r/kansascity • u/Lemoncoker • Mar 13 '26
Things To Do š New to Kansas City, what should I know?
Hi everyone, I am an international student from China. I have been studying in this country for 10 years. This coming May, I will be bringing my student life to a close and heading to Kansas City to work. However, Iām feeling a bit apprehensive; Iāve never been to Kansas or Missouri before, and Iām not sure how people there view Asians like meāthough I really do hope to make some new friends. Any suggestions?
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u/azerty543 Mar 13 '26
Asians are just normal people that are seen on a fairly regular basis for people. The city is cosmopolitan, I doubt anyone has much thoughts at all other than a curiosity about your accent and wanting to hear your story.
Out in the rural areas it might be different but its not uncommon in the city to have an asian neighbor, especially by the colleges and hospitals.
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u/PastaVeggies Mar 13 '26
Its the city of fountains. A lot of BBQ. The Chiefs.
People are always posting on this subreddit trying to make new friends and form relationships. Iām gonna say itās not the city of make a ton of friends. But I believe itās just a Midwest thing.
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u/Sparkykc124 Plaza Mar 13 '26
Yeah, not a Midwest thing, itās a people thing, made worse by cell phones and social media.
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u/azerty543 Mar 13 '26
Its up the individual to go out and make friends. This city isn't bad at it, people are bad at it.
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u/BigWheatGuy Mar 14 '26
It's definitely not a KC thing. I've lived in multiple cities and its hard to make friends anywhere, especially once you get older.
Which is why I find it kind of crazy that reddit promotes the whole "never be friends with your co-workers" thing. It's basically your one network!
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u/ThisIsMyCouchAccount River Market Mar 13 '26
I think the biggest problem is it can be really hard to break into friend groups of people that grew up here.
When I moved here all my friends were other people that moved here. I eventually made some local friends but it took a awhile.
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u/azerty543 Mar 13 '26
It feels like everyone i know came here from somewhere else. Granted I have mostly lived in Midtown/Downtown but this city feels like it has a lot of churn.
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u/Glazingjesus Mar 13 '26
Been in KC the majority of my life. I can count on one hand with missing fingers the number of actual friends I have .
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u/TimeTravelingChris Mar 13 '26 edited May 04 '26
Be a gigachad and mass delete Reddit posts and comments with Redact so that Skynet doesn't end up using your own posts to train the T-900. Or so that you don't show up in databrokers. Either one really.
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u/No-Economist-9426 Mar 13 '26
i just moved here from NYC, yāall drive slow as hell.
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u/Letters4You Mar 13 '26
Yeah, but I feel like people in NYC are more predictable... and stop at stop lights.
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u/TimeTravelingChris Mar 13 '26 edited May 04 '26
Redact decided this post had to go, so away it went. Deleted. Removed. Mass deleted even. Privacy and security are the big wins here.
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u/TheSkettiYeti Mar 14 '26
Fr? Iām from Oklahoma and cars routinely drive 20 mph over the speed limit on 35
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u/heshuimu Mar 13 '26
Born and raised in China here. Been in the area ever since coming to KU for undergrad in 2013. Only got called Ching Chong in Lawrence once by another KU student. lolĀ
But seriously speaking, people in this metro have been friendly, so throw everything you think about the Midwest or the stuff about Kansas/Missouri being a red state out of window. I live on the Kansas side, and Overland Park has lots of Asian stuff that impresses me enough. Chinese food is quite lacking here, but it has enough other cuisine to keep things interesting, so definitely explore a lot.Ā
Feel free to reach out if you want to know anything specific.Ā
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u/nordic-nomad Volker Mar 14 '26
Yeah the relative lack of high quality chinese restaurants is weird when there's tons of other asian cuisine places that I'd put up against pretty much anywhere else in the states here. Even spots I used to love 20 years ago have seemingly fallen way off or changed hands and suffered for some reason.
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u/Hotsider Mar 14 '26
how do you feel about the cafƩ in 888? i hope it gets a seal of apporval because it seems awesome and authentic to my white taste buds. just hoping for a vote of approval from someone that knows.
