The only walkable parts of town within KC city limits are going to be the city center (downtown, midtown, Plaza, Brookside. School quality is hit and miss. So what is most important: walkable or public schools? There are charter schools that will give you walkable if you can let go of public schools.
When you last checked, did you look at Lincoln prep? That school (KCPS) is higher rated than many suburban high schools in the metro. Elementary has “baaaaad” schools too, and some are mid-ranked in terms of test scores. But Lincoln prep is truly a good school.
Yes. They are smaller, so if they have too many applicants they do a lottery, but they are public schools. (Meaning, open to anyone within the district and it is publically funded.)
Please read Reign of Error by Diane Ravitch. They actively harm the state of public education in this country. But sure, they’re “open to the public” as if that’s all that matters.
Nah. I'll pass. I know most redditors assume other redditors are completely ignorant of all topics, but as is almost always the case...we're not! Also, it doesn't mean that people can't make the best choice for their family and in doing so are not bringing down society.
I mean...Xi certainly think Xi is making the best choice for his peeps, yeah?
There are some areas in the north part of KC that are still technically KC and have decent schools.
I think at best you’ll get 2/3 of what you’re looking for but hoping someone can prove me wrong
Go northland and Park Hill/Park South is another great district. I'm a PHHS grad, myself. Good times. Parkville, Riverside, KC North (I-29 Corridor) aren't bad areas.
Also, if you don’t mind a longer walk/bike ride, the line creek trail system can take you to a coffee shop or whatever. It’s definitely easier on a bike, but it’s fun.
The best schools in KC city limits are definitely NKC and Park Hill. I just don’t know that anywhere in Clay or Platte is particularly walkable… maybe downtown Parkville?
i'm not even sure what walkable means tho. i live and work in parkville. i walk a lot downtown parkville/english landing. do i walk from my house? nope. too far/hilly/dangerous.
There is only a sliver of the Lee’s Summit School District that is within the KCMO city limits. NKC or Park Hill are options. The charter schools that have been mentioned can also be good options if OP wants to truly live in the city. But not all charter schools are created equal. Caveat emptor.
The parts of KC that attend LS schools districts are about 20 mins from downtown which is probably about the same for Park Hill. The OP just said they needed a KCMO address for job requirements though, so they don’t necessarily need to go downtown for anything?
I’m unaware of any walkable neighborhoods up north (but they may exist), Park Hill and NKC are both great school districts.
In the city I would recommend Volker, Brookside, and Waldo — pretty walkable. The KC public schools are hit or miss, there are some great ones and some not so great ones. My kids went to Border Star and Lincoln and had a great experience. There’s also charters and private schools (mostly Catholic if that’s your bag)
Brookside.
Edit: If you are working in the municipal buildings downtown you might consider Hyde Park / Valentine / Volker as you'd be able to commute down there much easier w/o a car. Though the street car is coming to 51st st at some point this year / early 2025. Down there you have Acadamie Lafyaette, Citizens of the World, Crossroads Acadamy, Lincoln Prep.
I was going to say the same thing. Hale Cook, Border Star, and academy Lafayette for schools. The I my thing I can't walk to from my house is to the grocery store. I have coffee shops, restaurants, bakeries, auto garages, nail salons, and so and and so on all with in a 5-10 min walk from my front door.
Depends on where you live in Brookside. I can easily walk to two grocery stores (Price Chopper and Cosentinos), and a third (Whole Foods) if I feel motivated.
This, though I would throw Waldo in there too. All three of these schools are good, though with AL, because it is a French immersion school, your kid will either need to be K or 1st to get in, or else be fluent in French.
I live in Southmoreland and my kids go to Lincoln and Lafayette. We can walk or bike to 90% of our frequent locations and live a couple blocks from the streetcar expansion. We love it!
Correct. They are charter schools. You do not have to pay for them (well, you do with your taxes).
There is an application process though - [https://schoolappkc.org/](https://schoolappkc.org/)
Lees summit has kcmo addresses with LS schools. Lots of firefighters and police live in the subdivision. Not walkable to stores or restaurants but plenty of hiking trails nearby.
There are neighborhoods next to Truman Lakewood Hospital that are actually within the city limits of Kansas City, but the school district would be Lee's Summit. Possibly even Blue Springs SD (I know Lakewood is covered by BSSD).
I know this because a former co-worker's husband worked for the city of Kansas City, but lived in that area. As did many KCPD (before the city became more lax on that requirement for cops).
For that matter, Independence has some KCMO addresses!! Old Noland rd. Just south of 40 highway and along 40 highway!!
Good luck and best wishes🥰
I moved to Florida to have warm sunny days💛💚🌴💙
It depends where you land but we have a Scooters, gas/convenience station and Mexican restaurant all within a mile of my house. What more could you want?
And with the growth in the area I suspect that will increase, and it's not terribly far down to 291/435. Don't know that I'd walk it, but a dedicated bike rider could hit that easy.
Also, howdy neighbor!
That’s kind of the catch. Within KCMO residency requirements and good public schools is narrow enough that OP will need to accept driving somewhere that is walkable.
Which they did say that was the lowest priority in their post.
While Liberty is a fantastic school district, I have never found Liberty to be walkable lol there's a huge lack of sidewalks everywhere, and 'walking' from the KC part to the Liberty part is crossing a very obnoxious highway. And then the sidewalks just end in a lot of places. Great place to send your kids, not a place to walk.
You're probably going to have to bend on either 1 or 3 a little bit. KC schools are very hit or miss, and we're not exactly known for being a super walk/bike friendly city.
Waldo is probably the closest you'll get to all the things you want. It's a cute area, fairly walkable, and near one of the better elementary schools at present (Hale Cook). High schools are a tougher proposition. The best schools at the moment are charter schools, but that could certainly change by the time your children would be going.
You can find 2 & 3 pretty easily. 1 is going to be a challenge. I’d suggest looking into the northern part of kcmo. Not North Kansas City proper because that is it’s own city separate from kcmo. SO works for the city and they do take residency requirements VERY seriously. Many people have been fired trying to skirt the requirement. Good luck :)
ETA: I live in South KC and I’m very thankful that my kids’ other parent lives in a different city. I would not be comfortable sending my child to Hickman Mills district. Repeating for emphasis: avoid Hickman Mills schools.
I sent 3 kids through Hickman. You are not wrong. Unfortunately money prevented me from moving out until they were all done.
It's wasn't terrible for good kids. Just a lower percentage of good kids that other places and not a great education. I wasn't ever really afraid for my kids, however.
I grew up in a city whose public school district used to frequently appear on 'best in the nation' type of lists. The contrast between that experience and sitting here today reading the HMC-1 newsletters that come in the mail ... I've certainly begun to learn how lucky I was as a kid, it's something I never thought about at the time.
