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| Not All That Bad - 1/29/2013
Independence, Missouri is just like any other fairly large, fairly old town. A city approaching 200 years old and having nearly 120,000 residents is going to have both old and new, good an bad. I am a Kansas City area native, having grown up on the "Kansas" side of the state line. I moved to eastern Jackson county many years ago and more specifically to Independence about 6 years ago. Independence has a large variety of things to do, it's a pleasant place to live and is a very affordable community. Yes there are areas of town that are not new and shiny and yes there is some crime in Independence however, the city and surrounding areas are decent and affordable. Those who bad mouth the area would be better served in participating in it's improvement and helping to once again help make Independence a shining star. [read more...]
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| Frustrated resident - 10/29/2012
If you like living around drug addicts (meth heads in particular), rowdy, bad ass kids, hillbillies and ghetto fools, move to Independence, MO STAT.
We've lived in one of the "nicer neighborhoods" in Independence for the last 3.5 years and we are getting out! When we moved in everything seemed normal. People cared for their houses and lawns and for the most part it was a quiet neighborhood. After a year of living here, we noticed as new residents were moving in and older residents were moving out that things began to decline. Now, two and a half years later, this neighborhood is turning into a glorified trailer park/ghetto because somehow these morons are able to get loans to buy houses.
Also, we have seen and increase in crime. Three times SWAT has been to our neighborhood to bust people for God only knows what. One time they came because some meth head locked himself in his house and threatened to kill himself. Sorry, but the police did not do society a favor by saving THAT fool. A couple of months later, he ended up wrecking into my neighbors NEW camper because he was driving while high and drunk! We've had teenagers destroying property. One car full of teenagers drove over our lawn! The kids are out of control and the parents don't care. The fire dept. is constantly here because someone is catching something on fire in their home (Hmmm I wonder what that could be all about? *eye roll*).
Everything is going downhill FAST here! And it is not just restricted to our neighborhood. Just going around town running errands I can tell that the town is on the decline. I am constantly having to pull to the side of the road to let cops go by (very annoying). I hate going shopping because some half cocked drug addict will walk up to my kids to tell them how cute they are and then when they say something beyond that it makes absolutely no sense because they are high. There is an increase in vagrants (they are everywhere). I am to the point that I don't go out shopping once it turns dark. I have been out a few times at night and EVERY time I go out there is some fool(s) getting their cars searched with open containers sitting on the car and they are being arrested. However, the only reason they have are on the side of the road in the first place is because they caused a car accident or they've plowed through a fence or hit a tree. Our neighbors that lives on the corner only two houses down from us had some drunk plow through their fence only a week after they moved in (welcome to the neighborhood??).
The police dept. is lackluster. The only time they will enforce the law is if someone's life is in immediate danger (which apparently is on the increase). Otherwise, they turn their heads to "minor" criminal behavior.
In a nutshell, if you value your life and sanity, DO NOT MOVE TO INDEPENDENCE, MO. [read more...]
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| Decent quality of life - 7/25/2010
Independence, MO offers a decent quality of life to its residents. Having grown up here, I know quite a bit about what the city is really like. There are so many opportunities for entertainment, such as shopping, restaurants, movies, and recreational activities. Independence is the largest suburb of Kansas City, so there is always something going on. The crime rate isn't horrible in Independence and the climate is typical of the Midwest: hot summers and cold winters with mild autumns and springs. Independence has really nice neighborhoods, not so nice neighborhoods, and everything in between. The only complaint I have about living in this city are the schools. If you live in Independence, you are either in the Independence School District or the Fort Osage School District. While neither district is absolutely horrible, there are better places to send your kids. I went to school in the Independence School District and I graduated from high school feeling like I could have had a much higher quality education than I did. If you are looking to send your children to good schools but still want a good quality of living similar to Independence, look into Blue Springs (just east of Independence) or North Kansas City. [read more...]
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| best place - 2/21/2010
I moved here in 2006 and ever day i see newbuildings springing up..its a fast developing city.A ice hockey stadium was just finished,retired homes,pro bass,its a town becoming a city very fast!
Life is organized here.Clean streets,malls,flashy cars..i love this place.[read more...]
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| Cost of Living - 8/18/2009
The cost of living in Independence and the entire metro region of Kansas City is lower than almost anywhere else in the United States. Housing, food and fuel are cheaper by quite a bit. If you were to perform a comparison to another large mid-western city such as Minneapolis you will find the city approximately 25% less expensive! Of course there are drawbacks, the city and the entire area are really spread out geographically and the mass transit system is virtually non-existent so you must have a auto. Of course owning an auto means increased costs for insurance, maintenance, fuel, etc. Another issue at this time is the reduction in jobs due to the economy. Many have left here in search for something better which tells you that if people are moving from one of the cheaper cities to live in there must be a problem.[read more...]
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| Quality of life: not so great - 4/9/2008
I recently moved cross country after having lived in Independence for 20 years. This is a changing community. It is no longer the bedroom community many expect. Yes, crime is high. Meth and it's effects are omnipresent.
Over the past few years the new administration at the school district have become fixated on MAP scores. Most administrators and many teachers will gladly destroy children in pursuit of AYP. I had two SWAT team busts in my neighborhood there in the last year I lived there. If you have a choice, this is not the place to choose to live![read more...]
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| Independence - Pros/Cons - 2/16/2008
Pros:
1. Low cost of living and housing
2. Affordable place to live
3. Good school system
4. Plenty of jobs and things to do in nearby Kansas City
Cons:
1. High crime rate
2. Huge meth lab problem -- I hear that Independence is the "meth lab capital of the U.S."
3. Nearby Kansas City is a horrible place to live[read more...]
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| A city that I admire. - 4/24/2007
I have never been to Independance, Mo, but have always admired what I have read about. Have always wanted to settle there. I grew up in South Carolina, near Chareleston. Now live in Erlanger, Kentucky. Would move to Independance, but would mean divorcing my wife. Which may or may not be a bad thing. She can't seem to ween her children the youngest being age 34.[read more...]
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