Category Archives: Uncategorized

Tree Planting Project in Armour Hills

Posted on by
Reply

Fellow Armour Hills residents…and Brooksiders who enjoy our neighborhood–I wanted to write this short blog with an update on the tree planting and pruning project for our subdivision.

Armour Hills in Brookside

Armour Hills in Brookside

The $90,000 in PIAC funds we secured (thanks to Armour Hills board member Gunnar Hand), along with an additional $45,000 from the city of Kansas City MO (thank you City Forester Kevin LaPointe) will be used to kickstart this project.   KCMO will prune all trees (NOT those on private property) starting from the north side of Gregory Blvd into Armour Hills as far as the budgeted money will allow.  The City Forester will also work with our contractor Greg VanBooven to prune the smaller, juvenile trees at the same time.

Planting of new trees will bring in the spring of 2013, starting on the south side of 65th St, moving south until the funds are gone. This part of the plan will include a new tree in Arbor Villa Park along the Edgevale Road boundary close to the playground.

Note if there is a tree planted on the easement in front of your house, we will ask you to maintain the tree once it is planted by watering frequently so it can get established in it’s new home.

Watch for more information on the project in the Armour Hills Clarion and on our Facebook and website pages.  Special thanks to board member Gunnar Hand for securing public funds for this project!

Donate Used Cellphones/Food Drive at Boozefish

Posted on by
Reply

My friend and client Maija owns and operates Boozefish Wine Bar in Westport–a casual, friendly, welcoming bar (also serving food) at 1511 Westport Road.  Maija also makes a point to give back to the community that supports her small business–by collecting donations for two community service organizations in KC.

Neighbor 2Neighbor provides meals and other daily needs to the homeless and nearly homeless in the Westport area.  Boxed and canned food donations are always needed.

Hope House provides shelter and other services for victims of domestic violence.  They can utilize used cell phones for those women who use their services.

If you get a new cell phone as a gift–or plan on giving one–don’t just toss the old one in the trash.  It’s easy to recycle through Hope House!  And at the next grocery store run–spend an extra $10 or so to pick up some food for Neighbor2Neighbor.  You can drop off the old cellphones and food items at Boozefish during November and December any Tuesday through Saturday evening.  Maija will get your donation to the charities.

So many people  get together over the holidays to have a drink, celebrate the season, catch up with old friends.  Boozefish is a great bar for these occasions, offering a large wine selection, tasty food and a comfortable atmosphere where you can have a conversation without shouting!  Think of Boozefish when looking for a place to meet for the evening–and bring in your used cellphones and  some food items to help those less fortunate.

Home for Sale in Armour Hills

Posted on by
Reply

21 W 66th St in Armour Hills

I just listed this home in Armour Hills and…it’s a real bargain!  Located at 21 W 66 St, this is a wonderful block of tight-knit neighbors that host a couple of block parties each year and look out for one another.  Many of them have lived on the street for decades.

This is one of the smaller homes on the block, it’s a two-story home about 1500 square feet.  The current owner has made many improvements:  a new concrete porch and walkway, new windows, updates in the bathrooms, freshly painted interior and updated electrical work.

Dining room with original
built-ins

The first floor features a large living room with fireplace; dining room with the original built-in cabinets, and a kitchen with half bath.  Upstairs there are three bedrooms (one is non-conforming); a full and a half bath, and several closets.  There are hardwood floors on both levels; a private driveway, and a stone foundation.

Bedroom

One of the best features of this house is the location:  just steps away from Arbor Villa Park (a tennis court, playground and kiddie pool), the Brookside shops and grocery, and the Trolley Track Trail.

Priced at $164,900…this home is sure to sell fast!  Contact me for more information.

Brookside Home Sales Stats October 2012

Posted on by
Reply

Brookside home values continue to climb over last year–good news for sellers AND buyers.  Sellers are getting more money for their properties and buyers know they are purchasing in a desirable, valuable area.  Here are the home sales stats for October 2012 in the main Brookside zip code of 64113:

In October 2012, 29 single family homes sold.  The average list price was $482,245 and the average sales price as $429,287.  Average days on market: 159.

In October 2011, 12 single family homes sold.  The average list price was $397,096 and the average sales price was $372,371.  Average days on market:  238.

Checking year-to-date figures:

From January-October 2012, 255 single family homes sold with an average sales price of $331,777 and 111 days on market.

From January-October 2011, 174 single family homes sold with an average sales price of $302,428 and 138 days on market.

Although we’ve seen consistently higher averages sales prices this year, the Oct 2012  figures  show a large jump.  Part of the reason is there were two multi-million dollar homes sold in October that pushed up the average sales price.

As we get into the holiday season and winter weather, sales will slow down.  Still, I think this year Brookside has seen a full recovery from the bottom of the housing crash.  Interest rates should stay low, and I expect Spring of 2013 will be very strong for sales in our area.

If you would like detailed information on sales in your area, email me anytime! 

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

The T-Shirt Deli in Brookside

Posted on by
1

Last week on one of the warm autumn days I finally walked into the T-Shirt Deli in Brookside. I had heard about this new shop that opened over the summer, but didn’t have a chance to visit until recently.  Located at 116 W 63rd in the former Pickleman’s spot, this place has a fun, laid back atmosphere and a clever marketing concept–the personalized tee shirt delivered like a  deli sandwich!

The T-Shirt Deli in Brookside

Started by a woman who grew up in Brookside, this is the third T-Shirt Deli location–the other two are in the Chicago area, where the owner lives.  There is a lot to choose from here–several ‘menu’ books of various decals and phrases that can be imprinted on the shirts. Or, you can make up your own copy at $1 per letter–different fonts and colors are available. The shirt you chose is one cost, and the personalization is an additional price. They can print just about anything except trademarked and sports logos. Some of the biggest sellers are those that play on words, like “Chillin’ With My Peeps” (with chicks) or “Hanging With My Gnomies” (picture of gnomes).  The BKS logo is popular as well.