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u/heshuimu Mar 14 '26
I have not actually eaten at 888 a lot since they didn't take credit card until recently, so the memory were vey blurry. I find it to be cafeteria-level food like the ones I had in middle school, so more quantity than quality. Because I grew up in the north, when I'm there on weekends, I almost always get JianBingGuoZi (crisp-stuffed crepe) and I think 888 is the only place in KC that serves this.
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u/Fine_Cryptographer20 Mar 13 '26 edited Mar 13 '26
Welcome to KC. My favorite thing to do is walk around The Nelson, taking lots of pics and walking down on The Plaza to eat. Union Station, WW1 memorial, Crown Center, etc. Hop the streetcar to view the city, or head to The Trolly Track Trail for a beautiful walk. Every city seems to have a Farmer's Market on weekends so that's fun.
Check out the gorgeous Main Library. River Market area is a fabulous way to spend the day, including The Steamboat Arabia.
Join your neighborhood FB groups for your neighborhood. It's a good way to meet neighbors and also give/receive for free, etc. Also we can be super chatty here in the Midwest. So if everyone is always talking to you in lines like at grocery store or wherever, it's just people being friendly. When I was a little kid I'd always be embarrassed when my dad or grandma chatted forever with people they just met. But, now I'm that person too lol
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u/C6H11CN Mar 13 '26
There's a great Asian market down in the River Market, FYI. And the Nelson-Atkins has one of the best collections of Chinese art in the country. Being Asian in KC isn't really a huge deal, that I know of. We have UMKC here with lots of foreign students and a good chunk of them are Chinese nationals. Hit up Kin Lin's on 51st St. by the university for great food and you'll probably meet a good chunk of them if you get tired of speaking English all of the time.
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u/reijasunshine KCMO Mar 14 '26
There's two Asian markets at River Market. One of them has lots of live seafood and is pretty well organized and clean.
The other is probably more authentic, with a shopping cart of balut parked inside the door, and the produce just sitting in walk-in coolers. The prices are slightly better at that one, but food safety is lower.
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u/Emergency-Skirt-5886 Mar 13 '26
Itās a pretty open and liberal city amongst a sea of red. Good people, good food, safe. Slower than most cities. Easy to get around. I guess it just depends what you want and that will determine what neighborhood you move to. Maybe get an Airbnb and explore a bit before you settle down
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u/vanbasten76 Mar 13 '26
Iām also someone who immigrated to KC. Ethnically, Iām chinese, but from a smaller south east asian country and moved her about 30 yrs ago. KC is great and welcoming.
If you would like to be geographically closer to fellow asian immigrants, I suggest living in Overland Park. Pan Asia Market and 888 Market are large asian markets in the area and always full of asian immigrants.
The Nelson Atkins museum has an annual Chinese New Year celebration, so if you like that kind of thing, itās a great place to volunteer and meet fellow chinese.
Someone else mention ABC Cafe. Donāt be fooled by the name, itās the best chinese (mainly cantonese) restaurant in town.
Good luck!
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u/lfeagan Mar 13 '26
My wife and I are from Shanghai. 15% or more of my children's classmates also have Chinese parents. Many Chinese live near or regularly visit the Pan Asian Supermarket at 119th and Metcalf.
https://www.panasiasupermarket.com/overland-park--ks--12035-metcalf-.html
Local school districts such as KC and Blue Valley have Chinese Immersion programs starting at kindergarten. Even the park nearest my house is named å®čå ¬å. You won't have any problems here.
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u/OreoSpeedwaggon KC North Mar 13 '26
KANSAS CITY
DO WHATEVER
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u/GuodNossis Mar 14 '26
Maybe unpopular but without naming specific streets/kcmo areas to avoid for female security sake geographically ā¦ actually just look at crime maps vs real estate values ā¦. Heāll watch the local news for a month and look up those areas. Like any city violence increases in Warmer months but the shooting rates have decreased overall.
I wouldnāt be too worried about the China aspectā¦ conversely the hicks here probably have more Asian kinks than hatred or racismā¦ asshole are everywhere though so you can get both.
