Can someone comment on this neighborhood for me? (2024)

I am trying to do as much legwork as possible to come up with a list of houses for rent to look at and make a decision on for when I move at the end of Feb. One that looks really promising is in what the owner says is "inner city" but a good neighborhood, and previous tenants have had zero problems with. An aquaintance who lives in KC, though, says "absolutely not, that is the hood, your car will get broken into everyday, terrible place to be, avoid avoid!"

I take this sort of thing with a grain of salt because, well, frankly a lot of people... um... judge too much on outward appearances, let's say. I've lived in some shady-looking neighborhoods before that are perfectly fine with great neighbors. At the same time, I don't want to be in fear of my life or be having vehicles trashed. It does have an attached 1-stall garage.

Anyway, the house I'm looking at is on Norton, just east of Cleveland Ave and north of Brush Creek Blvd. What do you think? Scary, or OK? Thanks in advance!

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honestly, i wouldn't live there either. you might be able to live there without much problem, but that really is in "the hood." it's not the worst part of kcmo but still...

i remember you posting on here a while back about moving here...and we told you very specific boundaries! follow them!

i remember you posting on here a while back about moving here...and we told you very specific boundaries! follow them!

Having two dogs limits my options quite a bit, and trying to "shop" from 5 states away makes things tough, too. I appreciate the help. Unfortunately, short of taking a week off and coming down there to stay in a hotel and pound the pavement, I'm not sure what else to do. What are good resources for finding a rental HOUSE? I am using Craigslist, but are there other places I should be looking? All help is appreciated.

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I would agree with the sentiminet to avoid that neighborhood.
However, there are some other areas that many people would call "ghetto" but aren't really that bad- such as parts of the Northeast and Midtown. I lived in one such area for several years- never had any problems and got a nice place for dirt cheap.

kc.backpage.com is another place to check out for online classifieds.

Try www.rentclicks.com

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I'd suggest checking out Rosedale (in KCK) or NE JoCo as well. Both close to DT and midtown. Both with lots of fairly nice rental stock. Zip codes of interest would be 66205 or 66103.

Also the city of North Kansas City, which is right across the river from DT (you can see DT from there). Zip code 64116. Older housing stock with a walkable downtown.

That part of midtown isn't bad. It's not super great, but I don't know if I would really call it ghetto, just kind of economically challenged; get up maybe 20 blocks north of there, then you're talking about some pretty serious nastiness.

If that's where I'm thinking it is, it's right by the (fairly) new H&R Block call center and that nice big park surrounding Brush Creek. I would live there, but I don't know if I would buy there.

mean wrote:That part of midtown isn't bad. It's not super great, but I don't know if I would really call it ghetto, just kind of economically challenged; get up maybe 20 blocks north of there, then you're talking about some pretty serious nastiness.

If that's where I'm thinking it is, it's right by the (fairly) new H&R Block call center and that nice big park surrounding Brush Creek. I would live there, but I don't know if I would buy there.

Yes, I'd call this a bright spot in the neighborhood. With the new shopping center, H&R Block Service Center and Swope Community Health all being right next to that spot, you've got some nice activity and an area that looks like it is on the upswing. I haven't spent a lot of time in the neighborhood at night but when I have passed through, it seems pretty quiet. Like mean said, it is around 39th when it starts to get sketchy.

I'd probably live there AND buy there, if I was interested in a much longer term investment.

the specific area where Chiro is looking is bad news. the apartment complex(es) near Brush Creek and Cleveland are a hive of crime and drugs. hell, they've been on COPS for shootings -- twice. the H+R Block Call Center and new shopping center near there are fine and are a great addition to the area, but anyone who has ever lived near there (e.g. some relatives of one of my best friends) will tell you it's bad news.

i think that b/c Blue Pkwy is relatively shiny and is the road by which Lees Summit and Raytown people enter and leave the city, people assume the 'hoods around there are fine as well. and sure, they're livable, it's not like Cabrini-Green in 1993 or anything, but the happy face some people are putting on that area is laughable. as with any area, that 'hood is mostly good, working-class folks, but there are enough morons in the area to ruin it.

further, aside from whether Brush @ Cleveland is "ghetto" or not, there is ZERO question that Chiro could get a MUCH better place, in a MUCH more entertaining neighborhood for a great price.

chrizow wrote:the specific area where Chiro is looking is bad news. the apartment complex(es) near Brush Creek and Cleveland are a hive of crime and drugs. hell, they've been on COPS for shootings -- twice. the H+R Block Call Center and new shopping center near there are fine and are a great addition to the area, but anyone who has ever lived near there (e.g. some relatives of one of my best friends) will tell you it's bad news.

Kansas City hasn't been on COPS since the 90s. When did your peeps live there?

Of course, many people reject and view with disdain any part of midtown that isn't Valentine or whatever. That's fine, but I'm glad not everybody has that attitude, or certain areas would never improve. This is not a terrible part of town. It's getting better. I can only imagine what W. 39th or the Crossroads would be like today if everybody took the attitude that they should just move to the plaza because it's a MUCH better place in a MUCH more entertaining neighborhood, instead of helping make places much better and more entertaining themselves.

mean wrote:Kansas City hasn't been on COPS since the 90s. When did your peeps live there?

Of course, many people reject and view with disdain any part of midtown that isn't Valentine or whatever. That's fine, but I'm glad not everybody has that attitude, or certain areas would never improve. This is not a terrible part of town. It's getting better. I can only imagine what W. 39th or the Crossroads would be like today if everybody took the attitude that they should just move to the plaza because it's a MUCH better place in a MUCH more entertaining neighborhood, instead of helping make places much better and more entertaining themselves.

Chiro asked if the neighborhood is shady - and, guess what, it is. if he wants to be an urban pioneer and help lift the area up, he should do so and i would applaud that. from his posts, it sounds like this area would be a bit too edgy for him.

i understand that some people seek out depressed or up-and-coming areas to live in, but most people (and i think Chiro) do not really want to. there's nothing wrong with that - different strokes. hell, if he wants to lift up a depressed neighborhood, he can find ones much closer to Cleveland Chiro College, which is the reason he's coming here.

not everyone wants to lead the charge into "revitalizing" poverty-stricken neighborhoods, nor should they have to. luckily, kansas city is big enough and un-gentrified enough to accomodate all tastes and budgets. people dont have to throw themselves on the sword and rent at 31st and Benton or 8th and Hardesty to be good citizens.

The neighborhood being discussed is neither of the places you mentioned, and your hyperbole is not really helpful. Certainly I'm not advocating forcing anyone to move anywhere. Never did I say one should have to do anything. Different strokes, fine. Where did I imply anything differently?

I just think the hype about this area, and the fact that every other person until my post said, "stay away!" is silly and overreactive. It's not that bad. I would live there no problem, and I offered advice that reflects that.

i didn't use hyperbole. while i'm no expert on the area from personal experience, i am familiar with people that are. my buddy's grandparents live about a block west of Cleveland near Brush and all kinds of sh*t went down on their block - monthly shootings, rampant property crime, etc. the same buddy's uncle lived (until he died last year) on the other side of Blue Pkwy off Cleveland and had his house broken into twice and he was hit by a stray bullet while working on his car out in the driveway. it's laudable and admirable that you and others are willing to invest in depressed communities but there really isn't any reason for Chiro to rent a house in a questionable area when he can be much closer to school and be in a much safer area. this isn't a controversial idea.

but sure, different strokes. believe me, i think it's admirable that persons like yourself have invested in neighborhoods a lot of people wouldn't consider living in.