In September 2014 Huffington Post named Kansas City the top city to “keep on your radar.” Beginning with the Royals making it to the World Series just a month after that article was published, Kansas City has done nothing but live up to the hype. But I already knew our city is one of the best in the country before that HuffPost article, and the surge of support for the Royals.

My infatuation with our city is one of the reasons I decided to start blogging about it. There is so much to do, so much to see, and so many adventures to be had. Too many Kansans don’t realize that our city houses an amazing music-scene, mouth-watering cuisine, gorgeous parks and artsy shopping districts peppered with local businesses

The name, A Better Big Apple, stems from when my aunt visited my family a few summers ago. She told us as we were showing her around the city, that Kansas City is like New York City, but without the traffic or trash. Hence, Kansas City is better than the famous Big Apple.

The goal of A Better Big Apple is simple: to inform and encourage its readers to appreciate Kansas City and explore and support it and it’s businesses. Twice a month, A Better Big Apple will walk through a list of the best of the best of Kansas City. I will do my best to cover a large variety of different types of businesses and topics, but be warned: as a foodie-city, a lot of my blogs will be about local food places in Kansas City. (DISCLAIMER: Chain establishments will never be included on any of my lists!) I don’t think that will be a problem though, since food is both a strong want and need.

I am so excited to begin blogging my Kansas City adventures and sharing them with you all!

Senior Elizabeth Fleming loves and supports all things Kansas City — from the barbecue to the sports teams to the small businesses that make it the best city in the world. She spends her weekends exploring her home city and discovering the best of Kansas City.