What’s the best donut in Kansas City? The staff at 435 Magazine aimed to find out through an extravagant day-long blind taste test. We picked up doughnuts — “two glazed, two of your most popular” — from every local shop that makes its own in Kansas City and was open on one sugar-drenched Tuesday in… Continue reading We blind-tasted doughnuts from every local shop that makes its own in Kansas City— here are the best
Most people never get the chance to hear a truly amazing hi-fi system — a setup where the cartridge for the turntable alone can cost as much as a used car and the whole setup could be traded for a condo in Florida. Kelsyn Rooks wanted to change that with Listyn KC (listynkc.com), his monthly… Continue reading You can hear a stereo that costs as much as a house at this audiophile pop-up party in Kansas City
You never know quite what you’ll get when you buy a ticket to a Sofar Sounds show (sofarsounds.com). The unique concert production company has a lottery for seats to intimate shows featuring unnamed acts. Venues can be coffee shops, pools, rooftop bars and even living rooms — past venues have included the Crossroads Hotel and… Continue reading You never know what you’ll see when you buy tickets to this mystery concert series
The Missing Piece Strolling through The Missing Piece (2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 816-421-1722) feels almost like a museum. The cozy hat store in Crown Center displays hundreds of fedoras, top hats, fascinators and what owner Michael Miller calls “big brim fancy hats” — or the hats that women wear for the Kentucky Derby… Continue reading Get the perfect Kentucky Derby hat at this Crown Center specialty shop
The Waffle Bar No one knows quite how Hong Kong’s bubble waffle came to exist. Whatever the origin, hot off the (waffle) press comes Waffle Bar located on the Country Club Plaza (4745 Central St., Kansas City, Mo. 816-832-8348). Waffle Bar’s owners encountered a similar waffle in New York while traveling and thought they should… Continue reading Hong Kong-style bubble waffles have landed in KC
FlipSwitch VR At-home virtual reality equipment is rapidly improving with the introduction of products like the Oculus Quest, but they still have a long way to go before they can match the experience at FlipSwitch VR (2021 Washington St., Kansas City, Mo. 816-492-7738, flipswitchvr.com). This shop, which opened in January 2018 in the Crossroads District,… Continue reading This Kansas City virtual reality spot makes its own awesome games
N2 Sports District high school football game? Just watch online from the only student-run broadcast truck in the country. In January 2019, the four high schools in NKC started producing fully functional live broadcasts of sporting events out of the sports broadcast truck, allowing viewers to watch games and hear commentary live from their phones… Continue reading Kansas City teens are learning to operate a satellite truck while broadcasting school sports
Monarch There are a lot of great coffee shops in KC, but when we want a moment of calm, we go to Monarch Coffee (3550 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. monarchcoffeekc.com). The Midtown shop’s immaculate interior — white hex penny-tile flooring, bright white walls and globed light fixtures — has made this Midtown coffee stop… Continue reading Find your moment of zen at Monarch Coffee
One of the best gems of the Power & Light District is easy to miss if you aren’t looking for it. The rooftop park, tucked away on top of the parking garage next to Cosentino’s Market (1220 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo.), is covered in shade trees, park benches, potted plants and two grassy lawns.… Continue reading There’s an amazing park hidden on a downtown KC parking garage — here’s how to get there
When artist Claes Oldenburg placed Kansas City’s iconic shuttlecock sculptures on the lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, he imagined giants playing badminton with the museum as the net. This summer, visitors may feel like giants themselves. Through Labor Day, the museum (4525 Oak St., Kansas City, Mo. nelson-atkins.org) is home to the Nelson-Atkins… Continue reading The Nelson-Atkins Museum has a miniature golf course and it’s awesome
If you’re still waiting on your Hogwarts letter, don’t fret — you can still play quidditch in Kansas. Mizzou, KU and Wichita State all now offer collegiate quidditch teams, and Kansas City also has its own major league quidditch team called Kansas City Stampede (facebook.com/kansascitystampede). Quidditch is a serious sport. You have to try out… Continue reading Yes, Kansas City has a Major League Quidditch team
Kate’s Kitchen The next time you start your day by sacrificing any pretense of healthy living by having fried chicken for breakfast, go to Kate’s Kitchen in Gladstone (8002 N. Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, Mo. 816-436-7200, kateskitchenkc.com). This shop’s chicken strips are beloved in the Northland, and they start serving them when the doors open… Continue reading Eat chicken strips for breakfast at Kate’s Kitchen
