Travel Like a Local in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City isn’t all Jazz and BBQ… But they’ve definitely got that covered!
We had the unique opportunity to take our caravan of misfits and creatives across the country from 2017-2019 to uncover the hidden gems of almost every state and territory in the USA, all through the eyes of the locals we met along the way. In the process, we fell in love again and again with the unique potential each of these communities have tapped. While we’re currently missing our travels, we want to share some of our favorite spots with you, in the hopes that you’ll be able to travel like a local and have a similar experience one day soon. Enjoy our locally inspired travel guide of Kansas City!
A Few Local Favorites from Kansas City
01
All Aboard
Dive off this Ship (it’s a dive bar).
02
Serious About Meat
A hundred ways to say “I BBQ.”
03
At the Crossroads
An artists’ community in flux.
04
All that Jazz
You’ll want to face the music here.
It’s not all jazz and BBQ in Kansas City! Missouri’s largest city has a world-class art institution in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and a moving tribute to African-American history in the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. It has the historic Spanish-style Country Club Plaza, the country’s first—and most elegant—shopping center, and the gorgeous, architecturally striking Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. But behind the monumental hotspots, we got the insider’s scoop on the real gems hidden in the gritty side streets and former industrial areas, and it’s hard to deny the pull of great live music erupting from every direction and delicious, tender, sauce-drenched smoked meat you’ll find along the way. To give you an insider’s look at the city, we asked the Kansas Citians what to do when you visit. Behold…
01
All Aboard
The city’s West Bottoms neighborhood, once home to cattle stockyards, sits where the Kansas and Missouri rivers meet. Fittingly, it’s now home to The Ship—a nautically-themed, Prohibition-era lounge turned artist-friendly dive bar with a history of being a bit rough around the edges and welcoming guests from all walks of life. This place is loaded with eye-candy, and this is also the spot where musicians come to jam together after their paid gigs, so you know it’s good.
Kansas City’s colorful nightlife was only partly suppressed by the 1919 law that outlawed alcohol. Instead, the “Paris of the Plains” embraced a laissez faire approach to both booze and nighttime revelry. Kansas City was known as one of “wettest” cities during the USA’s short-lived dry spell, and you can take a Prohibition Craft Cocktail Tour when you visit post-pandemic. Along the way, indulge in cocktails at former—and current—speakeasies, brothels, and houses of ill-repute. There are many.
02
Serious About Meat
Among the country’s great barbecue capitals, Kansas City’s meats are distinctive, revered, and a little controversial. “If you ask about BBQ, you’re gonna get a different opinion from each person in Kansas City,” we’re told. Everyone has a favorite style and spot, and they’re delighted to tell you about it. The historic home of the “King of Ribs,” Arthur Bryant’s has operated blocks from the old Municipal Stadium since 1958, drawing dignitaries and politicians to sit at its Formica tables and gnaw on a rack of pork ribs with Wonder Bread. Another Kansas City classic, since 1946, the family-owned Gates BBQ is just down Brooklyn Avenue. Gates’s standout, according to locals, is their burnt ends on a hoagie. Their secret? The meat’s chopped rather than cubed, for a more favorable sauce-to-meat ratio. Another reason to pay attention in Math, kids!
03
At the Crossroads
In the Crossroads Arts District, some 150 galleries and artist studios are shoulder-to-shoulder with stylish boutiques and hip restaurants in this walkable downtown neighborhood that was once home to factories and warehouses. Since 2016, when Kansas City’s new—and free—hop-on, hop-off KC Streetcar began running through the neighborhood, what was once a quiet, artsy, bohemian enclave has become a mainstream destination. A unique Crossroads institution, Y J’s Snack Bar grew a devoted following for its support of local musicians and artists and its giant “Third World Specials,” which are daily offerings inspired by the owner’s travels—like Mayan Tostadas and Fish in Banana Leaves. After being at the same location since 1927, Y J’s—short for “Young Johnny’s”—recently relocated a few blocks away to a larger, but equally eclectic, space. And while the original owner is poised for retirement, a new movement led by the artists he once supported is preparing to lead the next generation at YJ’s. Watch this space. The times they are a’changin’.
04
All That Jazz
The Blue Room, the in-house venue of the American Jazz Museum, takes its name from one of the most famous nightclubs in the historic 18th & Vine corridor. Locals love it for its impressive performances and walls adorned with memorabilia from the city’s proud musical history. In the Crossroads neighborhood, the Green Lady Lounge is another relative newcomer to the scene (spoiler: it’s completely red). But with vintage chandeliers, red drapes, and suit and tie-wearing waiters, this dolled up jazz joint feels straight out of the city’s golden age. For a less refined, but equally music-centric experience, locals rave about The Phoenix. A former speakeasy, this unpretentious spot has a wildly popular Friday night happy hour and a weekend jazz brunch perfect for curing you of the consequences of your previous night’s shenanigans.
