In The Heart of Brookside

Armour Hills is bounded on the west by Brookside Road, on the north by 65th Street, on the east by Oak Street and the south by Gregory Boulevard. The neighborhood includes 1,062 residential lots and 8 commercial lots. 

History

One of the most popular subdivisions in Brookside, Armour Hills gets it’s name from the fact that the land was once owned by the Armour family of Chicago meatpacking fame. J.C. Nichols purchased the land in 1922 and continued with construction for the next decade.

As you stroll through the neighborhood, you might notice that the homes in Armour Hills do not look similar to one another, yet there is some consistency and continuity. This is not an accident! When the area was planned, Nichols stipulated that the homes should be unique, single-family homes. The bungalow style and tudor style were very popular and there are numerous variations of these styles in the area. Nichols initially envisioned the neighborhood as a moderately priced subdivision for bungalows and small growing families.

Though he was a visionary in designing desirable and livable neighborhoods, there was a dark side that intentionally excluded people from benefiting from them. Nichols infamously created so-called “protected” neighborhoods with covenants that outlawed the selling of homes to black people, Jews and other oppressed groups.

As we contend with that past, Armour Hills strives to be a welcoming and inclusive neighborhood.

For more background on this history of J.C. Nichols and the communities he planned, check out the following books:

J.C. Nichols and the Shaping of Kansas City by William S. Worley

The Country Club District of Kansas City by LaDene Morton

Amenities

Arbor Villa Park is the neighborhood’s park. Through the work of the Homes Association, in partnership with Parks & Recreation and our City Council representatives, the park has seen continuous improvements. New playground equipment was installed recently and the park’s namesake arbor is undergoing full restoration.

More information about this and other area parks is available online here: KC Parks

The park’s neighborhood pool has been indefinitely closed by the Parks Department. Visit the Arbor Villa Pool page at KC Parks & Recreation for more details.

 

Area Business Districts

Armour Hills is a charming neighborhood nestled between a variety of bustling business districts. Brookside sits to the North and Waldo to the South, Southtown Council to the East and Ward Parkway Center to the West. Dining, entertainment, shopping, groceries, home services, auto services, personal services and more are all a pleasant walks or 5-minute drive away. Each of these business districts host their own annual events and ongoing sales. Get on their email lists or like their Facebook pages so you can stay in the know!