Pizza Tascio Now Open in Waldo

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Everyone seems to have their favorite type of pizza: some prefer a very thin crust with light toppings; some want deep dish; others crave a thicker, chewy crust heavy with cheese, meat and veggies.

And then there is New York style pizza, which is what you will find at Waldo’s newest pizza place, Pizza Tascio at 409 W Gregory.  What defines New York style?  According to owner Erik Borger, who grew up in New York City, a NY style pizza  features a “thin crust, definitely foldable,  with light toppings and a crispy, flavor filled crust.” Are you craving a slice yet???

Erik’s “obsession” (yes he used that word) with perfecting his type of pizza started years ago.  He was caring for his father who was battling cancer.  Dad and son were craving the pizza tastes of their younger days growing up in NYC, so Erik decided to make his own.   At one point he had six commercial ovens in the garage at his St Joseph home, trying to figure out the perfect temperatures and flavors.  When he finally  got the recipe right, he opened the first Pizza Tascio there in 2021.  In 2022 he opened a second location on Burlington in North KC and the Waldo location is…#7 in the metro area!  I asked Erik if he was a bit exhausted and overwhelmed with the fast growth.  “This location has been much busier than I expected. It’s far exceeded my expectations and we haven’t been open that long.  However, I have a really good team and they keep everything running smoothly”. 

There are a few unique things about this pizza to note.  First, he offers one size of pie-18”.  Most “large” size pizzas are smaller than that, so even though the cost is a little higher, you are getting more of a high quality product.  These large pies are divided 8 ways for slices, and at Pizza Tascio you will get a large slice for as little as $5!  The superior ingredients Erik uses make a big difference that you can taste:  meats are sourced from Paradise Meats in Trimble MO; organic Napoli tomatoes from California, and he uses only 100% whole milk mozzarella.  I asked Erik about the phrase “no BS added” to the cheese he uses as stated on the website. He explained that most cheese has a fungicide added to prevent mold; he only uses cheese without any chemicals added.  It took a while but he found a source for his chemical free cheese…that is his strict dedication to perfection.   The menu focuses on various pizza combos of course, including an “upside down” pizza;  there’s a salad option, a dessert pizza and cheesy breadsticks.  You can dine in or pick up curbside.

Pizza Tascio is located in the former Classic Cookie spot at 409 W Gregory. Hours are Sunday-Thursday 11am-9pm and Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm. 

Get Outside and Enjoy Fall Weather At These Two Brookside/Waldo Events!

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Don’t you love these cooler evenings?? Soon the tall trees will have colorful autumn leaves and we will be wearing sweaters! There’s always several outdoor events this time of year; two are happening this week to note:

Another Brookside Sip & Shop takes place on Thursday evening, Sept 14. From 5-7pm, you can stroll the shops and partake in a sampling of adult beverages while you browse through our locally owned businesses. Stay and enjoy a meal at one of the restaurants; there will be food specials too!

On Saturday Sept 16, the 31st Annual Waldo Fall Fest happens at Gregory and Wornall, starting at 10am. There will be food trucks, live music, and booths with local makers and services. Bring the family! Be aware this event takes place in a mostly residential area and watch for extra pedestrians and strollers!

Thank you for supporting our locally owned Waldo and Brookside businesses–it’s one of the things that makes our neighborhood special!

Big Plans for Wornall Road and 75th St–New Apartment Building and Streetscape

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The Waldo Area Business Assn has a new District Manager, Sean Anderson. He’s in charge of the Waldo CID (Community Improvement District) and will monitor two large, connected projects slated to start next month centered around the busy intersection of 75th  St and Wornall Rd. Read on for details about these plans, which will affect transit and pedestrian traffic at this location for the next several months.

The Waldo Road Improvements work has been planned for years. From 74th to 79th St along Wornall, you’ll eventually see much needed changes: a better streetscape and more landscaping; new LED streetlights, new and wider sidewalks, new traffic signals and a reconstructed Wornall Road in this area to improve traffic flow.  Water main lines will also be replaced from 75th-77th St.    According to the KCMO Engineering Division web page, work should begin later this year. (It was supposed to start in 2016—we all know how slowly government tackles projects!)

Sean Anderson

And around the same time….the entire block The Well sits on will be torn down and demolished to make way for a large apartment complex.

The EPC Real Estate Group is building 278 units at this corner; the complex is currently referred to as Waldo 74 Broadway.  This same company built the apartments called 51 Main, on top of the Whole Foods.  Yes, this project is tax abated and 20% of the units will be “affordable housing”. There will be studios, one and two bedroom apartments.  Plans also include a 364 slot parking garage, a courtyard in the middle of the apartments and The Well will be rebuilt at the base  with a covered rooftop. At the same time, the parking area/bus transit station directly in front of The Well will be enhanced, with a better defined Trolley Track Trail route and a “transit shack” for bus drivers to relax and take a break.  Sean tells me demolition for this project is scheduled for early next month.  Once these projects get going, he hopes to have a landing page on the WABA website for public updates.

