Rebekah Bloom Kansas City Real Estate Advisor

10/29/2026

Before Boss Tom ruled Kansas City, there was a political war brewing in the West Bottoms.

It’s 1900, and two men want control of Kansas City.

Neither is interested in sharing.

On one side, Big Jim Pendergast, the saloonkeeper turned political boss.

On the other, Joe Shannon, a rival Democratic boss with his own loyal following.

Their political factions?

THE GOATS vs. THE RABBITS.

Ridiculous names. Ruthless politics.

Rumor has it the Goats got their name from the animals kept by Irish families along the bluffs. The Rabbits? One story claims Jim’s supporters joked that Shannon’s men would be left outside eating snow like rabbits after losing an election.

But this wasn’t some friendly neighborhood rivalry.

This was about jobs, votes, favors, and who controlled Kansas City.

Need coal to heat your home? Jim might help.

Looking for work? Jim knew somebody.

Need a city job? You’d better know the right people.

And when election day rolled around, those favors weren’t forgotten.

Here’s where things get interesting.

By 1900, the rivalry had become so bitter that the Democrats risked losing elections to Republicans.

So the two factions struck a deal.

FIFTY-FIFTY.

They agreed to split political patronage jobs between them.

Imagine that. Two rival political bosses sitting down to divide the spoils of power.

And watching it all unfold?

Jim’s younger brother, Tom Pendergast.

Watching. Learning. Making connections.

Big Jim was building a political machine.

Little brother Tom was learning how to build an empire.

And eventually, that empire would help turn Kansas City into a playground of gambling, bootlegging, prostitution, and political corruption.

But we’re not there quite yet.

10/29/2026

Jim arrived from St. Joseph with no fortune and went to work in an iron foundry.

But swinging iron wasn’t going to be his future.

Now, rumor has it Jim made his first real money betting on a racehorse named Climax. The horse supposedly won, Jim collected his winnings, and a saloon followed.

Whether that horse really launched his fortune is still debated. But one thing is certain: Jim understood that in Kansas City, a saloon could be worth a whole lot more than the wh***ey it sold.

By the 1880s, he was running businesses in the West Bottoms.

Need your paycheck cashed? See Jim.

Need coal to heat your house? See Jim.

Need a job? A favor? Maybe a little help when the law came knocking?

You knew where to go.

And when election day rolled around, Jim knew exactly who owed him a favor.

By 1892, he’d become an alderman representing Kansas City’s rough-and-tumble First Ward.

Then, in 1894, his 22-year-old little brother arrived from St. Joe.

Thomas Joseph Pendergast.

Tom started learning the family business—keeping books, working around the saloon, and watching his older brother turn neighborhood loyalty into political power.

The brothers were building something much bigger than a bar business.

And here’s where things get interesting.

Kansas City’s Democratic Party was splitting into rival camps with two rather ridiculous names:

🐐 THE GOATS — Jim Pendergast’s faction.

🐇 THE RABBITS — Led by rival political boss Joe Shannon.

Don’t let the cute names fool you.

These men were fighting for jobs, votes, influence, and ultimately control of Kansas City.

And young Tom was paying very close attention.

Because before long, the little brother from St. Joe would become the man who could influence who got elected, who got a city contract, and whose questionable business was allowed to keep operating.

But that’s tomorrow’s story.

Welcome to the beginning of Tom’s Town.

And trust me, Kansas City was just getting warmed up.

10/27/2026

10/27/2026

Everybody knows Brookside and Prairie Village—and what it costs to buy in KC’s most sought-after neighborhoods.

But there are still places with historic homes, mature trees, incredible character, and easy access to downtown—without the same price tag.

Here are three I’d be watching:

🍓 STRAWBERRY HILL | KCK

Historic homes, Croatian roots, neighborhood taverns, local restaurants, and some of the best skyline views in the metro.

Estimated median home value: $166K

🏛️ WESTHEIGHT MANOR | KCK

Prairie School influences, Craftsman details, beautiful masonry, mature trees, and a quieter residential feel just minutes from downtown.

Estimated median home value: $181K, up approximately 10% over the past year

🏡 PENDLETON HEIGHTS | KCMO

Victorians, Queen Annes, grand porches, and incredible architectural details—close to the River Market, downtown, and the historic Northeast.

Median sale price: $279K over the past 12 months, up 3.3%

For comparison, the Kansas City metro’s median sale price was $330K in September.

Historic homes aren’t always bargains, but buyers may be missing opportunities by searching only the same five or six neighborhoods.

Which Kansas City neighborhood deserves more attention?

10/26/2026

Kansas had outlawed the manufacture and sale of liquor.

Some saloon owners apparently considered that a suggestion.

By 1883, dozens of illegal drinking establishments were still operating in Topeka. Some kept the liquor flowing by paying regular fines. Prohibition on paper. Business as usual behind the bar.

