56 MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2008
AROUND TOWN
University's prevalence exists beyond Lawrence
The Plaza shopping area in Kansas City, Mo., is well-known as one of the best shopping districts in the Midwest. On Thanksgiving, a lighting ceremony marks the beginning of an iconic holiday lighting spectacle that lasts through the winter.
The medical center, Edwards Campus and University alumni are located in and around Kansas City where 'you can't throw a rock on campus without hitting someone from Kansas City.'
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
BY RUSTIN DODD
dodd@kansan.com
Jayhawks grinned and Tigers cringed. All because Hall-of-Famer and former Kansas City Royal George Brett made a proclamation — on national television no less.
"Living in Kansas City, you got to be a KU fan," Brett said on-air to a reporter, as Brett watched a Kansas basketball game last winter at Allen
Fieldhouse.
Apparently Brett's wife went to school here, and Brett lives in Mission Hills, an affluent suburb of Kansas City and prime Jayhawk territory.
Did you know?
On average it only takes 40 to 45 minutes to hit downtown Kansas City from Lawrence. But that short trip still might burn a hole in your wallet. With gas prices
hovering around four dollars per gallon, that 80 mile round trip to Kansas City can cost you more than $15 just in gasoline, and that's if you're driving a car that gets 20 miles for every gallon of gas.
So while Missouri fans in Kansas City shouted blasphemy, maybe there was — and is — a little truth to Brett's sideline remarks.
Throw in that more than 40 percent of the University's student population comes from Johnson County, which sits in the shadow of Kansas City, Mo., and you start to see where Brett was coming from.
The University and Kansas City, Mo., have seemed intrinsically linked for years. The University of Kansas Medical Center is in Kansas City, Kan., the KU Edwards Campus is in Overland Park, and more University alumni live in Kansas City and its suburbs than any other city in the country.
In some ways, the University is as much a Kansas City staple as barbecue or fountains.
"The Kansas City influence is everywhere," said Todd Brown, Shawnee senior. "KC is a KU town and you can't throw a rock on campus without hitting someone from Kansas City."
Edited by Matt Hirschfeld
KCeats
Arthur Bryant's, 1727 Brooklyn Ave.: The ultimate Kansas City classic. It's the best barbecue in a city where people take their ribs, brisket and burnt ends seriously.
Fritz's, 250 N.18th St.; OK, so it's not in Kansas City proper, but trust us, you can't skip this place, where the crumbling walls go unnoticed while you wolf down a greasy Poor Dan Sr. and a creamy chocolate shake. Order your food by phone then wait until a train brings it right to your table. Remember to grab a cardboard engineer's hat on your way out. Choo-Choo!
- Minsky's Pizza, 427
Main St.: It's not flat and big like New York pizza, deep like Chicago's crust or disgusting like St. Louis's awkward, thin contraption. Minsky's is just good, classic pizza.
Town Topic, 2121 Broadway St. and 1900 Baltimore Ave.: The burgers are small, greasy and filled with tiny grilled onions. Order at least two, or maybe three if you're really hungry, and saddle up on a stool in this old-fashioned diner.
Kona Grill, 444 Ward Parkway: A Country Club Plaza staple. The food can be exotic and the atmosphere is relaxing. Plus, what's KC without a walk on the Plaza.
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