Numbers listed are identified on the map at the bottom of the page
1. 1615 E. 18th – American Jazz Museum: The museum celebrates the artistic, historic, and cultural contributions of jazz with interactive exhibits and educational programs while housing 100+ artifacts from jazz legends like Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Ella Fitzgerald. With a hoped for future department of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum from their shared space, the jazz museum could look to expand.
2. 1832 Paseo – Negro Leagues Baseball Museum: The museum hopes to build a inew $25 million campus, a 30,000 sq. ft. facility adjacent to the Buck O’Neil Education and Research Center at the historic Paseo YMCA. The new campus will allow the NLBM to expand programming, create dynamic interactive displays, house a gallery to showcase new exhibitions and house more visitors comfortably. The NLBM is still seeking donations to reach its $25 million goal.
3. 1600 E. 18th – The Blue Room: Connected to the American Jazz Museum, The Blue Room is a living homage to KC’s golden jazz era. The Blue Room name comes from the legendary jazz venue that was housed steps away inside the now-razed Street Hotel. The modern-day Blue Room hosts nightly live performances, including the ever-popular Monday night jam session. The venue is a thriving jazz club, as evidenced by DownBeat magazine listing The Blue Room as one of the top 100 jazz clubs in the world.
4. 1512 E. 18th – Soiree: Black-owned steak and oyster house with a Louisiana flair. Known also for their world-class jazz and craft cocktails.
SEE RELATED STORY: The Vine Street South Corridor: Just What the Jazz District Needs
5. 1700 E 18th – KC Juke House: An area favorite watering hole, KC Juke House features a soul-food bar menu in a laid-back atmosphere. There are nightly performances of live jazz & blues as well as open mic and karaoke nights.
6. 1714 E. 18th – KC Friends of Alvin Ailey: The nonprofit named for the famous dance leader, KCFAA, is the second home of the Ailey Dance Company. The group features performances, dance classes, and an annual youth summer camp.
7. 1601-1747 Woodland Ave – Parade Park Homes: One of the country’s oldest Black-owned housing cooperatives, Parade Park Homes, with its 510 units, was founded in 1963. As a cooperative, all the residents are part owners of a nonprofit that owns the townhome community. Neglect and mismanagement have led HUD to take over the property, which was built as a way for the Black community to build wealth and have affordable housing. Parade Park Homes is currently less than 50% occupied and is facing foreclosure and an uncertain future.
8. 1727 Brooklyn Ave – Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque: One of the original BBQ legends, Arthur Bryant’s can trace its roots to Henry Perry’s BBQ stand on 19th Street. The current location has stood for nearly 75 years and has seen three U.S. presidents dine at the grease house that popularized burnt ends.
9. 1722 E. 17th Ter. – Black Archives of Mid-America: A museum and research center dedicated to preserving and promoting midwestern Black history and culture. Founded in 1974, the Black Archives offer permanent & rotating exhibits, public lectures & events, and educational programs. Their collection includes over 30K books, 10K photos, 1,000 oral histories, and many other artifacts, including recordings, newspapers, and magazines.
10. 1600 E. 17th Ter. – Gregg-Klice Community Center: The community center has provided recreational options to the surrounding community since 1955, when it was named the Gregg Center. In 1996, that building was torn down, and the current Gregg-Klice community center was built to honor the legacy of activists John H. Gregg and Arrington “Bubble” Klice. Today, the center houses an indoor pool, exercise equipment, computer rooms, classes, kitchen rentals, and basketball courts.
11.1622 E. 17th – Urban Youth Academy: In partnership with the Royals, the $20M Urban Youth Academy is a baseball and softball training facility that aims to provide inner-city youth with access to quality coaching and facilities to develop their skills in these sports.
12. 1601-1607 E. 18th – Lincoln Building: Built in 1921, and purchased and restored in 1979, the three-story building once housed Thurgood Marshall’s office, the Kansas City Monarchs offices, and a slew of Black businesses as well as dance halls on the second and third floors. Today, the building is home to several community businesses with first floor service and retail businesses.
13. 1615 E. 18th – Gem Theater: Built in 1912 as the Star Theater, the building was originally a silent movie palace for the area’s Black population. Changing its name a year later, the Gem was still a movie theater until 1960, when it began to fall into disrepair. In the 1980s, Mayor Richard Berkley and then-councilman Emanuel Cleaver II spearheaded an 18th & Vine revitalization effort starting with the Gem. Now fully restored, the 500-seat venue hosts performing arts, film, and community events.
14. 1701 E. 18th – Boone Theater: Named for ragtime musician John William “Blind” Boone, the Boone Theater has stood since 1924 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Vine St. Collaborative is undertaking the multi-million-dollar renovation project with plans for a mixed-use building. They envision housing the Black Movie Hall of Fame as well as the Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City. Plans are in the works for a small outdoor park, art gallery, and restaurant where visitors can take in dinner and a show.
15. 1715 E. 18th – The Call Building: Built in 1922, The Call Building was the home of the then 3-year-old Kansas City Call. With the building in need of considerable repair, the newspaper staff recently moved out of the building to an office further west on 18th Street.
