Brookside’s Natural Juice Shop

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Mary Hutchison

Simple Science Juices in Brookside

Simple Science Juices opened in Brookside last July…and I just discovered it a month or so ago! I think this spot hosted a custom tee shirt shop many months ago. Natural, organic juice shops are as hot as craft breweries in Kansas City—now our Brookside core shopping strip has one.

This is the third location for Simple Science Juices; the other two are in the Crossroads district and Overland Park. You may have seen their products sold at the Farmers Markets in Brookside and OP. These cold pressed juices (8 oz and 16 oz) are created at an Overland Park kitchen, made fresh each day. All are gluten, soy and dairy free. The stores also feature smoothies, cold coffee beverages, paleo bites, and some salads and entrees: pad thai, salmon and quinoa, roasted veggie salad (a best seller) plus bars and snacks. I tried the 8 oz ($5) Fiber dragon fruit smoothie, and it was delicious. Complete descriptions of all items are found on the website.

Simple Science Juices was founded by Steve Spangler, who had a soccer career with Sporting Kansas City. He was fighting several ailments through traditional medications that were only treating symptoms, not the cause of his problems. A change in lifestyle that included drinking cold pressed juices, enabled him to eliminate meds and become much healthier, as he focused on natural foods and vitamins for his body. One phrase printed on their marketing materials emphasizes this change: “Let food be thy medicine, let medicine by thy food”.

Simple Science Juices is open at 112 W 63^rd St Monday through Saturday from 7am-7pm and Sunday from 10am-6pm. There is seating in the shop and parking in back and on the street. Simple Science Juices also offers home delivery of their products through a subscription service.

Red Door Grill Open Now in Brookside

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Mary Hutchison

Brookside welcomes another locally owned restaurant…the Red Door Woodfired Grill opened in the former Blue Grotto location on December 29—the exact address is 6324 Brookside Plaza, next door to the Brooksider. I haven’t eaten there (yet!) –but did stop by to take a look at the space and menu.

If you’ve been to the Leawood location, you will recognize the menu at the Brookside spot. Specialties include jalapeno dipped fried chicken (served on Thursdays), whiskey soaked prime rib (Sunday’s special), plus meatloaf (owner’s recipe) and wood fired wings (with ancho chili rub, baked, then grilled). McGonigles created a special blend of meat for the burgers ($5 on Mondays). No frozen meat or heat lamps here, proclaims a blurb on the menu, and the wood used under the grill is pecan, oak and hickory.

There is a large bar with TVs in all sight lines; plenty of booths and a spacious upstairs seating area. The menu includes several modestly priced sides and appetizers, so if you don’t want a full meal, you can graze and share several different foods. The hummus and salad dressings are made on site!! Of course there are several specialty cocktails ($8+), plenty of beer and wine options. You can order take out—or rent the place for a special event. Happy hour is a full three hours (4-7) Monday through Friday and late night from 10pm-midnight.

Red Door Woodfired Grill is open seven days a week now in Brookside! Reservations are accepted.

rd-bar

Armour Hills 2016 Home Sales Recap

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Mary Hutchison

It’s that time to look at 2016 home sales stats for Armour Hills in Brookside. Overall, prices are up! Let’s look at the December 2016 sales, and then move on to a 2016 recap.

Dec 2016:

Median list price: $277,500

Median sales price: $281,500

Number of homes sold: 8

Days on market: 42

Dec 2015:

Median list price: $296,000

Median sales price: $298,000

Number of homes sold: 7

Days on market: 28

Although median price was lower than last year, three of the eight homes that closed were sold at or over list price.

Now let’s look at the year 2016, as compared to previous years.:

2016

Median list price: $275,000

Median sales price: $274,500

Number of homes sold: 89

Days on market: 29

The lowest sales price was $176,000; highest was $499,000.

2015

Median list price: $269,700

Median sales price: $266,750

Number of homes sold: 80

Days on market: 33

Median prices are up 2.9% over 2015, and sellers are virtually getting their asking price. More homes sold in 2016, and in a bit shorter period of time.

For reference, 2013 median sales price was $249,500 and in 2014, it was $236,500. Sales prices up 10% since 2013! That is reassuring to sellers as they are building equity; buyers can feel comfortable purchasing in a neighborhood gaining value.

As of this posting, there are just three homes for sale in Armour Hills, with a median list price of $315,000 and 16 days on market.

