Volker - Kansas City, MO

Volker is named after William Volker, a prominent philanthropist instrumental in Kansas City's growth from the late 1800s into the early 1900s. The earliest houses were built around the turn of the 20th century up to the 1920s, with more homes added in the 1950s.

The Thomas Hart Benton Home, just east of Roanoke Park on Belleview, is a state historic site that preserves the famous artist's carriage house studio as he left it when he died in 1975. Visitors can view his historic, gray-stone home and the carriage house with hundreds of paintbrushes sticking out of huge coffee cans.

The Clarence Sondern House, next door to the Benton home, is a museum itself as one of Kansas City's two Frank Lloyd Wright homes. Originally built in 1940, an addition was made in 1948 to include carports, a fireplace and a large dining room.

Several restaurants and night spots exist along 39th Street as the district bifurcates the neighborhood. National chains mix with local eateries to provide a full range of restaurant choices. Record Bar, at the edge of the Westport neighborhood, has nationally touring musicians and bands from Kansas City that play while you enjoy gourmet food.

Aladdin Cafe features Mediterranean and Greek cuisine and an outdoor lounge for patrons who love savory meats and vegetables in freshly made pita bread. For an appetizer, krass baked pastries come in phyllo pastry bread filled with spinach, feta cheese and onions. Baba ghanouj emphasizes roasted, smoked eggplant blended with sesame seed tahini, lemon juice and garlic served with pita bread. Aladdin's signature gyro sandwich comes with your choice of grilled lamb, beef or chicken and topped with yogurt cucumber sauce. Enjoy sandwiches with a side of lentil soup or Greek salad along with basmati rice. Sample one of eight different kabobs on the menu, including the shrimp and salmon variety with rosemary, garlic and tahini sauce.

KC Smoke Burgers specializes in grilled, smoked, Angus hamburgers made to order. Order burgers with lamb meat, such as the pesto lamb smoke burger, that comes with ground lamb covered in pesto sauce along with grilled tomatoes, feta cheese and red onions on top. The monster burger features three patties, seven strips of bacon and five cheese slices. For something different, the Mediterranean Philly cheesesteak contains beef, lamb, grilled onions, garlic and peppers. Then cooks pile on Swiss cheese, feta cheese and kalamata olives. Each hamburger bun comes with the restaurant's signature "KCSB" burnt into the top like a cattle brand.

Room 39 has been a great addition to Kansas City's foodie scene since 2004, with a farm-to-table menu that includes seasonal menus and dozens of local farms as suppliers. Fall dishes have pasture-raised beef, rabbit and pork from all over the Missouri-Kansas region. The special of the house in autumn revolves around the charcuterie plate, a plate filled with foie gras torchon, duck rillete, rabbit offal pate and housemade prosciutto. Add capers, housemade pickles with honey nut compote and chicharrones for a traditional French feast in the middle of America. Pan-seared duck from Honey Del Farms comes with duck confit, roasted beets and cherry mostarda. Pick the four-course menu with wine pairings to get the chef's daily special delivered to your table. Menus change frequently, so you may see completely different choices month-to-month depending on what grows at local farms.

Sahara Sheehsa Lounge on 39th Street claims to be Kansas City's luxurious hookah experience with handmade hookahs and rugs. Relax on bamboo furniture amid Egyptian decor while you sip the latest exotic, spiced alcoholic drink. Choose from nearly 100 specialty concoctions made by the bar's mixologists. Sample exotic tobacco blends at the shop. Sahara Sheesha opens evenings until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, and until 1 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday.

Residential streets are great for walking during daylight hours. Most houses have driveways, so bicycles can move freely down side roads. Valentine Road, 39th Street and Genessee Street represent larger thoroughfares with bicycle-friendly attributes such as lower speed limits and reduced traffic.

Public spaces and businesses have plenty of parking. If you do not have a car handy, several taxi cab companies service Kansas City, and Uber drivers can pick you up at any time.

Buses traveling KCATA Route 51 stop at 39th and Summit on the eastern edge of the neighborhood. The route begins at 5:29 a.m. and goes to 9:29 p.m. weekdays.

Roanoke Park used to be a spring and quarry that community leaders turned into nature trails and a swimming pool in the early 1900s, in order to preserve the natural beauty of this area of Kansas City. Hilly bluffs overlook the surrounding 37 acres of huge trees and miles of pathways. New playground equipment was installed in 2014 as part of an ongoing effort to improve the park's grounds. Revel in fall colors with a tour of the park's grounds during October and November. Bring a leashed dog if you want.

Regular events at the park include clean ups, restorations and tree surveys conducted by volunteers. In early September, watch Dance in the Park presented by several dance troupes from the Kansas City region. The annual fall festival occurs at the Westport Roanoke Community Center close to Halloween.

The cost of living is slightly more in Volker than in downtown Kansas City because of higher utility and grocery expenses. Nearby one-bedroom apartments rent for $715 per month for 611 square feet of living space.

A day pass on KCATA buses runs $3 to travel anywhere the transit system takes you. A gallon of gasoline is 19 percent lower than the national average. A pint of beer costs around $3.

Thirty-ninth Street and Westport Road mark the two main retail strips in Volker. Both areas contain mostly local specialty shops and higher-end boutiques. Sun Fresh Market, at 40th and Summit, represents the closest grocery store to the neighborhood. Westport Plaza Farmers' Market is the nearest place to buy locally grown produce during summer months.

Retro Vixen sells new clothes that have retro styles of clothes, shoes and purses from brands such as Lux De Ville, Pinup Couture and Steady Clothing. Look your best in overcoats, pantsuits or party dresses with shoes and purses to match to create a new feel, yet with a retro look. Find styles from the 1940s through the 1960s in the store on 39th Street.

Donna's Dress Shop also features new clothing with vintage styles. Find retro wedding dresses and rehearsal dinner dresses starting in January. Later in the year comes summer dresses and prom outfits. The most popular style eras go from the 1940s to the early 1970s. Every year, racks of markdowns mean you can find that retro chic look for even less.