Downtown is Kansas City’s busy business and culture hub, with a vibrant waterfront shopping and dining area at River Market. The striking, shell-shaped Kauffman Center showcases symphony, opera, and ballet, while grand Union Station, from 1914, includes a planetarium. Penn Valley Park offers skyline views and contains the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Other museums trace Negro Leagues baseball and American jazz.

Operating as the primary business district, downtown Kansas City, Missouri, is full of professionals, tourists, and locals enjoying the diverse architecture and plethora of locally-owned eateries. Centrally located, downtown is a great location for residents looking for easy access to all things in Kansas City. Neighborhood parks boast green space amidst skyscrapers, while food trucks and elegant restaurants can be found in many nooks and crannies along the busy streets. With a strong presence in the arts, downtown residents visit art galleries, theaters, and museums. Modern apartments are mixed in with businesses offering urbanites the ability to walk to work.