There is no doubt that the Crossroads Art District is the “hippest” place to eat, live, and work in Kansas City. A hub for creativity is the main draw to the neighborhood, the area is attracting architecture, engineering, and design firms, boasting over 70 art galleries, best KC original restaurants, and has some of the swankiest lofts in town.

Most of this gentrification is coming off of Southwest blvd and Main street and branching out from there, with no where to grow after I-35 it seems destined that the Crossroads will expand east.

Its hard to define where east crossroads officially begins. I’d argue it is somewhere between Grand and Oak and ends at US-71.

Matt Abbott appears to be leading the charge further into the east after acquiring a whopping 15 separate buildings in the area. The KC biz journal recently referred to Matt as ‘The Donald Trump of Kansas City’. Seems like a good bet considering the Crossroads made the list of the 2015 Great Places in America.

The newest members to enter the east bottoms include Screenland Crossroads, a boutique movie theater with the Tapcade bar, restaurant and arcade, as well as the Border Brewing Co., a locally owned craft brewery. 

Other new venues now open or coming soon include coffee shops, a cafe and bakery, a contemporary southeast Asian restaurant, an organic grocery, a hair salon, a small-venue wedding chapel, restaurants and churches. –KCstar.

The most exciting part about the new business in the east crossroads area is that these are young entrepreneurs, rather than your typical franchised shop.