It is not a new day in Kansas City . . . Once again, TKC is the only media outlet in Kansas City to even bother mentioning that the promises of a "Downtown Renaissance" have turned out to be nothing more than lies . . .
Blame the bad economy or The P&L District or make up some other justification aimed only at looking for the silver lining of the dark economic clouds that hang over Downtown Kansas City . . . Certainly, I understand the motivations of folks who simply want to ignore the horrible economic circumstances of this town and find other (sexy) distractions like bikini photos of Jessica Gomes.
Thankfully, one of the most intelligent and insightful TKC TIPSTERS (STAND UP!!!) has forwarded along even more proof that the Kansas City's Downtown Economy is failing miserably.
A popular eatery has been only plagued by unappetizing dining conditions but also by financial doom:
And yet another posh Downtown hangout hasn't seen any benefit from the building boom powered by millions in funding from KC Taxpayers.
So add two more to the list of upcoming Kansas City bar & restaurant closings:
Smokin' Joe's BBQ
Azul on Grand - 1 block north of the Sprint Saucer and still not benefiting from any economic stimulus.
This rather well informed TKC TIPSTER notes that things are looking pretty slow and horrible at Grinders as well . . . Still, I hope that STRETCH is able to keep his place open despite crappy service and rampant poseur-ism if only because I enjoy making fun of that d-bag at every opportunity.
Nevertheless . . .
A simple fact is clear:
POLITICOS PROMISED AN ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO KANSAS CITY FROM THE SPRINT CENTER AND THE P&L DISTRICT AND NOTHING BUT BUSINESS CLOSINGS HAVE MATERIALIZED!!!
Suckers and PR reporters that they are, most of the local media chronicled only a potential benefit to the downtown economy when touting The Sprint Center and The P&L District . . . The reality of Kansas City's Downtown Economic Collapse rarely merits mention by The Star who is also heavily and stupidly invested in Downtown real estate by way of a dead tree printing press supporting a obsolete news delivery model.
Similarly, proponents of light rail are promising some kind of outmoded economic benefit to Kansas City with their tax hike . . .
BUT THE HORRIBLE RECORD OF POLITICOS SELLING BIG TICKET ITEMS TO THIS TOWN MUST BE CONSIDERED!!!
It is just a matter of fact in Kansas City that heavy handed government intervention in order to achieve economic development has a poor record of success from 18th & Vine to the current Downtown debacle to the Mayor's misguided "New Tools" political payoff plan. Instead, it's better for local politicos to concentrate on the things that government has more direct control over like providing better services and working on infrastructure. This town elected a leader who made those promises but now is simply devoted to hanging out with his wife and putting on comedy skits in praise of a 1 BILLION DOLLAR LIGHT RAIL PLAN that's, once again, falsely advertised as an economic stimulus.
It's not the economy's fault this biz closed, it's rumors of mice droppings on the ribs that isn't good for biz.
ReplyDeleteazul's food is expensive. they have no curb appeal, either (you can't see inside / it's narrow by midwestern standards).
ReplyDeleteanyone who can run a restaurant properly at the corner of 20th and baltimore (and i don't mean another fancy michael smith-type place, but somewhere people can grab decent food for about $10 that is open for lunch and also afterhours for people who work late or go to crossroads events) should be able to do pretty well. i haven't looked at the asking price, but that's a really pricey spot = might be for sale forever.
Smokin' Joe's built a huge addition on their restaurant this year. So where do you get the "financial doom" part? OH THAT'S RIGHT...TOTALLY MADE UP.
ReplyDeleteThe financial doom part for Smokin' Joe's comes when that janky deck they built hanging off the building falls off and kills people.
ReplyDeleteI watched that thing getting built every day and I still can't believe that a structural engineer would have ever signed off on that shady shit.
Why is it not surprising that white hipsters who temporarily flee their overprivileged suburban upbringings in favor of momentarily slumming with the brown folk of Kansas City proper are happy to promote and commit minority tax dollars to phony windowdressing yuppie pet projects like the Sprint Center, the P&L district, and now Light Rail, yet white hipsters along with the rest of the JC corporate crooks pay nothing because their permanent addresses are still in Overland Park? Facts are facts. Light Rail is more useless yuppie bullshit catering to white "tourists". Meanwhile, the really sick part is that minorities that actually do live in Kansas City will soon be literally swimming in their own shit and toxic street debris because Funkhouser can't or won't fix the damn storm sewer problem.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't rocket science. If your toilet overflows just before a dinner party, you wouldn't call a florist to help cover the smell. You'd call a fucking plumber.
Light Rail is racist.
Azul is disgusting, I've been there. Eww.
ReplyDeleteBut light rail is so cool. I would love to ride it from The Plaza to downtown. Will it ever go to Overland Park?
ReplyDeleteThere were no rumors of rats and mice at Smokin' Joe's....The KCMO Health Department SHUT THEM DOWN!
ReplyDeleteThe Crossroads was done the second they started building $500k condos there. And started selling $100k buildings for a Mil. The party is over...so how soon before they do that to the West Bottoms?
What's left? Downtown Overland Park or Lee Summit? Maybe KCK...at least they have money AND you can still smoke there.
