Overland Park, Prairie Village, Lenexa, Olathe Blog

The City of Mission Hills is located in Northeast Johnson County, Kansas, and was envisioned in 1912 by urban planner J.C. Nichols, who developed the renowned Country Club Plaza district in Kansas City.

First-time visitors to Mission Hills can't help noticing our fountains, statues, sculptures and urns. Some are hundreds of years old and many are museum pieces imported from abroad. You'll see them decorating our traffic islands or adorning our roadsides. But that's not the only thing that'll stop you. In how many other cities would you come upon a ford crossing a creek? Or a water garden where a heron waits patiently for his dinner? This is Mission Hills. America's first and foremost garden community.

A cozy informality sends a welcome message to new and old residents alike. Shorts and sandals are de rigueur at summer barbecues. Community events, like the annual Street Fair or the Verona Columns Concert, attract family members of all ages. At outdoor function, you're more likely to see children splashing in a fountain than straightening their ties. Spend a little time here and you quickly discover a central truth: that our pleasant surroundings are matched by the outlook of the people who live here.

You don't have to leave the city to escape the city. Mission Hills has remained true to its original plan, first conceived by J.C. Nichols in the early 1900's, to be America's premier garden community. Wooded hills, winding streams and pleasant valleys provide a natural backdrop for what is one of the most beautiful American suburbs. Three golf courses form a green belt surrounding our stately homes and magnificent landscaped gardens. Passing a split-rail fence on a Sunday morning bike ride, you could easily imagine yourself in the country, miles from the hustle and bustle of city life.

 A place as beautiful as Mission Hills is hard to leave. Although younger residents who were fortunate enough to grow up here leave to make their own way in the world, many come back when they reach their 30's to settle down and raise a family. And who can blame them? It's an ideal environment in which to grow up, which explains why more and more families are moving here. Children, not surprisingly, make up the largest age group in our community. One day, they'll probably leave their homes to start their own lives, but we won't be surprised if they return. After all, once you've lived here, few places compare to Mission Hills.

PHOTOS: RICHARD FANOLIO