The Story Behind Naming a Restaurant “Sambo’s”
The curiousKC team explores the history behind the naming of the Sambo’s restaurant chain, which once had more than 1,100 locations across the country.
Downtown Marriott Upgrades Rooms, Adds Tech Features
By Kevin Collison The Kansas City Marriott Downtown has completed a $44 million upgrade of its 970 guest rooms, preparing for the new competition and opportunity checking in next year when the Loews convention hotel opens. Cynthia Savage, vice president of the Raphael Hotel Group, operator of the Marriott Downtown, believes downtown is well poised…
Troostapalooza Street Fair Celebrates Unity and Creativity on Troost
By Kevin Collison The second annual Troostapalooza, a street festival celebrating “makers” of all kinds and encouraging community spirit along Kansas City’s historic racial divide, is happening tomorrow (Saturday) at 30th and Troost from noon until 7 p.m. The event is a benefit for the Troost Market Collective, an organization aimed at promoting artists, crafts…
Prime Time for Pickleball in Kansas City
Dubbed “the fastest growing sport in America” by the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA), Pickleball has come a long way since it was invented on a Saturday afternoon in Washington state back in 1965. It’s booming in Kansas City.
Vietnam Cafe Adds International Flavor To West 39th Street
Authentic coffee from the home country is one specialty at Vietnam Cafe. Be careful. One visit might just turn you into a regular.
Tivoli Cinemas Coming Back at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Tivoli Cinemas is returning in October as a new curated film program at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City
Divided City Council Delays Vote on $133M Strata Office Plan
By Kevin Collison Updated Sept. 19: The City Council voted 6-5 Thursday to give the developers of the proposed 25-story Strata office tower another week to return with a plan that substantially reduces or eliminates the city’s credit risk. While several Council members, including Mayor Quinton Lucas and Councilwoman Kathryn Shields, wanted to kill the…
Weekend Possibilities | Plaza Art Fair, Troostapalooza And Chiefs Watch Parties
Kansas City’s penultimate weekend in September has a lot to offer, from the Plaza Art Fair to Chiefs watch parties and beyond.
‘Lest We Forget’ Holocaust Exhibit Opens Friday at World War I Museum
“Lest We Forget,” a traveling Holocaust exhibition that opened in Germany in 2015, is arriving at the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City this week.
‘Lest We Forget’ Holocaust Exhibit Now at World War I Museum
By Kevin Collison “Lest We Forget,” a traveling Holocaust exhibition that opened in Germany in 2015,has arrived at the National World War I Museum and Memorial at a time anti-Semitism is increasing in the U.S. and white nationalists are fanning intolerance. The outdoor exhibition features 70 large portraits of Holocaust survivors, including seven living in…
“American Graduate: Getting to Work” Talks to Communities Seeking Firefighters
The “American Graduate: Getting to Work” series explores the growing need for firefighters, either as a volunteer or as a full-time career.
In Full Bloom
CuriousKC questioner Sarah Hemme wanted to know which organizations were doing the best job of conserving and preserving green space in the Kansas City area. Once we started out, the trail was anything but cold. There’s a lot work occurring in places like KCMO and Johnson County, Kan.
The Story Behind Thomas Hart Benton’s “The Sources of Country Music”
Ken Burns’ new “Country Music” documentary, now airing on KCPT, prominently features famed Kansas City artist Thomas Hart Benton’s “The Sources of Country Music.” Here’s the story behind the creation of the work, which is at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.
Artist Angel Otero Shares His ‘Diario’ at Kemper Museum
Puerto Rican artist Angel Otero’s latest work, now on display at the Kemper Museum in Kansas City, is largely inspired by his grandmother and antiques.
Historic Board of Ed Building Sold to Copaken Brooks, Demolition Likely
By Kevin Collison The former Board of Education building at 1211 McGee has been sold by the school district to downtown real estate powerhouse Copaken Brooks in a transaction that closed last week. Jon Copaken, principal of the firm, said that while there are no immediate development plans for the 2.5-acre site next door to…