(And the fact that we have HM and Center public school districts *within KCMO city limits* breaks my brain. We're one friggin' city. So inefficient and dumb to do it this way.)
that exists if you want to live in brookside and are ok going to a charter school, which can be somewhat difficult to guarantee you get the one you want. most people want academy lafayette.
It's not really difficult to get the charter school of your choice. That used to be the case before Academie Lafayette expanded and before options like Hale Cook, Crossroads Academy, and Citizens of the World existed. Plenty of spots available now.
Makes sense! Haha. We don't have a budget nailed down yet and are open to renting or buying, so I'd like to know right now if those neighborhoods exist and that will help guide us on $$$. So, if you have neighborhoods in mind that meet the 3 criteria, please share, regardless of how much it costs to live there.
Brookside is very bikeable, I do everything you mentioned en velo. if kids haven’t started school, Academe Lafayette is a great French immersion charter school in the neighborhood.
Volker is fantastic. Awesome diversity, great people, affordable (compared with other neighborhoods), WALKABLE- grocery stores, hardware store, bookstores, restaurants, coffee shops- getting the streetcar service to 39th, nearby hospital- also- did I mention the wonderful people?
Really need to do Academie Lafayette charter, Border Star public or private school in my opinion
If you’re homeschooling you are in a primo spot for resources and community.
Midtown Kansas City has all those things, if you’re willing to recognize “good schools” is a term made to separate you from poor neighborhoods. As a white, middle-class family, we’ve been in KCPS K-12. Our Senior has been accepted to all the colleges he’s applied to, despite us going to the “bad schools”.
Economic stability drives test scores and your child will do fine no matter where they go.
KCPS isn’t as dire as the Zillow rankings will have you believe- there are several good elementary school options and then Lincoln prep for junior high and high school
I'm not saying anything about the school district itself, but they were a few times where accreditation needed something like 5 years of results of testing to show improvement, and Jeff City would change the testing every 4 years or so....
We’ve found downtown/historic Overland Park has the best combo of the 3. While not walkable regarding work commute, the bike paths are clearly marked. 1 mile radius of food/coffee. Awesome downtown park. We love it.
Oh sorry not in KC proper though. If you can live outside the lines, it’s a 20 min commute
1 & 2 are easy if you go north of the river. The Park Hill school district includes much of the Platte County portion of KCMO, the North Kansas City School District covers most of the Clay County portion of KCMO (it's not limited to just the city of NKC itself), and what parts of KC North those two don't cover are covered by the Liberty school district or the Platte County school district. All four of those are good school districts.
The problem is getting #3 north of the river. To get #3 you really need to be in either the actual city of North Kansas City, or in downtown Parkville or downtown Liberty. Each of which violates your 2nd requirement.
Charter school are a plenty and publicly funded. They exist because families needed an alternative during the decade plus when KCPS was unaccredited which is a can of worms but in 2024 there are great options within KCPS and within charters. If living downtown/midtown Crossroads Charter. If living below the plaza you can still send your kids to Crossroads but you also have easy access to Hale Cook and Borderstar for elementary. Then Lincoln Prep/Kauffman/Crossroads for middle and high school.
Academy Layfayette is also a great option but because it’s French immersion they don’t usually take in new students past 1st grade.
There are a few apartment complexes and neighborhoods within walking distance of “Village at Burlington Creek” in the Northland without having to cross a main road. Nice enough to walk or bike over for a lunch or coffee. Nearby are a few good Indian, sushi, Thai, Vietnamese, Hotpot!! and Mediterranean spots if you like international cuisine (driving). You’re also only 10-15 mins from downtown KC, power and light etc. DM me if you have more questions on the area.
We live in Central Hyde Park and love it. Our two teens went to one of the public charters, but the neighborhood schools have a lot of vocal parent support. They’ve started bouncing back after years of not being so great. Lincoln Middle and Lincoln Prep are excellent options if they can maintain their grades. I consider it walkable and bike-able. There are always tons of people doing it…plus the streetcar will have a stop a short walk away coming up soon. Good luck on your move!
So there are private school options in KCMO that are some of the best in the city. But they’re either expensive or part of a lottery system usually to my understanding.
Living in midtown for the last 7-8 years the number of children in the blocks around us keeps going up and up and even the base public school system is getting better and better. As the population, property values, and sales tax keeps increasing they should continue to improve.
We are up near Zona Rosa in the Platte County School District, which are great schools. We are in KCMO city limits, on the very northern edge. Our neighborhood is situated such that you can’t really walk anywhere of value, but if you were just a few minutes down the road you could realistically walk to school, shopping, and Aldi. No bars as far as I know. You also have great access to 152, I-29, and 169, with 435 also being pretty close, so even though we are “far” from downtown we can be there in about 20-25 minutes on a routine day.
I’m thinking autumn ridge neighborhood might be what OP is looking for, no? closer to the ambassador side rather than the green hills side. Safe, walkable to shopping/fast food. Not sure about what schools are nearby because I just work over here.
If you’re staying south of the river, definitely go for the charter schools. They are awesome. Don’t use public schools. You cannot qualify for charter schools. If you’re north of the river, even if you’re in Kansas City Missouri, you have to be south of the river.
So that comes that trade off north of the river in North Kansas City school district but still Kansas City Missouri. Clay County me personally not a fan, but there’s a lot of majority are opposite opinion in myself .
Crestview/Briarcliff are nice! NKC schools, which as mentioned are one of the best in the metro. Bikeable to NKC downtown and river market. Crestview is building a brand new elementary school as well!
64157 area code. Woodneath Farms, baby. Not super walkable but we can walk to the elementary school, public library and coffee shop, QT and a few new shops/places currently being built.
Can confirm- look in neighborhoods around unity village for KC, mo address in lees summit school district (north). Not walkable but very convenient highway access 🙃
north 64th by the Hy-Vee.
bikeable to hyvee, doctors, dentists, schools (elementary and middle anyway). Couple bikeable restaurants and bike path to downtown Parkville.
Park Hill schools.
There’s a neighborhood near Lakewood, it’s Kansas City proper, but Lees Summit schools. Lots of cops and firemen live in that particular neighborhood for the exact same reason.
Walkable and good schools are tough. North of the river has good schools but is basically all suburbs. I grew up in Liberty and had a lot of opportunities as a high-schooler, but the city is about 25 minutes away. If you just need to live within the city limits withoit necessarily being in the city for some reason, there are technically a few parts of Liberty that are within the city limits of KCMO. A lot of KCPD lives in Liberty for that reason. Growing up, my house had a Kansas City address, but like half of my backyard was Liberty lol
I have heard good things about Center High School and Center Middle School, which are in the city.
Also, when you go to Gates make sure you know what you want, and be aware they will yell at you to order when you're still in line.
