Downtown, Kansas City

Favorite thing: Orignally constructed in 1897, it's now the headquarters of Ozark National Life Insurance. Good for them for preserving this handsome building! The building's location at the corner of 9th & Locust gives it an anchor position at the northeast corner of the Civic Center

Favorite thing: This picture was taken from the new park at Kaw Point, in Kansas City KS. It's near the place where the Kansas and Missouri Rivers meet, at the "big bend" in the Mighty Mo where it ceases its long southerly flow and takes a sharp left turn heading toward its ultimate convergence with the Mississippi just north of St. Louis.

2 more images

Favorite thing: The local newspaper and their corporate owner (Knight-Ridder) deserve commendation for building their new production facility at the edge of the downtown freeway loop (from 15th to 17th streets, McGee to Oak). The bold structure will allow passers-by literally to watch the paper roll "hot" off the presses. It's impressive what they can do with glass these days.

Favorite thing: There'a new Federal Courthouse in downtown K.C. Mo. The City has created a new "civic plaza" in front of it - a green space two city blocks in size - and the grass and flowers are certainly an improvement on the empty buildings and surface parking lots which they replaced.

The new Courthouse is designed in the "bunker" or fortress style which I've seen at other new Federal facilities across the USA. It's understandable why they have to be built this way - sadly.

Favorite thing: This is the standard "postcard view" of the Kansas City skyline, taken from the north-facing platform immediately in front of the Liberty Memorial. The Beaux-Arts Union Station dominates the foreground, while in the background are the tall towers within the central freeway loop, ranging from the Art Deco Power & Light Building to the post-modern TransAmerica Tower.

Favorite thing: Downtown Kansas City - inside the freeway loop - has a mix of 1930s art deco buildings and modern office towers from the 1970s and 80s. And maybe there will be another spurt of building sometime soon. New plans are afoot to relocate the world headquarters of H & R Block inside the freeway loop as the anchor of a major redevelopment project. The Transamerica Tower - originally built for AT&T) is my favorite of the newer tall buildings downtown.

Favorite thing: These day lilies are practically indestructible. They will flourish anywhere - even in a harsh climate like Kansas City's. I'm going to plant some in my own backyard.