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Royals ballpark designers want fans out of their cars

Kauffman Stadium ranked last in MLB for walkability. The Royals' new downtown ballpark is designed for fans who walk, bike or take the streetcar.

News

The Royals and design firm Populous want fans to walk, bike or take the streetcar to the new downtown stadium, a major shift from the current game-day experience.Why it matters: Kauffman Stadium ranked last in a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2025 study of MLB stadium walkability" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/03/27/petco-park-walkability-walk-score-east-vilalge" data-vars-content-id="0f9b3027-1d90-4c44-b15c-59dee2e194e5" data-vars-headline="Royals ballpark designers want fans out of their cars" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/03/27/petco-park-walkability-walk-score-east-vilalge" target="_self">2025 study of MLB stadium walkability</a>, and a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2019 ranking" data-vars-click-url="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/the-smart-growth-america-ballpark-championship/" data-vars-content-id="0f9b3027-1d90-4c44-b15c-59dee2e194e5" data-vars-headline="Royals ballpark designers want fans out of their cars" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/the-smart-growth-america-ballpark-championship/" target="_blank">2019 ranking</a> found it had the league&#x27;s worst transit connections. Royals leaders say the new ballpark will change that.

Provis sets a high bar for local coffee shops

This North KC shop stands out for its detail, design and top-tier coffees.

Provis Coffee in North Kansas City literally ran out of some supplies on its first full day as it opened to a sell-out crowd.Why it matters: New coffee shops crop up across the city all the time, but <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Provis" data-vars-click-url="https://proviscoffee.com/" data-vars-content-id="45c66e17-fcc0-4b60-81a4-f23c4f3f11ba" data-vars-headline="Provis sets a high bar for local coffee shops" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://proviscoffee.com/" target="_blank">Provis</a> stands out for its attention to detail, trendy interior design and wide array of unique coffees and flavors.

Green paint is trending in KC and nationwide

Big paint companies named their top 2027 colors.

Culture

Next year&#x27;s paint palette is getting greener and more <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="adventurous" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/05/01/playroom-custom-cost" data-vars-content-id="d46050f5-bfe2-4e85-9566-21ab11eef7fd" data-vars-headline="Green paint is trending in KC and nationwide" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/05/01/playroom-custom-cost" target="_self">adventurous</a>.The big picture: Paint companies Behr, Valspar and Sherwin-Williams recently named their picks for the next big hues in home design.

Your guide to Kansas' close Senate race

Roger Marshall and Adam Hamilton are tied. Here's where all three candidates stand.

Kansas hasn&#x27;t elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="in more than 90 years" data-vars-click-url="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2026-08-12/has-it-been-more-than-90-years-since-a-kansas-democrat-was-elected-to-the-u-s-senate" data-vars-content-id="8be821b6-42e2-45b2-b82b-1ffceb0d6769" data-vars-headline="Your guide to Kansas&#x27; close Senate race" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2026-08-12/has-it-been-more-than-90-years-since-a-kansas-democrat-was-elected-to-the-u-s-senate" target="_blank">in more than 90 years</a>, but this year&#x27;s race is a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="coin flip" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/13/2028-map-swing-states-democrats-red-conservatives" data-vars-content-id="8be821b6-42e2-45b2-b82b-1ffceb0d6769" data-vars-headline="Your guide to Kansas&#x27; close Senate race" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/13/2028-map-swing-states-democrats-red-conservatives" target="_self">coin flip</a> that could tip Senate control.Why it matters: Whichever party holds the majority in January decides which bills reach the floor, which judges and Cabinet picks get confirmed and how much of the president&#x27;s agenda advances.

Three Native sisters saved a KCK cemetery

Congress approved selling the Wyandot cemetery in 1906. Three sisters moved in with a shotgun that was never loaded and outlasted everyone.

