Downtown KC/P&L Fad

I'm tellin' you... Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush... the P&L is a passing fad unless they do something to make it local. Why?

• Too many people have to drive there and DRIVE HOME.
• Finding a good place to park during an event sucks.
• All of the establishments are pretty much national chains.
• You can't carry a conversation in those places, too loud.

The P&L will be a great place to hang before an event at the Sprint Center aside from having to fight to get a drink at a bar. But aside from events, people will begin to see that it's too much hassle to make that road trip.

If I want a national chain, then I can choose Zona Rosa if I'm a northlander or Towne Center on the KS side. Why make the trek downtown?

This KC Biz Journal article tries to convince you otherwise, read it.

Warning to those that determine the businesses on the Plaza... keep it local, you idiots.

Spiegel's "CityBall" to premiere 11/6

I saw this on KansasCity.com earlier today and it sounds pretty cool:

Metro Sports producer Stephen Spiegel tracked several Interscholastic League kids during the 2007-2008 school year. Now, Spiegel is ready to unveil his documentary entitled “CityBall,” which will premiere next Thursday free to the public at the Plaza Library at 6:30 p.m. and air for the masses on Time Warner Cable Metro Sports at 7 p.m. Nov. 12.

I've added it to my calendar... will I see you there?

Zagat Gives Props to Our Local Grub

Zagat has released their Top Restaurants and some of local Plaza joints have made the list:

• The Plaza III and Jack Stack made top honors. I haven't been to the Jack Stack on the Plaza yet, but my family was raised on the beans that come out of the formerly Smoke Stack location in Martin City.
• Also noted by Zagat: McCormick & Schmick (uh, not really local) and Starker's (another place that I've yet to visit).
• They also mentioned JJ's and I wanted to make one remark about this establishment... ok, maybe two remarks...

1. First of all, I didn't even know they had food there. Blame that on being so darn intoxicated each time I visit or being wide-eyed, ogling all the visible vino behind the bar.
2. Last time I was there, a woman walked up to me and said, "Were you here for New Year's Eve?" She totally caught me off guard, so my response was a simple, "No." She was cute--reminded me of someone--but that was the extent of our conversation.

So, KC Peeps, forget about the economy and go EAT!

BTW, why didn't P. Ott's make the list? Tessamalu and I will have to take our posse there to investigate.

MacStruction

The developer that did such a wonderful job on my new condo building (insert sarcasm), which I've dubbed the building where everything gets done twice (see blog post), has been approved by the city commission to start a new project on The Plaza at 46th & Jefferson.

"...a nine-story, 214-unit senior apartment building and a 12-story, 216-room hotel. The 46 Summit project is planned for the southwest corner of 46th and Jefferson streets."

Currently, there are some of those U-G-L-Y brick, rectangular apartment buildings on that site... maybe if the current residents in those apartments wait it out, they will be able to purchase a unit in my building (there are still 40 of 42 available). :)

Before you think just any cutesy grandma will be getting her mitts on some Plaza real estate, the article alludes to the projected rent prices:

"The rents will be premier as well. According to a report by city staff, a one-bedroom independent living unit would be $4,100 per month and $6,990 for a three-bedroom. Assisted-living units would be $4,475 per month for a one-bedroom and $6,000 for a two-bedroom, meals included. A memory care studio would cost $5,000 per month, meals included."

Good gravy!

What the Plaza needs...

I was out with the FOXy News ladies again last night droppin' spare change on $1.75 PBR draws (or whatever they cost) at Tom's. The ladies were slurping back chocolate martinis... so you know this conversation was a good one.

What does the Plaza need?

My answer, a Beverages & More and a small grocery store... I hate to say it, but like a Dean & Deluca or a Trader Joe's. I realize the problem with these places is that you need an accessible parking lot so that it's easy to get from store to carro. I hate to say it because the chain stores are never my favorite... would totally prefer a bunch of local restaurants.

Of course, I'd also like a Santana's 24 Hour Burrito (only to be found in San Diego).

Instead, rumor has it that we are getting a Forever21 and an upscale Target. RETCH.

Ooooooo, what would be totally sweet is a consignment store for all the local ETSY purveyors!

UPDATE (10/31): Brookstone is now open. It took the place of Sharper Image. Is there really a difference?

Make Words, Not Bricks

It's not on the Plaza, but I wrote about a couple of KC idiots that dropped a few bricks into Obama's KC HQ labeled "False Hope" and "Means Social War."

Rumor has it that as they slithered from the scene, people heard uncontrollable grunting and were amazed when they used the sewer system as a getaway path.

