Waldo

Waldo: Small Town within the City
Waldo is my adopted homeland and neighborhood. I work and live here. So that may make me a tad biased.
But there is a reason I’m doubling down on my commitment to waldo and buying a house here when my lease is up.
Its simply a great neighborhood.
–Local Restaurants
–Boutiques
–Civic pride
–Walking trails
–Affordable
–Super pet friendly
–Nature, even in the city
Whatever you want to do can be done in waldo. So much so that friends of mine who live in other parts of town joke that it’s an occasion for me to leave «the waldo bubble.»
So I say un to you, come to waldo support the local businesses, see the laid-​back charm and you won’t want your leave the suburb inside the city.

Waldo is the perfect urban community. Here’s why…
Affordable housing ranging to high-​end housing. You want a place to live you kind find it in your budget.
Services. Waldo benefits from being connected to Brookside in terms of grocery, but Waldo has everything you need and more in the 75^th/​Wornall Road area. Restaurants, Hardware, Home/​Garden/​Farm, Auto… you name it.
Greenway. There are some small green spaces, but the Trolley trail bisecting the neighborhood really is nice. Access to Loose Park, Swope Park, and the Blue Rive trails systems are a short drive away.
So, especially if you are kid-​less (I’d take away a star if I had kids), I can’t think of a better area to live around KC that offers much higher value/​quality of life ratio. Color me hooked!

Alright, I may be a little biased since I have called this neighborhood home for about the past 10 years! I love Kansas City as a whole, and there are many fine neighborhoods, but Waldo is a perfect fit for me, and here is why:
Location — I can be in mid-​town in about 10 min. or so, and downtown in 20 for sure. I can hop over on to 71 easily in order to head north to visit my sister, or be at my Mom’s in O.P. in about 15 min. Nothing is terribly far, and there is plenty going on in the neighborhood to keep me around these parts too.
Businesses/​Services — We have great restaurants, bars, coffee shops, bike shops, barber shops/​salons, lamp shop, thrift stores, and more! An interesting thing about Waldo is that there is generally at least two shops to service any need — we have multiples of things listed above + vacuum repair places, rug cleaners, tattoo parlors and used car lots. Need drums? Go to Explorers! Need a tarot reading? Go to that place right on Wornall that feels like you may never leave if you enter! Is fast food your deal? We’ve got plenty of that too, but I would much rather see you go to one of our many local restaurants. So much deliciousness to be had.
Character — There are certainly similarities among some of the houses, but I have never seen any two that look the same. On a street you may see a classic Dible tudor, a bungalow, a beautiful multi-​story frame house, or an interesting pieced together shack. I love taking walks, and soaking in all of the houses, people, plants, and happenings. An eclectic mix of folks live in Waldo for sure.
Events — Waldo is host to many unique events: the Fall Festival, Bacon Fest, a beer festival, Waldo Crawldo, movie showings in Tower Park, and on! Plus, if you live around here, many blocks host an annual block party. It is so much fun to kick it in the middle of the street on your block, grill, chat with neighbors, watch kids play, and have a beer.
Okay, I’ve probably bored you to tears. Just come find Waldo, okay? Lots of history, The Waldo Boys don’t roam the streets any more (my Dad grew up in KCK, and talked about the tough Waldo Boys when he was growing up!), fun nooks and crannies to explore, the Trolley Track Trail, and… more!

As I am extremely close to bidding fair Kansas City farewell, I figure I need to get my reviews of my favorite neighborhoods in the city. I think Waldo is unique in that it offers hip, almost suburban like living– but without the suburban beige and chains. You have cool old houses with porches on big tree-​lined streets. It’s affordable and full of character. It’s full of people passionate about their community and there are many interesting characters from all walks of life mixed in with young families. It’s kind of a perfect place to live, if you ask me.
And then there’s all the fabulous locally-​owned businesses. My favorites include One More Cup, Coffee Girls, Almar Printing, Swagger and Waldo Pizza. I’m sad to say I’ve yet to check out Waldo bars, but I keep hearing that the Piano Room is irresistible with their singing bartenders and cheap drinks. There’s all kind of food in this area from some of the best Middle Eastern in the metro area (served out of a Shell gas station, no less), decent Indian, Mexican, Asian fusion and Japanese. A great brew pub (75^th St. Brewery). Plenty of seasonal events. A new farmer’s market. Trader Joes (OK, so that’s not locally owned, but it’s a much appreciated addition to Kansas City and those living in Waldo don’t have to drive 20 minutes to get there!)
Ah, neighborhood envy. Do you have it now?