CITY
story by leah sewell
•
photography by katie lewis
DISCOVER EUDORA
Welcome to the Block: The Neighborhoods of Eudora
With individual personality and ambiance, each one of these communities offers a unique slice of life.
10
Wakarusa Ridge Estates
Meadowlark
Rolling Hills Estates
Near the intersection of 14th and Winchester, at the edge of the city limits, this cozy, figure-eight-shaped neighborhood is Eudora’s westernmost imprint ever since ground was broken here in 2001. The banks of the Wakarusa, woods, and wide-open spaces are a stone’s throw away. Wakarusa Ridge Estates features roomy, two-story houses with a shared aesthetic, but these homes fall well short of cookiecutter. They wind along curving avenues and cul-de-sac loops. The youngest residents adventure breezily throughout the subdivision, crisscrossing well-manicured lawns to play baseball in driveways while grown-ups grill on back decks. Plenty of green space between homes provides breathing room while still keeping the neighbor next door within hearing distance of a shouted greeting. There’s understated pride in these rows of tidy, cared-for, turn-of-the-millennium homes. This neighborhood has one foot in the rugged rural landscape, harking back to simple, country living, while the other takes just a baby step to hop on K-10 toward Kansas City’s bustle, a half-hour’s drive away. Wakarusa Ridge Estates residents enjoy a bit of both worlds.
South of K-10 and just across 2200 Road from Eudora High School, Meadowlark residents are treated to an inviting display of greenery at the community’s gateway. Maintaining the manicured landscape is a team effort that beautifies the neighborhood, increases property values, and keeps neighbors on a first-name basis. Meadowlark is a village within a city, says Grant Martin, co-treasurer of the Meadowlark HOA and 17-year resident. Besides large lots, stately and wellmaintained houses, and a safe atmosphere for his middle school-aged kids, Grant says he appreciates the convivial atmosphere at Meadowlark, where neighbors all pitch in. “Every spring, we have a community work day where all the neighbors get together to keep the common areas looking nice. We plant perennials up front by the entrance and clear the undergrowth. We keep a voluntary mow schedule. We pass around the hat,” he says. The neighborhood holds an annual gettogether, whether it’s a potluck or an ice cream social, and Grant says that the evenings are nice for a stroll to catch up with neighbors.
To the south of Eudora proper, the land is grassy and wild and the roads a bit bumpy. Drivers leave plumes of dust in their wake, passing congregations of hay bales, ponds chock-full of crappie, and a kind of scenery that looks lifted straight out of a John Steuart Curry painting. In the prairie southwest of Eudora, lovely vistas stretch to create mural-worthy scenes. But you don’t see a lot of is houses. If you live in Rolling Hills Estates, that’s exactly the point. Homes in this expansive area are few and far between along 2073 Road, near 13th and 2200 Road. Long, winding driveways and mailboxes signal occupancy, but not every house is visible from the road. The upscale estates here are, on average, 12 acres, providing both seclusion and space for stock ponds, in-ground pools, and guest houses. Each residence in Rolling Hills is a private hideaway nestled in the aptly-named topography. Paintings are lovely to behold, but some pastorals are best appreciated firsthand.
cityofeudoraks.gov
SPRING/SUMMER 2020
