The people love Prairie Village 🏡

Prairie Village, KS was Zillow’s most popular city in 2022

Photo of the clock tower at the Shops of Prairie Village

Clock reads time to move to Prairie Village. | Photo via @theshopsofprairievillage

When someone asks you about your dream house, the go-to might be something like “a cabin on a lake,” or “someplace near the beach,” or even “somewhere near mountains.” In 2022, that shifted to “a Kansas City suburb” — namely, Prairie Village, KS.

Prairie Village was Zillow’s most popular city in 2022, beating thousands of zip codes across America’s top 100 metro areas.

“This is fun national affirmation of what those of us who live, work, learn, shop, and play here every day know and appreciate about our special Village,” Mayor Eric Mikkelson told KCtoday.

Zillow ranked Prairie Village based on consumer demand, measured by pageview traffic, available housing inventory, sales, and price appreciation.

"[Prairie Village] exemplifies many of the eye-catching features the region offers: the small hometown vibes with big city amenities, top-rated public resources, and a robust local economy,” Christian Barnes, president and CEO of Kansas City Homes, told KCtoday. “And above all else, it’s the people that make it a truly special place to live.”

KC_Gateway sculpture in Meadowbrook Park — “Gateway” by Amie Jacobsen at Meadowbrook Park in Prairie Village.

Rising Midwest market

The ranking represents a rising interest in the Midwest. Zillow analysts predicts this trend will continue into 2023, especially as more and more friends and family members pool their money to buy homes together — a trend that increased big time in 2022.

“Remote work has unlocked the ability for many people to live anywhere, and lower cost homes with more space is an enticing proposition,” Zillow senior economist Orphe Divounguy said. “Buying a home is relatively more affordable in many Midwest markets when compared to other markets across the country.”

It’s also a shift from the winners of the past. South Lake Tahoe was Zillow’s most popular in 2021 along with other western destination towns.

“Prairie Village offers the trifecta of beautiful homes, a spectrum of accessible price points and great amenities, such as highly rated schools, community events and local shopping,” Earvin Ray, owner of Leawood-based Ray Homes, said.

6 LOCAL HOUSING FACTS

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Thursday, Jan. 5

Chamber Coffee at Courtyard by Marriott | Thursday, Jan. 5 | 9-10:30 a.m. | Courtyard by Marriott, 12151 S. Strang Line Ct., Olathe, KS | Free | Network with local business professionals, and hear from local travel expert RWM Travel. ☕️
Michael Palascak | Thursday, Jan. 5-Saturday, Jan. 7 | 7 p.m. | The Comedy Club of Kansas City, 1130 W 103rd St, Kansas City, MO | $18 | This Midwest-born comedian has appeared with James Corden and Stephen Colbert, and also has a half-hour Comedy Central special.
Mid-day Meditation | Thursday, Jan. 5 | 12-12:30 p.m. | Kansas City Public Library, 14 W. 10th St., Kansas City, MO | Free | Take a mid-day mind-body break with this 30-minute guided meditation session. ☮️

Friday, Jan. 6

JOCO Home + Garden Show | Friday, Jan. 6-Sunday, Jan. 8 | 10 a.m.-9 p.m. | Overland Park Convention Center | $12-$14 | Shop for home-related products, connect with industry experts, experience presentations, and get inspired for your next home project. 🔨
Kansas City Mavericks | Friday, Jan. 6-Saturday, April 15 | 7:05 p.m. | Cable Dahmer Arena | $12-$55 | Kansas City’s pro hockey team takes on the Allen, Texas Americans. 🏒

Saturday, Jan. 7

JAM Sessions: Winter Mad Science | Saturday, Jan. 7, Thursday, Jan. 12 | 10:15-11 a.m. | Museum at Prairiefire, 5801 W. 135th St., Overland Park, KS | $0-$5 | Kids will explore different properties of ice and snow and conduct their own experiments. ❄️
Pretty Yende, Soprano | Saturday, Jan. 7 | 6 p.m. | Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th St., Kansas City, MO | $13-$75 | Treat your ears to this South African opera singer, who has won acclaim for her solo performances worldwide.
New Year’s Beatdown | Saturday, Jan. 7 | 6-10 p.m. | Leavenworth Local Hotel, 600 Shawnee St., Leavenworth, KS | $5-$10 | Live pro wrestling with xWe returns to “ring” in the new year. 💥

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

This billion-dollar startup wants to help you retire

Portrait of businesswoman standing against a wooden wall in office.