Sean left a job in Wyandotte County to work for Waldo; he was developing programs for homeless persons with mental health and substance abuse changes.   He lives in Waldo, plays several instruments, has two bands (The Road Show Drifters and Rumble Ghost) and recently got engaged. Originally from Denver, he loves living in Waldo and is looking forward to meeting more area business owners and residents.   

Once demolition and construction begins at 75th and Wornall—this area will be even more of a mess to drive (and walk!) through.  Be patient and plan new routes accordingly!

Armour Hills Home Sales Report-July 2023

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Time to once again report home sales for Armour Hills, and the trend here follows Brookside and Waldo: homes sell quickly and often for over list price. Let’s take a look at the numbers:

july 2023july 2022
Median list price:$425,000$399,000
Median sales price:$451,000$410,000
No. of homes sold: 2 10
Days on market: 15 5

Final closed prices were 6% over list price last month, and values up 10% from July 2022. Interesting stat: the highest home sale was $720,000, which was $100,100 over the list price!! Here are the YTD figures:

jan-july 2023jan-july 2022
Median list price:$425,000$397,000
Median sales price:$445,000$419,000
No. of homes sold: 42 48
Days on market: 2 2

So far this year, Armour Hills home prices are running 6.3% over 2022; the number of homes changing owners is slightly down. Currently there is one listing in Armour Hills, on the market for 17 days at a price of $430,000. Contact me if you would like more specifics on home sales in our area–and enjoy our long holiday weekend!

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

Waldo Home Sales Report-July 2023

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You may have heard via national news that home sales are down this year–partially due to the higher interest rate. That is true for Waldo as well–at least according to last month’s stats. Let’s take a look; I’m using data for single family homes using the boundaries of State Line to Holmes, Gregory to 85th St.

july 2023july 2022
Median list price:$250,000$285,000
Median sales price:$270,000$303,000
Days on market: 2 3
No. of homes sold: 19 34

Most buyers are still paying over asking price; however prices last month dipped 12% from July 2022. Also, 44% fewer homes sold. Why? I think many first time buyers have dropped out of the market for now due to the higher interest rates. That’s one reason….their budget can’t stretch enough for what they want. The lowest closed price last month was $170K and the highest was $452K. Her are the YTD numbers:

jan-july 2023jan-july 2022
Median list price:$289,950 $259,000
Median sales price:$296,000 $278,000
Days on market: 3 3
No. of homes sold: 161 177

Looking at the year-to-date trend, home values are up almost 6.5% and 9% fewer homes have changed hands this year. Currently there are 8 single family homes for sale in Waldo, with a median price of $339,000.

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

Brookside Home Sales Report-July 2023

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The higher interest rates don’t seem to be deterring homebuyers who want to call Brookside home; fewer homes closed last month but prices continue to climb over asking price–likely due to lack of inventory. Here are the stats for single family home sales in Brookside, using the zip code of 64113:

july 2023july 2022
Median list price:$535,000$540,000
Median sales price:$570,000$530,000
Days on market: 2 3
No. of homes sold: 29 35

Buyers paid about 6.5% over asking price and values up 7.5% compared to July 2022. The lowest closed sale was $335K and the highest was $3.5 million. There were three million dollar plus sales last month. Here are the year to date numbers:

jan-july 2023jan-july 2022
Median list price:$575,000$495.000
Median sales price:$577,000$505,500
Days on market: 3 2
No. of homes sold: 159 182

The number of homes sold dropped by 14% so far this year, and prices are up 14%. There are just 14 active single family homes listed in Brookside as of this writing, and the median price is $870,000–certainly not affordable for most buyers. Twelve listings are over $500K and 6 are over $1,000,000.

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

KCMO Planning Changes to Trolley Track Trail

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Last week there was a public open house/meeting with city representatives regarding proposed changes for the route of the Trolley Track Trail in Brookside. The goal is to continuously connect the trail between 62nd Terrace (the street that Cosentino’s is on) and Meyer Blvd. The project is part of the larger 2019 63rd St Corridor plans.

I went to the open house and learned quite a bit, although overall it was somewhat confusing. There are a few possible ways the Trail can be rerouted, and the City wants public input. Instead of having the actual trail basically stop at 62nd, and then resume south of Meyer is what the City wants changed. They prefer one continuous path rather than having users go through parking lots. There were several stations set up in the room, with poster boards, drawings, and city reps there to answer questions and explain the various options . Participants were asked to visit the stations and then complete a two page questionnaire indicating their preferences and opinions.

I did take a couple of photos of the poster boards but they may not translate well here. Most people had to look closely at the drawings and then ask several questions about “where is this area” (the posters didn’t include named landmarks like Commerce Bank, Michael Forbes, etc,) and “what is option 1 and 2 and option A and B mean? ” I’ll just give you the basic ideas and choices, which include:

*possibly removing one or two tennis courts

*altering some green space

*making Brookside Plaza (between 62nd and 63rd St) a one way street, north or south

*removing some parking in the lot behind Red Door Grill

*adding parallel parking along Brookside Rd between Meyer and 63rd (by the tennis courts and school)

*adding raised medians

Also note that the Trolley Track Trail project should blend in with current plans for on street bike lanes and a “road diet” for Meyer Blvd.

