Ken and I spent one Thursday evening daytripping a very familiar place -- Westport. Westport is the oldest neighborhood in Kansas City. It was once a town that was established to outfit travelers heading west on the Santa Fe, California and Oregon trails. The founders of Westport started Kansas City as a river port for Westport. The river city outgrew Westport, and eventually annexed it. Westport has many layers of history, that are easy to miss, especially since most people visiting Westport these days are not going for a history lesson.
For a Thursday night, Westports success as an entertainment district became apparent, as it was hard to locate a parking space. When we finally did, a stark reminder greeted us in the memorial of a recent murder victim here. Westport has had a troubled recent past, as many who come here do not always have nice intentions.
A failed mall sits in the center of Westport. It is now mostly office space. Manor Square was renovated in 1987 out of the old Manor Bread bakery.
An interesting visit on Manor Square's history is linked here.
The former art deco Katz drug store at the corner of Westport and Main, sits empty now. The former occupant, Osco, moved out a few years ago.
Art Deco is a strong theme on this corner
Here is a link to the Corner Restaurant and its history.
We were taking a picture of Sinbad's, when the owner, Sammi, asked us why we were taking a picture of his business. He had his laptop out, so I showed him the blog. We struck up a conversation, and he asked us to sit and be his guests. It was perfect timing for a coffee break. I got to try Turkish Coffee for the first time. Sammi told us he had been here in the US for 6 years, having come here from Palestine. He operates an eclectic hookah lounge and coffee house. We sat and talked religion and politics, a big no no in the US these days, but it was a great experience.
http://www.kellyswestportinn.com/history
The building next door to Kelly's is historic too...
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Here is a bit of Westport googie in video...
Finally... I have my handy dandy google calender with all the upcoming events in the area and beyond...
BLOG DOG
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