Off the map

story by MaryMichael Hough, photos by Anna Hafner, Amy O’Leary and Maria Donnelly, alternative coverage by Gloria Cowdin

The Westside Local

1663 Summit Street, Kansas City, Mo. 

Located on the west side of Kansas City, this small café supports many local farms and businesses in order “to bring [customers] the freshest ingredients and dining experience possible, farm-to-table,” according to their website. Popular dishes include the special Grilled Cheese with tomato soup and Fall Quinoa.

“[Westside Local] has such a cool atmosphere and it doesn’t seem like a typical [Kansas City] place,” junior Mary Campbell said.

According to employee Manya Honig, the kale salad is the most popular item on the menu.

“It represents everything [Westside Local] is about,” Honig said. “It represents going green and a midwestern flair.”

Honig, who has been an employee for three years, believes that the restaurant is very accessible.

“We’ve got anything from locally raised beef burgers to a hearty mac and cheese or many vegan options,” Honig said.

According to Honig, Westside Local is a great place for anyone.
“I really feel like any age range would feel comfortable here and any dietary choice would also feel comfortable here,” Honig said. “The atmosphere really balances between being elegant and classy and being really kind of comfortable and homey and down to earth.”

City Hall Observation Deck

414 E. 12th St., Kansas City, Mo.

The Kansas City, Mo. City Hall stands as the third tallest building in the city and one of the tallest city halls in the country. At 30 stories, the building required 22 months of construction and is “most notable for its art deco details and ornamentation,” according to the Missouri Division of Tourism.

From the lobby, take the elevator to the 28th floor and take a flight of stairs from there to the roof. The open observation area goes around the entire parameter of the roof. According to Kansas City Attractions, the only aerial view of Kansas City better than this is one is from an airplane. This 360 degree view allows you to observe all of downtown Kansas City and its surrounding areas at a glance.

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YJ’s Snackbar

128 West 18th Street, Kansas City, Mo.

YJ’s Snackbar, located in the Crossroads district, offers light daily specials, coffee and often live jazz music. According to customer Peter Gilbin, YJs is a laid-back place to hang out.

According to two-year employee Sarah Lambardi, the snackbar simply tries to give customers what they want.

“[YJ’s] just really works to provide people with an easy going atmosphere, friendly service, and culturally diverse foods,” Lambardi said. “If someone just wants to pop in for some coffee and a small snack, we want to be able to do that. But, if you’re looking for somewhere to come, sit down and eat, we want to provide that as well.”

According to Lambardi, the daily specials are posted on the snackbar’s website at the beginning of each week.

“We really do try to mix things up a lot, and I think that’s one of the big things that keeps people coming back,” Lambardi said. “They want to know what’s up.”

According to their website, YJ’s uses local and organic ingredients and recycles post-consumer waste. The website also states that 10% of YJ’s profits go to the local arts community.

Riverfront Heritage Trail

The Riverfront Heritage Trail is a 15 mile trail available to walkers and bikers. It begins at the riverfront and “winds through the oldest and most historic parts of bi-state Kansas City,” according to its website.

Popular locations to access the trail include Berkley Riverfront Park, the City Market, Westside Neighborhood and James Street in the West Bottoms. Riverfront Heritage Trail connects popular commercial and retail activities and destination.

This trail system links the central business district of Kansas City, Mo., the River Market and Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park to Quality Hill, the Westside, the West Bottoms, Strawberry Hill and downtown Kansas City, Kan. According to the Kansas City Port Authority, the Riverfront Heritage Trail has “expanded the notion of art in public places by installing pieces as part of its mission of urban design.”

Kaw Point

1 River City Drive Kansas City, Kan.

Lewis and Clark’s expedition arrived at Kaw Point on June 26, 1804. Now, Kaw Point contains a view of the downtown skyline and direct access to the meeting place of the Kansas River and Missouri River.

