What we loved: Pryde's Old Westport, a city landmark that sells kitchen gadgets, utensils and homemade pies. The ghostly diorama at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
Talk about a split personality. On the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro area, you get big houses, terrific schools, kid-friendly streets and enough soccer fields to smother Rhode Island. On the Missouri side, including the city proper, you'll find world-class museums, a booming arts district, historic buildings and a $3-billion downtown renewal. Even the local passion for ribs splits down the middle: You're either a fan of Gates Bar-B-Q or Arthur Bryant's.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Slide Show of the Top Ten |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | Affordable Homes in Our Top Ten |
| Row 2 - Cell 0 | Top 50 Smart Places |
| Row 3 - Cell 0 | Find Your Own Best City |
Kansas City offers something for everyone, at prices that coast-dwellers can only dream of. Young families often seek out Overland Park, Kan., a sprawling suburb where kids walk to school, bike in packs and generally rule the neighborhood. There, a four-bedroom house in a subdivision with a pool starts at about $250,000.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Young professionals and empty nesters gravitate to downtown lofts near the city's jazz clubs and hotels; those spaces start at about $150,000 and run into the millions. In Brookside, on the Missouri side, buyers can score a stately house on a tree-shaded street for less than $300,000.
Kansas City has its drawbacks on either side of the line, including low achievement-test scores in the city's Missouri schools and a flava-free atmosphere in some of the Kansas 'burbs. But states that otherwise compete with each other like rival high schools both take pride in the first-class collection at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the juicy steaks at the Plaza III, and the wide boulevards, ubiquitous fountains, tangy barbecue, raspy blues and smoky jazz that add up to greatness in this larger-than-life city.
-- Jane Bennett Clark
-
Nasdaq Sinks 418 Points as Tech Chills: Stock Market TodayInvestors, traders and speculators are growing cooler to the AI revolution as winter approaches.
-
23 Last-Minute Gifts That Still Arrive Before ChristmasScrambling to cross those last few names off your list? Here are 23 last-minute gifts that you can still get in time for Christmas.
-
The Rule of Compounding: Why Time Is an Investor's Best FriendDescribed as both a "miracle" and a "wonder," compound interest is simply a function of time.
-
How to Search For Foreclosures Near You: Best Websites for ListingsMaking Your Money Last Searching for a foreclosed home? These top-rated foreclosure websites — including free, paid and government options — can help you find listings near you.
-
Luxury Home Prices Rise as the Rich Dodge High Mortgage RatesLuxury home prices rose 9% to the highest third-quarter level on record, Redfin reports, growing nearly three times faster than non-luxury prices.
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnbreal estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
-
Five Ways to Shop for a Low Mortgage RateBecoming a Homeowner Mortgage rates are high this year, but you can still find an affordable loan with these tips.
-
Looking to Relocate? Plan for Climate Changebuying a home Extreme weather events are on the rise. If you’re moving, make sure your new home is protected from climate change disasters.
-
Retirees, A Healthy Condo Has a Flush Reserve FundSmart Buying Reserve funds for a third of homeowner and condo associations have insufficient cash, experts say. Here are some cautionary steps you should take.
-
Cash Home Buyers: New Services Offer Help Making All-Cash OffersBecoming a Homeowner Some firms help home buyers make all-cash offers on homes. Weigh the fees before you sign on.
-
Home Sale Prices in the 50 Largest Metro AreasBecoming a Homeowner What’s happening in the market where you live?
