Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Lawrence, KS
Year Listed: 2000
Lawrence, Kansas is a lively city known for its rich cultural arts scene, university life, and dedication to downtown preservation. Founded in 1854 in eastern Kansas by abolitionists, Lawrence was an important stop on the Underground Railroad and the site of a famous fiery Civil War episode called Quantrill’s Raid, when raiders sacked and burned the town in 1863. That destruction inspired Lawrence’s motto, From Ashes to Immortality,still a source of pride for this independent and spirited city. In 1977, Lawrence adopted Plan ‘95, which called for the city to promote the central business district as the focus of business and civic life for the entire Douglas County region. In 1982, the city’s new Comprehensive Downtown Plan mandated its downtown to be a pedestrianoriented area and discouraged drive-in restaurants, superstores, and sprawling development that would sap downtown’s vitality. The plan became the basis of a court decision that denied a developer’s request to rezone 61 acres of prime farmland for a regional shopping center, saying the rezoning conflicted with Lawrence’s revitalization goals and that cities have a right to protect the economic vitality of their downtowns.
Like most American cities, Lawrence today is still fighting sprawl development on the outskirts of town, but its downtown is economically sound and historically significant. Many businesses are located in renovated historic buildings in the Massachusetts Street district, and the Lawrence Preservation Alliance has been active in saving and rehabilitating the city’s historic homes. Historic suite hotels and intimate bed-and-breakfast inns offer visitors cozy accommodations. Streetside cafes, traditional coffee shops, and restaurants serving exceptional cuisine provide a variety of dining opportunities. Lawrence has been rated 15th on a list of "the 100 best small art towns in America", and ranks 12th among the cities with the largest percentage of artists living and working in their communities. Outdoor sculptures line the downtown area, businesses display works by local artists, and art exhibits, openings, and shows fill the events calendar year-round.
The city’s many music festivals and performances feature the notes of bluegrass, classical, country, jazz, pop, opera, and just about every other musical genre.The Lied Center for Performing Arts and the University Theater are located on the main campus of the University of Kansas, which offers another kind of entertainment with its national reputation as a basketball powerhouse. Also in Lawrence is the Haskell Indian Nations University, the premier Native American educational institution in the country with students who represent more than 150 tribes.
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