Historic Northeast

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, officially begins Nov. 1, but local Kansas City events kick off as early as Saturday, Oct. 19. The holiday is a chance for Kansas City's Latino community to gather and honor deceased loved ones.

Illustration students from the Kansas City Art Institute are inviting artists of all ages to help them complete colorful murals that are turning a neglected alleyway into a communal space for neighbors to gather.

Venus flytraps, purple monsters and giant hippos torment trucks in a new set of murals that have taken shape on Kansas City's most infamous span.

Advocates say that Kansas City won't be able to end chronic homelessness without a low-barrier shelter — a place without religious teachings, that doesn’t require guests first to take job training or get sober. But after pushback from the neighborhood, Kansas City Council is starting from square one.

A new warning system may have forced a diet on Northeast Kansas City's most infamous bridge, but it hasn't stopped Thomas Gieseke's imagination from transforming the structure into a thing of whimsy and terror.

Kansas City, Missouri, has a plan to allocate federal funds to expand an existing shelter and turn it into the city’s only 24/7, low-barrier homeless shelter. Some residents of the Historic Northeast, where the shelter is located, say they were left out of the decision-making process.

Artist Fernando Achucarro paints late into the night in his home studio on Independence Avenue. The dark and moody images he conjures often rely on the glow of streetlights, candles and dimly-lit lamps. Many were inspired by the loss and trauma of life.

The halal eatery, opened in 2018, features African and Mediterranean fare, and is a favorite to locals in search of a warm, filing meal. Hatimi says he uses traditional cooking methods.

On Independence Avenue in the Historic Northeast, adventurous diners don’t have to leave Kansas City to get a taste of the world. Sip chai at Soma Cafe, taste dumplings at Afghan Market, and don’t forget to grab a Mexican pastry or tamale at Elvira’s Pasteleria y Panaderia.

The annual displays in the Kansas City area pays tribute to victims of gun violence, suicide and overdoses in the Latino community. Victims from both sides of the state line will be represented.

A 45-foot hackberry tree crushed Rebecca Koop's outdoor kiln and left her without power for the foreseeable future. With no way to fire ceramics, Koop's community classes will stop, as will her primary source of income.

Refugees often struggle to get to jobs, school or the store without adequate transportation. But getting a driver’s license in Kansas City is hard enough without the added barriers of a new language and culture. That's where Justin Bilombele comes in.