Troost Avenue

Installed inside gas stations, liquor stores and smoke shops, cryptocurrency kiosks tend to be placed in Kansas City neighborhoods with larger numbers of Black and Latino residents. Critics say they're a targeted attempt to exploit financially vulnerable people with steep fees for a volatile product.

About 300,000 complaints have been filed with the Kansas City 311 hotline since March 2021 — spanning issues like trash, street maintenance and property violations. The KC Media Collective analyzed the problems, where they are and how long they take to be fixed.

Troost Avenue is known as Kansas City’s dividing line, long associated with the city’s history of racial segregation and slavery. But as new residents move in and more businesses open, the community balances optimism and fear of gentrification.

Leah Rothestein, co-author of "Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law," examines ways in which local governments can take steps to remedy socioeconomic issues that are the result of racist policies.

Last year, Ruby Jean's Juicery owner Chris Goode began his push to change Troost Avenue, named after a slaveholder, to Truth Avenue. Now, the Kansas City Council is taking steps toward making the name change a reality.

With bills limiting gender-affirming care and trans sports participation on their way to Gov. Mike Parson, some transgender Missourians are packing up and moving to other states. Plus: How an unlikely feathered friend changed one Kansas City homeless man's life.

When Dave Hughes lost his job and his place to live, he found a measure of refuge living under a bridge on Brush Creek in the middle of Kansas City. Then an ostracized duck gave him a new lease on life.

Located on Troost Avenue inside of Ubuntu Village, Equal Minded Café recently received a $30,000 grant from Kansas City G.I.F.T. to help them expand their operations and host more events. Owner Dontavious Young says they've continued to grow mostly through word of mouth — especially about their chai.

Deep Rooted was launched by Donnell Jamison in 2018 out of the trunk of his car, but is now expanding to a new home in the shopping center at Troost Avenue and Emanuel Cleaver Boulevard. They plan to host a grand opening in April.

Kansas City G.I.F.T provides grants to Black-owned businesses in the community. Last year, they presented $460,000 to 21 different Black-owned businesses, including Blueprint KC, The Next Paige Talent Management and Production, and Equal Minded Café.

The food at Love is Key comes from family recipes handed down three generations, but Tameisha Martin hopes her business can have a deeper impact.

With Troostapalooza kicking off this weekend, critics share some of the best options for dining along this historic Kansas City avenue.