Kansas City

Located south of the Kansas River and area railroad tracks, Argentine is a quiet, established neighborhood where families carry on from one generation to the next. Argentine means silver, which ties back to an early era when the area was home to a silver smelting plant. Its deep Mexican-American roots began to grow in 1915 when Mexican men worked on the railroads. Those early roots have created a strong, unique sense of community. “Argentine is like a small town in the middle of the city,” Robert Brown says. A Realtor with Platinum Realty, Brown has been selling homes in the area for 7 years. “It’s an older community with older homes where most people stay to themselves,” he says. Around half of Argentine is residential, 19% is industrial, and 14% is apartments. Nearly 60% of Argentine’s 2,883 households are owner-occupied. Argentine is bounded by Interstate 635 on the west, Interstate 35 on the south, and U.S. Highway 69 on the east, making it easy to get anywhere in the metro and beyond. “If you live in Argentine, you can get anywhere you want to go in the Kansas City area within 15 minutes,” Dee Spencer says. Spencer, the director and owner of Delight Ahead Child and Family Development Center in Argentine, lived in the neighborhood for 17 years. “It’s a small community still working to thrive,” she says. The KCRide bus system has limited service from Argentine into downtown Kansas City, Missouri with stops at 10th and 21st Streets. Argentine has several authentic Mexican restaurants, such as Casa Bonita K.C. and Pepe’s Carnitas. Locals can also choose from multiple barbecue spots, such as Joe’s Kansas City or Big Q. Spencer swears by Big Q’s fried mushrooms, onion rings and ribs. Hana’s Donuts has also been a neighborhood staple for over 10 years. Locals don’t have to go far for groceries as the Walmart Neighborhood Market and El Mercado Fresco are right on the neighborhood’s northeast corner. On the southwest edge of the neighborhood, a quaint country store and farmers market called The Peddler’s Daughter features fresh-baked pies, in-season produce and gardening gifts. Despite nearly 20% of Argentine’s space being industrial, the neighborhood offers a variety of outdoor green spaces. Clopper Field includes sports fields and futsal courts, while Matney Park has a basketball court, playground and walking trails. Neighbors play soccer at Vega Field, named after World War II veteran and Argentine resident David A. Vega, Sr., Vega Field. Kids enjoy hanging out at the playgrounds at Emerson Park and the 6-acre Ruby Park, which is nestled among residential streets. Bungalows, Craftsman, split-levels and ranch-style homes are typical styles found here. Most homes are set back from the street and have moderately sized yards framed by sidewalks. The neighborhood also includes a few townhouse developments and apartment complexes. Prices range from the low $100,000s to the mid-$200,000s for a 3-bedroom home. The median price is $175,000. Homes here sell in 25 days compared to the U.S. average of 42 days. The median year homes were built is 1945. Students can start at Silver City Elementary School and Argentine Middle School, each of which receive a C-minus grade from Niche. They can move on to the C-minus-rated Argentine Middle School. Older students can attend  J.C. Harmon High School, which earns a C grade. Argentine Middle and Harmon High both offer gifted programs. Argentine has been hosting the annual Silver City Day Parade and Festival for over 75 years. Vendors, kids’ activities, inflatables, a lowrider bike display, lawn games and live music make this festival an iconic neighborhood experience. The neighborhood also celebrates Cinco de Mayo in Emerson Park. There’s an increased risk of flooding along the neighborhood’s south end along I-35 and the neighborhood’s north end below the Kansas River. Certain parts of the neighborhood tend to be noisier than others, including the areas along major highways such as Interstates 635, 70 and 35 and U.S. Highway 69 and near the railroad tracks to the north.

