The Marlboro area has gone through several transformations over the past 25 or 30 years, none of them good. Inhabited in large part, by lower middle income, blue collar whites, and low to mid level blue collar type criminals during the 70's and 80's, that followed by a slow but steady integration of African American blue collar types , along with street level young black dope slingers. Don't let anyone ever tell you that the proliferation of black criminals has caused Marlboro's decline, it was in the basement before the first thug ever rolled through on his dubs. Long before the first Fiddy wanna be cooked up a piece of crack, there was a long line of whiskey tango petty thieves and stringy haired dope dealers. While I'm at it, please if you are from Marlboro, please refrain from telling me how great the street you live on is. One or two blocks of yards that get mowed twice a month, doesn't make you Mission Hills. Your neighborhood as a whole, is a shit hole, but you knew that already.
Two of the city's most notorious Motels call Marlboro home. There has been more coke rocked up, and more clandestine meth labs in the 4 Acres Motel, than an Independence trailer park. The only reason the city hasn't condemned the joint is containment, keeps the riff raff from fanning out through the city.
So Marlboro, we have a history, I lived there for a couple of years, grew up west of there by a mile or two, knew a large number of nefarious characters from Marlboro. There really isn't anything special about the area. It's just another section of the city, that is largely ignored, save the occasional drug bust, lab fire or random murder. I think that is the most troublesome thing about Marlboro, and all of the other rundown areas in the city, there's nothing special about them.
I'll let you in on a little secret, this whole Urban Blight series has been the easiest thing I've ever done. I never had to drive far or look hard to find run down, ragged neighborhoods. I never really gave it much thought, but this city really is on the skids. Sure there are still nice areas in Kansas City proper, but for every good one, I can show you an equally piss poor one. And not for nothin, but the whole thing has been a little depressing. Driving around as much as I do, looking at all of this decay eating away at the city, all bullshit aside, it saddens me. I've said it before, I really love this city, my city, even though she ain't nearly as pretty as she once was.
This is my last Urban Blight post, at least for now. I have only skimmed the surface, and in the not too distant future, I'll be back with more. The thing is, I feel like I might be typecasting myself. Writing about prison, ragged neighborhoods, crime, all negative shit. So I'm going to brighten things up around here. I'm working on a series about garden gnomes , it should be a hoot.
Just kidding about the garden gnomes, I hate those fuckin things.
Thanks for going to these places so I don't have to.
ReplyDeleteWho can call himself or herself Mayor of a city and not be ashamed of this. Where is the accountability? I'm not just talking about Funk either. This didn't happen overnight. It happened because of decades of neglect, failure to enforce ordinances, failure to demand city service contractors do their job, failure to fight crime and so on.
ReplyDeleteThe citizens of Kc should DEMAND the next mayoral and city council candidates hold a press conference right in this neighborhood or one of the other ones you have shown and say, what are you going to do about this if elected?
But they won't. Instead they'll talk about bringing conventions to KC while a city rots.
The only place I know in Marlboro is Mama Tio's. They have a sancho/burrito thing called a Conquistador--it's to die for!
ReplyDeleteWhere the hell is this part of town?
ReplyDelete85th to about 79th , a little east of prospect to about holmes. imagine the waldo area, head east until it turns to shit.
ReplyDeleteheading that way today.
ReplyDeleteIf you were in my city, or I was the editor of the paper in your city instead of the paper in my city (you know what I mean) this would be a series in the newspaper.
ReplyDeleteYou have a gift, my friend. If my reporters would/could write like you, my life would be a shit load easier, and more interesting.
Thanks for doing these!
ReplyDeleteIts not just the pictures, but your knowledge and history that makes these posts worth reading. I can take a decent enough pic, but to know the area enough to speak about it, that is something only you can bring, and you do well.
It is a little bit of a bummer though, living in KC and seeing these crappy areas. Not being from here originally, I'm glad that I moved to the JOCO area...
Thanks to everyone. Glad you all liked it.
ReplyDeleteI think this series is poetic. There's a beauty in the homes just waiting to be rediscovered. I would hate to think that there were cheap condos going up in your city when these beauties are just waiting to be remodeled and brought back to life. The city should give tax credits to people who do so.
ReplyDeleteand I agree with Judy, this series should run in your local paper!
I read your blog regularly --- it truly is one of the best windows into the town I grew up in, miss, and wonder if I will ever make it back to.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I have to admit I had no idea how widespread the decay is getting in Kansas City. I hope you will continue to provide your current (and historical) KC perspectives and pics, from Midtown and all its surrounding parts.
Thanks for what you do to regularly share your experiences there.
Jake in Dallas
I lived in that apartment for about a year in the late 80's and grew up just around the corner. The neighborhood was pretty bad back then. It still seems bad today, but I am suprised how desolate the area is when I drove threw recently.
ReplyDeleteKansas City is my hometown, I love it. Sadly, I must agree with you. My grandparents used to live north of there in a large beautiful house. They were there from the 1940's through about 1971. Some of the reviewers commented on Mama Tios. This place is really dirty. Sketchy at best.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Marlboro and my whole life wanted out. 25 years after moving out drove down the street i grew up on and cried tears to see how horrible this neighborhood has fell. Yes it was a poor part of town in the 60 and 70's but it was clean and everyone knew everyone. The 80's was the start of the downfall..sad sad sad
ReplyDeleteThe Chevy Caprice in the photo below the one of the 4 Acre Motel is still there six years later. Same spot, same orientation, same distance from the stop sign. I drive by there twice a week and I swear that car has never once moved since that picture was taken.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Waldo and lived on the imaginary line between there and Marlboro for two decades.I Watched first hand as Waldo held it's own, while Marlboro is slowly being consumed by mother nature. If urban renewal doesn't kick in and stop the decay, Marlboro will become another park for the city to mow.
ReplyDeletei visit this page several times, i walk around marlborough quite a lot, to see a bit of americana gone, to mingle with some friendly blue collar types whites and blacks young n old,some are stand off-ish, and some of the po whites are insane in the membrane, theres still an amount of youth, but many a time its a ghost town, and run down to the hilt, hey rex i live on the border line near troost n 80th on the other side of troost, id like to shoot some shit via email if you ever check back on commentary, or anyone else want to shoot shit about old world kansas city and america for that matter, spiritsunlimited2k5@yahoo.com
ReplyDelete