(All figures taken from Heartland MLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed)

KC Restaurant Week Jan 13-22, 2017

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Mary Hutchison

registerheader-h1 During the holidays, you can stuff yourself with tasty home cooked meals and special treats. Now it’s January…and time to eat more during KC Restaurant Week!

KC Restaurant Week is a benefit for three local organizations: Boys Grow, Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired and Cultivate Kansas City. Participating restaurants donate a portion of money collected from each meal to these groups. Each eatery offers a special lunch ($15) and dinner ($33) during the ten day event. This is the best way to try new restaurants in all parts of the metro area. Just scrolling through the website, looking at all the artfully plated food will stir up cravings!

Reservations are highly recommended through Open Table. This year, 143 restaurants are participating. I’ve listed the Brookside/Waldo restaurants below:

Avenues Bistro

Charlie Hooper’s Bar and Grille

Michael Forbes Bar and Grille

Waldo Pizza

The Well

Thank you for supporting locally owned businesses during KC Restaurant Week!

JFS Opens 2cd Location in Brookside East

Posted on January 4, 2017 by Mary Hutchison

Happy New Year and welcome 2017! What changes will the new year bring for our Brookside/Waldo neighborhood? Last year I wrote several posts about the emerging Brookside East corridor along E 63rd St. And the first blog of 2017 will to tell you about a non profit opening in this hip small business area. Jewish Family Services, or JFS, is expanding its services to Brookside East, scheduled to open January 17 at 425 E 63rd St.

JFS actually started as a support system for immigrants 115 years ago. You may be familiar with their main building at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, and they also started Menorah Hospital. They chose Brookside East as a second location to deliver better access to clients who live in this area and rely on bus transportation. This building also allows for a much larger food pantry and extra space for growth.

JFS is a non profit , United Way organization, funded by donations and grants. They offer several important services for the area: a food pantry, mental health counseling, chaplaincy, career services, emergency shelter referrals and assistance for older adults. Their mission is to support and strengthen lives throughout greater Kansas City regardless of faith, age, culture and lifestyle..so all are welcome. (They also welcome volunteers!)

A unique aspect of this new location will be the artwork. Over 52 works of art have been donated by Rita Blitt, who designed the memorial for the Hyatt Regency skywalk collapse. Rita will have several paintings and one sculpture in the building.

JFS-Brookside East will have regular business hours of 8am-5pm Monday through Friday; the emergency hotline number 816 333 1172. They are planning a Grand Opening for the community after the building is open and the staff is settled in.

Brookside Home Sales Report-Nov 2016

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Mary Hutchison

As we come to a close on a very active real estate market for Brookside…prices are continuing to rise as demand is still strong, particularly in the $400K and less price range. Here is the single family home sales report for Brookside (zip code 64113) for November 2016, and comparisons to last year:

November 2016

Median list price: $350,000

Median sales price: $349,000

Average days on market: 35

Number of homes sold: 25

(Lowest sales price was $202,000; highest sales price was $750,000).

You can see that sellers are getting virtually the asking price during contract negotiations. Thirteen of the homes that closed last month were at or above asking price.

November 2015

Median list price: $315,000

Median sales price: $312,000

Average days on market: 39

Number of homes sold: 19

Compared to November 2015, prices are up 11.68%. Part of that increase is due to lack of inventory–very often sellers will have multiple offers on homes that are updated and well maintained.

Now let’s check year to date figures:

2016, January to November

Median list price: $357,700

Median sales price: $352,500

303 homes sold; average 35 days on market.

2015, January to November

Median list price: $330,000

Median sales price: $325,000

315 homes sold; average 39 days on market

Home prices in Brookside are up 8.46% YTD.

Currently there are 37 active single family listings in the Brookside zip code of 64113. Just seven of those homes are priced at $400K or less. Ten homes are listed at $998,000 through $2,400,000.

(All information taken from Heartland MLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)

BKS Artisan Ales Plans Early 2017 Opening in Brookside East

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Mary Hutchison

You’ve heard the rumors….here’s what we know so far about yet another locally owned business coming to Brookside East. It’s BKS Artisan Ales. I recently spoke with Brian Rooney about his plans.

Brian has been a home brewer for several years. He’s won awards for his beer in a few competitions and decided to “take the hobby a little bit further” by opening to the public. He wanted to stay in his neighborhood of Brookside, and rented space from Butch Rigby at 633 E 63^rd St. (This building is also home for Farm Dog Studios, Amina Marie Millinery and Golden and Pine). Brian owns the business along with his wife Mary and a few silent investors.

