Buckner

Known as the “Little Village in the Valley,” Buckner offers small-town living tucked on the outskirts of the Kansas City metropolitan area. History is woven through the whole city, from its past as a railroad depot and starting location for travelers on the Sante Fe Trail to the decades-old homes that line its streets. Buckner is on the eastern border of Independence and shares the neighboring city’s accessibility for homebuyers. “People want to come to Kansas City, but Independence is a bit less expensive in terms of taxes and also the size of house you can get for the price,” says Jim Godwin, a Realtor with Executive Asset Realty with 19 years of experience selling real estate in the Kansas City metro area.

Buckner is the place to be for anyone looking to live inside a piece of history. Neighborhoods are filled with ranch-style and split-level properties that were built in the 1960s and 1970s, bungalows dating back to the 1930s and 1940s and the occasional A-frame from the late 19th century. Each home has its own unique character, with exteriors adorned with colorful paint and details like circular windows. While more recently built neighborhoods have sidewalks shaded by oak trees, most historical homes have yards that lead right into the road. A historic Buckner home with 2 bedrooms usually starts around $150,000, and a 4-bedroom property can get up to $250,000. “People can get in and get a relatively inexpensive mortgage compared to other areas in the metro,” Godwin says. “People want specific bedroom and bath count, but it’s unaffordable for them elsewhere, so we end up in the Independence area because of the affordability level.” Several residences go on the market every month and houses can take anywhere from a week to 30 days to sell.

Buckner families can send their kids to the Fort Osage School District. Children may start at Buckner Elementary School, which Niche scores a B, before moving on to Osage Trail Middle School and Fort Osage High School, which both earn a B-minus on Niche. Fort Osage is part of the A+ Program, which assists qualifying students with tuition at local community colleges and technical schools.

Heisler-Burns Park is the community’s main recreation space and was built alongside a residential neighborhood on Park Avenue. The park hosts seasonal events like a summer fireworks festival and a fall parade, and locals visit year-round to admire the Heisler-Burns maple trees and have picnics under the covered pavilion. For ball players, Buckner Softball Fields is less than a mile away and has baseball and softball fields and volleyball courts. When October rolls around, the woods just off U.S. Route 24 transform into the Dark Nightmares Haunted Forest, a 1-mile trail filled with Halloween frights.

East Monroe Street is a one-stop destination for an array of local restaurants, like Misty’s, an old-fashioned American diner. It’s so old-fashioned that servers cannot take credit cards, so visitors should grab some cash before ordering an omelet or stack of pancakes. Just down the block, Walsh’s Tavern is the perfect spot to watch a Chiefs game alongside a beer and a platter of comfort food like chicken fried steak or pork tenderloin.

Chain grocery stores are a far drive from Buckner, so the community is served by locally-owned supermarkets. Residents shop at Buckner Thriftway and Apple Market, both located on East Monroe Street, for fresh produce, bakery treats and household supplies. Retail shopping requires a drive into neighboring Independence, which has multiple shopping malls, including Independence Center.

It is difficult to find reliable public transportation in Buckner, so many locals prefer to drive. Highway 24 cuts directly through the town and offers the easiest route to two nearby cities. The drive to Independence is 14 miles, while it takes 27 miles to reach the sights of Kansas City.

Written By

Delaney Murray

Photography Contributed By

Dennis Gray

Video By

Alexander Wong