Happy Halloween everyone!
The weather is great for the annual Brookside Trick or Treat Street this afternoon!
From 4-6pm today, costumed kids will be walking along 63rd St between Wornall and Main, collecting treats from Brookside merchants. Several parents will be dressed up as well–often more so than the children!
Please be extra aware of pedestrians as you drive these streets tonight–the event takes place during a busy traffic time.
I was trying to think of full service, big menu breakfast spots in Waldo….came up with Classic Cookie at 75th and Wornall and Game Day at 8950 Wornall. Now there is another option, Neighborhood Cafe, at 7531 Wornall next to Lew’s . It opened at the end of August and is already drawing breakfast crowds on the weekends.
Veteran’s Wall at Neighborhood Cafe
Neighborhood Cafe is more than just breakfast…they offer a large menu featuring ‘home style’ cooking: meatloaf, liver and onions, burgers, open faced sandwiches, hoagies, ‘skillets’ and on Sundays: all you can eat fried chicken. All of the baking is from scratch (biscuits, pies, cornbread) and breakfast is served all day. No matter when you choose to dine here….the server brings you a cinnamon roll with water upon being seated! Like the original Lees Summit location, decor features reprints of front page newspapers commemorating significant events and a Veteran’s Wall displaying photos of those who have served.
Tony Olson, Owner, Neighborhood Cafe in Waldo
So what’s the background here? Tony Olson and his wife Kelly own the successful Lees Summit spot, and were approached about opening another restaurant in Waldo. Tony spent some time here, liked the ‘small town’ feel and the active business association–and decided to expand. Tony told me the cafe has had ‘a very warm welcome’ from area residents and other business owners. This place is large–plenty of tables and booths, plus counter seating and another section that can be used for private events. I haven’t eaten here (yet!) — but I will say I was welcomed with a warm smile and friendly greeting when I walked in for the first time.
You can read more about Neighborhood Cafe on their website–and check out the extensive menu. Current hours are Sunday through Thursday, 6am-3pm and Friday/Saturday 6am-9pm. Tony hopes to be open 24 hours on Friday and Saturday at some point. Stop by and check out another locally owned business in Waldo!
Waldo continues to attract homebuyers this year..sales are strong, and sellers are getting very close to asking price for their homes. Wonderful Waldo is HOT for homebuyers!!! Here are the September 2016 stats for single family home sales in Waldo, using the boundaries of State Line to Holmes and Gregory to 85th:
September 2016:
Number of homes sold: 34
Median list price: $177,000
Median sales price: $173,750
Average days on market: 31
The lowest sales price last month was $82,000 and the highest was $293,000. Final sales price was just under 2% of list price.
September 2015:
Number of homes sold: 34
Median list price: $130,000
Median sales price: $129,500
Average days on market: 23
Comparing Sept 2016 to Sept 2015 finds a jump in the median sales price–however, this year more of the higher priced homes sold, raising that median price. Notice how fast homes are going under contract–within 30 days of listing.
2016 / 2015:
Number of homes sold: 310 / 281
Median list price: $167,694 / $160,000
Median sales price: $167,500 / $156,500
Average days on market: 23 / 34
The trend for 2016 is higher prices, homes selling at or near list price and homes selling faster. Good news for Waldo home sellers–and buyers, because they can feel confident they are buying in a desireable area.
Currently in Waldo, there are 33 single family homes for sale at a median list price of $158,000 and 51 days on market.
(All information taken from Heartland MLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)
Be prepared for very long delays if you must leave the Brookside/Waldo area tomorrow Oct 15 2016 from early morning through 1 or 2pm.
The race route effectively blocks any vehicles trying to move outside of these boundaries:
Wornall and Ward Parkway from 51st south to 75th and east to The Paseo.
It will be extremely difficult to head west into Kansas, south past Gregory/75th or north through the Plaza towards downtown.
You can see details of the route on the website www.sportkc.org/marathon but you have to click around several tabs to actually get to the map information. It would be helpful if there was a one-click tab to the route from the website’s first page.
Be aware!
The weather has finally turned cooler, and you may be thinking about adding a few new pieces to spruce up your cold weather wardrobe. How about something different? Consider a hat…made right here in Brookside at Amina Marie Millinery.
