South Overland Park: Suburban dreams flourish amid cul-de-sac comforts
- 10:49 AM CST
And the winner is…South Overland Park. That may not be a surprise. Of course it’s Overland Park.
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And the winner is…South Overland Park. That may not be a surprise. Of course it’s Overland Park.
South of the Missouri River in Kansas City, violent and major property crimes occur so often that a resident will be victimized, on average, once a decade.
Far north of Kansas City, past the newest malls and beyond the airport exits, one country road in Smithville leads through hills and farms until new homes spring up like wildflowers.
Brenda Stile sits in her tiny Prairie Village living room, lifts a hand off her dog and points out of the house toward neighbors she’s known seemingly forever across the street.
Growing up, they biked to the park and walked to the pool. Today, as parents living in suburban Kansas City, Allen and Kelli Latham use their cars for everything.
They let Liberty go to the dogs, and no one seemed to care. There they were, prancing and strutting down the downtown streets.
As she turns her Jaguar into one of the area’s toniest streets, the maven of mansions in Mission Hills slows down to tell another tale of real estate riches.
In one rite of summer, neighborhood kids get together, head to a park and play pickup games of baseball.
For decades in downtown Olathe, the West Side Diner served as a slice of Americana with its turquoise-and-white 1950s decor, soda-fountain counter and menu of chicken-fried steaks and meat loaf.
A decade ago, Lee’s Summit was the Charlie Brown of school districts - flat on its back in agony and embarrassment.
Some far-flung cities outdid some well-known inner suburbs. Yet not all growing cities performed well. And while some ’burbs lived up to their lofty reputations in real estate circles, several did not.
One of the sobering lessons of The Kansas City Star's suburban comparisons is the relationship between racial diversity and the overall ratings:
In "Rating the 'Burbs," The Star set out to measure the quality of life of local suburbs as places to live.
The staff at the Mid-America Regional Council, which helped The Star design its study and provided data analysis, offered this commentary on Rating the 'Burbs.
For generations now, the American Dream has meant a home in the suburbs. But today there are so many to choose from.