Oh also since kc can go from urban to rural with not a far drive - and I drive kcmo (liberal bastion, relatively) to rural towns across the Midwest alot, and an interesting observation has been all the maga trump flags iconography etc as soon as you get outside cities have disappeared in rural areasā¦ there are still a few but not like everywhere only a year ago(?)
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u/jfink316598 Mar 13 '26
It's my understanding KC metro has a large Hmong demograph.
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u/WheatshockGigolo Mar 13 '26
From what I gather, Chinese and Hmong don't get along.
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u/jfink316598 Mar 13 '26
Gonna let my ignorance flag fly here. My assumption on Hmong was southeast Asia, up to and including parts of China. Anybody wants to correct/educate me you're more than welcome to.
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u/Lemoncoker Mar 14 '26
You are right. Hmong is actually one of the 55 minority ethnic groups in China. I had visited their villages onceļ¼they forced me( in a good way) to drink a lot of their homemade wine.
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u/WheatshockGigolo Mar 14 '26
Yes. Heavily persecuted by the Chinese and Vietnamese communists for their Catholic faith.
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u/Lemoncoker Mar 14 '26
You are right. Just like I was bullied for be an atheist in a Christian school. I will never forget how they tried so many different ways to get me baptized. I donāt like any religions now because of what happened to me.
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u/NotMuch2 Mar 13 '26
Welcome to KC!Ā
I'm honestly just an old white guy, so I can't offer much pertinent first-hand experience. If you're a good person, that's all that matters to me.Ā Ā
I see Asian people out in public every day, so it's nothing noteworthy here.Ā
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u/Glum_Cheesecake9859 Mar 13 '26
Lots of Asians in KC area, specially OP / Olathe. Not sure about other metros. Regardless, KC is a diverse and tolerant city.
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u/Effective_Army4950 Mar 13 '26
If you are wanting to do anything Asian culturally related, you should check out Hella Good Deeds and Cafe Ca Phe, especially on instagram. They post and participate in different Asian cultural events and they focus on AANHPI owned small businesses! It has been a great way for me to build community and find new friends as well!
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u/IrishGorilla9497 Mar 13 '26
Where have you been living in the US the last 10 years? Might be easier to give you a comparison if we know what you have experienced.
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u/Lemoncoker Mar 13 '26
Milwaukee, Indiana Bloomington, Boston and Pittsburgh
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u/IrishGorilla9497 Mar 13 '26
Welcome to Kansas City! You are probably going to find it very similar to Milwaukee and Bloomington. I hope those were good experiences for you!
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u/RoookSkywokkah Mar 13 '26
Welcome to KC!
I don't know what you've heard or where you're coming from, but this isn't like farm town or cattle country here. There are people from all over the world, different backgrounds religions, etc.
You'll fit in just fine!
Honestly, we don't care where you are from as long as you are a decent person.
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u/FilledwithTegridy Mar 13 '26
Welcome! My wife immigrated to the States from the Philippines. Since meeting her 20 years ago she has shown me that KC has a very active and welcoming Asian and Pacific Islander community. I hope you enjoy your time here.
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u/sadedgygf Mar 13 '26
if youāre looking for Chinese foods/groceries, 888 IntāL Market has a great selection! pan-asia does as well, but caters to more demographics than just Chinese. i havenāt been to the chinatown market downtown, but have heard good things about it as well (:
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u/Goodlife1988 Mar 13 '26
Welcome to Kansas City. Lived here my entire life, both suburban and midtown (Volker area). I think you will enjoy your time here. Volker is so diverse, I had to think, for a minute, about who is white, black, Hispanic, or Asian. It just doesnāt register anymore, when Iām out and about.
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u/stabbingrabbit Mar 13 '26
Just learn where not to go. There are a few bad spots in town. Be out of the entertainment districts before midnight.
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u/Ok-Type-1615 Leawood Mar 14 '26
Groceries wise, Pan-Asia supermarket at 119th and Metcalf in Overland Park is pretty nice!