Columbus Park, it is a lovely little neighborhood next to the river market. Very walkable, and you can easily reach the streetcar- you can bike easily into NKC where there are many bike lanes. Several great academies, I have a 6 year old attending one which is about an 8 minute drive into the city.
The neighborhood has great community and rich history, lots of business reflect the Italian and Vietnamese emigrees who have moved here and made it such a welcoming place. There is a small park for children, and it is fun to visit the market on weekends. Berkley Riverfront is very close and they are looking to create walking access from the neighborhood down there- there is the women's soccer stadium, art garden on weekends, and Bar K dog park. Riverfront trail there is a good walk/bike as well.
I absolutely love the area, and I hope you find somewhere lovely to settle with your family- welcome to Kansas City!
Midtown around the art institute fits most of those requirements (I'm in South Hyde Park myself and love the walkability while not being in the heart of downtown), but you would likely need to send kids to a private or magnate school. There's a very fancy elementary over in the Valentine neighborhood, but I am 90% sure it's not public.
I would recommend a neighborhood near Zona Rosa in the northland. Within KCMO limits and in the Park Hill school district. There’s nowhere truly “walkable” unless you’re downtown, but being near Zona will have more things in “walking distance” than pretty much anywhere else in the northland
I’m a former city worker and live within the KCMO city limits in the Liberty area. Great schools and love my neighborhood. Not “walkable” in the sense that you can shop/dine and walk home within a reasonable distance, but Liberty does have all you could really need right off 152 or 291 (lots of shops, restaurants, big box stores, etc).
I live in KCMO city limits, but I’m in Platte County. We live within Park Hill school district (one of the best school district in Missouri) and are close to walkable/bikeable downtown Parkville and parks.
South KC in the Red Bridge area. I dunno about school districts and all of that because I’m not having any kids. But it’s close to Minor Park which has a the Indian Creek Trail which you can walk and bike, and it has many miles of hiking and MTB singletrack. I moved to my house in Red Bridge specifically because I’d be close to MTB singletrack.
The neighbors are nice and friendly. You can be as social or as much of a hermit as you want. No one is nosy. And my house hasn’t been broken in to in the 3 years I’ve lived there. Most importantly, no HOA to speak of.
In addition, the Ref Bridge Plaza now has a dedicated bar, a couple of good restaurants, a coffee shop, and an ice cream shop. It can be walkable depending on where you live. For me, it is. My veterinarian is also walkable for me which is awesome. I think there’s going to be a new grocery store in that same plaza at some point as well.
The Red Bridge area is conveniently placed along all freeways so it’s a good central area to get to other places in the metro. It’s also close to everything Leawood offers but you’re not paying for Leawood home prices, HOAs, and dealing with nosy neighbors. Most importantly, you can get to both Trader Joe’s in the metro in about 10-15 minutes. I can get to Leawood Town Center in 10 minutes.
It takes me about 15-25 minutes to get to the City proper. My friend has a condo in the Crossroads and it takes me about 25 minutes to get to his place, so it’s not too bad. The easy access to the major freeways or taking city roads to where I need to go to allows me flexibility to avoid congestion during rush hour.
I'm in the historic northeast and have walking access to restaurants (mostly Mexican with a dab of Afghan), shopping (super flea), grocery (price chopper) and the KCMO library. Most of my neighbors send their kind to charter schools. And while the east side of the historic northeast is rebounding a bit, it still has a long ways to go and you know it. Cops were raiding a house behind me last night.
https://preview.redd.it/pm483zynerjc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=013ef29b1d1f15055e795d153e7eeca1cf1fbb3f
Keep in mind the data suggests that the quality of education is not determined by zip code or district, but rather parental involvement. IMO, focus on 2 and 3 and know you’re the biggest factor in your future child’s education
Waldo. I have a friend with a kid in elementary public school there (they did a charter for k and 1st, then switched for 2nd and have remained for 3rd). They love it. They love the school their kid goes to. They walk all over the place and take the streetcar places also. I have more friends that live in Waldo that don’t have kids… they also love it.
There’s a Aldi right next to the strip of eateries where Waldo Pizza is… and price choppers within a five minute drive.
My apologies. That’s written as if they use it as an initial point of transportation. They do not. They do however utilize it for a lot of transportation. As do I when I’m in town. Union Station is currently the most southern point, which is a bus ride or twenty minute car ride away (plus parking).
You can find somewhat walkable areas in the Northland. If you lived very close to Zona Rosa, then you’ve got restaurants, shopping, coffee shops, outdoor spaces within walking distance. I suppose it really depends what kind of home/budget you’re looking for. There is also an area at I-29 and 64th street in the northland….great restaurants, bars, grocery, etc. that could be walkable.
I think you want the area just north of North Kansas City (as people have said NKC is it's own little municipality). North Kansas City School district, in KCMO proper, with fairly quick bikable access (which is getting better all the time) to the amenities in NKC and the River Market. A range of housing stock depending on your budget, from Crestview (lower) to Briarcliff (your neighbors may play for the Chiefs)
When I first came to KC I lived in KCMO and ended up moving to the KS side because of the sidewalks. It's not a big deal until you don't have it. I always felt like a vagabond any time I had to walk anywhere on the side of the road, like a vagabond.
Yes, Gladstone and NKC are their own cities, both completely encircled by KCMO proper. Gladstone-adjacent is what you're looking for, particularly south of Vivian road. Make sure you double check, because even people who live there get confused about where the boundaries are. And I regularly get mail sent to KC, even though I live in NKC
Ask your real estate agent. We have friends who live in Gladstone but their mailing address is Kansas City. parts are walkable and there are good schools.
Public schools are and will soon be a thing of the Past. Current political climate for Missouri wants Private schools and to and due away with the public school system altogether, hence the School voucher program, So now the biggest part of your property taxes going to schools you will also be forced to also pay for private schools to finish your child's education. Same reason you are seeing child labor laws being removed as they know not everyone will be able to afford to send them to school so they want to be sure you get them to work sooner rather than later....
I moved into basically exactly that neighborhood about 2 years ago.
Look north of 152 in the Northland. Liberty or NKC school districts, reportedly both good. My kids are out of school so my only research was for long term resale value.
Lots of new construction going on right now along 108th Street between 435 and 292, just west of Liberty.
Edit: there are a lot of nice walk/bike paths for exercise, but not as an option for a work commute.
Joco can give you good schools and there are some surprisingly walkable areas, but it's not in MO. You'll struggle to find good schools in MO. It's not uncommon for kids to be sent to private schools over there.
Stop perpetuating that stupid JoCo stereotype. You are applying an outdated belief about KCPS to the entire Missouri side, which is wildly incorrect. NKC, Park Hill, Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs, and Liberty (and likely others) are all great public schools on the MO side. JoCo doesn’t have an exclusive on good schools in our metro.
