A few pictures this week, of pretty Brookside newly dressed by Mother Nature’s fall colors.

This is the best  time of year to drive around the neighborhood..and the best time to show houses to prospective buyers.  So many people say autumn is their favorite season..this is why!

Thanks for checking out my photos!  Visit my website:  www.maryhutchison.org

For today’s tour of open houses for Realtors, I concentrated ona couple of  homes that would be attractive to a first time buyer..we’ll start with those listings.  Time is running out to purchase and close prior to the deadline of November 30–so act now if you plan to buy!

What a bargain!  This one bedroom, one bath condo near the KC Art Institute is move in ready for $109K.  HOA fees are just $156/month and include property insurance and water.  All appliances stay, including the washer/dryer; kitchen features granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.  It’s very charming with exposed brick and lots of light.  There is off street parking and a secured entrance.  For the price of  rent–you can own!

This Waldo home offers a lot of space for $185K. Three large bedrooms upstairs; living room, dining room, and a family room connected to the kitchen.  Two full baths and a one car garage. The basement has some built ins and could easily be  finished off for a rec room or office.  Bonus: a screened in porch AND a nice large deck in back!  Walk to the shops on Gregory or the Trolley Track Trail. This is a great location that will hold value.

Now for a couple of more expensive properties:

        This condo was a nice surprise.  Located on Rockhill Road close to the Nelson Atkins Museum and the KC Art Institute, it is definitely a WOW when you walk in.   For $333,400 this 2cd floor unit has two bedrooms, two and a half baths, a large kitchen/hearth room, separate dining room, office / TV room and garage units in the back.  There are five buildings, and each building has just three condos–the space in each unit is at least 2100SF. The HOA fees are very reasonable at around $300/month.  I’ve seen a lot of condos and this one offers ALOT of space for the price, plus a central location.

Finally this home at 6200 Oak is a 3 bedroom, 2 and a half bath house with a two car garage for $315,000.  There is an updated kitchen, office/TV room on first floor, a lovely shaded deck in back and larger bedrooms.  The second full bath is in the small, partially finished basement.  Oak is a busier street; however this home is close to the Brookside shops and is move in ready.  It sits on the corner so there is plenty of off-Oak street parking for guests.

Please note that the properties I am featuring today are not my listings, but they are available to be shown. If you would like more information on these homes or others, email me.  There is plenty for sale in the Brookside/Waldo area–and with the market at the bottom, coupled with low interest rates, this is the time to buy!

…and we know there are lots of people in the Brookside/Waldo area are who are enthusiastic bicyclists!  Plan to visit Berkley Park this Sunday(1-4pm) to watch the final leg of the Tour of Missouri Cycling Race.  These bicyclists have ridden over 600 miles and would appreciate a cheering crowd as they finish up the route.

This event is family friendly too–there will be food, drinks, beer, live music and entertainment for the kids.  Also, the Chiefs game will be broadcast on a big screen so you can keep an eye on the win (thinking positive here).   This is a free public event–you can bring your own picnic if you like.

Organizers of this event have made transportation easy–free shuttles are available from noon-5 from the Isle of Capri.  You can also park in the River Market area and walk over the Town of Kansas pedestrian bridge to the park…or bike to the site!

So put this event on your list of things to do this weekend..an easy way to have a fun day outdoors with friends and family.

A very quick post … sharing some photos I snapped on Labor Day morning, about 6:30am on my way back from the gym.  Enjoy!

                                                        Along 63rd Street

The Roasterie..serving THE BEST lattes in KC.

This one is shooting east over Brush Creek

A shuttlecock at the Nelson-Atkins Museum

What do you love about Brookside?  Let me know…email me…or visit my website

When I visit a restaurant, it’s about the food, yes, but it’s also about the atmosphere and service.  Being a detail-oriented person, I watch carefully how others handle the details.  If a restaurant has real half and half for my coffee…they pay attention to details. If it’s the cheap powdered stuff–that says something too.

So my friend Mic and I ate at the Well this afternoon for lunch.  It was tough to choose a menu item, there’s a lot I’d like to try.  We ended up getting basically the same thing:  half rotisserie turkey sandwich and chicken noodle soup (for him), salad (for me). $7.99

Our waitress Jennifer was sincere, pleasant, and generally pretty knowledgeable.  I asked which salad dressings were made in house–she didn’t know, but thinks  the orange pomogranate and ceaser are made on site. I ordered my half salad without shredded cheese–when she served it she actually noticed it had cheese before I had a chance to say anything! That’s rare.  She immediately returned it to the kitchen.  I did not care for the dressing–finding out later it was ‘fat free’–perhaps I didn’t notice that on the menu.  It was very sweet and more like a thin marinade. A warm triangle of seasoned pita bread came with the salad.

The sandwich was good–fresh whole wheat bread (another fine  detail) and a good portion size. Mic reported that the chicken soup tasted fresh, with plenty of large chicken chunks and vegetables.  Alas, no long noodles…a macaroni noodle which Mic doesn’t care for.  However, easier to eat with a spoon.

But it was the fries…oh yes, we had to try the fries!   They were hot and freshly cut and well seasoned and very very good.  We split an order at $3 and it was plenty for both of us. Better than the hand cut fries at Murphy’s 10 blocks away? I have to say yes, partly because Murphy’s has gone downhill since it switched from Jake Edwards (that’s another post). Don’t miss the fries at the Well…our knowledgeable waitress also mentioned that menu favorites so far seem to be the pastrami and french dip sandwiches.

After dining I walked up to check out the roof top..and as Mic says, ‘Who doesn’t like a rooftop patio?”  He’s so right.  The view is of the nearby car wash, Commerce Bank billboard, Wornall Road and the MAX bus park and ride lot. But who cares?  It was a comfortable atmosphere with it’s own small bar and a pool table. My next stop will be to check out the happy hour up on the roof.

Final words: on the way to the bathroom, there are several framed photos of old landmarks in Kansas City in the Waldo area. There is a map of the old trolley service–fascinating to stop for a moment and study these pictures.  And I was very happy to see a clean bathroom, but with a pesky wall dryer for hand washing and no paper towels. 

I can see the Well becoming a local favorite hang out..in part because they pay attention to the details and service.  Support locally owned businesses by visiting the Well soon!