Guide to the Crossroads Arts District in Kansas City
The Crossroads Arts District in Kansas is part of downtown, where Baltimore Avenue intersects 19th Street south of the Loop and north of Crown Center. This is the location for more than 400 artists and 100 galleries in a renovated industrial district. More than 10,000 people live and work in this diverse, mixed-use community. The Crossroads also has boutiques, restaurants, architectural firms, design studios, ad agencies, photography studios, and entertainment venues. It is also the home of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, which opened in 2012.
The Crossroads Arts District can be reached by streetcar, and it is walkable. It is also easily reached from most areas of the Greater Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. The Retreat at Walnut Creek offers easy access to Crossroads.
A Little History
The Crossroads area was once known as Film Row, due to its connection to Hollywood! The film industry needed centralized distribution points to ship movies to other parts of the country. Kansas City, Mo., was considered the perfect location for film distribution beginning in the 1920s. By the 1930s, the industrial area included about 20 buildings encompassing four square blocks.
The major studios, including MGM, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Paramount, United Artists, and Columbia, had offices on Film Row. The Manley Popcorn Company, a major supplier to theaters, also had an office there.
The area was eventually abandoned in the 1970s. It was nothing more than empty warehouses in old brick buildings until art galleries opened in the 1980s. The historic Freight House was renovated in 1998, and Union Station was restored in 1999. The name Crossroad Arts District was formalized in 2001 with the creation of a new neighborhood association.
First Fridays
The first Friday of every month becomes a street fair in the Crossroads Arts District. Galleries, boutiques, eclectic shops, restaurants, and other businesses stay open late to accommodate the hundreds of people who enjoy the community. The streetcar offers free transportation.
Arts organizations, galleries, studios, and craftpeople present the work of regional, national, and international artists. Visitors can see the creative murals on the walls, and the Art Alley is filled with street vendors and individual work. This is a street market for art, crafts, street musicians, and food.
Enjoy local craft breweries, wineries, distilleries, and the Food Truck Plaza, open April through October at 19th and Grand. Live music and street performers are located along the west side of 19th, while many galleries are on the east side of the street.
Food and Libation
You will not go hungry or thirsty while visiting Crossroads! The challenge is deciding which of the many restaurants, breweries, and wineries to visit while shopping and viewing the art galleries.
Some of the top restaurants include Cafe Corazon, with outside seating next to a colorful mural painted on the brick wall. This is Kansas City's first Latin and Indigenous coffee house and roastery.
Extra Virgin specializes in Middle Eastern cuisine. Lulu's Noodle Shop, is a popular Thai restaurant in Kansas City. Try the Lifted Spirits Distillery for cocktails, including their own gin and brandy. Enjoy craft beer, burgers, pizza, and sandwiches at City Barrel Brewing Company.
King G Bar and Grill is a modern take on the classic neighborhood deli with a bar.
Entertainment
The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts offers musicals, ballet, opera, classical concerts, and lecture series throughout the year. This is Kansas City's major performance center, located next to the Crossroads Art District. Lyric Opera of Kansas City also has performances at the Kauffman Center.
The Bird Comedy Theater features comedy acts on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Improve comedy is offered on weekends. Open mike night is on Thursday. This venue also has classes and comedy workshops.
Listen to jazz at the Green Lady Lounge while enjoying drinks, snacks, and cheesecake.
The Truman is the venue for country and rock concerts, along with special events.
Crossroads Arts
The first gallery, the Leedy-Voulkas Art Center, opened in 1985. Since that time, Crossroads has been synonymous with art of all types. Galleries show paintings, sculpture, and other works in various settings.
Arts KC- The Regional Arts Council supports visual and performing artists in Kansas City.
"Art moves us. Arts KC's programs and services are designed to advance lives through the arts."
The organization sponsors programs for the Kansas City arts community along with local government and civic leadership.
Check out the list of art galleries, including The Kansas City Woodworkers' Guild, and their presentations. You will find every type of visual and performing arts venue in Crossroads.
Want to Live in Kansas City? Visit The Retreat at Walnut Creek
The apartment community in Northland Kansas City, is centrally located just north of the river. Residents are only six miles from downtown and the Crossroads Arts District.
Amenities in this pet-friendly community include one and two-bedroom apartments with balconies, a swimming pool, a pickleball court, and covered parking. You will also find a business center and barbecue pavilions within the communities. Hiking trails are also part of the area. Contact us to schedule a tour of our community.