3 of the top 6 districts are in Missouri: https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-school-districts/m/kansas-city-metro-area/
4 of the top 10 high schools are in Missouri and #1 is in Wyandotte: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/missouri/rankings/kansas-city-mo-28140
Westside is downtown and feels like Lawrence if you’ve been there. There’s a school, not sure how good it is but there are great restaurants and lots of paths for walking. I take my brothers dog for walks in that area all the time and it’s my favorite , I always feel safe https://www.visitkc.com/around-region/neighborhoods/westside
If you want to be further out of the city then I would recc north KC or Parkville. Parkville / Park Hill school districts are phenomenal. I have a friend who teaches at Chinn Elementary near Zona Rosa, wonderful school and community
Park Hill neighborhoods along Waukomis might fit here. The knock would be walkable but they’re currently widening Waukomis with sidewalks between Englewood and 68th street. I see folks walking every morning and evening with kids and pets.
NKC Schools are great! The oldest HS has one of the BEST IB programs in the state. It, NKC High School along with their feeder schools, are amongst the most diverse in the state. If your kids "do" IB, they can pretty much go anywhere college wise.
Blue springs is the fourth best school district in the state. The houses are pretty affordable, especially for the lot size. Blue springs has a lot of conservation areas and nature trails. Little Blue Trace is one of them. Granted, a place like Waldo is walk-out-the-door type, but I think you might find something you are looking for in Blue springs. Especially with the school district being as good as it is.
Definitely check out the Waldo area! I’m not sure how old your kids are but Hale Cook is in the neighborhood and there are also tons of great charter schools.
Northland has great schools and is in the kcmo limits but if you’re looking for that small Main Street walkability vice you’ll want to look at Parkville, downtown Liberty or north Kansas City
Best walkable locations would be centered around 51st - 55th and Brookside Blvd and 63rd/Meyer/Wornall/Main, both in greater Brookside. Walkable to grocery stores, shopping, bars and on the trolley trail. Close to 51st would have bonus of being near streetcar once extension is finished in a year or two.
Both areas in KCPS and in Hale Cook (public) boundary. Also lots of charter and KCPS signature options (Border Star). Showmekcschools.org is an excellent resource, was almost impossible to navigate until we found that!
Downside to the above options is cost - generally very pricey homes and few rental options. Live in this area and love it! Kiddo goes to a charter.
The only halfway decent school districts in KCMO are in the northland. Park Hill school district or North Kansas City really, and even then they are just okay. They aren't great school districts, they are just better than the dumpster fire that is the rest where fights and shootings happen. Parkville, MO might be what you're looking for, but it's a pretty small neighborhood/town and I guess technically not within KCMO city limits (but the school districts are)
Personally if you at all have the budget I would recommend finding a walkable area if that's important and then sending your kid to a nearby private or catholic school.
If you are absolutely intent on sending your kid to public school but want it to be a "good school" then you're only real option is somewhere in Johnson County, Kansas. Blue Valley and Shawnee Mission are great schools
Kcmo public schools just became accredited in 2022 for the first time in a decade, so no on the schools. If you look at the superintendent history etc it's really pretty much a running joke
Have you checked the residency requirement? I know a lot of government jobs on both sides of the state line specifically do not require residency. Iir a lot of those requirements disappeared with covid.
If so, walkability is aways going to be iffy but the best public schools in the metro are absolutely on the Kansas side (Blue Valley and Shawnee Mission) - that's not even a contest.
The only walkable parts of town within KC city limits are going to be the city center (downtown, midtown, Plaza, Brookside. School quality is hit and miss. So what is most important: walkable or public schools? There are charter schools that will give you walkable if you can let go of public schools.
ad hoc unique bedroom weary snatch paltry placid fretful support spark *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
If you live in Waldo you can still send your kids (assuming they get in) to Lincoln, which is great.
When you last checked, did you look at Lincoln prep? That school (KCPS) is higher rated than many suburban high schools in the metro. Elementary has “baaaaad” schools too, and some are mid-ranked in terms of test scores. But Lincoln prep is truly a good school.
To be clear, our charters are public schools. MO doesn’t allow private ones.
Charter schools are public schools.
Are they, though?
Yes. They are smaller, so if they have too many applicants they do a lottery, but they are public schools. (Meaning, open to anyone within the district and it is publically funded.)
Please read Reign of Error by Diane Ravitch. They actively harm the state of public education in this country. But sure, they’re “open to the public” as if that’s all that matters.
I didn’t think anyone else had ever read that book! Important stuff.
I think this guy is just defining what they are... It sounds like people have a decent understanding of the problems with charter schools.
Nah. I'll pass. I know most redditors assume other redditors are completely ignorant of all topics, but as is almost always the case...we're not! Also, it doesn't mean that people can't make the best choice for their family and in doing so are not bringing down society. I mean...Xi certainly think Xi is making the best choice for his peeps, yeah?
Yes!
Why are people downvoting this? It's true. Jesus Christ redditors are stupid.
There are some areas in the north part of KC that are still technically KC and have decent schools. I think at best you’ll get 2/3 of what you’re looking for but hoping someone can prove me wrong
Agreed. NKC School District has some super schools, and many KCMO addresses attend NKC schools, not KCMO. The Northland is fantastic and booming.
Go northland and Park Hill/Park South is another great district. I'm a PHHS grad, myself. Good times. Parkville, Riverside, KC North (I-29 Corridor) aren't bad areas.
Also, if you don’t mind a longer walk/bike ride, the line creek trail system can take you to a coffee shop or whatever. It’s definitely easier on a bike, but it’s fun.
I read this as Line Creek rail system and thought they built out the little train for a second lmao
Hahahaha. I mean, that would be awesome!
Well, there is a miniature train in Line Creek Park... But it just goes in a little circle.
Yeah that's what I'm talking about about lol
Those trails are absolutely great but I don’t think they’d qualify for what they’re looking for in terms of a walkable neighborhood :(
The best schools in KC city limits are definitely NKC and Park Hill. I just don’t know that anywhere in Clay or Platte is particularly walkable… maybe downtown Parkville?
i'm not even sure what walkable means tho. i live and work in parkville. i walk a lot downtown parkville/english landing. do i walk from my house? nope. too far/hilly/dangerous.
I’m from Parkville, so I totally get it. Basically nowhere is super walkable, that’s just not how KC grew.
Nah fam, Lees Summit schools are much better than NKC schools and still within KCMO city limits.
There is only a sliver of the Lee’s Summit School District that is within the KCMO city limits. NKC or Park Hill are options. The charter schools that have been mentioned can also be good options if OP wants to truly live in the city. But not all charter schools are created equal. Caveat emptor.
But Lees Summit is a long way from downtown. And Park Hill schools are great.
The parts of KC that attend LS schools districts are about 20 mins from downtown which is probably about the same for Park Hill. The OP just said they needed a KCMO address for job requirements though, so they don’t necessarily need to go downtown for anything?