Dating back nearly 150 years, Armourdale has a rich Mexican history and culture that comes to life with radiant colors spread across homes, businesses, and murals in the this Kansas City, Kansas neighborhood. The Kansas River runs between Armourdale and downtown Kansas City, Missouri. While it's easy to get downtown K.C. by car or bus, the Armourdale Area Master Plan announced in 2020 should help bring this area more affordable housing and help it shake its commercial district vibes. “Armourdale is a special place,” says Luis Matos-Rivera, an associate broker with Weichert Realtors, Welch & Company, who has lived in Kansas City his whole life. “People that move there are usually either moving from house to house or are familiar with the neighborhood before they move there. It is essential to the residents to preserve the longstanding culture and tradition of the neighborhood.” Many retail options and restaurants in Armourdale reflect the culture. Locals have enjoyed shopping and dining at spots like Arts Molino and Mexican Market for decades. Ball's Sun Fresh and Supermart El Torito are less than two miles away. Visitors and locals gather yearly at the nearby Guadalupe Center for the Cinco de Mayo Celebration. More neighborhood-centric, the Amourdale’s Annual Parade and Festival happens each year and features a parade starting on 12th Street and Osage Avenue, with the party continuing in Shawnee Park, which includes live bands, dancing, mariachi music, and kid-focused activities like a bounce house and face painting. “The residents really love soccer, and it is an important part of the community,” Matos-Rivera says. Armourdale is just over 10 miles from Children’s Mercy Park, home to the Major League Soccer’s Sporting KC. This mostly commercial area features homes tucked away on residential streets. Underneath the shade from scattered trees, sidewalks connect the area and allow locals to get around by bike or foot. Home styles include bungalows and American Foursquares on narrow lots. Buyers can expect a two-bedroom bungalow to go for more than $110,000, while a two-bedroom American Foursquare can sell for $135,000. “I always tell people that Kansas City has the best housing market in the country right now. We are seeing people wanting to move here and investing in older properties or building new ones,” Matos-Rivera says. Shawnee Park is the largest of the neighborhood's two traditional green spaces. Spanning seven acres, it features a recently renovated playground for kids but also has multiple sporting surfaces with paved basketball courts, a softball field and outdoor workout equipment. Locals can get some steps along numerous paved walking paths or take a moment to honor the area’s veterans at a small monument. Bill Clem Park is a little less than two acres and is almost at the center of the neighborhood. The park features another playground for children, picnic shelters and a local favorite soccer field. For more exercise, the Armourdale Levee Trail, built to help protect the area from flooding, is a mile-long that walkers and bikers can use while taking in the views of the Kansas River. Residents can get around Kansas City on the RideKC Bus line, which has routes along 9th and 12th Streets in the neighborhood. Armourdale is south of Interstate 70, which runs east to west. US-169 runs directly through the neighborhood. Children are zoned for the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, which scores a C on Niche and is the largest school district in Wyandotte County and the fifth largest school district in Kansas. Students attend John Fiske Elementary, which is within walking distance for some young residents, Rosedale Middle and J.C. Harmon High School. According to Niche, the elementary school ranks as a D-plus, the middle school scores a C-minus, and the high school scores a C. Harmon offers a dual language program, which allows students to become bi-literate in Spanish and English by learning language through the content. The Armourdale Area Master Plan released in 2020 calls for phasing out the industrial parts that spill into the neighborhood and building affordable housing or community facilities, while vacant lots will be constructed with new properties. While the area has a rich history, which dates to 1880, it has been washed away by floods in 1903 and 1951. Since then, several levees and a $50 million floodwall have been protecting the areas. Since 1951, levees and a $50 million floodwall have been protecting the area from flooding. However, several areas in the neighborhood are still prone to flooding, especially along Armourdale Parkway, Shawnee Avenue, Miami Avenue and Muncie Boulevard.

