by Sandro Oriani

Created on: November 03, 2011   Last Updated: November 07, 2011

Hospital Hill is a neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri. This gritty place is best observed from the comfort of an armored Hummer, under the watchful eye of several beefy bodyguards. Aptly named, you easily could find yourself recovering in a hospital on "The Hill", as it is called by the locals, after an encounter with any of the large number of young thugs who frequent this area.

A Current Snapshot

Once a lovely neighborhood, urban blight, family breakdown and welfare dependency have taken their toll on this area. Located within the area bounded by 22nd to 25th Streets and Gillham Road to Troost Avenue, this urban wasteland sports an interesting population. Males outnumber females 3 to 1 in the 64108 zip code which is Hospital Hill. To some, this might sound appealing, but before you ladies decide to go hunting for a husband, you might want to consider some of the following statistics:

51.6% of the population of Hospital Hill reside in correctional facilities while another 18.7% reside in group homes.

The crime index for Hospital Hill is 666.2 versus 278.6 nationally.

The maximum educational level of 84% of the residents of this area is high school or less.

26.3% of the population lives below the poverty level.

Persons of European ancestry are a minority in this neighborhood, which boasts predominantly African-American residents.

The median income in this area is under $18K, while the median for Kansas City, MO as a whole is around $42K.

As if these statistics aren’t enough, the average estimated value of a detached house in Hospital Hill dropped $212.456 in 2009, much more than the overall Kansas City average drop of $161,230. This is not a place for real estate investors.

History of the Area

Public hospitals, which have been located on the hill with views of downtown Kansas City since 1870 inspired the name of Hospital Hill for this area. A history of the various hospitals located here is displayed on the website of the Hospital Hill Economic Development Corporation. So far, aside from several good hospitals operating here, economic development appears to be non-existent.

The Union Station terminal of the Kansas City Terminal Railroad is located at the foot of Hospital Hill. An old grande dame, her interior is reminiscent of more prosperous times when train travel was glamorous. Built in 1914, the building has recently undergone renovation and features art exhibits, as well as theaters and other activities.

Unless you are incarcerated on Hospital Hill, or are on a fully paid fellowship for work in one of the hospitals here, generally this is an area to be avoided. Run, don’t walk, or better yet, slam that Hummer into gear and drive away at full speed.

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