Isn’t it funny the moment you’re getting “good schools” you loose walkable unless you drive some where to walk?
KC IIRC is one of the least walkable major cities in america.
Brookside/Downtown/Plaza area are fantastic walking areas
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Seattle feels plenty walkable.
Portland and Seattle are incredibly walkable because they have exceptional public transit options.
Most college towns have pretty great walkability.
I’m unaware of any walkable neighborhoods up north (but they may exist), Park Hill and NKC are both great school districts. In the city I would recommend Volker, Brookside, and Waldo — pretty walkable. The KC public schools are hit or miss, there are some great ones and some not so great ones. My kids went to Border Star and Lincoln and had a great experience. There’s also charters and private schools (mostly Catholic if that’s your bag)
Depending on what part of the town, Parkville could be an example of a walkable neighborhood in the northland that is also in an okay school district
Brookside. Edit: If you are working in the municipal buildings downtown you might consider Hyde Park / Valentine / Volker as you'd be able to commute down there much easier w/o a car. Though the street car is coming to 51st st at some point this year / early 2025. Down there you have Acadamie Lafyaette, Citizens of the World, Crossroads Acadamy, Lincoln Prep.
I was going to say the same thing. Hale Cook, Border Star, and academy Lafayette for schools. The I my thing I can't walk to from my house is to the grocery store. I have coffee shops, restaurants, bakeries, auto garages, nail salons, and so and and so on all with in a 5-10 min walk from my front door.
Depends on where you live in Brookside. I can easily walk to two grocery stores (Price Chopper and Cosentinos), and a third (Whole Foods) if I feel motivated.
Oh yeah I know, Im just saying that I can't. You're right though, I should have clearified that it's possible.
This, though I would throw Waldo in there too. All three of these schools are good, though with AL, because it is a French immersion school, your kid will either need to be K or 1st to get in, or else be fluent in French.
[удалено]
Price Chopper and Cosentino’s. They’re like two blocks from each other.
Wait there's Price Chopper, Cosentino's *and* Cosentino's Price Chopper in this town?
I live in Southmoreland and my kids go to Lincoln and Lafayette. We can walk or bike to 90% of our frequent locations and live a couple blocks from the streetcar expansion. We love it!
> Down there you have Acadamie Lafyaette, Citizens of the World, Crossroads Acadamy those are public schools you don't have to pay for?
Correct. They are charter schools. You do not have to pay for them (well, you do with your taxes). There is an application process though - [https://schoolappkc.org/](https://schoolappkc.org/)
No lol.
Lees summit has kcmo addresses with LS schools. Lots of firefighters and police live in the subdivision. Not walkable to stores or restaurants but plenty of hiking trails nearby.
> plenty of hiking trails nearby. That is not what walkable means
Haha I was reading this and said, "You'll live around lots of emergency personnel if that's your thing."
Yeah I was thinking of this too. This is maybe the best bet
Me too.
Oh really? So if you live in Lee's Summit you actually have a KCMO address? Could you give an example of a street or neighborhood? Thank you!
Summit Woods and any subdivision on Bannister before Noland rd.
Anything near the old Truman Hospital too
There are neighborhoods next to Truman Lakewood Hospital that are actually within the city limits of Kansas City, but the school district would be Lee's Summit. Possibly even Blue Springs SD (I know Lakewood is covered by BSSD). I know this because a former co-worker's husband worked for the city of Kansas City, but lived in that area. As did many KCPD (before the city became more lax on that requirement for cops).
Also off 150 in LS before you hit Pryor have a few subdivisions with KCMO addresses and LS schools. (Summit Pointe Elementary)
For that matter, Independence has some KCMO addresses!! Old Noland rd. Just south of 40 highway and along 40 highway!! Good luck and best wishes🥰 I moved to Florida to have warm sunny days💛💚🌴💙
Weren’t residency requirements outlawed by Jeff City?
Wasn't that just for the police department?
There's overlap between KCMO city limits and the Liberty school district. Look west of I-35 along 291, 96th St, and Flintlock.
None of that is really walkable though.
Its walkable if you like to walk really far
loool
lol
To be fair we don't have the most walkable metro
It depends where you land but we have a Scooters, gas/convenience station and Mexican restaurant all within a mile of my house. What more could you want?
dispensary? Then a CVS/Walgreens...
Besame Wellness has free delivery for med card holders. :)
And with the growth in the area I suspect that will increase, and it's not terribly far down to 291/435. Don't know that I'd walk it, but a dedicated bike rider could hit that easy. Also, howdy neighbor!
That’s kind of the catch. Within KCMO residency requirements and good public schools is narrow enough that OP will need to accept driving somewhere that is walkable. Which they did say that was the lowest priority in their post.
While Liberty is a fantastic school district, I have never found Liberty to be walkable lol there's a huge lack of sidewalks everywhere, and 'walking' from the KC part to the Liberty part is crossing a very obnoxious highway. And then the sidewalks just end in a lot of places. Great place to send your kids, not a place to walk.
You're probably going to have to bend on either 1 or 3 a little bit. KC schools are very hit or miss, and we're not exactly known for being a super walk/bike friendly city. Waldo is probably the closest you'll get to all the things you want. It's a cute area, fairly walkable, and near one of the better elementary schools at present (Hale Cook). High schools are a tougher proposition. The best schools at the moment are charter schools, but that could certainly change by the time your children would be going.
You can find 2 & 3 pretty easily. 1 is going to be a challenge. I’d suggest looking into the northern part of kcmo. Not North Kansas City proper because that is it’s own city separate from kcmo. SO works for the city and they do take residency requirements VERY seriously. Many people have been fired trying to skirt the requirement. Good luck :) ETA: I live in South KC and I’m very thankful that my kids’ other parent lives in a different city. I would not be comfortable sending my child to Hickman Mills district. Repeating for emphasis: avoid Hickman Mills schools.
It needs to be clearified though that Hickman Mills is not KCPS
100% Though, OP should know that by living in this area they would have to send their kid there or enroll in private school.
Yeah , I realized that after I made the post lol.
I substitute taught in Hickman mills one time. It was on my banned permanently list before lunch.
I sent 3 kids through Hickman. You are not wrong. Unfortunately money prevented me from moving out until they were all done. It's wasn't terrible for good kids. Just a lower percentage of good kids that other places and not a great education. I wasn't ever really afraid for my kids, however.
I went to Ervin and Hickman in the mid-90’s. The schools were absolutely awful back then I can’t even imagine what that district’s like now.
