6.01.2012

THE CITY OF FOUNTAINS

Kansas City, Missouri is nicknamed The City of Fountains.  And it is...there are over 168 fountains located through the city.  

When we traveled to Kansas City to visit the previously mentioned art exhibition: Manet to Matisse: Impressionist Masters from the Marion and Henry Bloch Collection at the Nelson-Atkins Museum, we stayed at the Hampton Inn located in the area of Kansas City known as the Country Club Plaza area.  This area, just a few blocks west of the museum, is located between 45th Street and 51st Street to the north and south and Broadway and Madison to the east and west (see map).  It has a myriad of upscale shopping and dining possibilities.  The architecture is based on the Moorish style of Seville, Spain (one of the city's sister cities) with buildings decorated with arches and beautiful mosaic tiles.

Some of the beautiful architecture...





































And the colorful tiles decorating the buildings...























We walked from the hotel down West 47th Street to the museum. (In hindsight this wasn't such a great idea since it was mid-August with temperatures in the mid 90s.)  But our walk allowed us to see many of the city's beautiful fountains:























Located on 47th Street in front of the American Eagle Outfitters store, the fountain above shows Neptune in his chariot pulled by the trident, dolphin and sea horse.  A city favorite, the 1911 original lead cast was purchased just for its scrap metal.  In the 1950s, it was found on top of a train car full of scrap metal by workmen at a salvage company.

























One block east on 47th Street located in front of the Cheesecake Factory is this fountain showing the Greek god Bacchus holding court, surrounded by nymphs and satyrs.  Another 1911 original lead statue, weighing 5 tons, it was purchased in England and installed in 1969 in its present location.






































Just one block further east on the opposite side of 47th Street is the beautifully-designed Seville Light fountain.  Carved from several types of marble, this fountain is an exact replica of the Plaza de Los Reyes fountain in Seville, Spain.


Located just across the street from the Seville Light fountain is the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain, the most-popular and most-photographed of all the city's fountains.  The 1910 figures originally adorned a mansion on Long Island, New York.  In 1958 they were brought to Kansas City.  The four horsemen are said to represent the four major rivers: Mississippi River (the Indian riding the horse and beating off an alligator), the Volga River (with the bear), the Seine and the Rhine.  Over the years several figures have been stolen. J. C. Nichols was a prominent developer of commercial and residential real estate in Kansas City.




























Located in a plaza located at the corner of Broadway and Ward Parkway is a statue of Pomona, the Roman goddess and protector of vineyards and orchards.  This fountain was imported from Italy and installed in 1969. 

For more information on the many other fountains in Kansas City you can visit the website: www.kcfountains.com.



7 comments:

  1. Wow, that was strange. I just wrote a really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn't show up. Grrrr... well, I'm not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say fantastic blog!
    cash for cars beenleigh
    cash for scrap cars beenleigh

    ReplyDelete

  2. Hi, I am really glad I have found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossips and internet and this is actually irritating. A good site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for keeping this web site, I'll be visiting it. Do you do newsletters? Can not find it.
    accidental car removal sydney
    accidental car removal

    ReplyDelete
  3. Excellent choice of words.Canberra Cash For Cars is a top scrap car buyer. We have a licensed scrap car yard Canberra, where we salvage and recycle all makes and models of cars, vans, Utes, SUVs, trucks, and 4WDs.


    Car Yard Canberra

    ReplyDelete
  4. ADCash4Cars is an unwanted car buyer in Victor Harbor. We want to make the car removal process as simple as possible. Even if your vehicle is covered in rust, we will pay top dollar for it. Our offer can go up to $9,999 on the spot.


    cars for cash victor harbor

    ReplyDelete
  5. When it comes to having the highest deal on your Ford car for cash Brisbane, Max Cash for Cars deals is unbeatable. In Brisbane, we offer the finest cash for car offers. 100% customer satisfaction is guaranteed with our friendly customer service.


    ford wreckers brisbane

    ReplyDelete
  6. Amazing blog! It was such a valuable information. Thank you for sharing.

    car removal werribee

    car wreckers Altona

    ReplyDelete
  7. Car Wreckers Truganina

    Amirycashforcars in Truganina delivers unmatched car wrecking expertise. Swift and efficient, they turned my old car into instant cash. Highly recommend Amirycashforcars for top-notch service in the world of car wreckers

    ReplyDelete