Another sure sign of Spring…the Brookside Art Fair! This is the 26th year for the fair, located at 63rd St and Brookside Boulevard. Remember to park on the side streets and organizers ask that you do not bring pets into the art tents.
Friday April 29: 5-9pm
Saturday April 30: 10am-9pm
Sunday May 1: 11am-5pm
Children’s activities happen Saturday and Sunday afternoon; local restaurants will operate food booths.
See you there!
A neighbor was telling me this week that someone tried to steal the car from her driveway–the alarm went off, and another neighbor watched the suspect run down the street. Another resident not so lucky–his white SUV, parked on the street, had all four wheels stolen. The car was left propped up on blocks. My good friend Alex Greenwood recently posted tips from a security company on how to protect your home from would-be thieves..these events inspiring today’s blog post.
1) Use a kickbar on your doors. The KCMO police recommend this device. It’s easy for burglars to kick in doors–especially in the back of a house. Using a kickbar should prevent the door from opening.
2) Use sound. If your home is unoccupied during the day, leave a radio on loud enough for someone to hear it from outside. Thinking someone is home, your house may be left alone when thieves are casing the neighborhood.
3) Lights on at night. Not just porch lights–leave a light on in the kitchen, on the upper floor, in a first floor office. It will appear that someone is awake and up late in the home.
4) Leaving for a few days? Use timers on your lights, notify neighbors, have someone pick up mail and papers left in front.
5) Don’t broadcast the fact that you are out of town via social media websites. You never know when that information can slip into the wrong hands–and you come home to a burglarized home.
If you live in Kansas City MO, a crime prevention police officer will come to your home and offer additional safety information specific to your residence. There are additional tips online at the KCMO police department website. I also subscribe to crimereports.com. This site shows you where crime is happening in your neighborhood, what type of crime it is, and when it occured.
As a real estate agent, I’m often asked “Is this area safe?”. I always answer “crime is everywhere” — individuals must be proactive to prevent becoming a victim. Crime increases as the weather gets warmer– now is the time to take a look at your home and take action!
A friend’s post on Facebook inspired this blog post (thank you Tyler!)…he wanted to know about bicycle groups in the Brookside/Waldo area. Despite the fact that I’m writing this post with SNOW on the ground at the end of March…it will get warm/stay warm soon. If you are thinking of joining a bike group in Brookside, here’s what I’ve found:
Family Bicycles at 7410 Wornall hosts two bike rides every week. On Monday nights, the group leaves at 6:30 from the store parking lot. This is a slow paced, family ride, lasting about an hour. For a faster pace, join the ABC training ride–it leaves at the same time, goes at a faster pace, and covers about 14 miles. Both rides start April 4.
The Spin pizza restaurant at 4950 Main St also sponsers rides on Wednesday nights at 6:30. They have two rides, a 13 and 30 mile ride. Meet at the restaurant–these rides will start up again in mid May.
I also found some information on the Kansas City Bike Club website. Every Monday at 9am, meet at the Roasterie in Brookside for a ride to Dean and Deluca and back–about 30 miles. On Thursday evenings, another group leaves from Charlie Hoopers for a 17-20 mile ride.
Thanks for reading my blog–pass the word through Facebook / Twitter if you’ve found this information useful. Reach me at mary.hutchison@prukc.com
Inside Brookside (And Waldo) 