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This Princeton grad’s startup raised $161 million to help people plan for retirement. 👀

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Weather

41º | Mostly sunny | 10% chance of rain

Civic

Lenexa unveiled its new skate park concept at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park, which will be east of the existing one. The design will be focused on all skill levels, with easier features at the entrance and harder sections further on. The 12,750-sqft facility could be finished by this summer. 🛹 (Shawnee Mission Post)

Biz

Social Venture Studio is looking for entrepreneurs focused on social issues for its second year following a successful launch. The six month program — powered by LaunchKC — is designed to help businesses grow by providing resources. Applications are open until March 1. 📈

Ranked

Kansas City, MO ranked No. 10 on Lawnstarter’s “2023’s Cities With the Most Green Space.” KC placed high for public and private green area per capita (thanks, Swope Park), but it was low for its share of land used for parks and rec. Other factors included the number of parks and the average yard size.

Featured

Overland Park-based ChessUp was recently featured on Shark Tank, where owners struck a deal with investor Lori Greiner. The company produces smart chess boards as a way to make the game more approachable. Greiner will take 5% of the company and make 3% on royalties. ♟ (Shawnee Mission Post)

Watch

Put on your “Blue Suede Shoes” and head to the movies. “Elvis” the movie is playing for free on Sunday, Jan. 8 at AMC Town Center 20 in Leawood. The screening commemorates what would have been Elvis Presley’s 88th birthday. Reserve your spot here. 🍿 (FOX4)

Announced

Chaz Restaurant and Lounge in the Plaza will now have live jazz on every night of the week. The restaurant announced it will add Friday and Saturday nights (6-10 p.m.) to its its current Sunday-Thursday lineup. Chaz is located inside The Raphael Hotel — at 325 Ward Pkwy., KCMO. 🎹

Try This

Worlds of Fun is asking for photos and videos of your favorite park moments for its 50th Anniversary Memory Contest. Four participants will be randomly selected to win a VIP prize pack. The contest runs through Monday, April 24. 🎢 (FOX4)

Travel

Southwest Airlines is adding a second nonstop KCI flight to and from Cancún, Mexico starting this Sunday, Jan. 8. The Sunday trips will add flexibility for vacationers, who previously only had a Saturday option. The trip currently averages 90% occupancy. (Kansas City Business Journal)
How does Scott’s Cheap Flights work? Sign up for free, follow up to five airports, and Scott’s will notify you when flights are 40-90% off. Bonus: You can browse deals immediately after signing up (like a $300+ round trip to St. Croix). 🌴*

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Hungry like the Wolfe 🍖

Wolfepack BBQ to open first stand-alone location in Kansas City

Our mouths are already watering. | Photo by KCtoday

An up and coming barbecue restaurant announced it signed a lease on its first standalone restaurant — at 910 E. 5th St., KCMO. The location is the former site of The North End, a colorfully-painted tavern in the Columbus Park neighborhood.

Wolfepack BBQ, named after the Wolfe family who owns and operates it, started out of Callsign Brewing (beers and barbecue: the KC way). Its last week in the brewery was at the end of December.

“Our new standalone location will provide us the ability to serve you exactly how we have imagined,” company leaders said in a post, mentioning they plan to sell local beer and craft cocktails.

Wolfepack did not release an opening date.

Community stakeholders said they were excited for the new restaurant.

“We are so happy to have Wolfepack BBQ on our block. Columbus Park deserves more small businesses,” Lily Williams at Lily Floral Designs told KCtoday.

MORE COMMUNITY QUOTES

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Travis.

Editor’s pick: Consider this my official reservation for Wolfepack’s opening day (whenever they announce it). The brisket looks amazing, and comments on social media praise the burnt ends. Not to mention, this mac and cheese looks incredible.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Here’s why we love KC.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Bella Rainey, Travis Meier, Josh Kranzberg, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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