A friend lived here in high school. She was one of the "rich kids" and her life was different than…read moremine, her house had a lake in the front yard! I even tolerated her super aggressive brother, just to enjoy this slice of life. Cut to many years later, I return for an engagement party for another friend. I forgot how stunning this little oasis can be. This is not just a neighborhood, its like a mini vacation. The sound of the water, the rolling hills, the rustle of the leaves- all hypnotizing.

I'm told that every first Friday weekend in the West Bottoms (Fri.-Sun.), a historic district comes…read morealive and is home to antiques and boutiques which are open late. We weren't so fortunate to be there on those days however but still managed a couple of trips to this industrial district. I'm an amateur shutter-bug and places like this intrigue me. The empty streets, abandoned buildings, railroad tracks and rawness appeals to me and the fact that this was the heart and soul of Kansas City back in the day feeds my desire to learn about the history of this beautiful city. We came late in the afternoon and just walked the streets. A few shops were open but the majority of them were closed. Best way I can describe the place is it's pretty-ugly. Not everyone can appreciate the beauty in worn out, dilapidated buildings. I loved it! Stockyard warehouses with the broken glass windows, fire escapes that precariously dangle on the sides of buildings, thistle laden lots, the painted signs on the sides of brick walls - everything was a photo op. My biggest faux-pas? I didn't pack my "good" camera and it was amusing to walk around fairly unplugged with only an i-phone to shoot with (and to top it off, my storage was full LOL!!). I guess that was a sign from the universe allowing me to experience the West Bottoms. Some blocks of the Bottoms was so quiet it was eerie! I could sense something or someone watching from above or somewhere. Loved it all! Beautiful and would certainly come back again. We saw a few homeless people walking around with their shopping carts but overall, felt safe. I would hate to see this place excessively commercialized and I'm so happy to see that tenants are filling the empty warehouses and embracing KC's historical past and merging it with the new.

I have a strange fascination with the West Bottoms district. I'm surprised no one has reviewed the…read moredistrict as a whole. I realize the most blatant businesses, the seasonal haunted houses occupy this often uncharted area, but there's so much more. During the day (the foggier, the better), take a walk throughout this area. Lavish in the weird mixed up toons that you can't psychically hear, but if you listen for the echo, coming from both the jazz and bars that used to occupy this area in the early Kansas City era, and the stockyards and even railroads, still used. Look at that one doorway, or archway, the cracked stained glass or brick designed into the buildings on purpose, still standing and built in the early 1900's. There is also a small, if not minute homeless population in this area, but it's for them as well. It is amazing for photography, and chances are, you'll see photographers out, walking around with their DSLR's photographing old dilapidated structures. Knowing that, something happened here, you can sense it in the air. It's partially empty, but partially alive. It's vague and quiet and still but a sliver of life is in this area. Maybe that is cause it used to be. As for the shops, there are some. Good JUJU is one of the few. But as for the area, as uncharted, it's there. Once you walk around there with a couple of friends, on a foggy Saturday afternoon, you'll get it, and know, this is what Kansas City used to be about.

I always enjoy Party Arty and this year was no exception. I have to say that this year, compared to…read morelast year, had a few differences. Let me break down my experience: Food: This year's food was so good! I really enjoyed all the offerings from the Jacobsen. They have some seriously delicious things happening! In comparison to last year, I would say the food was better presented, "classier" but not nearly as plentiful or filling. It seemed to run out early and left my poor husband starving for more. Decor: I have to say that I really enjoyed this year's decor. It felt a lot like a posh club and thought it was beautiful. More so, I really enjoyed that the courtyard was open and part of the VIP area...it was a beautiful place to spend part of our evening! Entertainment: I think the entertainment from last year was better. I don't recall anything being particularly memorable this year but still remember the marionettes from last year! VIP Area: I think my one complaint this year was how congested the bar was versus last year. Last year, we could get a drink at any given time with little to no wait time. This year, you were investing some time waiting, although not nearly as much as in GA. VIP Bag; SO, SO, SO much batter than last year! Big upgrade and it was appreciated! Overall, Party Arty was a fun time and I will definitely be back.

This is a great park. So many trees, wide open spaces, a variety of plant life. The trails are…read morereally good. My dog, especially loves it here. There's always a few dogs but not so many. It's never crowded. This is kind of a secret resource here in Lawrence.

This place is beautiful. I learned to love trail running on these trails, running alongside the…read moreriver throughout the four seasons. It's so, so close to downtown Lawrence but also feels 50 miles away. Beautiful scenery, including some bald eagle sightings in the winter if you're lucky. Not a lot I can say other than check it out, and folks who live close enough to get here are lucky.

