Kansas City: a Valentine’s Day Tradition

During this time of the year, there seems to always be a lot of fuss over which city is the “most romantic” or “best for Valentine’s Day.” For your Kansas City moving and storage service providers, and the rest of the folks in town, there isn’t much competition. Why is that? Well, when people think of Valentine’s Day, three things typically come to mind: 1. cards, 2. chocolates, and 3. flowers. If you just moved to Kansas City, let us explain what we mean.

A Kansas City card. You have the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your sweetheart, and you cannot wait to show them. But you are missing one thing: a card! You will likely run to your local Hallmark store to pick one up. If not, you will probably buy a Hallmark card at your local drug store. But did you know that Joyce Hall, founder of Hallmark, sold his first card in 1913 in Kansas City, the town where Hallmark Cards is still based today? Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest, if not the busiest, time of the year for Hallmark stores. Each season, its artists produce around 1,500 different designs for Valentine’s Day cards to sell throughout the world. And its store sells much more than cards these days. You can pick up stuffed animals, clothing, messenger bags, and countless other gifts for the big day.

A box of chocolates from the heartland. Let’s say that you want to get a little something for your child, or maybe for the elderly woman who lives across the street. What better way to say Happy Valentine’s Day than with a box of Russell Stover’s chocolates. Can you believe that Russell Stover’s is also based in Kansas City and also started in town when Russell Stover opened up a small candy store? Stover got his start by inventing the Eskimo Pie, and it was not too long after, that his famous chocolate recipe was a major success. Today, Russell Stover’s chocolate covered strawberries and seven-ounce heart-shaped box of chocolates are amongst the most popular items during Valentine’s Day.

Flowers that say “I love you.” Sometimes the best thing to give your Valentine is a big bouquet of roses. Luckily, you are in Kansas City, home to countless florists. Take Toblers Flowers, for instance. This flower shop has been family-owned for more than 100 years, and it has been located in its current shop in the Historic 18^th and Vine District since 1974. Another popular florist is Crestwood Flowers, which has been in business in the Crestwood neighborhood since 1932. While these flower shops may not be known worldwide like Hallmark and Russell Stover’s, they are easily recognized and appreciated in the Kansas City community.

There is no denying that romance is in Kansas City’s blood. Valentine’s Day cards, chocolates and flowers all have their roots in the City of Fountains (or should we say the City of Romance?). So now that you know you are living in America’s most romantic city, go out and make the most of it and get your Valentine something that comes from Kansas City’s heartland.