West Bottoms and the West Side

HERE'S A TOAST TO AN ECLECTIC MIX OF BUSINESS AND RESIDENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS IN KC.

 

An eclectic mix of distinct homes, apartments and commercial development, the West Side offers about as much variety as any area in the urban core. From lively Southwest Boulevard to the top of appropriately named
Summit Street, the district contains the largest brewery headquartered in Missouri and some of the most unusual homes in metropolitan Kansas City. The FBI regional center sits on the northern gateway while Boulevard Brewing Company, pictured at right, is on the south.

The residential variety here is equally extreme—from ultra-contemporary to historic. The biggest surprises may be the outstanding collection of restaurants and shops. Thought not numerous or packed, the array includes new locales like the Westside Local, a restaurant and beer garden at 1663 Summit, or the popular Blue Bird Bistro at
1700 Summit.1

On Southwest Boulevard, an even larger selection of eateries includes some of the city’s best selections from south of the border, to barbecue and even European dining.

The West Bottoms is definitely an area in transition. Once home of the Kansas City stockyards, the area’s underutilized industrial buildings are finding new uses. The list includes everything from a wine gift store, antiques, a gourmet food center and architectural supply business. A new restaurant, the R Bar, opened at 1617 Genessee in 2009. Sometimes compared to Crossroads Arts District when it was just being discovered, the West Bottoms has an environment of its own.

Although some artists already live and work there, the city is considering new zoning for the district, which would help increase population density.

The one-year-old West Bottoms Business District Association has about 20 members, several of whom are focusing on green efforts to counter challenges such as a water overflow problem. Two local companies, Faultless Starch/Bon Ami Co. and CFM Distributors Inc., even built rain-collection systems that help solve water drainage problems on-site.