20 apartments for rent in West Plaza, Kansas City, MO

Kansas City Apartments For Rent

Imagine strolling along a wide boulevard. Spectacular buildings in a variety of architectural styles surround you. You come to a plaza, complete with ornate benches and a gorgeous fountain with an elaborate statue. Where are you? A historical European city? No – this is Kansas City, Missouri!

Kansas City is home to fountains of over 200 varieties, having the second-largest collection of fountains in the world just behind Rome. This is the “Heart of America,” and you just might lose yours to this gem on the prairie!

A gorgeous city that is pedestrian-friendly, affordable (in fact, it is one of the least expensive cities in the nation), and filled with things to do – including a thriving arts scene and some of the world’s best barbecue – you’d think everyone would be hunting for apartments in Kansas City! But Kansas City actually made Conde Nast Traveler’s list of the nation’s “Most Underrated Cities for Millennials.”

Since you are ready to explore Kansas City apartments, you may have already discovered all of the wonderful things this city has to offer. If not – here’s what you need to know about living in Kansas City!

Things to Do in Kansas City:

Amazing BBQ and cool jazz – what more do you need to know?

Actually, Kansas City offers much more than sweet, tangy barbecue joints and the cool notes of jazz, but what a great place to start! As the Barbecue Capital of the World, Kansas City is home to more than 100 barbecue restaurants just in the metro area! Be sure to try Brobeck’s Barbeque, the American Restaurant, and LC’s Bar-B-Que.

After you find your favorite BBQ in KC, it’s time to find your favorite jazz club. Be sure to check out Broadway Jazz Club, which features local jazz musicians. In June, the Jazz in the Woods music festival – the city’s largest free music festival – is a must. Kansas City has more than 20 jazz clubs to choose from, as well as larger venues. The historic Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland opened in 1927 and has hosted some big names in music, including BB King, Paul Simon, and Tony Bennett. And if you want to learn more about KC and its long history with jazz, be sure to visit the American Jazz Museum.

Of course, you can’t move to Kansas City and not take a walk down 18th and Vine, a downtown strip that is considered the cradle of jazz. The area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to a variety of clubs, restaurants, and shops. If you want to live in this unique area, there are plenty of apartments in this Kansas City gem.

The unique Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art features a prized collection of European paintings by artists such as Rembrandt, Monet, Van Gogh, Rubens, and many others. The museum also features an extensive collection of Asian, American, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and African art and the Kansas City Sculpture Garden. The museum is also famous for its sculptures of giant badminton shuttlecocks, created by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.

Speaking of art, be sure to take a tour of the Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site. The house and studio are just as Missouri artist Thomas Hart Benton left them when he died in 1975. The house was built around 1903 and covers 7,800 square feet.

Founded in 1909, the Kansas City Zoo is home to more than 1,300 animals. This award-winning zoo has been named one of America’s best zoos and is one of the nation’s best for viewing chimpanzees and kangaroos. The zoo is located in Swope Park, a huge park that covers 1,805 acres. In addition to the zoo, the park is home to a swimming pool, a golf course, ball fields, the Starlight Theater, and a nature center.

When you are in the mood for roller coasters and water slides, Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun has you covered! The World of Fun is the only amusement park in Kansas City. In addition to roller coasters and other rides, Worlds of Fun features the Planet Snoopy Kids Area, Dinosaurs Alive!, restaurants, and theaters featuring live entertainment. Oceans of Fun features swimming pools, water slides, a lazy river, and Buccaneer Bay, a five-acre lake used for kayaking and canoeing.

Sports fans, get ready to cheer on the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium! This large stadium is part of the Truman Sports Complex and is one of the nation’s largest football stadiums.  Truman Sports Complex also contains Kauffman Stadium, home to the MLB’s Kansas City Royals. In addition to game night, the stadiums also host a variety of concerts and other events.

The Harry S. Truman National Historic Site is also a must-see in Kansas City. This site features several properties associated with the 33 President, including the Truman Home in nearby Independence, Missouri and the Truman Farm Home in Grandview. The Harry S. Truman National Historic Site provides guided, self-guided, and audio tours.

The last thing you’d expect to find in downtown Kansas City is a seashell – especially a giant seashell. But you may think you’ve stumbled across one when you get a view of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts! The structure resembles the spiral ridges of a conch shell, making it unique downtown landmark. The facility features 285,000 square feet of performance space, separated into two performance halls – a feature shared by only the Kennedy Center in DC and the Lincoln Center in New York City.

Kansas City has some great places to shop – including the historic City Market. This market has been operating since 1857 and is the region’s largest farmers’ market. City Market has more than 140 stalls and attracts nearly 600,000 per year. In addition to the fresh produce, baked goods, and other items, the City Market features restaurants, gift shops, and the Arabia Steamboat Museum.

What to Consider When Moving to Kansas City:

Sure, Kansas City is famous for BBQ and jazz, but did you know that it is also a regional hub for the US Government? In fact, the federal government is one of the largest employers in Kansas City with over 146 agencies located here. Other major employers include HCA Midwest, Sprint Corporation, and Cerner. Companies headquartered in KC include Hostess Brands, AMC Theaters, Barkley Inc., and Russell Stover Candies.

Looking for apartments in Kansas City might get a little overwhelming, considering you have more than 240 neighborhoods to explore! If you want to live in the heart of the city, some of Kansas City’s downtown neighborhoods include Hyde Park, Ivanhoe, the Crossroads Art District, Quality Hill, and River Market.

Located just outside of downtown, the Plaza area is also popular. Neighborhoods here include Country Club, a historic and upscale group of neighborhoods dating back to 1906, and Brookside, which is home to the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Rockhurst University. Russell Stover Candies is also located in Brookside.

If you love to shop, the perfect neighborhood exists in KC, and that neighborhood in Country Club Plaza! It is a beautiful, upscale shopping plaza and neighborhood, featuring high-end boutiques, restaurants, offices, and entertainment. The neighborhood contains apartment buildings and mansions. The Plaza was named one of the World’s Great Places by Project for Public Spaces.

Why Kansas City Apartments Are Hot:

What do you get when you take the world’s best barbecue, add in fantastic jazz venues, heap in gorgeous fountains and fantastic architecture, and sprinkle with some history, great shops, and professional sports teams? You get one of the hottest cities in the Midwest! Kansas City is a fun, walkable, dynamic city with plenty to offer – including a strong economy and beautiful parks. The City of Fountains may resemble a European village, but Kansas City is truly the “Heart of America!”