The people of Kansas City are consistently ranked among the most educated and productive workers in the United States. Yet they realize that there is more to life than work.

Fans of the Kansas City Chiefs football team are widely acknowledged as the most enthusiastic and loyal in the National Football League. The jazz and blues that made Kansas City a musical mecca continue to draw local and out-of-town fans alike. And, with over 100 barbecue restaurants, Kansas City can truly call itself the “Barbecue Capital of the World.”

Kansas City also boasts one of the world's most exclusive shopping districts—the Country Club Plaza. Built in 1922 as the nation's first outdoor shopping center, the Plaza features an alluring Spanish motif and well-known retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue, and Brooks Brothers. Each Thanksgiving, the district attracts national attention when 250,000 colored lights etching Plaza buildings are ceremoniously switched on to usher in the winter holiday season.

The Kansas City metropolitan area includes cities in both Missouri and Kansas, and some say it takes both states to accommodate the vibrant social scene. Each year, approximately 14-20 million visitors take in the area’s offerings, and with good reason.

In the future, Kansas City’s cultural life will be further enhanced by the completion of the $300 million Metropolitan Kansas City Performing Arts Center. International architect Moshe Safdie's design is expected to be a monumental addition to the city's skyline when the facility is completed in 2008.