The View From Twenty-one Stories - The Old Traders National Bank Building

 Thanks to the generosity of my friend Terry Herron who lives in the building, I was able to view inside the old Traders National Bank Building which was renovated into The Grand KC Apartments.  This is not sponsored, I receive no compensation, it's a view of a restoration and of KC from 21 stories up.  Above, T-Mobile Center in the middle, Jackson County Courthouse (red) on the left.  

          The building was constructed in 1962 and, in 2015, was converted into apartments and retail. 

                                              Highest swimming pool in Kansas City. 

                                                            Power and Light District

Bank vault door still intact and impressive.  Two shots below, inside the bank vault .. movie room. 

                                             Above and below resident common areas. 

                                      Above, hallway.  Two shots below, 21st Story Lounge Area

                                      Main lobby.  This is where the escalators used to be .

Nocturnal Downtown Walkabout - Volume One

I have begun exploring the city at night.  

                                              Garment District Park, 8th and Broadway.

                                                              423 West Eighth Street

                                              Eleventh Street looking toward Walnut. 

 

Downtown In Black And White - 2007

                      Took a photo-stroll through downtown right after completion of the Sprint Center. 

Kessler Park Rainy Day

From deep in the files.  2009.  A rainy day in Kessler Park... a field right next to the Kansas City Museum.  At that time the Parks Department was letting part of the field grow wild...which I liked and everyone else didn't.  :)  There was a beautiful red fox too, but he/she was faster afoot than I was with the shutter. 
 

Elmwood Cemetery Restoration Continues - Angeline McGee

Sometime, decades ago, the top of the tombstone for Angeline T. McGee was knocked off - likely by a tree limb.  It has lain on the ground ever since. Angeline was just 15 when she passed away in 1845. New management has vowed to restore Elmwood Cemetery, where the grave is located, and the process is seriously underway.   Above, Brad Finch of https://www.gravematterskc.com unloads scaffolding to start the repair.  

This area of Elmwood has a lot of folks for whom streets have been named.  Above is the Bales monument with the McGee plot in the background...these are next to the Holmes plots.  

                                     "Angeline T daughter of J.H. and E. A. McGee Sept 13 1845"

                              Above, Surprise Lillies around the Rick Family grave sight. Nothing to do with this post just thought they were pretty. 

Above, with the structure in place the stone needs to be manhandled into place next to the monument base. 

                                          Straps are attached and the lifting process begins. 

The stone is moved into place and lowered into position to see how it fits.  Considerable erosion of the two pieces has occurred over the years apart and that will be repaired with special limestone compound. 

                                Brad prepares the epoxy solution for application to the stone. 

                                               The epoxy is applied to the bottom stone.   

The stone is then lowered into place...back whole after decades.  Later the cracks will be filled and repaired and the monument cleaned.  

Below, this stone construct is right next to the repaired monument and, although it looks like it would hold the casket, it's just hollow. 

 

A Very Humid Sunset

Wednesday, July 2nd, the humidity reached 94% here in Kansas City.  That made for a very soft, diffused sunset.  This photo taken from Kessler Park next to the Kansas City Museum.