Bethel Welborn is a cozy spot to return to after a hard day’s work. This quiet residential neighborhood of primarily single-family homes is 10 miles northeast of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and 2 miles south of the Missouri River. Robert Brown, a realtor with Platinum Realty who grew up here, sums up the neighborhood vibe simply. “This is a middle-class neighborhood of working folk. It’s a blue-collar community where people just want to work and take care of their families,” Brown says. He’s been selling homes in the area for seven years. Bethel Welborn’s location between Interstates 635, half a mile to the east, 435 10 miles to the west and I-70 2 miles to the south, makes it easy to commute anywhere in the metro. Another major thoroughfare, Leavenworth Road, runs east and west through the neighborhood. Public transportation is also an option, with numerous KCRide bus stops along Parallel Parkway and Leavenworth Road. Locals can grab groceries nearby at Ball’s Sun Fresh and at store/restaurant combo spots like Supermart El Torito and Bonito Michoacan. They can also meet for dinner at familiar places like Taqueria Arandas. Cervantes recommends the fajitas combo. Bethel Welborn is only 6 miles from The Legends Kansas City, one of the area’s largest retail, dining and entertainment complexes featuring over 100 retail and dining options. The Legends is surrounded by live sports events and other entertainment options. Residents can watch Sporting KC professional soccer games and AAA baseball games featuring the Monarchs. NASCAR fans can enjoy live racing at the Kansas Speedway. On hot days, locals can cool off at Schlitterbahn Water Park. Indoor entertainment options include the Hollywood Casino and Dave and Buster’s. Green space is plentiful in Bethel Welborn. Residents can enjoy cookouts and picnics at the sprawling Welborn Park right in the neighborhood. The park has four tennis courts and walkways that meander throughout its 20 acres. Wyandotte County Lake Park is 6 miles to the west. When asked if Wyandotte County Lake had some good fishing, Robert Brown replied, “Oh my goodness, yes. You have fishing, pickleball and hiking trails.” In the neighborhood, Thompson Park is a favorite spot for hikes, sand volleyball playground fun and cookouts. Bethel Welborn features a variety of home styles, including split-levels, ranch-styles and raised ranch-styles primarily built in the 1950s and 1960s. Home prices range from $125,000 to $250,000. Miguel Cervantes, a realtor with REMAX State Line who’s lived in Kansas City, Kansas, since 1980, says one of the things he likes about the older homes in Bethel Welborn is their individual character, which one doesn’t always find in newer houses. “In older homes like those in Bethel Welborn, you see nice touches like rounded arches. These homes offer character and the chance to have a house no one else has,” he says. Cervantes has been selling homes in the area for seven years. “Bethel has old homes and an old-town feel, but it’s still within city limits, so you get a well-established, seasoned neighborhood with mature trees, and people are always fixing up their homes,” Cervantes says. Students can attend Hazel Grove Elementary School and Gloria Willis Middle School, which receive a C-minus grade from Niche. They can then move on to the C-rated F.L. Schlagle High School. Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) is within one mile of Bethel Welborn. KCKCC offers diverse programs of study, from the arts to biomanufacturing. During warm weather months, The Legends hosts a weekly Movie Night on The Lawn featuring family-friendly movie classics. Moviegoers can grab dinner from Legends eateries and drinks from Yard House.

Located 10 miles from downtown Kansas City, Missouri, the suburban Kansas City, Kansas (KCK) neighborhood of Coronado is home to hundreds of accommodating houses, a handful of community parks and a local college, all at the edge of the metropolis. For homebuyers looking to live a suburban lifestyle in the metro area but not wanting to move out as far as surrounding cities like Overland Park or Olathe, Coronado stands out as a viable option with proximity to local schools, transport hubs, and retail conveniences. “Coronado is off the beaten path, with easy highway access,” says Miguel Cervantes, a local real estate agent RE/MAX Revolution. “It’s an oasis in the rough.” Coronado is filled with bungalows and cottages, level and raised ranch homes, and the occasional Craftsman or Tudor-inspired residence. Properties are often painted in autumn colors or accented in brick. Homeowners also add touches like winding staircases, pops of dark red or bright yellow on the front door or windowpanes, and wide back patios. While many properties in the community were built in the 1950s, there has been a wave of new construction with residences built as recently as 2023. Regardless of the style, size, or age, Coronado homes are located along quiet, neatly organized lanes with large front lawns and abundant shade from the area’s many oak trees. The average range in Coronado is between $150,000 and $300,000, and prices have nearly doubled since 2022. “There are fewer homes on the market at this point, prices are up, and once a property gets listed, it moves fairly quickly,” says Charlie Stimac, owner of Triple Creek Realty, who has been selling homes in the Kansas City metro since 1997. “It’s not been the norm; there seem to be more cash buyers coming from the West Coast into the Midwest because they can afford to buy three times the home here.” Coronado families are zoned under the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools system. Eugene Ware Elementary School serves students from the eastern half of the neighborhood, while the Lindbergh Elementary School is accessible for kids from the central and western portions of the area. Both schools have a C-minus on Niche, and Gloria Willis Middle School also has a C-minus score. F. L. Schlagle High School has a C score on Niche and offers an in-school College and Career Academy to help students apply to school or find a job after graduation. The Kansas City Kansas Community College campus is on Coronado’s west side, providing local students a two-year avenue to a full bachelor’s program. While Coronado is located on the outskirts of KCK, it is close to Interstates 70 and 635. These highways provide a 10-mile drive into both downtown Kansas City, Missouri and the center of KCK. The Ride KC transit system serves the area, and while some local bus stops are dotted along State Avenue, public transportation access can be limited. State Avenue at the center of Coronado is home to an Aldi grocery store and a Dollar Tree, while the Parallel Plaza Shopping Center at the northwestern corner of the community includes a Family Dollar. The Wyandotte Plaza shopping center is 3 miles to the west, offering a Price Chopper and several restaurants, like Mexican eatery Taqueria Arandas and Naree Kitchen Thai & Sushi. Mason Jar Brews and Burgers is also located in the Wyandotte Plaza, and serves monthly gourmet creations, like the Berry-Sassy Burger with blueberry-jalapeno jam. Despite its more rural location, Coronado has few local parks, and most recreation spots are in surrounding areas or on the outskirts of the neighborhood. Welborn Park & Mini Pitch Soccer on North 57th Street and Thomson Park on North 59th Street are a short walk from FL Schlagle High School, providing the perfect place for teenagers to pick up an after-school soccer match. Eisenhower Park is another nearby green space that is 3 miles from the heart of Coronado and offers walking paths and a small playground. Painted Hills Golf Course on Parallel Parkway is an 18-hole course on the west side of the community with no membership required.

