In July 2006, I took a road trip with my husband that roughly followed Route 66 from a point in Oklahoma to Chicago. The purpose of this trip was a Christian music festival in Beardstown, IL, where my husband was performing with a band of which he was part at that time. Seeing and photographing the sights on this trip provided a major boost to my interest in photographing abandoned and run-down places, particularly those along Route 66.
One of the most unforgettable moments on the journey for me was seeing the historic buildings in the West Bottoms area of Kansas City, MO. We passed through the area on July 3, 2006, when I photographed some of the buildings. At the time, the buildings were run-down and the entire area was deserted.
Below are my photos from 2006 of this area.
Two days ago, I had the exciting experience of revisiting the West Bottoms area after just over 19 years. I expected that the area would either be gentrified or demolished, and it appears that the majority of the buildings I remembered were restored.
The buildings that had most captured my interest on my 2006 visit were the 1300 block of St. Louis Avenue, across the intersection of Hickory Street and Union Avenue. Since my visit, a coffee shop, which I am assuming to be Blip Coffee, has come and gone, and at least one of the buildings is currently for sale. I also saw a 2016 news report of this location as an apartment building that had caught fire.
There is no doubt that this area is gentrified in comparison to 2006, when not a single person was visible throughout our entire drive-through exploration. On this visit, I felt confident getting out, walking around, and taking photos, with many people milling around or going in and out of boutiques and other shops.
My pass through Kansas City two days ago was much shorter than the 2006 overnight visit, necessitated by our schedule, but I hope to return one day to see a little more of the city than I have ever managed to.
In 2006, our meals were at the City Diner, a historic restaurant still in business, and an unspecified Middle Eastern restaurant which may have been the Habashi House.
A quick search for historic restaurants in Kansas City yielded a long list. If I’m ever able to return, it looks like a lot of fun experiences will await there.
Sunlight-Colored Roses 