Kansas City Playlist: Momentum & So Many Local Vacancies

Despite a great deal of hype about the upcoming world cup, new summer hangouts and even the creation of desperate Potemkin villages in the very near future . . . Kansas City continues to have a problem with vacant lots and storefronts. 

On the Plaza, in the urban core and in so many suburban strip malls . . . Look around and notice quite a few places out of business and desolate neighborhoods plagued by abandoned houses.  

It could all get a lot worse if we find ourselves having to deal with two empty stadiums next year.

Agree or disagree, it's a fact that there are very few people arguing about Kansas City "momentum" moving in the right direction and YES, this includes the metro suburbs that aren't doing as well as clickbait survey articles written by AI might suggest.

Still . . . It's not all doom & gloom around here . . .Accordingly, here's a peek an effort to improve our situation . . . Let's hope it works . . . 

"Kansas City is home to thousands of vacant and underused lots - many sitting empty for years. These lots represent missed opportunities for housing, jobs, green space, and neighborhood pride. We want to change that - but we need your help.

"This survey is one of the first steps in understanding the real barriers people face when trying to bring these spaces to life. Whether it's turning a lot into affordable housing, a community garden, or a public gathering space, your input will help us identify what's getting in the way and how we can fix it."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

KCMO -- Bring Vacant Lots to LIFE: Help us identify barriers to activating vacant lots.

The solution isn't so hard . . . Rising deadly crime is the worst impediment to growth and city hall mismanagement of building codes is probably a distant second. 

And all of this inspires our TKC playlist on the topic of empty, vacant and desolate circumstances . . .

The Pretenders singing "My City Was Gone" is kind of "the vibe" of this post . . . It's a classic tune that's kind of upbeat inasmuch as most locals are perfectly fine with a changing landscape but don't want our city replaced by wilderness. More importnatly, the incomparable Chrissie Hynde might be the most underrated rock star in all of the world.

Hopefully, this playlist is more thoughtful than melancholy but we do dedicate this space to nostalgia. Accordingly, the track "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely" is now a quarter century hold BUT, strangely, it still holds up and offers a glimpse at the lost era of pre 9/11 pop music that is now nothing more than a distant memory . . . Very much like vibrant, urban, American party districts.

Yes, we've included Ghost Town by The Specials on a few playlists this year and it's always kinda of scary how much the song applies to life in Kansas City.

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables is probably the most poignant song from Les Misérables and seems apropos for this moment in time inasmuch as unfulfilled promises are the only constant in the political discourse . . . This version by Nick Jonas is perfect for the bridge:

In conclusion . . . A lot of people don't know that disco classic "Don't Leave Me This Way" was originally released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass . . . However, the cover by Thelma Houston seems far more hopeful if slightly less sexy and her triumphant voice is a great way to finish this post that we hope has a happy ending.

As always, thanks for reading this week and have a safe & fun Saturday night.