The T-Shirt Deli uses American Apparal clothing, and there are other offerings besides tee shirts–some zip fleeces, long sleeve shirts, infant sizes and even a dog shirt too.  Don’t expect to walk in, chose a design and walk out a few minutes later with your shirt–it takes a couple of hours to create.  You can order in advance online through their website.  Once your order is ready–it’s packed in butcher paper and served to you with a bag of chips.

T-Shirt Deli Counter

The T-Shirt Deli is open Monday through Saturday, and it’s a great place to buy a unique gift for someone.  My husband used their services for his Halloween costume last month that displayed a political saying. I can see this place being very busy for the upcoming holiday season.

Shop local–support Brookside’s newest business, the T-Shirt Deli!

An Interview with Gunnar Hand, Candidate for KCMO School Board

Posted on by
Reply

I don’t usually address  politics on my  blog, but decided to write about each candidate running for the open seat on the Kansas City MO school board:  Gunnar Hand and Stephen Himes.  Full disclosure up front–I know Gunnar as I serve with him on the Armour Hills Homes Assn board, and Stephen Himes teaches at St Teresa’s Academy, where my daughter attends  school. I am not endorsing one candidate over the other.  My approach to this blog was to ask each candidate the same four questions, and write the answers as spoken.

A short background regarding this election:  When former board member Derrick Ritchie moved to Nashville, a special election was needed to fill his position.  The term of this new board member will end in 2014.  There are nine members of the Kansas City School Board, and this seat represents the 2cd subdistrict.  The rough boundaries are Troost, 85th St, State Line Rd and Brush Creek.  It is not a paid  position.  Two days ago I published the interview with Stephen, today’s post is about Gunnar.

Gunnar Hand and family

Gunnar Hand grew up in Kansas City, attending  parochial schools. He lives in Armour Hills and has his own design/consulting firm, MOCK Studio. His wife Ashley is the chair of Friends of Hale Cook, a local organization dedicating to reopening Hale Cook Elementary.  You can read more about Gunnar’s background here.  This interview took place on Oct 24, 2012. Continue reading →

Brookside Author Releases Third Book on Halloween

Posted on by
Reply

Don’t you love to have a good book nearby?  Anytime you have a few minutes, you can jump into another world, find out what’s happening to the characters and anticipate the surprise of the next plot twist or erotic encounter.  Readers will soon have the opportunity to catch up with John Pilate’s latest adventures when Brookside author J. Alexander Greenwood releases his third book Pilate’s Ghost on Halloween.

Pilate’s Ghost by J. Alexander Greenwood

The third–and possibly final –book in this series  finds John on a book tour promoting his unusual experience at the fictional Cross College in Nebraska (the story behind the first book, Pilate’s Cross).  A mystery man threatens to kill him and his family as John deals with the aftermath of what happened in Nebraska. Pilate’s Key, the second book in the series, outlined John’s life in Key West with his then-girlfriend Kate and her daughter as he battled modern day pirates while writing about his experience in Nebraska. Continue reading →

My Thoughts on the Downtown Streetcar Proposal

Posted on by
1

After reading the detailed story in Sunday’s Kansas City Star about building a new streetcar line in the central corridor, I decided to express my thoughts via the blog.  I’ve been following this story for some time, and keep thinking, “$100 MILLION for just the starter line?  Is it worth it?” Many folks don’t think so.

A quick summary of the backstory:  ballots will be mailed to about 700 downtown residents next week, asking for votes  on tax increases to pay for this initial starter line  that will run from the River Market to Union Station.  There are two taxes:  a 1-cent sales tax and a another tax on commercial and residential property taxes (downtown area only).  If approved, the two mile starter route should open in 2015 with four streetcars operating seven days a week, free for all riders.  Ballots are due December 11. Continue reading →

Bcycle comes to Kansas City

Posted on by
Reply

Every day it seems I see more and more bicycles on the road, especially on the weekends.  The cooler fall weather may have something to do with more riders coming out.  Travelling in the downtown area, though, I think Kansas City BCycle has something to do with increasing riders on the streets.

Bcycle Station

Bcycle Station

Introduced earlier this year, Kansas City BCycle is a non-profit organization (locations in other cities as well) that promotes bike riding by offering bikes for anyone to ride at various locations in the city.  Currently there are twelve stations in KC, located in the River Market going south to Crown Center (nothing in Brookside or Waldo yet).  You do have to be a member to use a bike, and it’s easy to sign up for one of the four types of membership on the website.  Memberships range from 24 hours ($7) to an annual pass ($65).  Corporate memberships are available too.

Bcycle instructions

Bcycle instructions

It’s very easy to take a bike from one of the stations–once you have registered, you swipe, grab the  bike and go.  The first 30 minutes of usage is free–after that, a $2 per half hour fee applies.  I think it would be more convenient if the first 60 minutes were free as 30 minutes just seems too short to get anything done–and what if you want to stop, chat, grab a beverage, do some shopping (each bike has a basket)?  Still, this is a great service for downtown workers and tourists as well.  There is a special discount card for members, redeemable at various downtown businesses.  And special thanks to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City for partnering with Bcycle to bring the service to Kansas City.

Hopefully Kansas City Bcycle will be so successful that more stations will be added.  Until then, it’s a pleasant, eco-friendly way to explore downtown, RIver Market and the Crown Center area.  Remember to bring a bike lock!