This brewery will be different than many of the craft brew places that have opened up the past few years. Brian explained BKS Artisan Ales will be open from noon – 5 on Saturdays, with a possible expansion to Sundays after getting established in the space. There will be eight taps and his bottled beer for sale. No food service—however, visitors are welcome to bring in their own eats to enjoy while sampling the beers.

One of the reasons Brian decided to open his own place was to offer some interesting brews you can’t find elsewhere. He will not brew the same beers over and over—what’s offered will be constantly changing. He has a passion for brewing, and explained he’s not “money driven” with this new business—he’s doing it to give people “a different experience” . There will be two sides to the space: the beer production side and the tasting room with approximately fifty seats.

The space build-out is on track to be completed by this month. Outside, there’s progress: the patio was recently poured and a garage door with awning and fencing has been installed. BKS Artisan Ales plans to open in February or March of next year.

Of course, once the business is open and running….I’ll let you know through the blog. Brookside East is the hot new area for businesses in our neighborhood–special thanks to Butch Rigby for making it happen and encouraging entrepreneurship in Brookside!

Annual Kristkindl Markt in Brookside This Weekend

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Mary Hutchison

Don’t you enjoy all the annual holiday themed events that happen each year? These are the friendly and festive happenings that never get tiresome: driving past the Plaza and Crown Center light displays; seeing Santa at the mall; picking out a tree and stopping for hot chocolate on the way home. Am I getting too nostalgic??

market This weekend, Dec 2 and 3, 2016 is the 34th annual Kristkindl Markt at the Country Club Congregational Church in Armour Hills, 205 W 65th St. This is a free, family centered event that draws big crowds to the neighborhood. There’s a Biergarten with German food and live music; homemade cookies for sale, the ever-popular Gingerbread House making for kids and several vendors selling crafts and gifts.

Hours are 5-9pm Friday and 10-7pm on Saturday. The narrow streets around the church will be crowded with cars, pedestrians and traffic–best to park several blocks away and walk to the church. Another Brookside holiday tradition–all are welcome!

Shop Brookside/Waldo on Small Business Saturday!

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Mary Hutchison

Forget shopping on Black Friday in a crowded mall with indifferent store staffers…..come to Brookside/Waldo and shop locally owned businesses! Your money stays in the community…and you will find unique gifts for everyone !

And if you are headed into Brookside…be sure to make time to explore the new shops in Brookside East: HAMILTON, Season + Square, Golden and Pine, Farm Dog Studios.

Local restaurants and cafes will be ready for you with nourishment and beverages when you need a break!

Finally, on Small Business Saturday, American Express card holders can take advantage of special offers.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and thank you for supporting our locally owned Brookside/Waldo businesses!

HAMILTON (the shop!) Now Open in Brookside East

Posted on November 15, 2016 by Mary Hutchison

Yet another new boutique has opened in Brookside East…just in time for holiday shopping!

Katy Hamilton, owner of Shopgirls at 6245 Brookside Plaza , opened HAMILTON last month at 6215 Oak Street, just south of Plate and Season + Square. It’s a cozy and welcoming space, perfect for browsing and checking out items you’ll want to buy for yourself and others.

The tagline “neighborhood style for all” reflects Katy’s products: she features men’s and women’s clothes from local designers, Charlie Hustle tee shirts, locally made jewelry (including unique necklaces with letter charms from the KC Star printing presses), Kansas City skyline socks, candles with surprising scents and other uncommon items. At stores like this, it’s always interesting to see how the owner has made the space unique: Katy used discarded pallets from Sutherlands to build the dressing rooms, hung stain glass windows from her first Brookside home and is replacing a section of missing hardwood floor with pennies. It’s a very unique, stylish, and comfortable shop.

Besides selling these products, Katy is giving back to the Brookside neighborhood she loves so much by hosting special events for the public. Her boyfriend Adam Galblum is a jazz musician with the band Hot Club KC, so she’s planning micro-concerts, DIY workshops on how to make jewelry and spa items plus special Thursday evening local maker trunk shows. Later on, Katy wants to debut her own exclusive clothing line.

Stop in and welcome HAMILTON to Brookside! Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10am-6pm at 6125 Oak St. Follow the shop on social media to keep up with special events: Facebook/hamiltonkcmo; Twitter/hamiltonkcmo and Instagram/hamilton.kcmo.

Inside Brookside (And Waldo)

What's Happening In Brookside and Waldo (Kansas City, Missouri)

Category Archives: Brookside Community News