I live on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City (but have now moved to Columbia) -- commonly known simply as "The Plaza". It is a neighborhood built in the 1920's and is often referred to as the first shopping center. It is a great place to live if you like to walk around -- I frequently go days without starting my car -- and is thought of by many (me included) as the premiere shopping district in the Midwest.

It is about four blocks by three blocks of upscale shops, restaurants and bars. A map of the area can be found here. The Plaza website gives a nice outline of the beauty, history and, yes, commerce of the area.

Several years ago, I spent an afternoon taking pictures one clear spring day at the end of March, just before Easter. These pictures don't really do justice to the architecture of the area or the beauty of the many statues and fountains, but maybe they will provide a small glimpse of what the Plaza is like.

It's a great place to live.