It's not a complex man, just the truth.  I don't have a complex about KC.  I love KC. But it's probably the most underrated or yes, unknown big city in the nation.

Sure, a lot of people know about the city.  It's a large enough city to have a lot of people go through it and residents that have lived here and moved on etc so it’s easy to find people around the country familiar with KC that have great things to say about it.

But to those that have never been to KC, which is still the vast majority of the country, I think those people are far more clueless about KC than say Seattle, San Diego, Charlotte, St Louis etc.

That's all I'm saying and since the sports teams have not done well for a while, I think that has also sort of kept KC off many people’s radar.

I don't think people have a bad image of KC.  It's just that there really is no image at all.  The KCCVB has even proven that by going to other cities and asking people what they think of KC for marketing reasons and it’s something I have always thought we could change by putting more effort into marketing the city outside of Omaha and Des Moines.

BBQ and Jazz?  Sure, but even those can many times be more associated with Memphis, New Orleans etc than KC and as far as Jazz, in 2009, KC really doesn't compare to Memphis or New Orleans.  We have lost that part of our history for the most part other than the museum.  We don't even have a decent jazz fest anymore.

KC is a great town though.  It's just in sort of a vacuum.  That's my opinion anyway.

I think just in the last 3-5 years has KC gotten some positive exposure and respect and most of that is due to our investment in Downtown.  Hopefully we can keep that positive momentum going and talk about bringing young people back to a vibrant urban core again rather than where the anti-developer mayor gets his blow jobs.

I think our image is much more complete and favorable compared to peer cities.

Our "peer" cities to people on the coast are Omaha, OKC, Tulsa, Wichita, Des Moines etc.

I think our peer cites are Denver, St Louis, Minneapolis etc. and we honestly don't compare well to those cities on a national scale.

I think we do.  But you will tend to get a much better response from somebody in Atlanta, Boston, LA etc about Denver or Minneapolis or St Louis than KC.

Again, this is not a slam, just my observations from traveling the country and I travel the country like there is no tomorrow.

It’s easy to find people that have been to or have ties to KC.  They are all over the place.  I’m talking about people that have never been here.

I consider our peer cities those with closer to our metro population...indy, cincy, etc. I do think we should compare ourselves to those larger metros to continue to grow...but I disagree that most of the us considers kc on the okc, omaha, etc levels. I haven't ever ran into that.

I have.

I think you are right, KC does compare well to Cincy or Indy, but if you ask me, we should blow those towns out of the water.

We are not as large as Denver or Minneapolis or St Louis, but we offer as much culture and entertainment options as those towns so I consider them peers and really, we are not even that much smaller.

A lot of it also has to do with geography.  Most people on the coasts don't realize how far east KC is.  They think KC is somewhere between Denver and Salina, somewhere in the great plains.  So we tend to get grouped with smaller cities that they also think are somewhere between Denver and Salina.

Our sports teams and the Performing Arts Center will be our ticket to exposure over the next decade.  Let's hope we land the MLB all star game and the PAC is able to get the exposure it will deserve which can be difficult for a Midwestern city like KC.  Being in the middle of the country just leaves KC in the dark for the most part.  Not a bad thing.  Just the way it is.

KC is a relatively unknown city to most of the population of the U.S..  I think that reflects on the limited education and awareness of that average American, rather than some lack on the part of Kansas City.

Grid, you are right that there is a big part of the population that equates us to Omaha, Des Moines, etc...

More than once, I have had coasters that have asked if KC is near Springfield, or St. Louis.  Turns out that they know of Springfield because of Brad Pitt.  'Nuff said.

haha, since when do people from the coast know about Salina?

since when should we care what people from the "coasts" know or think about kansas city?  i can think of no more futile, or pointless exercise. 

it's certainly interesting to discuss the complete ignorance that people have about kansas city (and omaha and okc and cincy and any number of cities in flyover country) but we could build 150 condo towers downtown and people from manhattan will still think kansas city is a backwater.  people in SF and NYC's eyes glaze over when you talk about any interior city other than maybe chicago.

I was thinking the same thing.  Who gives a shit?

OK....

I'm not saying I care.  I'm just saying that's the way it is.  KC is a city that few people know about or respect as a major city.

NYC?  Yea, ok.  I'm talking about freaking Louisville type places.  I had to work in Indy for about a month and even they sort of thought of KC as a smaller town with less to do than their own town when it's quite opposite.

PS, I don't have a complex, don't see any problem what so ever with marketing the cit when ever the city gets a chance to do so.  Such as an all star game or in stupid southwest airlines in-flight magazine.

Anyway...

I agree with chriz.  But what I do find fascinating is that its commonly stated that more French know more about KC jazz than there are KCians.  I think it's true as when I was there, many would bring up KC jazz when I'd say I live there.  They know Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, etc and details of the KC swing sound.  Not many native KCians do.

When I travel, I am surprised how many I run into have been to KC and have positive things to say.

All I meant was that a two-block stretch with UNO, Famous Dave's, Ted's etc. is not going to change the image of Kansas City. Things are changing, but the typical whitebread tourist will still see KC as dirty and somewhat scary for the most part when traveling through downtown and midtown.

Well a permit was filed friday for a remodel under the project "old chicago p&l" so I assume all the details were agreed upon with cordish to convert daves into OC

I consider that good news.  I mean, of course there COULD be a better tenant out there, but I think Old Chicago has a good chance of surviving in this space/environment much better than Famous Daves.

People think the same thing about KU on the msg boards.  It's funny when you go read UNC's board after the Final Four thrashing, and they're calling KU fans "farmers"...."living on corn fields" (dammit it's WHEAT in Kansas!)....."nothing cultural outside a basketball team".  As if Eastern Carolina is a Mecca of culture.


Most people in the nation think "U Kansas" is Wizard of Oz.  They don't know it's a 1/2 hour from a 2M person metro.  I haven't lost any sleep over it yet tho like GRID has.

I wonder how Flying Saucer feels about having another "giant beer selection" oriented tennant.  Not that there is any comparison in quality.  

It doesn't help with mainstream shows such as Heroes has a character from Lawrence, KS and then when they visit the character's home.... it's in the middle of a giant corn field. Pisses me off.

Keeping in mind I have only been to OC once, I like the "club" like feel of going to FS.  I like going up to the kiosk, printing my beers, having very knowledgeable bartenders, they always have something new etc etc.  They may have a pretty good selection at OC, but it's dual focus with their restaurant.  I don't know many people that go to FS for dinner.  They go for beer, and if you happen to be hungry they offer food.  I don't think the two will cross pollinate eachother.

Huh, cross pollinate....I need to start using that phrase more.

Well, Lawrence does have some farms. They also showed Lawrence as having a cool comic book store.

Did they show any of their multitude of birkenstock or organic food & clothing stores?