KC Restaurant Week Jan 13-22, 2017

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Mary Hutchison

registerheader-h1 During the holidays, you can stuff yourself with tasty home cooked meals and special treats. Now it’s January…and time to eat more during KC Restaurant Week!

KC Restaurant Week is a benefit for three local organizations: Boys Grow, Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired and Cultivate Kansas City. Participating restaurants donate a portion of money collected from each meal to these groups. Each eatery offers a special lunch ($15) and dinner ($33) during the ten day event. This is the best way to try new restaurants in all parts of the metro area. Just scrolling through the website, looking at all the artfully plated food will stir up cravings!

Reservations are highly recommended through Open Table. This year, 143 restaurants are participating. I’ve listed the Brookside/Waldo restaurants below:

Avenues Bistro

Charlie Hooper’s Bar and Grille

Michael Forbes Bar and Grille

Waldo Pizza

The Well

Thank you for supporting locally owned businesses during KC Restaurant Week!

JFS Opens 2cd Location in Brookside East

Posted on January 4, 2017 by Mary Hutchison

Happy New Year and welcome 2017! What changes will the new year bring for our Brookside/Waldo neighborhood? Last year I wrote several posts about the emerging Brookside East corridor along E 63rd St. And the first blog of 2017 will to tell you about a non profit opening in this hip small business area. Jewish Family Services, or JFS, is expanding its services to Brookside East, scheduled to open January 17 at 425 E 63rd St.

JFS actually started as a support system for immigrants 115 years ago. You may be familiar with their main building at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, and they also started Menorah Hospital. They chose Brookside East as a second location to deliver better access to clients who live in this area and rely on bus transportation. This building also allows for a much larger food pantry and extra space for growth.

JFS is a non profit , United Way organization, funded by donations and grants. They offer several important services for the area: a food pantry, mental health counseling, chaplaincy, career services, emergency shelter referrals and assistance for older adults. Their mission is to support and strengthen lives throughout greater Kansas City regardless of faith, age, culture and lifestyle..so all are welcome. (They also welcome volunteers!)

A unique aspect of this new location will be the artwork. Over 52 works of art have been donated by Rita Blitt, who designed the memorial for the Hyatt Regency skywalk collapse. Rita will have several paintings and one sculpture in the building.

JFS-Brookside East will have regular business hours of 8am-5pm Monday through Friday; the emergency hotline number 816 333 1172. They are planning a Grand Opening for the community after the building is open and the staff is settled in.

Armour Hills Home Sales Report-Nov 2016

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Mary Hutchison

Even during the traditionally slower Fall home buying season…Armour Hills continues to be a hot area for homebuyers. Prices continue to rise compared to 2015. Let’s look at the numbers:

Nov 2016: Nov 2015:

Median list price: $260,000 Median list price: $274,950

Median sales price: $260,000 Median sales price: $276,000

Number of homes sold: 9 Number of homes sold: 4

Days on market: 35 Days on market: 70

Although median price was lower than last November, five of the homes sold at list price or over list price.

Checking year to date figures:

2016, Jan-Nov: 2015, Jan-Nov:

Median list price: $272,500 Median list price: $265,000

Median sales price: $272,500 Median sales price: $265,000

Number of homes sold: 80 Number of homes sold: 73

Days on market: 30 Days on market: 34

Prices are up, and more homes are selling. So far, the lowest sale in Armour Hills this year is $176,000 and the highest is $499,000. Next month I will report 2016 year end results as well as December stats.

Currently there are 4 homes for sale in Armour Hills, with a median list price of $280,000 and 77 days on market.

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

Brookside Home Sales Report-Nov 2016

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Mary Hutchison

As we come to a close on a very active real estate market for Brookside…prices are continuing to rise as demand is still strong, particularly in the $400K and less price range. Here is the single family home sales report for Brookside (zip code 64113) for November 2016, and comparisons to last year:

November 2016

Median list price: $350,000

Median sales price: $349,000

Average days on market: 35

Number of homes sold: 25

(Lowest sales price was $202,000; highest sales price was $750,000).

You can see that sellers are getting virtually the asking price during contract negotiations. Thirteen of the homes that closed last month were at or above asking price.