When Congress approved selling the Wyandot cemetery in downtown KCK in 1906, three Native American sisters built a shack there, moved in with a shotgun, and guarded the graves for years.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="As many as 600 Wyandots" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kansashistory.gov/resource/national_register/nominationsNRDB/Wyandotte_National_Burying_Ground_NHL_FINAL.pdf" data-vars-content-id="15d3feff-e8cc-432d-b126-07e211e8b384" data-vars-headline="Three Native sisters saved a KCK cemetery" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kansashistory.gov/resource/national_register/nominationsNRDB/Wyandotte_National_Burying_Ground_NHL_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">As many as 600 Wyandots</a> who settled the land before Kansas City, Kansas, existed are buried on that hill, and the sisters are the reason their graves are still there and not a parking garage.

Independence is putting its best ghostly foot forward

The city is known for its historic sites and paranormal legends.

Things to Do

Independence is known for its historic sites and ghostly legends, and this Halloween season, Visit Independence is making it easy to make a day of them.The big picture: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Paranormal Pursuit" data-vars-click-url="https://visitindependence.com/paranormalpursuit/#" data-vars-content-id="5dd6b154-2d0c-4629-94db-5d3a4349e2db" data-vars-headline="Independence is putting its best ghostly foot forward" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://visitindependence.com/paranormalpursuit/#" target="_blank">Paranormal Pursuit</a>, a self-guided virtual tour with points and prizes, launched last week with 13 locations.

City Market's steamboat museum closure has been a long time coming

Museum owners acknowledged the City Market space is an imperfect fit.

The Arabia Steamboat Museum&#x27;s 35-year tenure in the City Market is coming to an end in November, a change that&#x27;s been years in the making. Why it matters: The city&#x27;s busiest and most historic farmers market has been eyeing building onto its eastern edge, including a potential hotel, though no decision has been made.

How two block parties became KC Irish Fest

Two neighborhood parties merged, flooded out in Year One and kept the music going in a hotel lobby.

A festival born out of two neighborhood parties that outgrew their parking lots returns Friday to Crown Center as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Kansas City Irish Fest" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kcirishfest.com/" data-vars-content-id="cae99974-ae64-4af6-a103-4bad9369b7aa" data-vars-headline="How two block parties became KC Irish Fest" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kcirishfest.com/" target="_blank">Kansas City Irish Fest</a>, one of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="biggest Irish festivals in the country" data-vars-click-url="https://www.irishstar.com/culture/music-nightlife/kansas-city-irish-fest-one-30525909" data-vars-content-id="cae99974-ae64-4af6-a103-4bad9369b7aa" data-vars-headline="How two block parties became KC Irish Fest" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.irishstar.com/culture/music-nightlife/kansas-city-irish-fest-one-30525909" target="_blank">biggest Irish festivals in the country</a>.Why it matters: Irish immigrants had an early impact on Kansas City, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="literally carving downtown&#x27;s first streets" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kcur.org/history/2026-04-29/kansas-city-irish-history-streets-bluffs-father-donnelly" data-vars-content-id="cae99974-ae64-4af6-a103-4bad9369b7aa" data-vars-headline="How two block parties became KC Irish Fest" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kcur.org/history/2026-04-29/kansas-city-irish-history-streets-bluffs-father-donnelly" target="_blank">literally carving downtown&#x27;s first streets</a> out of limestone bluffs, and 90,000 people now gather each Labor Day weekend to celebrate that heritage.

Historic Brookside school's demolition plan halted

Redevelopment plans are in limbo due to a new city preservation commissioner.

A Brookside school building more than a century old could be saved from the wrecking ball after an under-the-radar filing by a new city preservation commissioner. Why it matters: The move seeks to block efforts by Kansas City Public Schools, which wants to sell the shuttered <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bryant Elementary School" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kcpublicschools.org/page/bryant-site-page/" data-vars-content-id="d6eb5be8-fac9-4d85-8396-4c331772949d" data-vars-headline="Historic Brookside school&#x27;s demolition plan halted" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kcpublicschools.org/page/bryant-site-page/" target="_blank">Bryant Elementary School</a> building so it can be torn down and turned into big houses.

