July 18, 2024

Today’s Forecast

82º | 6% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:07 a.m. | Sunset 8:41 p.m.

⏪ Rewind to 1999

Kansas City skyline with a search bar reading "Kansas City 1999"

Hey Google, what was Kansas City like in 1999? | Photo via Canva

Do you remember 1999? Ricky Martin’s “Livin La Vida Loca” topped the charts, we were scared of the Blair Witch, and Google officially launched.

To celebrate, Google Trends opened its time capsule to see which fads were titanic in 1999. According to the report, adults were watching “The Matrix” and “The Sopranos” while kids were into “Toy Story 2” and “Teletubbies.” People also used the search engine to learn about David Beckham or evaluate their Pokémon cards, and searches for hot sauce set the web ablaze.

Livin La Vida Local

Want to know what life was like in the City of Fountains? We dug up some data to help us remember the final year of the 1900s — thanks to some assistance from a 25-year-old search engine.

Median family income: $54,200
City’s population: 139,971 (KCK) + 437,764 (KCMO)
Estimated cost to buy a home: $163,686 (prices have increased 167.6%)
Average cost of a gallon of gasoline: Missouri $0.703; Kansas $0.655

Sprint sign in front of an office complex in Overland Park, KS — Occidental Management, Inc acquired Sprint’s Overland Park campus in 2019.
|
Photo via Americasroof on Wikimedia Commons

In local news

Union Station completed a $250 million restoration project thanks to a bi-state effort.
Future President Donald Trump sought to buy the Hilton Flamingo Casino (now Bally’s) in Kansas City, though it never came to fruition.
Marty Schottenheimer resigned as coach for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sprint started to open its $920 million World Headquarters in Overland Park.

Who was performing

Kansas City was definitely in tune with 1999’s musical trends. In Missouri, Kemper Arena (now Hy-Vee Arena) hosted shows like the Backstreet Boys’ “Into the Millennium Tour,” Celine Dion’s “Let’s Talk About Love Tour,” and Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ la Vida Loca Tour.” In Kansas, “Smooth” guitar legend Santana performed at Memorial Hall.

Asked

How long have you lived in the Kansas City area?

A. Under 5 years
B. 5-10 years
C. 11-25 years
D. 25+ years

What's your time capsule?

Events

Thursday, July 18

The 18th & Vine Summer Concert Series | Thursday, July 18 | 7-10 p.m. | Jay McShann Pavilion, 1616 E. 18th St., KCMO | Free | AJM Presents this jazzy show featuring Marcus Lewis Big Band.
Bowling For Soup | Thursday, July 18 | 7:30 p.m. | The Truman, 601 E. Truman Rd., KCMO | $40-$113 | With their 30-year anniversary as a band on the horizon, the crown princes of pop punk are ready to take over Kansas City.

Friday, July 19

Lindsey Stirling | Friday, July 19 | 7 p.m. | Starlight Theatre, 4600 Starlight Rd., KCMO | $36-$140 | The violinist and contemporary dancer presents “The Duality Tour” with guests Walk Off The Earth + Audriix.
1980s Murder Mystery Party | Friday, July 19 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Weston Wine Company, 540 Main St., Weston, MO | $14 | It’s a totally tubular evening of fun...and murder.

Saturday, July 20

July Wine Walk | Saturday, July 20 | 5-8 p.m. | Delaware Street, 500 Delaware St., KCMO| $25-$30 | Celebrate the soul of Delaware Street as you sip on red and white wines while listening to blues music.
Summer Outdoor Movies in the Park | Saturday, July 20 | 8:30 p.m. | Zona Rosa, 8640 N. Dixson Ave., KCMO | Free | Grab a blanket or lawn chair and watch the 1995 film “Clueless” under the stars.

Sunday, July 21

Kansas City’s Lawn Party | Sunday, July 21 | 4-8 p.m. | The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 4525 Oak St., KCMO | Free | Feel the summer vibes as you play lawn games, grab food from local food trucks, and enjoy live music.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Development

Demolition has begun on the old terminals B + C at Kansas City International Airport. The $17.5 million project is expected to take 10 months and won’t remove the two parking garages near the terminals. There is not expected to be impacts to foot or vehicular traffic. (Fox 4)

Civic

C’mon Barbie, let’s go party in Bonner Springs. The city is considering land use amendments to make way for Mattel Adventure Park. The theme park’s developer, Epic Resort Destinations, requested to purchase land. If city planners approve, Bonner Springs City Council will review the request on Monday, Aug. 12. (Kansas City Business Journal)

Announced

Nonprofit KC2026 appointed Pam Kramer as its CEO, where she will lead planning for the FIFA World Cup 26 in Kansas City. Before this role, Kramer served as the fractional chief operating officer for the Kansas City Sports Commission and has 16 years of sports-related experience with Sprint. (FOX4)

Opening

Meddys opened its newest location at 8810 Maurer Rd. in Lenexa, KS, yesterday — its third in the KC metro. The Mediterranean-style restaurant isn’t done, either. It plans to open another location next month at 6301 Brookside Pl., KCMO. (MSN)

Coming Soon

A new store is expected to plug in to a vacant space at Barrywoods Crossing in KCMO. Best Buy filed tenant permits to occupy the 16,477-sqft space that used to house Party City. The location’s opening day and development timeline are TBA. (Kansas City Business Journal)

Community

Welcome to KC, Willow. That’s the official name of the newborn giraffe at the Kansas City Zoo after the organization held a poll to gather suggestions. She’s quite literally a big baby, standing at 5 ft, 6 in + 125 pounds. (KCTV5)

Ranked

Now this is a W. Kansas City was ranked the No. 9 best city in the US for Gen Z. The article noted KC’s affordability, great career prospects, and below-average internet costs.

Art

Your old and worn book from high school may now be a work of art at the Kansas City Public Library. This is thanks to local artist Andrea Burgay, who is repurposing damaged paperbacks into collage art. Her creations are on display at the Central Library through Saturday, Aug. 17.

Sports

While the Kansas City Chiefs have a decorated history in the NFL, it’s the modern players who are topping the greatest of all time list. See who made the top 10 in this GOAT debate from ClutchPoints.

Try This

Buy 0, get 4 free

Nelson-Atkins Museum is open Thursday-Monday. | Photo by @mikedayphotography

You don’t need major funds to have fun in Kansas City; just look at these affordable activities. Plus, we’ll never send you walking aimlessly in the park. Instead, we are making sure you get your money’s worth (even though you aren’t spending it).

Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead

Parents + grandparents, put away your moo-la. This barnyard bash is free with the Sunflower Summer Program. Watch a live milking demonstration, fish in the pond, pan for gold, and let your kids bottle feed baby goats.

Kansas City Public Library

The modern library card is powerful. Rent physical books, download magazines, stream music, watch movies, and listen to audiobooks for free.

Kansas City museums

These museums are free to visit and span a variety of topics.

Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens

Enjoy free admission every first Tuesday of the month at this scenic garden with 1,700+ species of plants.

Did we miss your favorite freebie? Let us know + we’ll update our guide.

The Buy

Dreo’s oscillating tower fan for your bedroom, which is ultra-quiet, circulates cool air, and is still on sale for Prime Day.

More worth The Buy

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Michael

From the editor

Hello Kansas City, I’m a Senior National Editor at 6AM City, meaning I will help out with the newsletter occasionally. As an avid consumer of barbecue sauce, I must say, KC’s formula is unmatched. Whenever I go to Trader Joe’s, the store’s “Organic Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce” is on my list.

Missed our previous newsletter?

›

Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback

›

Advertise

›

Games | Crossword, Sudoku, and More

›

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY