I may be moving to Kansas City soon. Where are the good neighborhoods and the neighborhoods to avoid?

Let's start with an apartment in a low-crime neighborhood. What part of town should I look at?

Overland park, but its more of a wealthy place. Lenexa is an ok place.
I lived in shawnee mission and i loved it. :) i was close by everything and there was never anything bad happening near me:)

Try Overland Park.

Definitely stay out of the "city limits" of Kansas City. The suburbs are your best bet. Lee's Summit, Blue Springs, Belton, or Raymore. Overland Park is probably the best but it's in Kansas and a lot higher priced.

On the Kansas side:

Overland Park
Shawnee
Lenexa

On the Missouri side:

Lee's Summit
Blue Springs
Raymore

In either Kansas or Missouri, these are good areas with plenty of nice apartments. I wouldn't say Kansas is more expensive than Missouri necessarily, it depends on the apartment itself.

Mo side~ South KC. try the red bridge area (Red Bridge and Wornall)
North Kansas City, Lees Summit

Ks side~ Mission, Overland Park, prairie Village, Shawnee Mission, Merriam, Lenexa.

~Avoid~ Independence, Blue Springs, Kansas City Kansas, anything in the inner city

Ok on what to avoid I agree with MB-n-KC. I don't like any of the Missouri suburbs (Lees Summits ok) but thats just me, I just don't feel safe there. Overland Park is a very nice town with a lot of apartments. The 135th and Nall area is a very developing area and has a ton of apartments. Prairie Village is very nice but not a lot of apartments. I would definetly look into Overland Park. Also if you have kids, you should look into living in the Shawnee Mission School District (all good area) which is one of the best school districts in the country. Welcome to KC :)

Try Oak Grove or Grain Valley. Blue Springs is really good too. It really depends on kids or no kids. The schools in these areas are great for all ages. Stay away from Northeast kansas city or independence. Unless you go to the Fort osage school district area. Buckner and Odessa and Wellington are also good. It also depends on if you want more of big city or small town surroundings

anywhere in Johnson county kansas, if u plan on living in the city you might want to live around the plaza(a few miles south of downtown), or in the wesport area. Kansas city kansas and kansas city mo both have some rough neighborhoods.Stay away from areas east of downtown, and in Kansas city kansas stay away from east side areas

It depends on what you're looking for. Some people love living in the city; if that's you then there are some great places, that may not be as safe as the suburbs, but if you're used to living in urban areas you might like. The suburbs of KC can be a little more boring, everything's spread out, etc., but albeit, a lot safer.

It all depends on what you're looking for. There are a lot of low cost apts. in Overland Park, Olathe and Shawnee, but it's all sprawl out there. If that's what you like, great. However, there's been some crime lately around some of the areas of Olathe and Shawnee recently, so it just depends. That area's demographics are really changing a lot. People keep moving south on the KS side.

I personally like the older suburbs of Johnson County the best - Prairie Village, Fairway, Roeland Park, Mission, etc. You get a little more character (established neighborhoods, trees, etc.), without the crime and higher taxes of living on the MO side.

There's no right or wrong place, it just depends on what you're looking for, although I'd recommend against anything in East and NE KC, try to stay west of Main/Broadway area.

I don't know a whole lot about the MO suburbs, but there's a lot of growth going on north of the river.

overland park, olathe, just about anywhere in johnson county is good to live anywhere else is a crap shoot

Check out gladstone/parkville area. Overland parks nice if you have a small fortune, like traffic and are wrapped to tight for normal living. Everything in kansas is like that except maybe shawnee. KCMO kinda sucks until you start getting north of the river. KCKS sucks until you start getting close to 435. Independence is americas meth capital. Anything on the mo side from a 64116-64119 zip code will be in a decent to good area. as well as 64151-64157.Blue springs isnt bad but its out there. I would stay clear of the raytown/grandview area as well. Red bridge is grandview more less. Most of the kansas suburbs are nice they all have serious traffic issues though but all are very clean lot of jobs out toward olathe. lot more costly out there as well.
brookside/ waldo area are nice areas as well right smack in the middle of everything. The city market area has really cleaned up over the years. Little to close to downtown but if your into that thing.

Good luck

It depends on what you are looking for....if you stay in Kansas City, you will be close to shops, restaurants, culture, etc... However, the nicer areas will be pricier....and the more affordable places may have some crime.

You can go to the suburbs like Overland Park, KS, or Blue Springs, MO...but, you will be, well, in the suburbs...not much going on, but Mom and Dad and their 2.5 children driving their SUV to soccer practice....not very fun...but, safe and affordable.

I say, spend the few extra bucks, and look for something near the Plaza...it is happening, lots of young people...lots to do. The extra bucks will well be worth it for the location.

P.S. just read some other posts...you really need to check things out for yourself...Belton, Raymore, Raytown, Olathe, etc...may be o.k. but they are very, very redneck! If you want that sort of thing, with Bubba driving around with a shotgun in his pick up...fine...

G.C. apparently has never been to Olathe before. We do NOT have trucks with shot guns hanging in. I've lived here for over 25 years. Apparently you haven't left your town to see others.

Olathe has many award winning schools with kansas award winning teachers. Everything you need in is Olathe, especially around the 119th street area. Top notch hospital as well. There is the beautiful Heritage Park with a nice golf course.
Hope this helps, and please do research on your own, don't rely on all the answers you see here...

Please get your facts straight before you start posting info.

If all you are looking for is an apartment in a low-crime area then you need to look in Johnson County, Kansas (Overland Park, Leawood, Lenexa, Olathe, etc.) or Lee's Summit, Missouri. I have friends at the Enclave at 121st & Roe in Leawood. The rent is fair and it's a nice neighborhood. You could also look into the AMLI family of apartments. They're all over the place. However, remember that low crime = high(er) rent.

If I were young and adventuresome I wouldn't live in those areas though. I would live near the Plaza or in the River Market.

Good luck and welcome to the area.