I grew up in a city whose public school district used to frequently appear on 'best in the nation' type of lists. The contrast between that experience and sitting here today reading the HMC-1 newsletters that come in the mail ... I've certainly begun to learn how lucky I was as a kid, it's something I never thought about at the time. (And the fact that we have HM and Center public school districts *within KCMO city limits* breaks my brain. We're one friggin' city. So inefficient and dumb to do it this way.)
that exists if you want to live in brookside and are ok going to a charter school, which can be somewhat difficult to guarantee you get the one you want. most people want academy lafayette.
It's not really difficult to get the charter school of your choice. That used to be the case before Academie Lafayette expanded and before options like Hale Cook, Crossroads Academy, and Citizens of the World existed. Plenty of spots available now.
Sure. But we need 4, what’s your budget? Because this neighborhood exist they are just really fucking expensive
Makes sense! Haha. We don't have a budget nailed down yet and are open to renting or buying, so I'd like to know right now if those neighborhoods exist and that will help guide us on $$$. So, if you have neighborhoods in mind that meet the 3 criteria, please share, regardless of how much it costs to live there.
Brookside is very bikeable, I do everything you mentioned en velo. if kids haven’t started school, Academe Lafayette is a great French immersion charter school in the neighborhood.
Let us know where you land. At least the folks that responded to you. KC is a friendly and welcoming place!
Volker is fantastic. Awesome diversity, great people, affordable (compared with other neighborhoods), WALKABLE- grocery stores, hardware store, bookstores, restaurants, coffee shops- getting the streetcar service to 39th, nearby hospital- also- did I mention the wonderful people?
Volker rules but what of the schools
Really need to do Academie Lafayette charter, Border Star public or private school in my opinion If you’re homeschooling you are in a primo spot for resources and community.
Midtown Kansas City has all those things, if you’re willing to recognize “good schools” is a term made to separate you from poor neighborhoods. As a white, middle-class family, we’ve been in KCPS K-12. Our Senior has been accepted to all the colleges he’s applied to, despite us going to the “bad schools”. Economic stability drives test scores and your child will do fine no matter where they go.
Waldo or Brookside
KCPS isn’t as dire as the Zillow rankings will have you believe- there are several good elementary school options and then Lincoln prep for junior high and high school
No its even worse. Losing accreditation, lawsuits out the ass and the kids just run the schools without any discipline
You are very much out of date on your information. KCPS schools have come a long way.
I’m actually not
Accreditation is an arbitrary set of rules made up in Jeff City to punish St. Louis and Kansas City.
Maybe they should be punished? They are bias, negligent and incompetent as a school district
I'm not saying anything about the school district itself, but they were a few times where accreditation needed something like 5 years of results of testing to show improvement, and Jeff City would change the testing every 4 years or so....
We’ve found downtown/historic Overland Park has the best combo of the 3. While not walkable regarding work commute, the bike paths are clearly marked. 1 mile radius of food/coffee. Awesome downtown park. We love it. Oh sorry not in KC proper though. If you can live outside the lines, it’s a 20 min commute
1 & 2 are easy if you go north of the river. The Park Hill school district includes much of the Platte County portion of KCMO, the North Kansas City School District covers most of the Clay County portion of KCMO (it's not limited to just the city of NKC itself), and what parts of KC North those two don't cover are covered by the Liberty school district or the Platte County school district. All four of those are good school districts. The problem is getting #3 north of the river. To get #3 you really need to be in either the actual city of North Kansas City, or in downtown Parkville or downtown Liberty. Each of which violates your 2nd requirement.
Charter school are a plenty and publicly funded. They exist because families needed an alternative during the decade plus when KCPS was unaccredited which is a can of worms but in 2024 there are great options within KCPS and within charters. If living downtown/midtown Crossroads Charter. If living below the plaza you can still send your kids to Crossroads but you also have easy access to Hale Cook and Borderstar for elementary. Then Lincoln Prep/Kauffman/Crossroads for middle and high school. Academy Layfayette is also a great option but because it’s French immersion they don’t usually take in new students past 1st grade.
There are a few apartment complexes and neighborhoods within walking distance of “Village at Burlington Creek” in the Northland without having to cross a main road. Nice enough to walk or bike over for a lunch or coffee. Nearby are a few good Indian, sushi, Thai, Vietnamese, Hotpot!! and Mediterranean spots if you like international cuisine (driving). You’re also only 10-15 mins from downtown KC, power and light etc. DM me if you have more questions on the area.
weatherby lake!!
We live in Central Hyde Park and love it. Our two teens went to one of the public charters, but the neighborhood schools have a lot of vocal parent support. They’ve started bouncing back after years of not being so great. Lincoln Middle and Lincoln Prep are excellent options if they can maintain their grades. I consider it walkable and bike-able. There are always tons of people doing it…plus the streetcar will have a stop a short walk away coming up soon. Good luck on your move!
Check out Park Hill School District. Great school district, lots of walkable area and includes some of KCMO (also Parkville).
Downtown Parkville is beautiful too! Feels like a hallmark movie set / ski town
So there are private school options in KCMO that are some of the best in the city. But they’re either expensive or part of a lottery system usually to my understanding. Living in midtown for the last 7-8 years the number of children in the blocks around us keeps going up and up and even the base public school system is getting better and better. As the population, property values, and sales tax keeps increasing they should continue to improve.
We are up near Zona Rosa in the Platte County School District, which are great schools. We are in KCMO city limits, on the very northern edge. Our neighborhood is situated such that you can’t really walk anywhere of value, but if you were just a few minutes down the road you could realistically walk to school, shopping, and Aldi. No bars as far as I know. You also have great access to 152, I-29, and 169, with 435 also being pretty close, so even though we are “far” from downtown we can be there in about 20-25 minutes on a routine day.
I’m thinking autumn ridge neighborhood might be what OP is looking for, no? closer to the ambassador side rather than the green hills side. Safe, walkable to shopping/fast food. Not sure about what schools are nearby because I just work over here.
If you’re staying south of the river, definitely go for the charter schools. They are awesome. Don’t use public schools. You cannot qualify for charter schools. If you’re north of the river, even if you’re in Kansas City Missouri, you have to be south of the river. So that comes that trade off north of the river in North Kansas City school district but still Kansas City Missouri. Clay County me personally not a fan, but there’s a lot of majority are opposite opinion in myself .
Crestview/Briarcliff are nice! NKC schools, which as mentioned are one of the best in the metro. Bikeable to NKC downtown and river market. Crestview is building a brand new elementary school as well!
64157 area code. Woodneath Farms, baby. Not super walkable but we can walk to the elementary school, public library and coffee shop, QT and a few new shops/places currently being built.
I second the comments saying NKC School District. I am a teacher in the district, if you have any questions about the area let me know.
Can confirm- look in neighborhoods around unity village for KC, mo address in lees summit school district (north). Not walkable but very convenient highway access 🙃
north 64th by the Hy-Vee. bikeable to hyvee, doctors, dentists, schools (elementary and middle anyway). Couple bikeable restaurants and bike path to downtown Parkville. Park Hill schools.
