Venture through Strawberry Hill: Books, burritos, skyline views & a small-town feel

Known for its rolling hills and skyhigh steeples, Strawberry Hill is kind of like a hidden treasure tucked away in downtown Kansas City, Kansas.

What stands out the most for year-long resident and business owner Shaun Crowley is the community.

“My favorite thing about Strawberry Hill is probably the fact that I know all my neighbors by name,” said Crowley, founder of non-profit bar, music label and record store Manor Records, which sits at 401 N. 6th St. in Kansas City, Kansas.

“It’s like [a] small town within this community. We all kind of like to look out for each other,” Crowley said of the neighborhood.

Strawberry Hill was founded in the early 1900s, when central and eastern European immigrants settled in the area, when a major flood forced residents to build their homes on the hill.

Immigrants from Germany and Ireland and Slavic countries including Croatia, Serbia, Russia and Poland, made the area home. Each ethnic group installed their own churches in the neighborhood, many of which are still there today.

“Every other block there’s another church that kind of represents another ethnic community,” said Strawberry Hill Museum guide and former Strawberry Hill resident Bernadette Soptick.

“All of those people kind of settled around each other, or they had a common language or way of life. So they eventually built their churches,” Soptick said.

Although the churches and homes built by those early immigrants are still scattered throughout Strawberry Hill, the neighborhood has seen a new wave of communities leaving their own mark on the hill.

Today, there is a rich and vibrant Latino community in Strawberry Hill, and a slew of Latino-owned restaurants and other businesses. There are also new, innovative and community oriented businesses on the hill, working to keep people connected and give back to the neighborhood they call home.

In addition to Crowley’s multi-hyphenate record store, which opened this spring, there is Kinship Cafe, which serves up specialty coffee and promotes equality for all, and Flagship Books, a neighborhood book store keeping Strawberry Hill well read.

“[It] feels like they have been here forever,” Crowley said of the new businesses that have come to the community. “They fit really well for the neighborhood.”

If you find yourself on the hill, here’s what residents told us to check out.

Must eat or drink:

If you’re looking for a drink, you should stop by The Mockingbird Lounge or The Easy Inn. If you need food, make sure to stop by Tarahumara Mexican at 501 6th St. Crowley suggests the breakfast burritos or the tostadas.

Kansas City, Kansas recently launched its own taco trail, which includes a number of restaurants and taquerias in the area.

Kinship Cafe is also a must try if you are looking for an inclusive coffee shop to work or relax in.

Must do:

If you’re looking for something to do, Downtown KCK hosts regular ArtWalks every third Friday of the month. During these events, you can catch vendors, live music, art exhibitions and more at participating businesses throughout Strawberry Hill.

This year was Manor Records first year participating in the ArtWalk, and Crowley said it’s been a great way to get acclimated to the community.

“It’s been nice to add the live music aspect of it, the performing arts aspect, because it’s a very visual arts heavy event so that’s kind of fun too,” he said.

Iconic neighborhood thing:

The views!

“The steeples are really just like an iconic viewpoint,” Crowley said. Another iconic view includes the view from St. John’s Park, which overlooks Kansas City’s skyline.

How to get involved:

The Strawberry Hill Museum is one way to get involved, according to Soptick. “We always want volunteers for the museum,” she said.

In November, the museum will open its Olde World Christmas exhibit, which will run from Nov. 5 until Jan. 15. The exhibit will feature cultures represented in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood and highlight each culture’s Christmas traditions.

Soptick said the museum is always in need of people willing to pack and unpack exhibits and work as tour guides.

If you are into music or want to grow as a musician, Manor Records has guitar, bass and piano lessons available. Strawberry Hill residents get a discounted rate if they show a piece of mail. To learn more email manorrecordskcmo@gmail.com.

Crowley also suggests that people check out the Strawberry Hill neighborhood Facebook page to stay up to date on everything that goes on in the neighborhood.

History tidbit:

Strawberry Hill was named after the wild strawberries that used to mark the neighborhood. There aren’t really any strawberries growing publicly, but Soptick said some neighbors still have strawberries that grow wild in their backyards.

“It’s a big bluff on Fourth Street and Barnett [Avenue] and that was covered with wild strawberries. And that’s why they just deemed it Strawberry Hill,” Soptick said.