“The Point itself remains in a natural state with beautiful wooded trails, wildflowers and wildlife,” according to the Kaw Point website.
The park contains an amphitheatre for special events and the Lewis and Clark Heritage Trail. The park also offers an education pavilion where you can learn more about Lewis and Clark, their expedition and their time at Kaw Point.

Succotash

2601 Holmes Street, Kansas City, Mo.

According to their website, Succotash “strives to bring customers the best possible product at a consistently fair price.” Succotash supports local farmers and vendors while serving “hearty American breakfast and lunch,” according to employee Steve Emerson.

“We like to think of ourselves as vegan-friendly and kid-friendly,” Emerson said. “[Succotash] really gives off more of a hip and quirky vibe, even the paintings on our walls aren’t really what you would find at your average breakfast place.”

According to Emerson, popular items on the menu include “The Kitchen Sink” and anything from their full-service juice bar.

“The giant slices of rainbow cake also draw a lot of attention and applause from most of our customers,” Emerson said.

The Local Pig

2618 Guinotte Avenue, Kansas City, Mo.

With two locations, one in Westport and one in the East Bottoms, The Local Pig offers a wide selection of steaks, roasts, chops, sausages and burgers from happy cows, pigs, chickens, lambs and goats, according to their website. The restaurant  also offers special hands-on classes in all aspects of butchering.

According to assistant general manager Lindsey Personett, the Local Pig is a locally sourced butcher shop.

“We are getting our meat from within 100 miles, so these are your neighborhood farmers. [All of our meats] are all completely chemical free and naturally fed,” Personett said. “This is literally just clean eating. We butcher all the animals ourselves and we make everything from scratch. So, basically, we know exactly what goes into everything and we’re a pretty small company; everything is hands on.”

Personett would recommend the charcuterie, brunch or lamb pot pie to any customer.  According to Personett, the butchering classes offered are what sets the Local Pig apart from other businesses. They offer classes in sausage making, charcuterie and butchering whole hogs, lambs and whole cows.

Personett believes that the sense of community attracts people to The Local Pig.
“We genuinely care about our customers here in Kansas City and they really do give that back,” Personett said. “We are a local business that serves the locals.”

Jaegers Subsurface Paintball

9300 NE Underground Drive Kansas City, Mo.

According to their website, Jaegers Subsurface Paintball is the world’s first and only underground paintball arena catering to all skill levels of the game. The paintball complex, located in one of Kansas City’s oldest limestone mines, contains five underground fields open year round and four outdoor fields from spring until fall.

According to Jaegers employee Nick Feldier, participants should make sure to look at the website prior to their trip to the complex.

“You know, paintball is fun and entertaining, but safety is a huge part of the enjoyment,” Feldier said. “Participants must show up with a waiver signed and in appropriate clothing. I would advise loose fitting clothes and old tennis shoes.”

According to Feldier, all important information can be found on their website under the “Wh at to Expect” tab. Feldier would also like to stress that anyone can enjoy paintball.
“I feel like people always associate this activity with like little boys’ birthday parties but that is so inaccurate,” Feldier said. “The things we offer are so entertaining for any gender or age.”

The Maze Craze

8610 N. Dixson Ave, Kansas City, Mo.

The Maze Craze, located in the Zona Rosa shopping district, offers customers a 1,200 square foot Mirror Maze which contains 74 mirrors and takes 5 to 10 minutes to go through.The 200 square foot Laser Maze takes about two minutes per turn and participants are invited to compete for the fastest times of the week.

According to employee Kelsey Langworth, these names and times are put on display. Seven minute Laser Tag games are also offered in a 1,800 square foot arena. According to their website, The Maze Craze has great entertainment for all ages.

“I see so many different kinds of people come through [Maze Craze],” Langworth said. “I know I’m biased, but everyone always seems to really enjoy the different mazes and most customer find themselves returning and spreading our information to friends.”

Langworth believes that STA girls would enjoy Maze Craze because of its atmosphere and activities.
“I mean, I know when I was in high school we would all look forward to the weekends, but then end up doing the same old, usual activities,” Langworth said. “I feel like this is a great way for friends to just let loose and have fun.”