Why Live in Shawnee, KS? Ask These Residents
Why live in Shawnee, KS? The city is just one of Kansas City’s many suburbs, but it stands out for having excellent homegrown restaurants, breweries and nationally recognized cocktail bars, a growing arts scene, including events like Theatre in the Park and Music Theatre Kansas City, a healthy parks system, great schools and a relatively affordable cost of living.
Ahead, hear from two locals who can’t get enough of life in Shawnee.
Matt Ledbetter is a born-and-bred native who returned to his hometown in 2009 after stints in Manhattan and Overland Park, Kansas, and Patrick Moltane, who hails from Buffalo, New York, relocated to Shawnee in 2021 with his wife and children.
In This Article
Describe the city’s downtown.
Ledbetter: When I was growing up, if someone didn’t call it downtown, you wouldn’t know it was downtown. There was a courthouse and a 7-Eleven where I used to get Slurpees. It’s really changed into a very eclectic downtown. You get the really cool downtown feel with cool shops, coffee shops and breweries.
Moltane: When we first moved here, there were very few storefronts up and running downtown. Shawnee was pretty much closed at 9 p.m. We came from Buffalo, which certainly isn’t New York City, but it kept later hours for restaurants, bars and nightlife. But that’s changed a bit since we’ve been here. Many more businesses have opened their doors, which allows for more foot traffic. It’s nice to see such growth in our short time in the area.
What’s your favorite restaurant in the area?
Ledbetter: Oh, my goodness, I haven’t gone to any places in Shawnee I haven’t liked. From a family perspective, the one we frequent the most is Sombrero’s. It’s a Mexican restaurant, so everything is good, but my favorite order is the Sombrero burrito.
Moltane: Pegah’s Family Restaurant downtown. This is not a fancy place, but it’s perfect for us since we’re looking for comfy family dining and a menu that caters to varying tastes. I go for their breakfast stuff; they will make breakfast any time of day.
Where is a great place to grab a drink with friends?
Moltane: The two places I go most frequently with prospective clients and friends are Transport Brewery and Friction Beer Co. If we’re looking for something a bit different, we have a fantastic cocktail bar called Drastic Measures. The lighting is quite low, and it’s the kind of place for taking some friends who are in from out of town or having a special night out. It’s not quite like the movie Cocktail with Tom Cruise, but there is showmanship to it. You feel like you’re getting something special just for you. (In 2023 and 2024, the James Beard Foundation named Drastic Measures one of five finalists in the outstanding bar category of its prestigious annual awards.)
Ledbetter: For us, it’s downtown Shawnee, though I can’t choose one specific place. We’ve been to all of the breweries and bars and they are all equally fantastic. I don’t drink, but my wife does. You can go to multiple different places downtown and not drink. Specifically, some that we went to are Transport Brewery, which has nonalcoholic beers, and Drastic Measures has mocktails.
What are your favorite places to spend time outdoors?
Ledbetter: That’s another great thing about Shawnee: There are tons of parks and one of the main paved trails goes past our house. …It runs into Shawnee Mission Park [which is one of our favorites].
Moltane: There’s a place close to downtown called West Flanders Park. It’s not one of the larger parks, but it has a great playground for the kids, areas where you can have cover and a picnic lunch, a walking path, and a rose garden cultivated by community volunteers. We can hop on bikes and go over there without having to cross any major roads or intersections.
What are some artistic and cultural events you’ve enjoyed?
Moltane: There’s an annual event in town called Old Shawnee Days. It’s one of the biggest events in the community, with a parade, booths with all kinds of artists and vendors selling wares and food, and carnival rides; one of the main things there is live entertainment. In downtown Shawnee, Aztec Shawnee Theater mostly hosts cover bands but also occasionally shows old movies.
Shawnee Town is a living history sort of keystone of our community; kids can see how people used to do laundry on washboards and milk cows and venture back in time. They do a lot of our arts and community education. We go as a family because they do music in the summer at the pavilion.
What Kansas City amenities do you enjoy?
Moltane: With two daughters, it’s the Kansas City Current women’s pro soccer team. They are building the first-ever sports stadium for a women’s team. Unlike places where women can play when the guys aren’t in season, this will be designed for women. We have gone to games the last two years and are so excited to get to see them in the new stadium.
What’s your favorite thing about living in Shawnee?
Ledbetter: It’s a good place to raise a family. Being a lifelong resident, I’ve seen its ups and downs, but truly the school district and cost of living are second to none.
Moltane: As someone who’s a transplant, my favorite thing is how welcoming the people have been. If you get involved with the chamber or PTA or Rotary Club or a local thing that’s looking for volunteers, you can, in pretty short time, get connected to leaders and others who share your interests in the community.
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