In 1912, the noted Kansas City developer and urban planner Jesse Clyde Nichols set out to create a new luxury community on the Kansas side of the Missouri/Kansas state line. The goal, he said, was to "make Mission Hills the most distinguished of American garden suburbs."
The result was one of the most beautiful and affluent communities in the country. It is a place, according to the city Website, that calls wandering residents home: "Once you've lived here, few places compare."
The natural beauty - woods and hills, valleys and streams - was there when Nichols arrived with his ideas. With careful planning, high standard and ongoing enhancements, Nichols and the homeowners and governing bodies who followed him turned these 2.1 square miles into an admired and oft-emulated garden community of gracious homes built on sweeping green lawns along winding, tree-shaded streets.
Three golf courses wrap around the city. Scattered through neighborhoods where some of Kansas City's most prominent families live are statuary and fountains that have become area landmarks. Many of these outdoor art works were imported from Italy; others were copied from museum pieces. They are sited on corners and islands around the community. In all, 57 "parklets" and islands occupy 7.4 acres strewn through the city.
Through the years, Mission Hills' desirability as an address has not dimmed. Several of its older homes have been updated, expanded and, sometimes, replaced with new mansions. Residents gather for events such as a street fair in June, the Verona Columns concerts in the fall and a holiday lighting ceremony in November. A recent addition to the city is its first children's playground, built on the grounds of City Hall.
Located just minutes from the Country Club Plaza and next door to Kansas City's swank Ward Parkway mansions, Mission Hills offers its residents a luxury lifestyle near shopping, entertainment and fine dining.
