LOCAL LIFE

Local Life Local Life

In Merriam, we love sharing our gem of a city with visitors. We appreciate that our guests choose our destination to spend their leisure time, but, we also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our locals. The locals are the very best people to ask about Merriam (well, aside from the Visitors Bureau, of course!). From a great restaurant recommendation to what park to visit, the locals know what’s up! Check out this preview of local faces and local places, highlighting a long-time Merriam resident and business – both wonderful ambassadors for our city!

Local Places:K.C. Strings Violin Shop

Tell us a little about your business: K.C. Strings officially opened its doors in 1992 to serve the needs of the string community. It grew into a full-service shop with one of the largest selections of instruments in all price ranges within the Midwest. We specialize in having an expert sales staff that is passionate about music along with a repair staff of craftsmen with over 300 years of combined professional experience.

What is your favorite Merriam…

Restaurant: Chili's Shop: True Auto Parts Recreation: Antioch Park

If you were to host friends or family in Merriam for a day,

what would your itinerary include? Shopping at IKEA. What makes Merriam so special? All the benefits of a large town but with a small town feel.

Memorable moments at K.C. Strings: We have famous string players stopping in all the time when their bands and orchestras are in town for concerts, like the violinist from the band Kansas, or the string players from the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, who chartered a bus from Symphony Hall to come to K.C. Strings.

Something people might not know about K.C. Strings:

We have clients across the country and all over the world.

Top three words to describe the business climate of

Merriam? Inviting, accessible, dependable.

▶ Learn more at kcstrings.com

Local Faces: Nancy Yoakum

Tell us a little about yourself: I'm a native Californian who moved to Merriam after meeting my husband. I fell in love with Kansas on my first visit and knew it would be a great place to raise our family. One day while visiting, we drove down the street I now live on, and I saw our house. It didn’t have a for sale sign, but it was vacant. I made the acquaintance of my next-door neighbor and they put me in contact with the owners and we made a deal. These are now the same neighbors who we enjoy exchanging Friendly vegetables, flowers, and a glass of wine. Also, for 9 ½ years, I've had the pleasure of working for the City of Merriam and couldn’t ask for a better team of co-workers. How long have you lived in Merriam? 17 wonderful years. Your top three words to describe Merriam? Friendly, accessible, home. Nancy’s favorites in Merriam... Accessible HomeRestaurant: Anita’s on Merriam Drive Shop: Gemini on Merriam Drive and Hobby Lobby (I’m a crafter ) Activity: I love taking walks at Antioch Park and enjoy the farmers' market season.

If you were to host friends or family for a day, what would your KC

itinerary include? I like to take people to Gemini on Merriam Drive because it's such a special store with wonderful owners. They have such a unique collection of gifts. It’s always fun to take out-of-town guests to the City Market and to the Steamboat Arabia Museum. A drive to Weston, Missouri is such a fun little town. I like to take people to Green Dirt Farm for a charcuterie board, then walk around the downtown Weston shops.

What makes Merriam so special? Merriam has that wonderful hometown feel, but you're only 10 minutes away from the big city. We're fortunate to have a wonderful assortment of woodland creatures on our property that are a joy to watch. There's so much to offer in the Kansas City area, yet 15-20 minutes in any direction gets you out into the country, so it’s the perfect fit!