Kansas City Kitsch
Kansas City has some fantastic attractions: Union Station, the Plaza, the WWI Museum, the Negro League Museum, and professional sports. One fairly unknown attraction, however, is the First Friday’s Antique Show, which is open only on the first weekend of each month in the West Bottoms warehouse district. Thirteen large scale antique stores have set up shop in cavernous, defunct warehouses still proudly standing in turn of the century brick and timber, with many still sporting the faded, painted names of their former manufacturing lives.
It’s a marvelous way to spend a weekend morning. Skip breakfast and get down there early to find the bargains – besides, the stores offer free coffee, juice, and biscotti to jump start the shopping day and, later in the morning, cookies and popcorn. The event can handle a good crowd and still offer plenty of room to browse, and many of the shops will deliver bulkier items direct to your home. Don’t expect many amazing deals here, but do expect fair prices for the merchandise, because professionals run these shops, but they price their wares to move. No one leaves empty-handed, and with a little digging, anyone can walk away with some exciting scores for less than $50.
City Market is a five-minute drive away, and it offers a wide selection of quaint locales for a light lunch or a heaping plate of barbecue. On this particular visit, the choice was Cafe al Dente, a small Italian trattoria with simple fare. The house salad comes with sliced salami and home made dressing, and their own marinara sauce provides a bite to the pasta dishes. Mangiamo! Whether you are a local or planning a visit to Kansas City, think about the first weekend of the month to do a bit of antiquing.
berowne.com 
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