Take a stroll through Volker: Indie books, drinks & dresses in the walkable heart of midtown
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City of Fountains Neighborhood Guides
Kansas City is home to more than 240 neighborhoods. They are almost like mini-cities that stand on their own, each with their own histories, things to do and unique vibes. These guides, shaped by recommendations from those who call each place home, will help you explore the city neighborhood by neighborhood. More are on their way, too.
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Few blocks in Kansas City achieve the busy, youthful “college town” energy of Lawrence or Columbia quite as well as those on West 39th Street. Neighbors call the local business-packed strip between Southwest Trafficway and State Line Road the heart of the Volker neighborhood, while the sidestreets are marked by homes with plant-filled front porches and small apartment buildings with patios.
Volker has options for shopping, dining or just strolling the tree-lines streets. Some residents find the area so synonymous with Midtown that they use the two names interchangeably.
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MOREThis is one of many coming KC neighborhood guides
The Star is working on creating a series of neighborhood guides based on recommendations from Kansas Citians who call each neighborhood home. We will be adding more guides to this series over the coming weeks and months.
Do you have a favorite neighborhood you want to make sure we write about, or something about your neighborhood that we need to for sure include? Let us know at kcq@kcstar.com or by filling out this form.
Must eat or drink:
Get a taste of some of Kansas City’s favorite barbecue at Q39, a bustling sit-down eatery known for its burnt ends, craft sandwiches and side dishes. If you’re in the mood for California-Mexican fare, Tiki Taco is open until 10 p.m. most nights serving up street tacos, burritos, horchata and their new take on the Choco Taco. For craft cocktails in a trendy space, head further west to Goat and Rabbit. The bar’s many TVs play something for everyone, from a variety of sports to animal livestreams from the Kansas City Zoo.
“I think that’s kind of the best part about Midtown: A lot of it is local, locally owned, locally operated, and there’s just a lot of love behind the food and drinks on the street,” said Maggie Zahner, a co-owner of Our House KC. Her business, which sits less than a block from the state line, is a combination bar, restaurant, barbecue joint, coffee shop and live music space.
Must do:
Prospero’s Books on the corner of 39th and Bell streets offers three floors of secondhand books, as well as a small selection of records, zines and other media. A trip to the shop’s basement floor is worth it just to browse the years worth of colorful graffiti on the walls and shelves.
At a time when so much clothes shopping is done online or in large corporate chain stores, Donna’s Dress Shop offers a glimpse of a bygone era. The clothing boutique features vintage and modern pieces in a variety of styles and sizes — plus plenty of eclectic jewelry. If you aren’t a fan of dresses, don’t let the name fool you: The shop carries lots of them, but you can also find pants, skirts, tops and jumpsuits as well.
Iconic neighborhood thing:
Volker is home to a lot of artistic people, resident and restaurant owner Mazen Iskandrani told The Star. While the area has gotten more expensive over the past 15 years, he said that he still finds it an affordable and safe place to live and run his business, Aladdin Cafe. This affordability has made Volker a haven for artists, baristas, bartenders and other service industry workers. The arts-focused Charlotte Street Foundation also hosts community events, performances and artist residencies, contributing to the creative character of the neighborhood.
Keep an eye out for public art on your way through Volker and you may be surprised at how much you spot — from the highly decorated front yards of residential houses to colorful sculptures and murals outside small businesses.
How to get involved:
Creative people flock to Volker for meetups and jam sessions at Prospero’s Books and Our House KC, which hosts a Songwriters’ Circle for local musicians to share their original pieces. You can also get involved with the area’s active neighborhood association, which hosts litter cleanups and compiles community events into a small publication called Volker Magazine.
If you’re looking for a family-friendly outing, City in Motion dance company holds a free dance recital every year in another beloved spot, Roanoke Park. While this park straddles several neighborhoods, Volker residents consider it a valued community spot for enjoying nature.
Known for:
Multiple people told The Star that Volker offers a welcome relief from the car-centric bustle of daily life in Kansas City. Zahner called it “one of the best neighborhoods to not have a car in,” pointing to how closely-packed the businesses of West 39th street are. Longtime resident Amy Carlson, who has lived in Volker for 36 years, told The Star that Volker is “the most walkable neighborhood in Kansas City.”
A bit of history:
A centerpiece on West 39th Street makes for a good ghost story: The Loretto is a formidable building that currently houses a mix of apartments, offices and a ground-floor event space used for weddings and other celebrations. But more than 100 years ago, the building was an all-girls’ Catholic school that taught piano, harp, violin and singing as well as academic subjects. But the school was also the site of tragedy: In 1909, three Loretto students died on Halloween night after their paper costumes caught on fire. To this day, some still say the building is haunted.
Do you have more recommendations for great spots in your favorite Kansas City neighborhood? Let the Service Journalism team know at kcq@kcstar.com.
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