This is always one of my favorite events of the year. Good beer, good people, and watching films…read morewhile enjoying a picnic at the park? What's not to like? Once a year, New Belgium rolls into town with their inflatable movie screen and barrels of delightful beers that you typically can't find in the region. A bike friendly event, it brings in a large number of the cyclist community, who have a hefty overlap with the craft beer fans. These are my people. The short films are generally 75% hit to 25% miss, which is a pretty good ratio if you ask me. Being New Belgium, most of the films have to do with beer or extreme sports but there's nothing wrong with that. I am always impressed with the amazing footage people capture of people being insane and flinging themselves off of mountains in one manner or another. And if you don't like a movie, wait 3-5 minutes and a new one will start. This event is: hippy friendly. Kid friendly. Dog friendly. Beer geek friendly. My one complaint this year is the amount of time it takes to get a beer. They have pretty strict rules about only getting one beer at a time, and the lines are always insane. The size of the crowd has grown quite considerably, so I wish they would address that a bit more aggressively in the next edition. I'm not going to the event trying to get hammered, but it'd be nice to have more than 2 or so beers. I look forward to this event next year and strongly encourage everybody out there to attend!

Now this is a good event! I have long been a fan of many of the people who work to put together…read morethis annual al fresco evening of fashion, but this was the first year I actually ponied up the money for a proper seat and I have a new appreciation for just how well ran of a program it is! This year 18 designers presented collections of 5 looks each, and the work ranged from whimsical to classic. Most of the work was impressive in one way or another, but there were definitely stand outs. The ladies I was with were certainly geeking out over a number of the looks. And what's more, they offer up a program featuring all of the designers, with their contact information and price listings for their designs. Way to make it easy to support local art! In addition to the models, this is a great place to see and be seen. The majority of people enjoy the opportunity to dress up a bit more boldly than they typically might, and the energy in the street creates the perfect atmosphere for mingling (of course, the cocktails being sold in the street by YJ's among others certainly helps). I was a bit bummed out to see people who paid good money for tickets but obviously didn't give a blank, showing up late in their finest Fruit of the Loom sleeveless shirt and denim carpenter shorts, but what can you do? That was an extreme minority, and most people were there dressed to impress! I also really enjoyed the music that went with the program. Previous shows had employed DJs, but if I'm correct, all of the music this year was live. A trio of musicians performed, including a pianist, a shoeless drummer who liked to crawl around like a monkey, and horns by Mark Southerland a prominent jazz musician here in town that I would call Avante Garde, but hipper listeners might disagree with that labeling? This was a SMOOTH event, incredibly professionally done and in my opinion blowing the socks off of any other fashion event throughout the year. Well worth a visit. And that's a fact!

I went to Eight shots Saturday night .. Live band was very entertaining.The drinks were very…read morereasonable. The owner was incredibly welcoming. But the best thing was the jello shots with whipped cream on top. 1 dollar shots. I will be a frequent visitor to this little establishment.

If you have not made a full walking tour of the River Market area, you need to! One of the many…read moretreasures you will find is this mural, located on the West facade of the River Market Antique Mall. Most Kansas Citians have seen it, but I feel that not too many have actually really looked at it. I personally think it is just grand. I mean, am I a history nerd? Yes! Am I a sucker for public art? Yes! Ergo, I think historical public art is just tops! Many, if not all, know that our area was one of many stops along Lewis and Clarks long journey to the Pacific Northwest. They used our own Quality Hill to survey the river, and I'm sure at some point our own river to relieve themselves. How historically amazing! This very grand mural commemorates the launching of that journey. These two fair men launching an expedition into the wilds of the American West. In the mural you can see how the landscape may have looked along the river before the Army Corps of Engineers set the Mighty Mo to its current course in the early twentieth century, doing away its meandering through our fertile flood plains. Sacajawea and her famous wrapped baby are in the foreground along with her French-Canadian husband, both not looking very historical at all. Weren't they the guides or at least helped with such matters? It seems our artist thought they mostly stared at the ground, pondering as to why in a god's name they were helping these white dudes bring on an onslaught of Western explores who would systematically destroy the world as they new it.....but I digress. My favorite part of this piece, with out a doubt, is our fearless explorer giving the largest thumbs-up sign he possibly could. He was one excited man, full of vigor and childish quandary as to what lay in front of him. History my friend...History!

Nice place to come for a bit of history! I love walking along the trail and watch the activities…read morein the Kaw River!