMJ story idea;
call attendees and ask them the 2-3 ideas or concepts, that they took from KC.
Keith-N-Jax
October 16, 2009, 06:32:00 PMCome on guys you know this was just a vacation at taxpayers expense. How many other trips they've been on. Look downtown see any ideas they brought back?
vicupstate
October 16, 2009, 06:46:30 PMIf that is the case, then that would be obvious in their answers would it not?
Keith-N-Jax
October 16, 2009, 07:30:22 PMYep!
north miami
October 16, 2009, 07:58:29 PMThis effort should include interviewing Kansas City persons/current effort participants who have actually been to and engaged with "Jacksonville";specifically Duval county and Downtown.
Then ask;to both this participant audience and a broader Kansas City project participant audience:
How would you deal with a horrific episode like the loss of King Holzendorf IV and all that such an illuminating event implies??
thelakelander
August 08, 2010, 09:10:37 AMI'm currently in Kansas City to do some urban exploring for Metro Jacksonville. We'll visually answer the questions and concerns raised here that our Chamber did not. At this point, I can tell you that the KC Max BRT is a joke. My hotel is right on the line near Crown Center and even I didn't realize it. Other than an occasional modern bus shelter every half mile or so, you can't tell BRT runs on the street, so forget about this thing spurring TOD like rail. Unfortunately, the KC BRT model is what JTA wants to force on Jax's residents.
thelakelander
August 08, 2010, 09:17:35 AMBtw, comparing DTs isn't fair to KC. While this place is no South Beach, it's not DT Jax either. There is life and density here. Walking the streets in KC gives me an eery feeling of what DT Jax once felt like before the buildings came tumbling down.
danno
August 08, 2010, 10:47:53 AMLake
Be sure to stop by Arthur Bryants if you have a chance.
thelakelander
August 08, 2010, 01:51:45 PMI'm at Union Station right now. So far I've checked out DT, Crossroads Art District, Union Hill, City Market and the West Bottom loft district. What is Arthur Bryants?
danno
August 08, 2010, 02:05:50 PMhttp://www.arthurbryantsbbq.com/
IMHO, best BBQ in KC.
1727 Brooklyn Avenue, K.C., MO, 816-231-1123
They have 2 other locations now.
Legends at the Kansas Speedway
1702 Village West Parkway, K.C., KS, 913-788-7500
Ameristar Casino
3200 N. Ameristar Dr., K.C., MO, 816-414-7474
thelakelander
August 08, 2010, 02:11:01 PMthanks. I'll try them out for dinner.
thelakelander
August 08, 2010, 10:39:41 PMGood stuff. Those guys run that bbq joint like an assembly line. Btw, it appears that KC is trying to revitalize the old jazz district nearby. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to visit the Negro League musuem that anchors it.
buckethead
August 08, 2010, 10:50:25 PMTake camera (I did not)
thelakelander
August 08, 2010, 11:37:55 PMI took tons of shots of that area. Quite impressive indeed.
danno
August 09, 2010, 07:00:43 AMArthur Bryants is the best place in KC for Ribs. Glad you enjoyed it. The Negro Leauge Museum is worth a stop. shame you didn't have time.