Awesome Things East Of Troost

At KCUR 89.3, we're finding lots of cool things on and east of Troost Avenue in Kansas City. And we know you are, too. Share awesome things east of Troost with us.

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Happy Sunday! You might notice a group of women on bicycles trailing through Kansas City's east side today.

They are part of Sisters That Are Riding Strong, an all-female cycling club that encourages women to ride east of Troost Avenue. 

"Make it something normal for our children to see," says Denesha Snell, co-founder of the club. "Because if our kids see (us riding east of Troost) and their moms are doing it, they know this is something they could do on a regular basis and it's OK to maybe ridge my bike halfway and catch the bus the rest of the way."

Find out more about the cycling effort in this KCUR report by Elle Moxley.

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Mo Dickens in Kansas City shares a photo of the "Pakistani Cargo Truck" with us:

"Asheer Akram Metalworks created Kansas City’s Awesome Pakistani Cargo Truck. The truck, which has appeared at events at the Nelson-Atkins, the Nerman, and the Kemper Museums, has traveled as far away as Jefferson City, MO, to entertain and enlighten school children. Invites to the truck have been extended from as far away as Canada and Washington, DC. Asheer Akram Metalworks can be found at 2011 Tracy Avenue, two blocks east of Troost.

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For the past few years, the Blue Hills neighborhood in Kansas City, Mo., has been trying to change its reputation.

Located between Prospect Avenue and Paseo Boulevard, and from 47th to 63rd streets, the neighborhood used to be known for being filled with blighted homes.

But watch the transformation of the neighborhood's real estate scene in these before-and-after photos.

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What is it like to live in Walt Disney's childhood home?

We asked Roberta Long, who lives in Disney's old house at 3028 Bellefontaine Ave. in Kansas City's east side. Disney moved there with his family in 1910 as a 9-year-old.

She says the house receives a slew of visitors and gawkers every summer. People drive by wanting a look at one of Kansas City's only remaining ties to the animation legend.

"This is just a normal house," Long told us, as she showed us various pieces of Mickey Mouse and Disney memorabilia that she and her family have collected over the years. "I happened to grow up watching Disney movies in it."

Read more about our visit to the Disney house in this KCUR report.

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This building at 31st Street and Forest in Kansas City may not look that awesome, but it's an important part of the early history of Walt Disney's animation career.

In the early 1920s, Disney fed a tame mouse he'd named Mortimer at his desk in Laugh-O-Gram Studio. This mouse later became the model for a character known as Mickey Mouse.

Attempts are now in the works to revitalize the studio, pictured here looking west onto Troost Avenue.

The remodel could play a key role in helping to erase the Troost corridor as a socioeconomic dividing line in Kansas City, a project coordinator tells reporter Laura Spencer in this KCUR report.

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Terry Glenn re-stocks shelves at the Harvest Learning Center Market, at 3400 Woodland Ave. in Kansas City. The store is in the basement of the church, where Glenn is a pastor.

The small shop, made up of two aisles and a couple of walk-in freezers, is filled with fresh produce and meats and cheeses.

The center is not just a store to Glenn and his customers — it's part of a campaign to rebuild the Ivanhoe Neighborhood, Jeremy Bernfeld writes in this KCUR report.

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The Show Stoppers Drill Team helped kick festivities off this weekend at the Troost Avenue Festival.

The annual festival celebrated 10 years on Saturday. Flip through for some photos from the parade and block party-like event, which featured crafts, music and food.

Photos taken by Laura Ziegler, KCUR reporter.

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A new sport phenomenon, "FootGolf," is about to make its Missouri debut east of Troost Avenue in Kansas City. 

Starting May 3, the sport, which is played on a golf course with a soccer ball, will be offered at the Heart of America Golf Academy at Swope Park.

The city-owned golf course is adding the sport as a way to explore new revenue options, Briana O'Higgins writes in this KCUR report.

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Leon M. Jordan Memorial Park sits at Benton Boulevard and 31st Street. Dedicated in 1975, the park honors Jordan, a Kansas City police officer, politician and civil rights leader.

Jordan co-founded Freedom Inc., which helped develop black candidates for public office, in 1962.

In 1970, Jordan, who had been elected to the Missouri House of Representatives, was shot at the Green Duck tavern, which he owned.

Four years ago, Kansas City police reopened the cold case and found new evidence that Jordan's death was "an unsanctioned mob hit."

Photos taken by Alyson Raletz, KCUR social media producer.

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Happy Friday! Planning on fishing this weekend?

KCUR Reporter Laura Spencer shares with us this photo of Troost Lake, located at East 29th Street and the Paseo.

Spencer warns, "I'd watch out for the flock of pretty aggressive geese — but there were also folks sitting on park benches and at tables enjoying the nice afternoon."

The lake spans nearly 4 acres. 

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A festival that celebrates Troost Avenue turns 10 years old on Saturday. This photo from a past Troost Avenue Festival is an example of some of the arts and crafts activities that take place at the annual bash, which runs between 31st and Linwood Boulevard.

The festival evolved out of a focus group at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation aimed at helping dissolve Troost as a racial dividing line, reporter Laura Ziegler writes in this KCUR report.

The festival starts at noon Saturday. For more information, visit the Troost Village Community Association's website.

Stay tuned. We'll post photos from the festival next week.

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This photo makes us think of spring.

Kristin Johnson in Kansas City shares with us this photo, taken at Garfield Elementary School, which has "has a lamb on hand, visiting students all spring."

Garfield is located at 436 Prospect Ave. in the Pendleton Heights neighborhood, 

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John Stamm (@JohnStamm) tweets us this photo of an Alexander Austin mural, just south of Linwood Boulevard and Troost Avenue.

Find out more about Austin's murals, which are often found on Kansas City buildings, in this KCUR report.

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Hand-painted signs are a dying art in grocery stores.

But the owner of an independent operation on 31st Street in Kansas City has been painting signs for more than 50 years. Every morning, William Rosser starts his day painting signs.

Learn more about why he's keeping hand-painted signs alive at Wild Woody's Happy Foods in this KCUR report.

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Art pops up in all sorts of places, even at a construction site.

John Bluford emailed us this photo of trailer art east of Troost Avenue in Kansas City. The trailer is located at 26th Street and Prospect Avenue, near where a new crime lab for the Kansas City Police Department is being built.

Work started in November on the East Patrol lab.

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This postcard of Swope Park, which opened in 1896, comes from Becca in Kansas City.

Becca says, "I think Swope Park is by far one of Kansas City’s best and most under appreciated assets. It is huge and has everything - the zoo, Starlight, beautiful architectural stone shelters, pools, Frisbee golf, regular golf, lakes, a dog park, hiking/biking trails - and tons more!" 

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The Tulips on Troost beautification program began in 2006 with 10,000 bulbs along the Troost Avenue corridor in Kansas City. The program quickly garnered national and international press attention.

Momentum gave way to another 750,000 bulbs dotting the avenue. Eight years later, the tulips still are growing on Troost, but support for the program is fading out. Although, some businesses and institutions continue to plant.

Community Engagement Reporter Laura Ziegler takes a look at the remnants of Tulips on Troost in this KCUR report.