Kansas City, is a nice place to spend time. Known as KC to locals, the city has more boulevards than Paris and more fountains than anywhere outside Rome. Yet it’s reticent to blow its own trumpet.

Home to a little over half a million people, Kansas City is near the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers. It’s a large city with lovely neighborhoods and vibrant entertainment scene.

History of Kansas City

Kansas City was apparently discovered by French explorer Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont. He described the confluence of the rivers in a book, which led to the arrival of French fur traders and Spanish taxes.

The Louisiana Purchase collected the region and Lewis and Clark noted the area would make a good place for a fort. It wasn’t until 1831 and the arrival of Mormon settlers that the area was permanently settled.

The arrival of John McCoy and his ferry at Westport Landing and more settlers and traders caused the founding of the town of Kansas in 1850. To be renamed as Kansas City in 1853.

From that time, the city grew at a moderate pace diversifying its economy and using the rivers to great effect. The city underwent over $6 billion in redevelopment in the early part of the 21^st century, to push the city forwards into the future.

Transport in Kansas City

Kansas City is an easy city to navigate thanks to wide open streets and plentiful transport links.

Arrive by air into Kansas City International Airport (MCI) a few miles north of the city. There are bus and road links from the airport Downtown that run daily.

Amtrak run services into Union Station including the Southwest Chief and Missouri River Runner. Local rail is non-existent but there is a street car in the center.

Buses are run by Greyhound for long distance and Ride KC for commuter and local traffic. The MAX (Metro Area eXpress) also runs local bus lines.

Road is still the main way to get around, with I-29, I-35, I-49, I-70, I-435, I-275 all running close to the city.

Major employers in Kansas City

Major employers in Kansas City include American Century Investments, Andrews McMeel Universal, Applebee’s, Barkley Inc., Bernstein-Rein, Black & Veatch’s Global Water Business, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, BNIM, Boulevard Brewing Company, Cerner, Children International, Commerce Bancshares, Copaken, White & Blitt, Evergy, formerly Great Plains Energy, Freightquote.com, T-Mobile, Garney Holding Company, Hallmark Cards, H&R Block, HNTB, Hostess Brands, J.E. Dunn Construction Group, Kansas City Southern Railway, Lockton Companies, MANICA Architecture, Novastar Financial, Populous, Russell Stover Candies, Smith Electric Vehicles, UMB Financial Corporation, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Walton Construction.

Neighborhoods of Kansas City

Neighborhoods of Kansas City include 18th and Vine, Beacon Hill-McFeders, Columbus Park, Crossroads, Hospital Hill, Library District, Longfellow/Dutch Hill, Quality Hill, River Market, Union Hill, West Side, East Side, Ashland Ridge, Blue Hills, Blue Valley, Boulevard Village, Brown Estates, Country Valley-Hawthorne Square, Cunningham Ridge, Dunbar, East 23rd Street P.A.C., Eastwood Hills, Glen Lake, Glen Oaks, Ingleside, Ivanhoe, Key Coalition, Knoches Park, Leeds, Mount Cleveland, Oak Park, Palestine, Parkview, Riss Lake, Santa Fe, Sheraton Estates, Stayton Meadows, Sterling Acres, Sterling Gardens, Vineyard, Vineyard Estates, Washington-Wheatley, Wendell Phillips and Midtown-Westport.

Popular attractions in Kansas City

Popular attractions in Kansas City include the National World War 1 Museum, Worlds of Fun, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Kansas City Zoo, Country Club Plaza, American Jazz Museum, Nelson Atkins Museum, The College Basketball Experience, The Arabia Steamboat Museum, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, The Kansas City Public Library, the Kauffman Stadium, Crown Center, Kauffman Centre for the Performing Arts, Loose Park, Kansas City Speedway, Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Independence Temple.