25 years of First Fridays in the Crossroads

Here's the history behind Kansas City's biggest monthly event.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="First Fridays," data-vars-click-url="https://kccrossroads.org/visit/?activation-area=first-friday" data-vars-content-id="c4921d39-be4b-4614-aaf6-dcefccbf08fb" data-vars-headline="25 years of First Fridays in the Crossroads" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://kccrossroads.org/visit/?activation-area=first-friday" target="_blank">First Fridays,</a> which began 25 years ago as a small art event in a half-empty warehouse district, returns Friday night as the anchor of the Crossroads economy.Why it matters: The free gallery walk turns the Crossroads into Kansas City&#x27;s biggest monthly gathering, built from a handful of galleries on Baltimore Avenue.

A year in review: Where our stories are now

Here's a look at Axios Kansas City's past and present.

The stories we write don&#x27;t often end after we hit &quot;send.&quot; We track the big ones over time, reporting on how they unfold and what you can expect.The big picture: We&#x27;re still following some of the stories from our humble <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="beginnings last June" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/06/02/axios-kansas-city-one-year-anniversary" data-vars-content-id="ed78fc2c-d0a3-498a-8f98-c40366fe76cb" data-vars-headline="A year in review: Where our stories are now" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/06/02/axios-kansas-city-one-year-anniversary" target="_self">beginnings last June</a>.

Lawmakers fight to make Quindaro a National Historic Landmark

A Kansas City, Kansas, Underground Railroad site that sheltered enslaved people still lacks federal recognition.

A Kansas City, Kansas, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Underground Railroad" data-vars-click-url="https://kclibrary.org/news/2022-03/kc-black-history-do-you-know-town-was-stop-underground-railroad" data-vars-content-id="b2130b7a-2be6-496a-b1b7-54f2c4e4887f" data-vars-headline="Lawmakers fight to make Quindaro a National Historic Landmark" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://kclibrary.org/news/2022-03/kc-black-history-do-you-know-town-was-stop-underground-railroad" target="_blank">Underground Railroad</a> site that sheltered enslaved people lacks federal recognition, and local lawmakers just <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="introduced" data-vars-click-url="https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-cleaver-schmidt-davids-introduce-bill-designating-quindaro" data-vars-content-id="b2130b7a-2be6-496a-b1b7-54f2c4e4887f" data-vars-headline="Lawmakers fight to make Quindaro a National Historic Landmark" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-cleaver-schmidt-davids-introduce-bill-designating-quindaro" target="_blank">introduced</a> a bill to change that.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Quindaro Townsite" data-vars-click-url="https://quindaroruinsprojectfoundationkck.org/quindaro-history/" data-vars-content-id="b2130b7a-2be6-496a-b1b7-54f2c4e4887f" data-vars-headline="Lawmakers fight to make Quindaro a National Historic Landmark" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://quindaroruinsprojectfoundationkck.org/quindaro-history/" target="_blank">Quindaro Townsite</a> is not open to the public, and the federal funding that comes with a National Historic Landmark designation would make that possible.

How Black pitmasters built KC barbecue

KC barbecue grew from railroads, stockyards and Black culinary innovation.

Kansas City&#x27;s booming barbecue scene traces back to railroads, stockyards and Black pitmasters who turned the butcher&#x27;s leftovers into a defining local tradition.Why it matters: Barbecue is central to KC&#x27;s identity, but many people don&#x27;t realize how deeply it&#x27;s rooted in Black culture and entrepreneurship.

A run in the underground world of Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt

This sprawling underground complex is home to one of KC's most distinctive races.

Business

What began as a limestone mine boring into the cliffs above the Missouri River has become a sprawling underground complex — and home to one of Kansas City&#x27;s most distinctive races.The big picture: The annual <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Groundhog Run" data-vars-click-url="https://abilitykc.org/event/groundhog-run/" data-vars-content-id="4b267a73-7223-427e-876d-5a7a8038b902" data-vars-headline="A run in the underground world of Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://abilitykc.org/event/groundhog-run/" target="_blank">Groundhog Run</a> winds through miles of tunnels reaching under Worlds of Fun, blending a long-running charity event with a glimpse into the scale and ambition of the Hunt family — one of the richest in America.

History

Three Native sisters saved a KCK cemetery

Independence is putting its best ghostly foot forward

City Market's steamboat museum closure has been a long time coming

How two block parties became KC Irish Fest

Historic Brookside school's demolition plan halted