16. 1851 Paseo – Jazz District Apartments: Market-rate apartments and townhomes that start at $1,109 a month for a one-bedroom. The property features one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments and two- or three-bedroom townhouses.
17. 1825 Vine – Zodiac Motorcycle Club: The oldest Black motorcycle club in KC, the Zodiacs are a service-oriented organization focused on peace and rider education for the past 50 years.
18. 1827 Vine – Smaxx Restaurant / The Velvet Freeze Daiquiris: Smaxx is an affordable comfort food dining option that has specials like wings on Wednesday and soul food on Sunday with oxtails and greens. Sharing the same building, Velvet Freeze has a rotating list of flavors and combinations of daiquiris.
19. 1823 Highland Ave – Mutual Musicians Foundation: A national historic landmark and sacred ground for jazz enthusiasts worldwide, the Mutual Musicians Foundation has been hosting late-night jam sessions since 1930. Originally the union hall for the “colored musicians union” Local 627, the foundation has seen nearly every jazz legend come through its doors. The tradition for musicians to play jam sessions at the foundation that went into the early mornings on Friday and Saturday nights continues, with the MMF the only place in the state of Missouri allowed to serve alcohol until 6 a.m.
20. 1821 Highland – Highland Place: The apartments at Highland Place are comprised of six historic houses and the converted Rochester Hotel, all of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The apartments were renovated in 2012 and now are income-restricted studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments that range from $647/month to $943/month.
21. 1820 Woodland – Centennial Villa: An independent senior living facility for those 62 and over. The senior living community offers classes and activities, and one-bedroom apartments start at $624/month.
22. 1801 E 18th – Zhou B Art Center: The building was the Crispus Attucks School, an elementary school for Black students, before being shuttered decades ago. The building, which is on the historic register, is undergoing a nearly $30M renovation and will start its second life as an arts and events center when it opens in early 2024. SEE STORY ABOUT ZHOU B ART CENTER PAGE 19
23. 1901 Vine – One Nine Vine: The first phase of the $68M project is just about to open its doors and is accepting tenant applications now. The six-story mixed-use building will have 17,000 sq. ft. of retail space on the first floor and 80 apartments above. The majority of the apartments will be market rate — starting at $1100/month — and 14 apartments that meet the city’s affordable housing rate. See more about phase 2 and 3 from this developer in What’s Coming.”
24. 1940 Woodland – Basie Court Apartments: With 88 apartments two stories high, Basie Court Apartments is one of the largest affordable housing developments in the area. The income-restricted apartments, built in 1994, come in one, two, or three bedrooms with some utilities included.
25. 2000 Vine St. – The Spot / Vine Street Brewing: The newly renovated and resurrected building houses Kansas City and Missouri’s only Black-owned brewery in Vine Street Brewing. Sharing the space is The Spot by Chef Shanita McAffee-Bryant’s nonprofit, The Prospect. The Spot is a cafe and fresh grocery staffed by those in Chef Shanita’s job-training program. The north of these two buildings includes office and events space.
26. Vine Street Castle: Built out of limestone in 1897, the castle-looking building was originally a public workhouse or debtor’s jail. The building has been repurposed time and again, serving as city storage, a marine training facility, and a dog euthanization center before being abandoned in 1972. The building sat vacant until 2014, when Daniel Edwards and Ebony Burnside cleaned out the space in exchange for hosting their wedding there. The building is currently owned by Vewiser Dixon. See more in What’s coming and The Vine Street Corridor Story.
27. 2033 Vine – Fire Station No.11: The all-Black fire station No.11 was first formed in 1890 and got a new home in this Works Progress Administration limestone building in 1931. The fire department was consolidated in 1977, and the first Black Archives moved into the building, before moving to their current location in 2006. The building is currently owned by Pat Jordan, who recently announced plans to use the space for youth programming around STEM including the arts.
28. 2101 Vine – Vine Street Lofts: Vine Street Lofts offers 62 lofts over four stories. The one and two-bedroom lofts are 795 to 933 sq. ft. and rent for $851 to $1600 a month. The building has a fitness center, vaulted ceilings, and secure parking.
29. 2111 Woodland Ave – Lincoln College Preparatory Academy: Founded during the Civil War, Lincoln Prep was the only school offering secondary education to Black students. Lincoln Prep was integrated in 1978, offers a college preparatory curriculum and is ranked as the best public high school in the KC area, according to U.S. News and World Report.
30. 22nd & Brooklyn – Monarch Manor Subdivision: Built on the site of the former Municipal Stadium is a well-maintained subdivision of fairly new single family homes with a few vacant lots still left for building. The subdivision also features the Monarch Plaza historical marker and park that pays homage to the location’s past.
31. 2433 Vine – Wendell Phillips School: Wendell Phillips School closed in 2019 and was sold by KCPS last February to Urban Neighborhood Initiative. Learn more about their plans in What’s Coming. 32. 1911 E. 23rd – KVC Niles: Originally opened in 883 as a home for orphaned and homeless children, today Niles provides intensive psychiatric residential treatment services to kids aged 6-17, as well as family counseling, foster and adoption assistance, child abuse prevention services, and an array of child-centric behavioral health services.