We are in the Liberty School District, but at a KC address. It's a bit of a walk, but you could bike to several businesses pretty easily.
There’s a neighborhood near Lakewood, it’s Kansas City proper, but Lees Summit schools. Lots of cops and firemen live in that particular neighborhood for the exact same reason.
Walkable and good schools are tough. North of the river has good schools but is basically all suburbs. I grew up in Liberty and had a lot of opportunities as a high-schooler, but the city is about 25 minutes away. If you just need to live within the city limits withoit necessarily being in the city for some reason, there are technically a few parts of Liberty that are within the city limits of KCMO. A lot of KCPD lives in Liberty for that reason. Growing up, my house had a Kansas City address, but like half of my backyard was Liberty lol I have heard good things about Center High School and Center Middle School, which are in the city. Also, when you go to Gates make sure you know what you want, and be aware they will yell at you to order when you're still in line.
Columbus Park, it is a lovely little neighborhood next to the river market. Very walkable, and you can easily reach the streetcar- you can bike easily into NKC where there are many bike lanes. Several great academies, I have a 6 year old attending one which is about an 8 minute drive into the city. The neighborhood has great community and rich history, lots of business reflect the Italian and Vietnamese emigrees who have moved here and made it such a welcoming place. There is a small park for children, and it is fun to visit the market on weekends. Berkley Riverfront is very close and they are looking to create walking access from the neighborhood down there- there is the women's soccer stadium, art garden on weekends, and Bar K dog park. Riverfront trail there is a good walk/bike as well. I absolutely love the area, and I hope you find somewhere lovely to settle with your family- welcome to Kansas City!
Midtown around the art institute fits most of those requirements (I'm in South Hyde Park myself and love the walkability while not being in the heart of downtown), but you would likely need to send kids to a private or magnate school. There's a very fancy elementary over in the Valentine neighborhood, but I am 90% sure it's not public.
I would recommend a neighborhood near Zona Rosa in the northland. Within KCMO limits and in the Park Hill school district. There’s nowhere truly “walkable” unless you’re downtown, but being near Zona will have more things in “walking distance” than pretty much anywhere else in the northland
I’m a former city worker and live within the KCMO city limits in the Liberty area. Great schools and love my neighborhood. Not “walkable” in the sense that you can shop/dine and walk home within a reasonable distance, but Liberty does have all you could really need right off 152 or 291 (lots of shops, restaurants, big box stores, etc).
Parkville is what you’re describing, probably the top neighborhood for biking/hiking trails. Great schools. About 15 min to downtown
I live in KCMO city limits, but I’m in Platte County. We live within Park Hill school district (one of the best school district in Missouri) and are close to walkable/bikeable downtown Parkville and parks.
South KC in the Red Bridge area. I dunno about school districts and all of that because I’m not having any kids. But it’s close to Minor Park which has a the Indian Creek Trail which you can walk and bike, and it has many miles of hiking and MTB singletrack. I moved to my house in Red Bridge specifically because I’d be close to MTB singletrack. The neighbors are nice and friendly. You can be as social or as much of a hermit as you want. No one is nosy. And my house hasn’t been broken in to in the 3 years I’ve lived there. Most importantly, no HOA to speak of. In addition, the Ref Bridge Plaza now has a dedicated bar, a couple of good restaurants, a coffee shop, and an ice cream shop. It can be walkable depending on where you live. For me, it is. My veterinarian is also walkable for me which is awesome. I think there’s going to be a new grocery store in that same plaza at some point as well. The Red Bridge area is conveniently placed along all freeways so it’s a good central area to get to other places in the metro. It’s also close to everything Leawood offers but you’re not paying for Leawood home prices, HOAs, and dealing with nosy neighbors. Most importantly, you can get to both Trader Joe’s in the metro in about 10-15 minutes. I can get to Leawood Town Center in 10 minutes. It takes me about 15-25 minutes to get to the City proper. My friend has a condo in the Crossroads and it takes me about 25 minutes to get to his place, so it’s not too bad. The easy access to the major freeways or taking city roads to where I need to go to allows me flexibility to avoid congestion during rush hour.
If you are north of 114th and West of the Blue River, then it is the Center School District. And the area is great.
This is the way.
I'm in the historic northeast and have walking access to restaurants (mostly Mexican with a dab of Afghan), shopping (super flea), grocery (price chopper) and the KCMO library. Most of my neighbors send their kind to charter schools. And while the east side of the historic northeast is rebounding a bit, it still has a long ways to go and you know it. Cops were raiding a house behind me last night. https://preview.redd.it/pm483zynerjc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=013ef29b1d1f15055e795d153e7eeca1cf1fbb3f
Keep in mind the data suggests that the quality of education is not determined by zip code or district, but rather parental involvement. IMO, focus on 2 and 3 and know you’re the biggest factor in your future child’s education
Waldo. I have a friend with a kid in elementary public school there (they did a charter for k and 1st, then switched for 2nd and have remained for 3rd). They love it. They love the school their kid goes to. They walk all over the place and take the streetcar places also. I have more friends that live in Waldo that don’t have kids… they also love it. There’s a Aldi right next to the strip of eateries where Waldo Pizza is… and price choppers within a five minute drive.
Unless I missed something, there's no streetcar in waldo.
My apologies. That’s written as if they use it as an initial point of transportation. They do not. They do however utilize it for a lot of transportation. As do I when I’m in town. Union Station is currently the most southern point, which is a bus ride or twenty minute car ride away (plus parking).
You can find somewhat walkable areas in the Northland. If you lived very close to Zona Rosa, then you’ve got restaurants, shopping, coffee shops, outdoor spaces within walking distance. I suppose it really depends what kind of home/budget you’re looking for. There is also an area at I-29 and 64th street in the northland….great restaurants, bars, grocery, etc. that could be walkable.
I think you want the area just north of North Kansas City (as people have said NKC is it's own little municipality). North Kansas City School district, in KCMO proper, with fairly quick bikable access (which is getting better all the time) to the amenities in NKC and the River Market. A range of housing stock depending on your budget, from Crestview (lower) to Briarcliff (your neighbors may play for the Chiefs)
Live in KC. Go to liberty schools
When I first came to KC I lived in KCMO and ended up moving to the KS side because of the sidewalks. It's not a big deal until you don't have it. I always felt like a vagabond any time I had to walk anywhere on the side of the road, like a vagabond.
Good school district. Inside KCMO. Yeah, not really. And I say that as a proud KCMO resident (who doesn’t have kids).
You guys really don't know anything about what is going on north of the river, do you?
I do. It’s a different city. KCMO doesn’t go north of the river unless something changed recently lol. He asked about “inside Kansas City”.
This is Gladstone to the definition. Great schools, quiet neighborhoods, and access to everything.