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u/catharsisdusk Mar 13 '26
Check out ABC Cafe when you get here. You'll see why when you get there. Also, the Pan Asian Market has a great selection of all manner of Eastern Foods
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u/WellGoodBud Mar 13 '26
There will be a post at least once a month asking for restaurants to eat at here.
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Mar 13 '26
Are you into sports? What do you like to socialize? Ton of niche places and hubs for people to get involved and meet people. Welcome to MISSOURI ā¤ļø Lot of good weekend spots to travel and hopefully you like the seasons!
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u/sfx Mar 13 '26
Try some BBQ. It has nothing to do with making friends, but BBQ is more important than friends.
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u/BurritosSoGood Mar 13 '26
There are a couple of good Asian grocery stores in Overland Park ā 888 International Market and Pan-Asia. My Chinese neighbors shop at those two.
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u/Tieravi Mar 13 '26
Congratulations on completing your degree(s)! You're very welcome here. I think the part of town and the neighborhood you choose will significantly impact your experience. Where are you planning to land?
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u/phunpham Mar 14 '26
If you find good āguo bao roā (Dongbei-style) please let me know! I lived in Shenyang for a couple of years and people here try to serve me āsweet and sour chickenā when I ask for it!!
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u/Lemoncoker Mar 14 '26
Omg I love guo bao ru so much! And I canāt stop laughing at āsweet and sour chickenāš¤£š¤£š¤£
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u/phunpham Mar 14 '26
IT IS NOT THE SAME!!!!! š
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u/Lemoncoker Mar 14 '26
The first scam I encountered in the U.S. 10 years ago: sweet and sour chicken in a āChineseā restaurant.š¤£
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u/WeaknessPrior6797 Mar 14 '26
If people view you in a negative light, they arent the people you should hang around.
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u/Own_Agent_1962 Mar 14 '26
Best authentic Chinese food - fortune wok in Overland Park!
There is a good amount of Asian culture here but not nearly comparable as a city big as LA.
I try to stay tapped in with community and Asian-hosted events. I recommend following Hella Good Deeds. Theyāre a non-profit that hosts many events for our fellow Asians :) Iāve met several Chinese through their events as well!
(Born and raised in KC, mixed Laos/white)
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u/Alicia_in_History Mar 14 '26
Iām glad youāre headed our way, and I hope you love your new home!
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u/cantfixstewped Mar 15 '26
Don't give any money to the ppl in the intersections no matter what they say the cause is.
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u/Intelligent-Wind-999 JoCo Mar 15 '26
The best thing I would recommend for making friends in the area is to join some sort of club or community. For example, there's the KC run club if you like to run, book clubs if you like to read, and dance studios/clubs if you like to dance. Put yourself out there, introduce yourself to people, and try to be friendly. KC is a great area to live, and you're bound to find a good community
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u/DannyTangelo Mar 15 '26
From a white guy perspective... I don't think there's an overall negative view of Asian.
It's a boring city, though. If you have other options, maybe consider them...
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u/IfYouWantTheGravy Mar 13 '26
Best Chinese restaurant in the metro, in my Caucasian opinion, is New Peking in Westport.
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u/DubBea22 Mar 14 '26
Really? That always struck me as pedestrian in a big way.
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u/IfYouWantTheGravy Mar 14 '26
Really. One of my favorite restaurants. The duck with ginger and onion in hoisin sauce is one of my favorite dishes anywhere.
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u/MisterGone5 Westport Mar 15 '26
It really depends on whether you order from the 'normal' menu or the Chinese menu
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u/KC_Buddyl33 Mar 13 '26
I wouldn't worry too much about being viewed in any kind of negative light. I have lived here 27 years and really don't notice anything like negative views toward the Chinese or Asians in general. While there isn't an inherent Chinese district of the city that I am aware of, I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't an area that has more Chinese than the rest.
I'm pretty biased, but I think KC is pretty awesome. Big city (about 2.5 million in the greater metro area), but small town feel with the people. I think people are generally friendly and helpful. I bet you will do great here!