We live in such a transient society, I find that very few people I know live as adults in the town where they grew up, much less where their parents or grandparents grew up. I am in the minority. I’m not just native to Kansas City, but my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents are as well.
My great-grandfather was a member of the team who constructed Municipal Auditorium. Both of my mother’s parents grew up in Kansas City, and it was at Liberty Memorial that my grandfather proposed to my grandmother (and where my husband proposed to me). When my grandparents married, the Paseo Bridge had just opened and it was a toll bridge. When the toll attendant saw their “Just Married” decorations and tin cans, they were granted free admission to cross the bridge on their way to their honeymoon.
My dad’s parents grew up an hour south of Kansas City, but they both settled here as adults and it is in Kansas City where they met, fell in love and were married. My grandfather worked and retired from the Kansas City Southern Railroad.
So, you see, my Kansas City roots run deep – at least as Kansas City roots go.
As I reflect on my childhood memories, they are littered with Kansas City landmarks.
I remember when the Royals were GOOD! I remember when fans honestly expected them to win. I remember EXCITEMENT in the stadium generated from the action on the field, not the free hot dogs flying through the air. I had just turned eight when the Royals won the I-70 World Series and we celebrated with the rest of the city as Dad took us downtown for the celebratory parade. I still have my autographed Frank White Helmet. Now, when I take my family to The K, it is exciting to see some of the old enthusiasm returning.
Our summers weren’t just about baseball. One of my favorite traditions, that I have passed on to my own family, is picking blueberries at The Berry Patch, still owned and operated by the Willis Family… it’s special to see a family business and to enjoy this untouched and unchanged tradition with my own girls. Summer also meant visits to The City Market (before it was trendy). I loved the smell of Planter’s and selecting spices and a candy stick… this is now a tradition with my children. Another summer tradition, was the family picnic at the Zoo. We were Friends of the Zoo and dad would meet us on his lunch break. I remember when you could see the entire Zoo in one visit, and your feet weren’t sore when you were done. Has that changed because the Zoo has grown, or because I have?
My grandmother’s office was on Ward Parkway when I was a child. Every time we went to visit her, it was a “big deal” to keep our eyes open for the Rainbow House. Does anyone else remember the Rainbow house? I was truly saddened when the new owners painted it all one color (not that I would ever want to live in a Rainbow house, but I found it cool that there was one).
Now, as a mom, I love to take my girls to the places I grew to love. I remember visiting Kaleidoscope as a child and being so thrilled to make my own jigsaw puzzle. It’s amazing to share the same memory with my own daughters.
I can’t reminisce about Kansas City without mentioning food! So many of my memories are tied to foods and treats in KC. We loved visiting Kansas City Museum’s Corinthian Hall and I still remember the awe of my first planetarium show. After each visit, we would head downstairs to the Soda Fountain for Phosphates – Chocolate or Cherry were my favorites, and mom would tell us about grandpa’s stint as a Soda Jerk when he was a teen… when Jerk was not an insult but an ACTUAL job description.
Celebrations in our family typically include barbecue from Fiorella’s Jack Stack (Martin City location) or ribs from McGonigle’s. The Christmas season begins with the flip of the Plaza Light switch and a shared Skyscraper at Winstead’s. Crown Center means a visit to Fritz’s to have trains deliver our burgers and our Saturday morning breakfast treat is a walk to Lamar’s for donuts… the calories don’t count if you walk to and from the donut shop… right?
I love that the traditions of my childhood are now the traditions of my daughters’ childhoods. And we have also started several of our own Kansas City rituals. Every Christmas, we visit the Fairy Princess at the Kansas City Museum. Every Father’s Day we swim at Longview Lake Beach. Every Easter we take photographs with the spring animals on the Plaza. On rainy days, we run for cover to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, one of our local libraries (Red Bridge is our home library, but we adore the Children’s Section at the Central Library too), Wonderscope, or the Toy and Miniature Museum. At the first sign of spring, we feed the ducks at the pond in Loose Park and smell the flowers blooming at Kauffman Gardens.
And then there is my most favorite Kansas City place of all… the John Wornall House Museum where I fell in love with Kansas City history and met my mentor and one of my dearest friends. I worked at the museum as a volunteer in my youth, employee in my college years, and volunteer in my early- twenties. When motherhood gives way to retirement, I will return again.
I think the thing I love most about Kansas City is the people. We often boast that Midwesterners are the friendliest people in America, and I think it’s true. We have the best of both worlds in Kansas City. We have the culture and excitement of city life, but we have neighborhoods and community so you feel like you belong.
For me, this place I call home isn’t just a dot on the map or a line on my Driver’s License… it’s a part of me and through the launch of www.kcparent.com … I am very excited to become a part of it!
~Kristina Light