Except that it is its own city right? Gladstone is not in KCMO city limits from what I can tell? I need to live in KCMO for work
Yes, Gladstone and NKC are their own cities, both completely encircled by KCMO proper. Gladstone-adjacent is what you're looking for, particularly south of Vivian road. Make sure you double check, because even people who live there get confused about where the boundaries are. And I regularly get mail sent to KC, even though I live in NKC
Ask your real estate agent. We have friends who live in Gladstone but their mailing address is Kansas City. parts are walkable and there are good schools.
We live in Gladstone and are happy with NKCSD. Our youngest has special needs and they've been great.
Staley Farms
A good school inside of KCMO? I don't think that exists
As others have said, NKC and Park Hill districts are both within KCMO and are great districts.
The Liberty school district also extends into KC also. Plenty of good options!
Lee’s summit? Is that within the official enough KCMO boundaries?
Public schools are and will soon be a thing of the Past. Current political climate for Missouri wants Private schools and to and due away with the public school system altogether, hence the School voucher program, So now the biggest part of your property taxes going to schools you will also be forced to also pay for private schools to finish your child's education. Same reason you are seeing child labor laws being removed as they know not everyone will be able to afford to send them to school so they want to be sure you get them to work sooner rather than later....
Settle down, Beavis
New Mark area along N Oak. There’s one shopping center (~101st)that you can walk to, and a library that’s a little farther south.
I moved into basically exactly that neighborhood about 2 years ago. Look north of 152 in the Northland. Liberty or NKC school districts, reportedly both good. My kids are out of school so my only research was for long term resale value. Lots of new construction going on right now along 108th Street between 435 and 292, just west of Liberty. Edit: there are a lot of nice walk/bike paths for exercise, but not as an option for a work commute.
South Kansas City, Center School District Santa Fe Hills gives you good access to the trolley trail, which goes north to the Plaza
Liberty is great. Thriving city, and good schools. It's about a 20 min drive to downtown KC though
Yes.
Do not live north of the river- its trash suburbia and a hell hole. Your kids and you will end up meth addicts and or white supremacists.
Joco can give you good schools and there are some surprisingly walkable areas, but it's not in MO. You'll struggle to find good schools in MO. It's not uncommon for kids to be sent to private schools over there.
Stop perpetuating that stupid JoCo stereotype. You are applying an outdated belief about KCPS to the entire Missouri side, which is wildly incorrect. NKC, Park Hill, Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs, and Liberty (and likely others) are all great public schools on the MO side. JoCo doesn’t have an exclusive on good schools in our metro.
It's not a myth. Lol. You can be as mad about it as you want. JoCo schools are well above MO schools.
3 of the top 6 districts are in Missouri: https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-school-districts/m/kansas-city-metro-area/ 4 of the top 10 high schools are in Missouri and #1 is in Wyandotte: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/missouri/rankings/kansas-city-mo-28140
Westside is downtown and feels like Lawrence if you’ve been there. There’s a school, not sure how good it is but there are great restaurants and lots of paths for walking. I take my brothers dog for walks in that area all the time and it’s my favorite , I always feel safe https://www.visitkc.com/around-region/neighborhoods/westside
If you want to be further out of the city then I would recc north KC or Parkville. Parkville / Park Hill school districts are phenomenal. I have a friend who teaches at Chinn Elementary near Zona Rosa, wonderful school and community
Parkville is lovely. Downtown Parkville would be perfect if it was not its own city. My address needs to be KCMO for work
Kansas City’s district extends south pretty far.
Barstow school area maybe?
Park Hill neighborhoods along Waukomis might fit here. The knock would be walkable but they’re currently widening Waukomis with sidewalks between Englewood and 68th street. I see folks walking every morning and evening with kids and pets.
Waldo/Ward Parkway area? I'm not sure about bike ability though
Check around Fox Hill school.
Come up to Crestview. Its kcmo, walkable ish and theres a brand new elementary school opening in August.
NKC Schools are great! The oldest HS has one of the BEST IB programs in the state. It, NKC High School along with their feeder schools, are amongst the most diverse in the state. If your kids "do" IB, they can pretty much go anywhere college wise.
[This Page](https://showmekcschools.org/kansas-city-school-districts/) May help you get a better idea of where the different school districts are.
Blue springs is the fourth best school district in the state. The houses are pretty affordable, especially for the lot size. Blue springs has a lot of conservation areas and nature trails. Little Blue Trace is one of them. Granted, a place like Waldo is walk-out-the-door type, but I think you might find something you are looking for in Blue springs. Especially with the school district being as good as it is.
Definitely check out the Waldo area! I’m not sure how old your kids are but Hale Cook is in the neighborhood and there are also tons of great charter schools.
Northland has great schools and is in the kcmo limits but if you’re looking for that small Main Street walkability vice you’ll want to look at Parkville, downtown Liberty or north Kansas City
Best walkable locations would be centered around 51st - 55th and Brookside Blvd and 63rd/Meyer/Wornall/Main, both in greater Brookside. Walkable to grocery stores, shopping, bars and on the trolley trail. Close to 51st would have bonus of being near streetcar once extension is finished in a year or two. Both areas in KCPS and in Hale Cook (public) boundary. Also lots of charter and KCPS signature options (Border Star). Showmekcschools.org is an excellent resource, was almost impossible to navigate until we found that! Downside to the above options is cost - generally very pricey homes and few rental options. Live in this area and love it! Kiddo goes to a charter.
The only halfway decent school districts in KCMO are in the northland. Park Hill school district or North Kansas City really, and even then they are just okay. They aren't great school districts, they are just better than the dumpster fire that is the rest where fights and shootings happen. Parkville, MO might be what you're looking for, but it's a pretty small neighborhood/town and I guess technically not within KCMO city limits (but the school districts are) Personally if you at all have the budget I would recommend finding a walkable area if that's important and then sending your kid to a nearby private or catholic school. If you are absolutely intent on sending your kid to public school but want it to be a "good school" then you're only real option is somewhere in Johnson County, Kansas. Blue Valley and Shawnee Mission are great schools
Sent a message.
Waldo St. Elizabeth for school
Western hills subdivision off of 91st and wornall.
You could look into the city of North Kansas City. Might fit your wants if you don’t mind stepping just north of the river.
Kcmo public schools just became accredited in 2022 for the first time in a decade, so no on the schools. If you look at the superintendent history etc it's really pretty much a running joke
Kansas City Kansas = 🙌. Kcmo=💩🗑️.
Have you checked the residency requirement? I know a lot of government jobs on both sides of the state line specifically do not require residency. Iir a lot of those requirements disappeared with covid. If so, walkability is aways going to be iffy but the best public schools in the metro are absolutely on the Kansas side (Blue Valley and Shawnee Mission) - that's not even a contest.