Des Moines -- a Surprising Place

When you think of Des Moines, Iowa, do your eyes glaze over and your head begin to drop?

Well, wake up to Des Moines! It's a great city to live, work, and raise a family in.

Great property values.
Unlike New York City or San Francisco, you don't have to spend a million dollars for a little doll house home. For between $150,000 and $200,000, you can get a great family home, with three or four bedrooms, two or more bathrooms, and a nice back yard. Over $300,000, and we're talking palatial digs. Modest starter homes can be had for well under $100,000.

Low crime rate.
Most people lock their doors these days and no place on planet Earth is totally safe, but murders and other violent crimes are aberrations rather than common place.

Great schools.
You don't need to send your children to expensive private schools; the public schools in Des Moines and the suburbs are great. The suburbs of West Des Moines, Johnston, and Urbandale boast the best in the state and have brand new buildings and offer advanced classes in many subjects.

Plus, you can find a ballet school on every corner, private children's choruses, AAU athletics, and every kind of class and camp imaginable exists in the metropolitan area for the youngsters.

Cultural activities.
Okay, Des Moines doesn't have the Metropolitan Opera or the New York Philharmonic, but it does have a fine symphony, an excellent art center, and a brand new science center.

There is a new events center in the downtown area that brings in huge concerts.

In early June, the downtown riverwalk area hosts a weekend-long art festival where artists from all over come to display their art for sale. The Des Moines Art Festival has become one of the most popular festivals in the country for artists.

In the summer, Simpson College, just south of Des Moines, hosts the Des Moines Metro Opera, with full productions of traditional operas, such Aida, and avant garde works mounted with world-renowned singers in the leading roles. Opportunities for local involvement are available, too.

Plus, Des Moines features some things that you won't find in New York City or Los Angeles. The Living History Farms in the suburb of Urbandale gives you the opportunity to step back in time and live the life of a pioneer. You can experience a 1700 Ioway Farm, an 1850 Pioneer Farm, the post-Civil war 1875 Town of Walnut Hill, and a 1900 Horse-Powered Farm.

Sports.
Des Moines boasts minor league baseball and hockey. Our great golf courses bring in professional golf tournaments as well.

Shopping.
Of course we've got malls! You can shop until you drop in Des Moines and the burbs. Check out brand new, two-million-square feet Jordan Creek Town Center. The largest mall in Iowa highlights a 3.5-acre lake surrounded by bike trails, pedestrian walkways, and a boardwalk offering waterfront dining, a hotel, and amphitheater.

Higher education.
Our state universities are world renowned for medicine, engineering, and literature. In Des Moines, we have a medical school at Des Moines University, world famous Drake Relays at Drake University where Olympic athletes come to warm up, and several smaller colleges and community colleges.

So you see, Des Moines is a surprising place. We don't have Los Angeles traffic jams (you can drive from one end of town to the other in 30 minutes), and no livestock running wild in the streets, either.

Looking for a place to live? Look into Des Moines!