Amina Marie Hood in her Brookside East studio
Amina’s shop is in Brookside East at 633 E 63rd St. She’s a KC native, grew up in Prairie Village and went to textile school in San Francisco. She loved fashion and worked in visual merchandising but really never thought about being a hat maker until a friend asked her to create a hat she could wear to Burning Man. Amina accepted the challenge, Googled some instructions on hat making and … made a top hat that caught the attention of other Burning Man participants. Amina decided millinery was her calling and studied with hatmaker Jeanne Borne in Arizona. Last year she was a finalist in the Lock and Company millinery contest in London. She went to London Hat Week, met others in the business and validated her creativity and business.
Like so many other entrepreneurs, Amina started her business at the kitchen table. As orders grew, she decided she needed more space and moved to Brookside East in May. She wanted a central location for easy client access and because she lives in Brookside–she loves her two minute commute! She knew this area was ‘the right place’ for her and her customers.
Amina explained to me that her aesthetic is “clean and organic–it’s all about the drape of the material.” Of course she can do wild and extravagant custom hats for special occasions like the Kentucky Derby or ComicCon, but most of her hats are more classic — for example, a fedora style. She makes sure that ‘the hat fits the customer’ in terms of sizing and appearance. When I tried on a hat in the studio — I loved how it looked on me, but we both knew it was the wrong color. Amina makes sure the hat works for each unique face and features.
Amina Marie Millinery in Brookside East
At this time, Amina makes every hat she sells in her Brookside studio. Sometime this fall, she is introducing a ‘ready to wear’ line, working with a manufacturer in New York. She’s starting with 3-4 styles — and for now, offers hats just for women. These hats will be priced around $100-$150.
I asked Amina why she thought hats went out of style. They were so prevalent in the 1950s. She explained that as the children of the ’50s parents grew up–they did not want to be like their elders. They dressed down and considered hats too formal, along with fussy dresses and suits. Today, wearing a hat is certainly practical in the colder weather, but is also a subtle fashion accessory. Wearing a hat gives you a confident, unique appearance–and it’s just fun!
Amina Marie Millinery is open by appointment–but she’s usually in her studio every day and welcomes people to just drop in and see her work. She offers gift certificates too–what a great gift for that difficult -to- buy- for friend! Stop in Amina’s studio and check out her hats at 633 E 63rd St, next to Golden and Pine with easy parking out front.
Farm Dog Studios artwork
I’ve seen these decor signs in several homes I’ve shown to buyers and in a few restaurants in the area..I always wondered, where do you buy them? Last week I was in 5B&Co Candlemakers in Brookside and…there they were, neatly displayed on a wall. I tracked down the artist and found out all the details about yet another home grown Brookside business, Farm Dog Studios.
Amy January in her Farm Dog Studios space
Farm Dog Studios is Amy January. She grew up in Fairway, and earned a BFA at Miami of Ohio. After several years working in art licensing and graphic design, she left the corporate world to raise her three children while living in Brookside. One day, inspired by a subway sign, she wondered aloud why Brookside doesn’t have similar landmark signage. In her studio, Amy and a (former) partner came up with the artwork emphasizing major streets in our neighborhood. She sold one sign at a Visitation auction and had requests for more. A company was born.
Each sign is handmade in her Brookside East studio. The process is a stencil and mask system, going through several steps from start to finish. Besides the subway-style signs, Amy creates wall decor for children’s rooms, sororities and fraternities, local sports teams and universities. There are also tee shirts, pillows and tea towels with her unique designs–those are made elsewhere. She describes her art as “modern yet broadly appealing maker aesthetic”. She added: “This is so fun for me because everything I’ve ever done is here. I like all the quirks from hand painting to licensing. I love coming up with the designs involving painting and typography”.
Of course I had to ask her how she came up with the name for her business. It’s a story every mom will appreciate: Amy’s husband grew up on a farm in rural Kansas. She explained every farm has a ‘scrappy dog’ that works challenging, long hours despite some obstacle–perhaps he’s blind in one eye or uses only three legs. Amy was determined to get the company going while raising her school aged kids and all the running around and organizing that requires. Hence, Farm Dog Studios.
Cool Brookside stuff from Farm Dog Studios!
You can stop by Farm Dog Studios to browse and purchase the artwork–she’s at 633 E 63rd St in Brookside East, next to Golden and Pine. Current hours are Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am-3pm. You’ll also find her creations at 5B& Company, Stick Sisters, Made in KC stores and J’Adore.