West Bottoms is probably safe. The trains that run through the middle of it aren't going anywhere and you can take it to the bank that the yuppie poseurs who want "urban lofts" are not going to go for the traffic delays at the train crossings and the noise throughout the night. I used to live down there and I loved it. There was a train that went by every morning at 6:15am, blowing its whistle, and that's what I used instead of an alarm clock.
ReplyDeleteThe next place that I hope goes under (besides Grinders, I hate Stretch, the food there is disgusting, and the staff is atrocious) is the uber-cool Czar Bar. I've been there twice and nobody there knows how to serve drinks. They all stand around the end of the bar and look at each others' tatoos. Get me a beer, you fucks!
ReplyDeleteI swear to fucking God, it's not the P&L district that is killing off these places, its the shitty service. The same hipsters you despise on Friday night are the same douchebags that aren't serving you food on Tuesday night.
My top five shitty service places:
1. Record Bar - the worst service in Kansas City, bar none. Good luck getting a drink if you don't have sleeves. If your black, well, good luck getting in.
2. Czar Bar - coming in a very close second
3. Grinders - the totally disgusting food they've tried to serve me there though, makes this place the most overrated shitty resturant in KC
4. Downtown Peanut - better count your change, because the fat stupid bitches that work there are gonna try to steal it from you.
5. Hayes Burgers up north at Oak and Vivion. Prime example of how far the mighty can fall.
Best Service I've had recently:
1. Sung Son in Westport
2. Teocali on 26th and Holmes
3. Las Tules on Broadway
4. Town Topic on Broadway
5. The Brick (at lunch)
Notice that the first three joints don't employ any white people, so maybe that's the key.
Whatever happened to doing your job well? If you don't want to be a bartender or a server, then quit and do something else.
But light rail is so cool. I would love to ride it from The Plaza to downtown. Will it ever go to Overland Park?
ReplyDelete---------------
Soon enough. Mark Funkhouser is trying to get a third mortgage on his already mortgaged for more than it's worth house to pay for this. Smart with the money as he has proven to be, my bet is that this will become real sometime in the next millenium (not only because it is a ba idea but because he won't be able to get the financing for this either by hocking his house or using the full faith and credit of Kansas City Missouri municpal government).
Mmmmmmmmmmm....Jesica standing over me in that position peeing on me!!!!! I'm there!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI will miss the beaner bbq
ReplyDeleteyes lightrail along with Crossroads and P&L district has its problems but what do u expect when the city brings in out of town developers who have no real stake in KC.!? One thing is for sure we can't continue to remain 30 years behind I mean even Tulsa and Louisville have lightrails and downtown development. No offense to those cities intended.
ReplyDeleteThank you for knocking on the Peanut Downtown!
ReplyDeleteTheir wings are good, but that's it.
First of all--CLEAN the place.
Second, there is a brunette that has worked there forever and she is a HEINOUS bitch.
The 75th Street Peanut (which really isn't a Peanut anymore) is waaaayyy better!
...because it's in JoCo
ReplyDelete@ poster 02:51pm Kansas City is always going to be 30 years behind what are you talking about? No matter if they get lightrail, booming downtown or anything else. You see how back doors these posters are I mean where do you think they live? Light Rail and a booming downtown will improve KC and put them at only 10 years behind everyone else so you are right about that but the people in this town will never learn. For starters the airport is clear the hell up in no mans land so of course tourists and other visiting the city are ready to go back home before they even landed. Just looking at the lovely views of flat land and hay bales is enough to make anyone depressed about landing. Then once in the airport what do you have but a bunch of marketing for Best Westerns, Holiday Inn's and BBQ pits. Sure there are like 2 pictures of the plaza and a photo of the old downtown...wow impressive!! Watch Light Rail won't be approved why because the great ole people of KC are afraid of change and left up to most of these yahoos we would all be still riding around in horse carriages........oh wait they still have them on the Plaza. LOL. I do agree that the light rail plan needs major revamping in order to work successfully but it's a shame that in other cities people are delighted to have light rail while people here are frightened.
ReplyDeleteI just came across this comment-probably a few weeks too late to rebutt..
ReplyDelete"1. Record Bar - the worst service in Kansas City, bar none. Good luck getting a drink if you don't have sleeves. If your black, well, good luck getting in."
But, I do have to comment. I'm pretty disturbed to read this as I should be, but I have a hard time taking you seriously.
Before I say why, I do want to express that I, as the owner, take all criticism seriously.
I have actually fired "hipster" bartenders for not paying attention to customers. Wether they "meant" to do it or not was irrelevent. Bartenders should not be self-absorbed and are hired to serve people. They are also hired to bring in people and sometimes, I realize they may give preferential treatment to thier regulars. That said, I don't approve of it but it happens. It can be a catch-22.
Now for my criticism of your comment. You appear to have a preconceived judgment of people with tattoos. I have ONE bartender that has "sleeves", I'm pretty sure she's not only serving tattooed people. Secondly, your comment about having a hard time "getting in" if you are black is base and way off the mark. We are one of the few clubs in Kansas City that supports the local hip-hop scene. We have no dress code policy and we have no velvet rope. Your comment is offensive and ridiculous.
recordBar is a place for everyone and if you feel slighted or uncomfortable there I think you may have a problem with yourself.
Sincerely,
Steve Tulipana