Winnetonka - Kansas City, MO

The Winnetonka neighborhood traces its roots back to Winnwood Beach Amusement Park in the early 1900s. This entertainment palace was compared to Atlantic City in terms of the boardwalk, roller coasters and laid-back lifestyle. Attendees swam in the lake at Chouteau Park for fun and relaxation, away from the busy industrial lifestyle of Kansas City.

In 1913, Mary Winn donated land to build an urban rail line through the area that connected Liberty to Kansas City. Her land eventually became Winnetonka High School, which was built in the late 1960s.

Houses sprang up through decades of development to become one of the most heavily populated suburban areas of Kansas City. Hundreds of single-family homes exist in Winnetonka, thanks to growth of the area since the completion of World War II.

Most festivals and art events occur at local schools. Gracemor Elementary has several seasonal displays for elementary parents to see.

A few restaurants call Winnetonka home, including many inexpensive chain food joints. One local eatery provides night life and decent bar food for loyal patrons. Two more local restaurants have loyal followings that claim the food cannot be beat. Nightlife includes two bars and a skating rink.

Mr. Le's Sushi has great Japanese and Vietnamese dishes for affordable prices. The small restaurant serves up more than 30 specialty rolls such as the 816, Jackson and Parvin rolls. Another 17 standard rolls complete the menu. Perhaps the most unusual cuisine comes from the Ika Sansai, or squid salad, made of small strips of calamari with special seasonings. Most sushi rolls go for $5 to $10, which characterizes a cheaper menu than comparable restaurants. Full teriyaki dinners, made on the grill, run you between $10 and $15.

All Star Bar and Grill, just west of Worlds of Fun, cooks up burgers nightly for hungry patrons. The kitchen blends ground beef, pork and spices before grilling meat to well-done perfection. Pico sauce for Tex-Mex food gets mixed in-house. Try the gigantic pulled pork sandwich that serves as the specialty of the house. Not many people can finish the monster pork tenderloin sandwich. Burgers come in six-ounce and eight-ounce sizes, and one even comes with slaw piled high on the patty.

One Eyed Jacks has standard bar food with a jukebox, pool tables and live music almost every week. The beer does not cost more than a few bucks, and tacos go for 50 cents on Thursday. Huge quesadillas mark the specialty food on the menu. This strip mall bar has a location at the center of the neighborhood that everyone can reach easily for viable nightlife activities.

For a different kind of nightlife, the Winnwood Skate Center has basic, hot food such as hot dogs and nachos. The place stays open until 10:30 or 11 on weekends for 18-and-over skates on a spacious, hardwood maple floor.

Residents should prepare to drive through Winnetonka's streets. Most small thoroughfares lack sidewalks, and bicycle traffic moves easily since most houses have driveways and garages. Several taxis service the area, and Uber rides can pick you up whenever you want.

Parvin Road, to the south, connects with Interstate 435 so motorists can travel to other parts of Kansas City. Plenty of parking spots exist around schools, shopping centers and at Worlds of Fun.

KCATA buses stop at 45th Terrace and Winn Road at 6:17 a.m. and 7:17 a.m. Buses have return trips at 4:46 p.m. and 5:46 p.m. from downtown Kansas City.

The upper part of Hidden Valley Park separates Winnetonka close to I-435. Winnwood Park, about 19 acres of green space on the west side of the neighborhood, features tennis courts, playscapes and walking trails. Chouteau Greenway Park has plenty of hiking trails for adults and kids alike, along with places for children to play. Bring your leashed pooches, and please clean up after them. All parks in the Kansas City Parks Department are free unless you need to rent a pavilion.

The Missouri Department of Conservation frequently invests time and volunteers to help maintain Hidden Valley Park. Ordinary citizens can help park officials fix trails, clean up litter and prevent erosion to the park's landscape.

A one-bedroom apartment near the area costs around $600, which puts the cost of living about the same as that of downtown Kansas City. Expect to pay slightly more for food and health care, but housing costs remain the same.

A one-day pass on KCATA costs $3 to get you to downtown. A gallon of gas rests approximately 18 percent lower than the national average. A beer runs you approximately $3.50 on tap.

A few local specialty shops dot the landscape, along with some big-box stores to meet your retail needs. Winnetonka mostly serves as a residential neighborhood with houses, parks, schools, a few hotels and not much in the way of retail space. Target and Festival Foods provide most of the basic retail needs past the west end of the neighborhood. Kansas City, to the south and southwest, has the closest farmers markets from May to October.

Cars for You sells used vehicles for any customer, from sports cars to minivans and SUVs. The lot usually contains around 50 to 60 vehicles from the mid-1990s to the late 2000s. Prices show customers how much money goes for a down payment, and financing options continue after the money down amount. Most vehicles go for $5,000 to $10,000.

Show-Me Shooters Indoor Range has two indoor ranges with electric target setups. The range sells major manufacturers of firearms, and the showroom contains more than 1,000 individual firearms. Show-Me Shooters has cleaning kits available for weapons as well. Instructors teach citizens concealed carry classes regularly.