Then came Carry Nation.

And she wasn’t interested in another strongly worded letter.

In June 1900, she attacked saloons in Kiowa, Kansas, with bricks. Later, the hatchet became her signature.

Imagine being halfway through your drink when a furious temperance crusader arrives ready to demolish the bar.

There were arrests. Headlines. And, remarkably, merchandise: little souvenir hatchet pins.

Yes. The woman smashing saloons had a souvenir line.

These smashings happened elsewhere in Kansas, but they reveal just how heated the liquor fight became on our side of the border.

Meanwhile, Missouri’s saloons offered thirsty Kansans a much simpler solution.

Cross the state line. Order a drink.

One state was trying to smash the liquor business.

Across the border, somebody was ready to take your order.

10/24/2026

Moving to Kansas City? 🏡 There are a few things Zillow won’t tell you.

I’ve spent 15 years exploring Kansas City’s neighborhoods, history, architecture, restaurants, and the little details that make each community different.

And here’s something I’ve learned: Finding the right house and finding the right place to live are two very different things.

Crossing the state line can change your taxes. A few blocks can change the feel of an entire neighborhood. And that beautiful house you found online? It might not fit the lifestyle you imagined.

Whether you’re relocating from another state or simply moving across the metro, getting to know KC before choosing an address can make all the difference.

💬 If you were moving to Kansas City tomorrow, what would be your biggest question?

10/23/2026

Before you came to the River Market for flowers and fresh produce, Kansas Citians came here for… other arrangements. 👀

Come with me to Third and Wyandotte.

It’s the late 1800s, and Annie Chambers has her name set into the entrance of her brothel. When you’re running one of the city’s most notorious addresses, apparently a discreet little side door won’t do.

Inside? Opulent draperies. An enormous n**e painting in the hall. And an establishment politely referred to as a “resort.”

Different amenities than your usual Marriott.

Annie operated for decades, through recurring fines and periodic police raids. Imagine being able to stay in business long enough for a police raid to become a recurring inconvenience.

But the detail I cannot get over comes later.

In 1932, long after her brothel’s heyday, Annie advertised that visitors could pay 50 cents to hear her life story and memories. Every evening at eight.

Half a dollar for an evening with a woman who had watched decades of Kansas City walk through her door.

Can you IMAGINE pulling up a chair?

And then comes the turn you probably weren’t expecting: before her death in 1935, she deeded her former brothel to City Union Mission.

Same address. Quite a different purpose.

Next time you’re in the River Market, look beyond the produce stands. This neighborhood has stories that would make your grandmother put down her coffee.

Unless, of course, she already knew them.

10/22/2026

Kansas went dry. Meet me across the line. 🥃

Picture us in the West Bottoms in 1907. You’ve promised to behave tonight.

Unfortunately, I know a place.

Actually… an entire block.

Just across the Kansas border, saloons crowd West Ninth Street. The neighborhood has earned a rather delicious reputation:

“The Wettest Block in the World.”

Kansas has outlawed the liquor business. Over here, we have options.

Now imagine telling someone you’re stepping across the state line for “a little fresh air.”

Sure, darling. See you tomorrow. 😉

And decades later, the border makes an even better accomplice.

Different address. Southwest Boulevard. The Last Chance Tavern, 1948.

The Missouri police arrive. The dice players leave their tables and stroll into the next room.

That room happens to be in Kansas.

Same building. Different jurisdiction.

Imagine being the officer watching THAT.

Welcome to Day 2 of KC’s Hidden Past—where even the floor plan had an alibi. 🥃

Who’s coming across the line with me?

10/21/2026

Picture this: it’s the 1920s, and we’re heading out in Kansas City.

I tell you we’re stopping at a men’s clothing shop.

Stay with me. We’re going downstairs. 🥃

The building you know today as The Majestic has a different kind of nightlife.

According to its published history, the saloon became a haberdashery during Prohibition—but the drinking simply moved into a basement speakeasy.

Up on the second floor? A bo****lo.

On the third? Mr. Fitzpatrick’s office and apartment.

Imagine living above THAT.

And the front door wasn’t the only way in. The Majestic’s history also recounts an underground passage into the speakeasy.

Outside, Kansas City is earning its reputation as a wide-open town. Gambling rooms, brothels, and illegal liquor flourish under the protection of Boss Tom Pendergast’s political machine.

By 1938, an Omaha reporter puts it this way:

“If you want to see some sin, forget about Paris and go to Kansas City.”

Now THAT is a reputation and where the moniker “Paris of the Plains” was born.

Welcome to Day 1 of KC’s not-so-innocent history. Tomorrow: the tavern where escaping a police raid could mean walking into the next room.👀

10/19/2026

When you want downtown Kansas City living but your husband wants a farm. Apparently, we can accommodate both.

What’s your most unusual home requirement? I’ll see what I can do.