Velvet ropes and pick up lines...

I'm so thrilled Bob asked me to contribute to his Plaza blog. I've been wanting to vent to someone about this KC Star article in Sunday's paper.

This "soothing" and "upscale" hot spot on the Plaza is the only place I've ever been in Kansas City where a man felt it was appropriate to ask me to dance with him and then less than two minutes later, ask "baby are you going to go home with me or what?" Um, excuse me? That's not even a pick-up line, it's something you'd say to a hooker.

My biggest problem with Blonde is that it tries too hard to be hip and trendy. Hip and trendy works in some parts of the country, but it rarely works in the midwest. We like comfortable places here. We like a place where we can grab a beer or a nice glass of wine, and sit and talk to our friends, and we also like places where we can dance until closing time. But we don't like the 750 dollar bottles of champagne and the pretentious red velvet rope and the line outside the bar (that is sometimes made up of Blonde employees, making it look like there's a line to get in.)

If you like Blonde, good for you. But I'll be next door at P Otts, sitting at one of their big round wooden tables, sharing stories and laughing with good friends. And yeah, we just might be laughing at the people standing in line at Blonde.

Pizza Hut @ 39th & Main Sucks A$$

• Order time: 6:11 P.M.
• Estimated delivery time: 6:47 P.M.
• Actual delivery time: As yet to be delivered, currently 11:42 P.M.

1. First call to manager at 7:15 P.M. resulted in her saying that she didn't know what was going on.
2. Second call to manager at 7:45 P.M. explained that the driver got a disconnected number when he tried to call me. We discovered that he dialed the local area code instead of my actual cell area code. Manager promised to get another pie on the way to me.
3. Third call to manager at 8:15 P.M said that her driver was walking out the door to deliver.
4. Fourth call to manager at 8:45 P.M. said that she didn't know where her driver was at, but that he hadn't returned yet. I said I would give him 5 more minutes. She said that she "would fix it" whatever that meant.
   
5. Fifth call to manager at 9:00 to tell them to forget about it because I'd hardly eaten anything all day and I had to go out and get something to eat. Male that answered the phone asked me (again) for my address and phone number and said aloud, "Y'all can't treat my people like this!" He promised to put a pie in the oven for me immediately and deliver it himself at no charge. He also said that he would call me when he got here. I never heard from him again and I stopped calling.
   

I decided to make dinner out of 3 beers and a couple of packages of Ritz snack mix. Screw off Pizza Hut on 39th & Main, KCMO. You will never get another call from me again.

If you have local pizzerias that deliver to recommend, I'd love to hear about them.

Construction Worse Than Where I Live

That's saying something... but, as crappy as it is for the West-side Plaza folks, I don't mind hearing that there is a construction project in the neighborhood more fucked up than the one I live in.

BTW, I still don't have a fireplace, a stove nor is there any mail being delivered here. The intercom system goes to a disconnected number recording when you try to dial me and the garage door access keypad isn't working again. Oh, and the elevator is open on the 3rd floor and stuck going halfway down. Fortunately, none of the emergency lights or smoke detectors are beeping on my floor, they sure make a racket on the others.

BUT I FINALLY HAVE THE INTERNET after the installation engineers determined that my main line was mislabeled as the number of a unit that is a floor below me and at the opposite end of the building.

Getting All Mavericky and Stuff in KC!

Boy, if I didn't have a refrigerator repairperson scheduled to show up at my crib that morning, I'd surely go check this out largely to see the difference between political thought in MO vs. what I experienced working on a national campaign last year in DC.

From the KC library site:

On Thursday, October 30, at 11 a.m. Kansas City Star Political Columnist and host of KCUR talk show host, Steve Kraske, broadcasts live from the Kansas City Public Library’s Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St. with a distinguished group of political pundits.

The show, Up-to-Date with Steve Kraske, will delve into the upcoming presidential election with The Star’s Dave Helling, University of Kansas political scientist Burdett Loomis, and KMBC-TV political correspondent Micheal Mahoney. The trio will provide in-depth analysis and predictions of the issues and candidates appearing on the November 4 ballot in Kansas and Missouri, including this year’s historic presidential election, as well as the Missouri governor’s race, the U.S. senate battle between incumbent Pat Roberts and Democrat Jim Slattery, and congressional contests between Sam Graves and Kay Barnes, Emmanuel Cleaver and Jacob Turk, Dennis Moore and Nick Jordan.

More info & RSVP, click here.

If someone goes, can you live, micro-blog it via Twitter? Wait, does anyone in KC live, micro-blog via Twitter other than those I already know about?