Those hosting the meeting were very knowledgeable about the various options and patient answering questions. Paperwork handed out noted that “funding and a construction timeline have not been determined. KCMO is confident additional funding will be identified to complete the design in 2024”. Construction would start in 2025. There should be more community open houses for feedback in the future. I tried to find info on those on the KCMO webpage/Engineering Division but it doesn’t appear to be updated. Perhaps they aren’t planned yet.

The Trolley Track Trail is a huge asset to Brookside–it is a very desirable amenity for the neighborhood and is in constant use. Creating a 12 foot wide pedestrian trail in the parking lot will defiantly affect how businesses in that area receive deliveries of products and food. Where will the delivery trucks stage for drop offs? Taking parking away and routing vehicles one way, plus limiting turns and access will push cars to the nearby residential streets. Also, how does a potential streetcar expansion affect these plans? And what is the price tag for the project? I appreciate KCMO is soliciting resident input, as it should be. Future meetings should be posted widely on social media, the city website (preferable the home page–where all community meeting should be posted) and even mailed to city residents like the voting cards for elections. And after any design is finalized, residents and businesses should have additional input before the plan is put in place.

I tried to find an info page on the City website to copy and paste here for reference; it wasn’t working. You can google Trolley Track Trail improvements and find local TV coverage from the meeting. If I find out about any other informative meeting related to the project, I will post about them!

Armour Hills Homes Sales Report- June 2023

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The home sales report for Armour Hills last month shows fewer homes closed yet prices still going up. Sound familiar? It’s happening city-wide this year. Let’s take a look at the details; I’m posting stats about Armour Hills, a large subdivision in Brookside:

june 2023june 2022
Median list price:$430,000$390,000
Median sales price:$476,250$430,000
Days on market: 2 2
No. of homes sold: 6 9

Last month buyers paid almost 11% over the asking price for Armour Hills properties, and 1/3 fewer homes closed. The lowest sales price was $425K and the highest was $541K.

Here are the year-to-date numbers:

jan-june 2023jan-june 2022
Median list price: $415,000$395,000
Median sales price: $436,000$420,000
Days on market: 2 2
No. of homes sold: 27 43

The YTD figures show us that home values in Armour Hills are up 3.8% so far, although fewer homes changed ownership. Buyers are paying an average of 5% over the list price. This is the halfway mark for 2023 sales in Armour Hills; the 3.8% increase is normal; fewer homes selling can be attributed to fewer people want to sell (and give up a low interest rate) and deciding to stay put for now.

Currently there are two homes for sale in Armour Hills, with a median list price of $402,500 and three days on market.

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

Waldo Home Sales Report – June 2023

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Waldo is experiencing double digit increases in home vales compared to last year–how long will this continue?? Certainly buyers cannot “wait for a deal” ; that’s a phrase I hear often as an agent! The best time to buy is when you are financially ready! Here are the stats for single family home sales in Waldo, using the boundaries of State Line to Holmes; Gregory to 85th St:

june 2023june 2022
Median list price:$329,000$240,000
Median sales price:$340,000$245,000
Days on market: 3 2
No. of homes sold: 37 28

Yes it’s the same story…most buyers paying over the asking price and homes going under contract within 48 hours. The median price for June 2023 was 33% over June 2022!! Lowest closed price last month was $140K and the highest was $457K. Here are the year-to-date numbers:

Jan-june 2023jan-june 2022
Median list price:$299,000$249,900
Median sales price:$300,000$269,500
Days on market: 4 3
No. of homes sold: 141 143

We are consistent in the number of homes closing YTD; values up 11% so far this year. It seems buyers have adjusted to the higher interest rates as there is still so much demand.

Currently there are 12 homes for sale in Waldo; two of these are new construction. The median sales price is $300,000 and 10 days on market.

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

Brookside Home Sales Report – June 2023

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We are at the halfway point for home sales this year and it seems like buyers have adjusted to the higher interest rates and it’s …business as usual. As in, not enough inventory, buyers getting into bidding wars and paying over asking price. Home values have increased by double digits compared to last year. Here are the numbers…I’m checking single family home sales for the main Brookside zip code of 64113:

june 2023june 2022
Median list price:$580,000$459,550
Median sales price:$593,250$485,000
Days on market: 2 2
No. of homes sold: 40 26

Some interesting numbers here…first of all, there were 8 homes that closed last month over $1,000,000 and most of them sold for over the asking price. We had our highest sale of the year so far at $2,990,000 (cash!). Over 50% more homes closed and values up 22% compared to June 2022. The lowest closed price was $355,000.

Here are the year-to-date stats:

jan-june 2023jan-june 2022
Median list price: $575,000 $489,250
Median sales price:$578,500 $500,500
Days on market: 3 2
No of homes sold: 130 146

So far our home values are up 15% YTD, even though fewer homes have closed–still our neighborhood is in high demand. As you can see, the majority of buyers are paying list price or over. Currently there are just 13 homes for sale in zip 64113 and the median list price is…$1.3 million! That’s because there are seven of the 13 homes are priced over a million with the highest at $10,000,000. The lowest priced home for sale is $549,000. I just don’t see any slowdown in the demand for Brookside homes.

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