Thanks to the hard work and persistence of Tiffany Moore, the Armour Hills HOA President, Brookside kids now have brand new playground equipment at Arbor Villa Park!
Tiffany has been submitting requests for PIAC funding since 2012 for this project. The money was committed last year, and construction started this Spring.
Features include a new arch swing, climber, spring rider, swings, and play structure on top of mounded rubberized ‘hills’ .
All children are welcome to play in the park, located at Edgevale and Main St in the center of Armour Hills. Now that school has begun, the kiddie pool adjacent to the play equipment is open on weekends through Labor Day.
Special thanks to the PIAC (Public Improvements Advisory Committee) board and the City of Kansas City MO for completing this project for neighborhood children!
Wonderful Waldo continues to be a sought after location for homebuyers…so many bars and restaurants to explore, along with personal services, coffee shops, grocery, Trolley Track Trail and convenient bus service. Here are the July 2016 stats for single family home sales in Waldo, using the boundaries of State Line to Holmes and Gregory to 85th:
July 2016
Number of homes sold: 41
Median list price: $165,000
Median sales price: $164,000
Average days on market: 22
The lowest sales price was $91,000 and the highest was $340,000.
July 2015
Number of homes sold: 46
Median list price: $157,000
Median sales price: $155,750
Average days on market: 43
As you can see from just 22 days on market, new listings are going under contract quickly, and final sales price is very close to list price.
Now let’s compare year-to-date figures:
2016 / 2015
Number of homes sold: 224 / 218
Median list price: $165,000 / $160,000
Median sales price: $164,500 / $156,250
Average days on market: 15 / 35
Year to date, more homes have sold in 2016, at higher prices…and homes are selling in half the time as last year. Year to date, prices are up over 5%!
Currently in Waldo, there are 34 single family homes for sale at a median list price of $114,950.
(All information taken from Heartland MLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)
You’ve probably noticed the empty storefront at 6236 Main, the former home of Element. While driving along Main St in the pre-dawn hours, I would often see women practicing yoga through the floor to ceiling windows on the corner lot. The business moved out at the end of April, and is now located in Brookside East at 601 E 63rd St.
They are not quite settled in yet…the space is still a bit rough, but they are doing business. No more yoga studio here–“Kansas City’s only holistic and organic medical spa” (that statement from their website) is focusing on massage and waxing services, botox injections, weight loss programs and esthetician treatments.
This building has undergone a complete facelift, courtesy of new owner Butch Rigby, who has purchased several buildings along this stretch of 63rd St. In addition to Element, there is a pet service on the first floor, a recruiting service and fine arts appraiser. And it’s oh so easy to park here…under the building or on the surface lot. There is plenty of office space in the building, and rent is much less expensive than west of Oak on 63rd so watch for more businesses moving in. The new Brookside 63 apartments should start leasing later this year.
Other new businesses along E 63rd include Golden and Pine, Brookside Gardens event space and Unbakery and Juicery. Thank you, Butch Rigby, for helping to revive this part of Brookside!
Another business has opened in Brookside East..this one focused on the children growing up in our neighborhood. Fox Sports & Activity Center has this goal: to engage and enhance kids’ minds, bodies and spirit through holistic training.
Caroline Fox, owner of Fox Sports & Activity Center
Owner Caroline Fox explains that holistic training is ‘the whole self’ – meaning her classes and camps focus not just on skills training, but also nutrition, health and wellness and the individual child. Here, it’s not about ‘winning’, but about developing the skills needed for the game and building self esteem. She and her staff offer sports – focused classes for kids up to age 11, teaching soccer, lacrosse, badminton, and volleyball. There are also enrichment activities for art, chess, bridge, painting and jewelry making and afternoon summer camps. Classes are small, with a one to five adult-child ratio; additional classes are scheduled on request.
Caroline says she’s been an athlete since the age of four, and she played collegiate volleyball and softball. She taught student development classes for 15 years before moving her family to Waldo to open the business. She is passionate about encouraging children to get involved with sports/fitness at an early age, as it’s been proven that when kids get regular exercise when young, they will continue to be active through their adult years.
Additional plans for the Center include Parents Night Out, Mom’s Day Out and other adult programs. And yes, Fox will host birthday parties with several different options and activities.
Fox Sports & Activity Center is located at 414 E 63rd St, phone is 816 895 8999. Another locally owned and operated business for the Brookside/Waldo area!
Inside Brookside (And Waldo) 