As one of Kansas City’s oldest communities, Pendleton Heights is often referred to as Kansas City’s first suburb. The area was originally settled in the late 1880s by some of the city’s well-to-do and upwardly mobile families that wanted to escape the smoke and smells of the Quality Hill neighborhood just above the west bottoms and the Stockyards. The Pendleton Heights neighborhood is bounded west by The Paseo, Cliff Drive to the north, Chestnut Trafficway on the east, and Independence Boulevard on the south.

Pendleton Heights is home to Kansas City’s first boulevard, three city parks, one of only two nationally-listed urban Scenic Byways, and the largest collection of true Victorian-era homes in the city. Additionally, the entire neighborhood is listed as a National Register Historic District, ensuring the character and charm of the neighborhood is preserved for generations to come.

In 2013, that historic designation was one of the primary reasons This Old House magazine cited Pendleton Heights as one of their Best Old House Neighborhoods in the U.S. Pendleton Heights (PH) also boasts a community garden, two public orchards, and a privately owned pocket park that is maintained by neighbors for neighbors.

Development in PH is hot, both residentially as well as commercially. On the residential side, four new homes have just been completed on Olive Street, custom built to mimic the circa-1895 homes surrounding them. It should be noted that those new homes offer a ten-year property tax abatement- a desirable option these days here in Jackson County, MO. On the commercial side, two trendy coffee shops now call the Pendleton Heights neighborhood home. Additionally, a new concept food and entertainment venue called The Reservoir should be coming online later this year at Lexington and Park Avenues.

For those who enjoy outdoor recreation, two championship-level disc golf courses in Pendleton Heights wind their way through the hills and vales of Kessler Park near the old city reservoir just above the Cliff Drive Scenic Byway.

The neighborhood is home to a very active neighborhood organization that embraces diversity and is quickly becoming known as a burgeoning arts enclave. 

For more information on the Pendleton Heights neighborhood, visit their website at https://phkc.org or look for them on Facebook and Instagram.