Smoking Platypus

They built a hospital right on the Kansas and Missouri state line, its on the Kansas side because it enjoys the Jayhawk branding but it’s location upon Missouri’s choroidal artery is no roll of the dice. It’s as close as you can be to the injuries and sickness that Kansas City, Missouri can give your student doctors all the while enjoying the trusty Jayhawk image- Building the Hospital right along state line -in fact creating a corridor of buildings on both sides of 39th street leading to state line, this has created a most wonderful byproduct to the Hospital planners logistics of the sick and wounded.

To get from Kansas to Missouri on 39th street you have to enter and navigate through a gauntlet of KU security, 24 hours a day- everyday. They wait and monitor the crosswalks that students, doctors, patients and probably lawyers all must use to cross back and forth across to the various buildings and parking garages. The speed limit is SLOW and if you see any person who looks like they may intend to cross the street you must stop your car. Don’t try slowing down. you better stop. This “Area 39″ has been the result of countless arrests, as the Kansas world attempts to enter Missouri through this barrier. Over time people have grown wiser and have given friends directions avoiding Area 39 all together.

So , what happened to the other side of 39th street? the Missouri side? Well, once you get past state line you find a flourishing pocket of pure Kansas City. With this man made barrier providing a filter , it relieves this area of the weekend influx of suburbia. It’s a growing taste of KC culture you wont find elsewhere.

But the Hospital patients, the Hospital students and of course the Doctors- they all enjoy walking a few feet and crossing state line to join the locals who walk to the bars , restaurants, clothing and book stores ( yes books ). It’s part of the adventure of 39th street.

and its where this book starts.