Mission Hills, city in Kansas, United States
Mission Hills is a small city in Johnson County, Kansas, situated on hilly terrain above a creek. It consists of large residential lots with substantial homes set back from tree-lined streets, creating a private and secluded residential landscape.
Mission Hills was planned in 1912 by J.C. Nichols, a renowned urban designer who also created the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. The city was originally designed as a residential haven for wealthy families and became one of America's first planned garden communities.
Mission Hills takes its name from an Indian mission that once stood in this area. The name reflects the area's early roots before wealthy families from Kansas City developed it into a residential community.
The city is small and walkable, with easy parking and light traffic on most streets. Walking and cycling are common ways to explore the quiet, well-maintained neighborhood.
The writer Ernest Hemingway visited Mission Hills in the 1920s and worked on his novel A Farewell to Arms while staying on Indian Lane. The city is also home to the striking Verona Columns and reflecting pool, a landmark designed in 1924 by a landscape architect.
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