So many urban teens, so few entertainment districts…
With Westport engaged in a turf war to keep underage urban youth of a certain persuasion at bay, inquiring minds want to know how’s the situation on the Country Club Plaza progressing?
“The Plaza seems to be doing okay crime-wise but it’s run all the business off,” says a source familiar with both the Plaza and Westport kid kerfuffles. “The Plaza’s probably the safest place in town. It’s made a definite statement that it’s not messing around.”
So none of the so-called “flash mob” rioting then?
“There may be a skirmish or something,” the source continues. “But if it comes up it’s squashed within milliseconds. And they get the cream of the crop of off-duty Kansas City Police, too.”
As for the use of the word “urban” to describe the large crowds of African American youth that descend on the Plaza and Westport every summer, think of it as a pop culture contrivance.
The Urban Dictionary defines “urban” as follows:
“Urban means relating to or concerned with a city or densely populated area, The term is exploited by corporations such as MTV to refer to black music/culture, without mentioning race.”
Or better yet…
“1. marketing term used to hide the fact they are focusing on a racial group
2. black people or other minority”
And of course…
“3) Associated with African-American or Hip-Hop culture.”
I was at the Granfalloon from 11-1:00 pm. Saturday night. It was quite slow as was the rest of the Plaza. I go out way less than I used to and haven’t been into the Falloon in years so I don’t know what the crowd has been like lately but when I used to frequent the place it was always packed. I was in Westport before that and it was packed and a good time.
I hadn’t been to The Plaza in years. Father’s Day Sunday was a beautiful day so we decided to go for a late lunch. We expected to wait for a patio table and were surprised to find every establishment with outdoor seating was less than half full. I’m not saying that has anything to do with urban kids but the city’s dining habits have certainly changed.
GF is more of a happy hour type of place now. It hasnt really hopped for years and that upstairs looks like it could give you VD.
Whats up with a 12 year old kid out at 2am, getting hit by a car on 71 hiway?
Young scholar.
If police don’t keep the young black thugs out of the Plaza it’s the end of the Plaza.
My best advise to KCMO police is to bus them to Johnson County.
The Plaza is done. Unless urban shopping areas learn how to enforce a behavioral code they will continue to die out. People want to associate and relax in places where others around them share their norms and values. No one, of any race, creed, or color, wants to drop $200 on a dinner somewhere where they’re jostled about by thugs and where a bunch of obnoxious punks roam around.
If we as a society do not have the will to enforce proper behavioral norms relevant to the other activities that are going on at that location they will cease to exist and will sink to the level of the behavior that’s tolerated.
Answer: Precrime Unit headed up by John Anderton and a few wily precogs.