Looking for something fun to do on the weekend? If you venture downtown across the 12th street bridge, there are thousands of treasures to be found in the West Bottoms.
The West Bottoms actually used to be referred to as the French Bottoms, a place of trade between the French trappers and Kansas Indians. When the railroad moved in, the area flourished. The movement of cattle through the area helped in the creation of the stockyards in 1871. As the years passed and many wars developed and ended, the West Bottoms was a booming industry for steel and military construction. But after WWII and numerous floods, the Bottoms came to economic turmoil.
In 1974, and what many Kansas City folk are familiar with, Kemper Arena was built in attempt to revitalize the area and the American Royal moved in. For many years, this area has very little life but just recently in the last 5-10 years, many new restaurants and antique warehouses have opened to the public.
Just recently in the last year (2018), Kemper Arena was redone after being closed for many years and is now the Hy-eve Arena. In addition to this new Arena that will bring events to Bottoms, new restaurants and new antique warehouses are opening up monthly. You can walk down and grab a glass of wine or a cup of coffee while you shop and search for treasures of your own.
The West Bottoms is also very kid-friendly. Our Edith absolutely loves to run around and explore. Lots of vintage toys and big warehouse spaces for a curious mind to explore. As we were walking around today, a vender gave Edie a jar a homemade jam, he was so kind and loved that Edie was gently exploring her surroundings and taking in all the beautiful antique goodness.
Some of our favorites if you need an idea of where to start:
All the warehouses open up the First Friday weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Some are open every weekend. It’s a great place to go down and explore if you love unique finds or just want a little inspiration.
Have you been down to the Bottoms? What’s your favorite spot to explore?
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