November 2015

Median list price: $315,000

Median sales price: $312,000

Average days on market: 39

Number of homes sold: 19

Compared to November 2015, prices are up 11.68%. Part of that increase is due to lack of inventory–very often sellers will have multiple offers on homes that are updated and well maintained.

Now let’s check year to date figures:

2016, January to November

Median list price: $357,700

Median sales price: $352,500

303 homes sold; average 35 days on market.

2015, January to November

Median list price: $330,000

Median sales price: $325,000

315 homes sold; average 39 days on market

Home prices in Brookside are up 8.46% YTD.

Currently there are 37 active single family listings in the Brookside zip code of 64113. Just seven of those homes are priced at $400K or less. Ten homes are listed at $998,000 through $2,400,000.

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

BKS Artisan Ales Plans Early 2017 Opening in Brookside East

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Mary Hutchison

You’ve heard the rumors….here’s what we know so far about yet another locally owned business coming to Brookside East. It’s BKS Artisan Ales. I recently spoke with Brian Rooney about his plans.

Brian has been a home brewer for several years. He’s won awards for his beer in a few competitions and decided to “take the hobby a little bit further” by opening to the public. He wanted to stay in his neighborhood of Brookside, and rented space from Butch Rigby at 633 E 63^rd St. (This building is also home for Farm Dog Studios, Amina Marie Millinery and Golden and Pine). Brian owns the business along with his wife Mary and a few silent investors.

This brewery will be different than many of the craft brew places that have opened up the past few years. Brian explained BKS Artisan Ales will be open from noon – 5 on Saturdays, with a possible expansion to Sundays after getting established in the space. There will be eight taps and his bottled beer for sale. No food service—however, visitors are welcome to bring in their own eats to enjoy while sampling the beers.

One of the reasons Brian decided to open his own place was to offer some interesting brews you can’t find elsewhere. He will not brew the same beers over and over—what’s offered will be constantly changing. He has a passion for brewing, and explained he’s not “money driven” with this new business—he’s doing it to give people “a different experience” . There will be two sides to the space: the beer production side and the tasting room with approximately fifty seats.

The space build-out is on track to be completed by this month. Outside, there’s progress: the patio was recently poured and a garage door with awning and fencing has been installed. BKS Artisan Ales plans to open in February or March of next year.

Of course, once the business is open and running….I’ll let you know through the blog. Brookside East is the hot new area for businesses in our neighborhood–special thanks to Butch Rigby for making it happen and encouraging entrepreneurship in Brookside!

Armour Hills Home Sales Stats – Oct 2016

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Mary Hutchison

Is Armour Hills the hot neighborhood for Brookside buyers this year? Seems that way, as once again the median sales price is over the list price! Because I live in Armour Hills, I can tell you buyers are very attracted to the area because of the central location to the Brookside shops, convenient Metro bus service, the revitalized park in the center of the ‘hood, easy access to the Trolley Track Trail and the wide range of prices. Here are the numbers:

October 2016

Ten homes sold. Median list price was $294,974. Median sales price was $304,999, with 34 days on market. Seven of the ten homes sold at or above asking price, with one home closing at $25,500 over the list price.

October 2015

Five homes sold. Median list and sales price was $249,000 with 8 days on market.

Comparing year-to-date:

January-October 2016

71 homes sold, median list price $275,000 and median sales price $274,500 with 29 days on market.

January-October 2015

69 homes sold, median list and sales price was $265,000 with 32 days on market.

Median sales prices are up 3.5% over 2015. Right now there are four homes for sale in Armour Hills, with a median list price of $309,975 and 49 days on market. Price range is $208,888-$464,900.

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

Brookside Home Sales Stats – Oct 2016

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Mary Hutchison

Hello neighbors! Time to check Brookside home sales stats for October 2016. As has been the situation all year, prices are above 2015. Let’s check the numbers–for the Brookside zip code of 64113:

October 2016

Median List Price: $340,000

Median Sales Price: $332,475

Twenty eight homes sold; the highest sales price was $1 million and the lowest was $190,000. Median days on market: 27

October 2015

Median List Price: $398,725

Median Sales Price $386,500

Twenty eight homes sold. Median sales price for Oct 2015 was higher because more of the $500K plus homes sold during the month last year.

