Let it be known: June is all about FUN at St. Anthony’s Senior Living. Don’t believe us? We’ve already highlighted some cool gifts for Father’s Day (that are great options year-round—birthday, Christmas, etc.) and we’re about to keep some recommendations coming while highlighting a key part of our philosophy at St. Anthony’s: an active lifestyle that will encompass the spiritual, medical, physical, emotional, intellectual, social, environmental and vocational well-being of our residents. Phew! What a sentence. But we name each of those qualities because we truly take each of those components seriously on a daily basis. At our core, we know independent living isn’t about just “coasting” later on in life. We believe the best days are ahead for each of our residents. THAT is what we call a fun and fulfilling life worth living.
In regard to the qualities listed above, this post will focus on the “social” and “environmental” side of things. Why? Because our residents don’t live on an island! (Though that might not be a terrible life). We mean a proverbial island. Our St. Anthony’s residents have the benefit of living in one of the midwest’s most thriving communities: Kansas City, Missouri. We all know, across the border, that Johnson County, Kansas has some great attractions as well. But we’re going to focus on some of our favorite places in KCMO for shopping, fine art, and outdoor dining this summer.
Ready to take some notes? Once you do, reach out to us if you have any questions in regard to resident travel, transportation, and safety. To choose St. Anthony’s Senior Living is to choose a vibrant community with a variety of dining options, boutique shops, and cultural venues for all residents and visitors to enjoy.
World Class Dining and Independent Living
Can you really have a day at the museum without a quant brunch with friends? What about some evening shopping without a place to dine afterwards? The answer is a resounding “No” to both of those questions.
Before we get to Kansas City’s robust art history and eloquent shopping scene, we have to take some time to name a few of our favorite dining options just a stone’s throw from St. Anthony’s. Well, at least a short drive’s worth. When it comes down to it, the following restaurant options all operate next to our convenient Brookside location. When you’re located at East 68th Street like we are, you’re living next to some of Kansas City’s best restaurants such as:
- • Brookside Barrio
- • Red Door Grill
- • Jack Stack Barbecue
- • Eddie V’s Seafood
- • The Mixx
- • The Brookside Roasterie
- • Aixois (Pronounced: ek-swa)
- • McLains’s Bakery
And so much more! Wow, our mouths are salivating just typing out that list.
When members of our St. Anthony’s community break bread (or sip caffeine) with one another at any of these restaurant locations, we see independent living at its finest. If we had to build the perfect day of eating from the list above? Let’s give it a shot:
- • Morning Coffee: Aixois (The best outdoor patio in KC)
- • Breakfast/Brunch: McClain’s Bakery
- • Lunch: The Mixx (A nice salad to save room for dinner)
- • Afternoon Iced Coffee: The Brookside Roasterie
- • Dinner: Jack Stack Barbecue (You live in Kansas City!)
- • Dessert: Eddie V’s (Bananas Foster, hands down)
Seems like a dream? For residents at St. Anthony’s, it’s very much a reality.
Fine Art and History Around Every Corner
So you have the perfect day of eating planned out. But how do you fill in the gaps? What to do or where to go when digesting each one of those beautiful bites? This section and next highlight some of our go-to locations for perusing and enjoyment with friends. Let’s start with the arts before moving on to a little shopping spree—both areas of which mean treating oneself to a good time. Because you (and our residents) are worth it!
- • The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
- • The T-Mobile Center
- • Starlight Theatre
- • Nelson Atkins Museum of Art
- • Leopold Gallery
- • Negro Leagues Baseball & Jazz Museum (18th & Vine District)
- • Brookside Toy and Science
Now, there are many great midwestern cities out there, but not many have as rich of an art/history scene as Kansas City does. We could spend a whole blog post highlighting each of those listed venues, but the point is—our residents get to live it. Not just read about some faraway place that offers great independent living and amusement. Yes we know about Broadway. And yes San Diego has great weather. But ask any of our residents where their home is—where they can enjoy quality cuisine and high-end culture just down the street. They’ll answer St. Anthony’s. But we’ll broaden the answer to wonderful Kansas City, Missouri.
Shopping Sprees and Appropriate Fees
There’s a line floating around that we think pertains to this section on Kansas City’s best shopping: “Treat yourself.”
Independent living means making grown-up decisions. And grown-up decisions sometimes means getting that watch, buying that purse, or flaunting that jacket. Treat yourself! We know our residents have worked hard their whole lives, and their time at St. Anthony’s is a season of joy and fulfillment.
Kansas City shopping is another nearby park of St. Anthony’s. A few spots to get started:
- • The Country Club Plaza
- • Downtown Kansas City
- • Brookside Shopping
If you’re familiar at all with Kansas City, you know about those first two. The Country Club Plaza is world-renowned and offers enough outdoor shopping for a whole weekend—let alone a day. Downtown Kansas City is also bustling with shops and restaurants, and you won’t want to miss First Friday which takes place on the first Friday evening of each month! But back to that third bullet point . . .
Brookside is home to over 80 shops, restaurants, and businesses—all of which represent our neighborhood’s original charm and architecture. St. Anthony’s Senior Living is proud to have helped in the revitalization of Brookside. We transformed a dated building into a beautiful new community for the neighborhood to enjoy.
Of course, Brookside neighbors call us a community. Our residents call us a family. And we’re committed to ensuring our family has year-round access to the best shopping, art, and food this wonderful city has to offer.
