Brookside Neighborhood

It's hard not to love the Brookside Neighborhood as it blends an urban feel into some beautiful older homes. While technically it's suburban, the vibe is anything but.I fell in love with this neighborhood at a very young age as we lived here for a handful of years and frequented the annual St. Patrick's Day parade, the Dime Store, and every other family friendly thing that this hood has to offer. Flash forward to adulthood and you'll find me working on a sunny morning at The Roasterie, jogging the epic Trolley Track Trail, and generally admiring the beauty of the neighborhood during all four seasons. If I had to find a knock, I'd have to say it's that I'm not head over heels in love with the restaurants in the heart of Brookside. I do like Bella Napoli, and the convenience of Panera, but otherwise I've struck out on some of the core ones there. The value of this neighborhood is always high, but at the time of this writing it's sky high with houses going generally going for $300K and up, depending on what exact block. For me it can be a tough sell longterm as the surrounding public schools aren't amazing for the kiddos, however there are loads of private and even charter schools around that are appealing. I wish that the original structure of suburban sprawl had followed Brookside with an organic walkability. You won't really find that in Lenexa, OP, and other Missouri suburbs. Instead we're seeing mixed use developments retroactively trying to catch up by creating a destination space, but it doesn't have the same feel that the wonderfully settled in Brookside Neighborhood boasts.

Beautiful neighborhood and perfect weather when we went here for Brookside Art Annual. Didn't even know there was an event here recently. This was my first time and I really love this location. Each houses have their own characters and really friendly neighbors. Did get to see a bunny hop from houses to houses as well. It's very unique and I definitely want to live there. Close to the plaza, lots of shops and restaurants in the area.

It's hard to believe there has been no entry on Yelp for Brookside. Maybe the reason is in what defines Brookside. Brookside is two things. First, it is a shopping and commercial area centered around Brookside Boulevard and 63rd Street. Second, it is the collection of neighborhoods located around that area. If you ask those native to Kansas City "What is Brookside," the vast majority will tell you it is "a neighborhood." So... let's treat it like that, even though it is technically a collection of neighborhoods. :-)So, from 51st south to Gregory.And from Holmes west to Wornall.Some would restrict this geography a little, but this is basically it. Notably, to the south of Gregory is the Waldo area. The commercial districts are literally 2 minutes apart, and easily accessible without a car via the Trolley Trail. Many people say Brookside/Waldo when describing the area.So what does Brookside have? Just about everything but an amusement park, and much of it privately owned. Unique restaurants abound. I can only think of four chain restaurants/cafes in the entire area. Some of the restaurants are notable... Julian, Bella Napoli, Osteria Il Centro, Aixois, and Cafe Europa are probably my top five of the area. Watering holes are plentiful. The Peanut, Charlie Hoopers, and the Bier Station are my top three for beer. Great cafes include Bella Napoli and the Roasterie. There are even notable ice cream places such as Glace and Foos.Outside of dining and entertainment, just about every service you could want is here. Tailors, spas/salon, shopping, grocery, gas/auto, pet services, churches, etc.Again, the area is linked to Waldo (south) and Country Club Plaza (north) via the Trolley Trail. This greenway is enhanced by small parks sprinkled about the neighborhoods such as Brookside Triangle Park, Brookside Park, Arbor Villa Park, and the crown jewel just outside the area (Wornall@51st to 55th... Jacob L. Loose Park.Annual events like the Art Fair, the St Patricks Day Parade, and the Trolley Run are all fun to go out and see.Are there drawbacks? Sure. Real Estate is more expensive here. Public schools here are not well thought of. And access to major highways is a pain in any direction. But two of the three don't matter too much. First of all it's worth it to live here. I have moved around a lot in my life and the quality of living in Brookside is the best I have experienced. Second, access to highways matters for a few minutes a day... IF you need to go somewhere. But if you come home to Brookside you really don't need to travel too far for anything. You do not need to drive if you are an active person. The schools are an issue, but only if you have kids. And as good as Brookside is, the surrounding neighborhoods are beautiful as well! I can't think of a better place to visit or live.

Ummmm, there are some good things about this area. But for some reason, I don't always feel safe out here. I don't come out here often. I only visit the toy and hobby shop, really. I can't find another place like it in KC. I don't know which demographic they are trying to appeal to but it must not be me. W/F/33

Saw the marketing for the Holiday Season kick off specials for the weekend of Nov 9-11. Went to check it out on Sunday and each of the few stores and restaurant/bars we went into acted like we were asking for something they never heard of. One clerk argued with us about whether or not the items we wanted to buy were actually on their list of special items so we walked out without buying anything. Another did not even greet us even though no one else was in that shop. There were no apparent holiday specials nor did the clerk/owner? engage us at all. A restaurant that advertised participation in this gave us a hard time saying we were too late for the special even though it was only late Sunday afternoon. We were made to feel like beggars looking for a deal. Thanks Brookside for the disappointing holiday cheer : (

Exactly what I miss about my Chicago neighborhood I can find here: locally owned stores, being able to walk from place to place, the neighborhood play ground and tennis courts, the little restaurants with delicious offerings, the variety of festivals and just great people watching. Thank you, Brookside, for keeping it fun, quaint and urban!