Jan-Oct 2016 – 278 homes sold

Median List Price: $358,350

Median Sales Price: $353,500

Jan-Oct 2015 – 296 homes sold

Median List Price: $331,250

Median Sales Price: $325,000

Prices are up for the year–over 8%. Fewer homes have sold, however there is still strong demand — that is one reason prices are rising. Currently there are 37 active single family home listings in the Brookside zip code of 64113. Median list price is $720,000. Twenty two of the homes for sale are priced over $500K; ten of those are over $1 million.

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

HAMILTON (the shop!) Now Open in Brookside East

Posted on November 15, 2016 by Mary Hutchison

Yet another new boutique has opened in Brookside East…just in time for holiday shopping!

Katy Hamilton, owner of Shopgirls at 6245 Brookside Plaza , opened HAMILTON last month at 6215 Oak Street, just south of Plate and Season + Square. It’s a cozy and welcoming space, perfect for browsing and checking out items you’ll want to buy for yourself and others.

The tagline “neighborhood style for all” reflects Katy’s products: she features men’s and women’s clothes from local designers, Charlie Hustle tee shirts, locally made jewelry (including unique necklaces with letter charms from the KC Star printing presses), Kansas City skyline socks, candles with surprising scents and other uncommon items. At stores like this, it’s always interesting to see how the owner has made the space unique: Katy used discarded pallets from Sutherlands to build the dressing rooms, hung stain glass windows from her first Brookside home and is replacing a section of missing hardwood floor with pennies. It’s a very unique, stylish, and comfortable shop.

Besides selling these products, Katy is giving back to the Brookside neighborhood she loves so much by hosting special events for the public. Her boyfriend Adam Galblum is a jazz musician with the band Hot Club KC, so she’s planning micro-concerts, DIY workshops on how to make jewelry and spa items plus special Thursday evening local maker trunk shows. Later on, Katy wants to debut her own exclusive clothing line.

Stop in and welcome HAMILTON to Brookside! Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10am-6pm at 6125 Oak St. Follow the shop on social media to keep up with special events: Facebook/hamiltonkcmo; Twitter/hamiltonkcmo and Instagram/hamilton.kcmo.

Brookside Holiday Season Kicks Off Tonight

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Mary Hutchison

Brookside is ready to welcome all shoppers with the annual Brookside Holiday Season Opener tonight, Nov. 10 from 5-8pm. Especially with the mild evening temperatures–this is a good time to get out and do some early shopping while supporting locally owned businesses!

Many Brookside merchants will be open tonight until 8pm. Several restaurants have food and drink specials; shops have special deals. Worlds Window is collecting new and gently used coats, partnering with Rose Brooks Center. As you stroll from shop to store, enjoy live music outside and sip free coffee and cocoa!

This event is for all ages, too. The kids have fun at the special photo spots throughout the area.

If you can’t make it tonight–the festive atmosphere and specials continue throughout the weekend. The Brookside shops are located on W 63rd St, just east of Wornall Road.

Shop local in Brookside!

Brookside Home Sales Report – Sept 2016

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Mary Hutchison

Home sales in Brookside are still strong as we head into the fall season…and prices continue to rise. Here is the single family home sales report for Brookside (zip code 64113) for September 2016, and comparisons to last year:

September 2016

Median list price: $380,000

Median sales price: $375,000

Average days on market: 44

Number of homes sold: 29

(Lowest sales price was $180,000; highest sales price was a cash purchase of $1,285,000).

You can see that sellers are getting very close to the asking price during contract negotiations. Eleven of the homes that closed last month were at or above asking price.

September 2015

Median list price: $375,000

Median sales price: $362,500

Average days on market: 34

Number of homes sold: 22

Compared to one year ago, more homes sold in September of 2016 and at a higher median price…a few more days on market.

Now let’s check year to date figures:

2016, January to September

Median list price: $359,750

Median sales price: $356,000

250 homes sold; average 35 days on market.

2015, January to September

Median list price: $326,777

Median sales price: $325,000

269 homes sold; average 38 days on market.

Fewer homes have sold, pushing prices up due to a lack of inventory. Brookside home values are up 9.5% YTD compared to 2015!

Currently there are 44 active single family listings in the Brookside zip code of 64113; just over half (25) are priced over $500,000. The median list price is $637,000.

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

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