The Kansas City, Kansas neighborhood of I-435 West KC-KS is just as unique as its name. The area draws its unusual name from its location west of Interstate 435 at the edge of the Kansas City metropolitan area. What better defines this neighborhood is its proximity to many stand-out features, from the massively popular Kansas Speedway to the bustling Legends Outlets shopping mall. “You’re located in the northwest corner, near Legends shopping center, the Monarchs stadium, and wonderful access to the city through I-435,” says Chad Chadwick, a sales professional with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. Beyond these attractions, the suburban streets of this neighborhood include sizeable front lawns, newly built homes, and a sprawling local park, so residents don’t just have to go shopping or attend a NASCAR race to find something to enjoy nearby. The jewel of the neighborhood is the Kansas Speedway, Kansas City’s NASCAR track off Interstate 70. The racetrack is next to Legends Field, home to the reborn Kansas City Monarchs baseball team, and Children’s Mercy Park, a Major League soccer venue. The complex is also home to the Hollywood Casino and a Great Wolf Lodge water park for additional fun for any age group. While the area off I-435 is best known for the Kansas Speedway, another local attraction is The Legends Outlets on Village West Parkway. Legends has over 1 million square feet of shopping, from everyday staples like Target and Sam’s Club to dozens of clothing, beauty, and tech stores. After a day of shopping, visitors can grab a bite to eat at one of this mall’s dozens of restaurants. One local favorite is The Yard House, which serves a wide selection of draft beer and New American grub like steak, sliders, pizza, and pasta. The residential community off the interstate offers great housing diversity, from the ranch-style homes northeast of the Legends Outlets shopping mall to the larger Tudor and Colonial-inspired structures lining the streets northwest of the mall. Local housing tends to be concentrated in large subdivisions filled with new construction, large front and backyards, and community amenities like pools. Most of these subdivisions consist of multi-story houses built between 2000 and 2023. “On the other side of the interstate, you got into suburban living. All the homes are technically from within the last 30 years,” Chadwick says. The average property price range in I-435 West KC-KS is between $300,000 and $600,000. This is well above the city average of $209,000, and Chadwick says prices have continued to rise in the area within the last decade due to the desirable location and nearby attractions. I-435 West KC-KS’s students attend the Piper-Kansas City Unified School District, which has three schools in the same complex along North 110th Street. Piper Elementary School earns an A on Niche, while Piper Middle School and Piper High School each have a B-plus score. Piper High School has unique extracurriculars, such as its varsity robotics team, which won the 2023 regional robotics championship. Kansas State University in Kansas City is Less than 7 miles from I-435 West KC-KS. On the northeast side of I-435 West KC-KS is Wyandotte County Lake Park. This 1,5000-acre nature park on North 91st Street offers visitors the chance to picnic, hike, ride horses, or fish. The Kansas City Rowing Club meets up on the northern shore of the lake at the White Tail Loop Trail. Less than a mile away, Wyandotte County Sports Associates on Leavenworth Road has several fields for youth baseball and softball programs. While the area has I-435 in its name, this is not the only nearby interstate. The neighborhood is also directly north of I-70. These major highways make the area well-connected to both Kansas Cities, which are each 16 miles away from the community, and to Kansas City International Airport, which is 20 miles away. Public transportation is not readily available in this part of the metro, so residents rely on their cars to get to the nearby attractions.